In this premiere episode of Curb Cuts and Conversations, host Elizabeth McCready sits down with Sara Hendren—author, artist, educator, and design researcher—for a wide-ranging conversation on disability, design, and how we shape (and are shaped by) the built environment.

Sara shares insights from her book What Can a Body Do?, and the conversation moves through topics including:

Why disability is not a fixed category but a space of human variation The role of stories in changing hearts and policies Teaching design in ways that centre care and interdependence How everyday objects—from furniture to curb cuts—can invite reflection and reimagination.

Episode 1: Design, Disability, and the Built World

Guest: Sara Hendren

Duration: ~60 minutes

Host: Elizabeth McCready

Highlights:

03:55 — How Sara started thinking differently about assistive tech

11:12 — The hidden assumptions of "normal" design

24:08 — Why every design is a disability design

38:21 — How storytelling transforms public understanding

47:50 — Sara’s advice for young designers and urbanists

Resources Mentioned

1. "What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World" by Sara Hendren
2. StopGap Foundation (Luke Anderson)
3. Olin College of Engineering
4. Open Style Lab

Curb Cuts and Conversations is a monthly podcast about accessible urbanism, public transit, and wheelchair life with experts and lived experience voices. Hosted by Elizabeth McCready (@GingerKiwiOnWheels) with regular cameos by one of her two cats Boo, and a different guest every episode.

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