ADALive! Episode 153: Disability Studies and Ethics as a Path to Equality and Justice

ADALive! Episode 153: Disability Studies and Ethics as a Path to Equality and Justice

From ADALive! by Southeast ADA Center

May 5, 2026 · 45 min

About this episode

Dr. Joseph A. Stramondo and host Stephen Kuusisto discuss the ethical frameworks surrounding disability and advocate for social justice and human rights.

Archive, Bios, Description, Resources, and Transcripts available at: https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-153/ Our guest, Dr. Joseph A. Stramondo, drawing on both philosophical analysis and his own lived experience with dwarfism and an incomplete spinal cord injury, and the host for this episode, Stephen Kuusisto, will discuss the challenges of traditional medical models of disability and advocates for more inclusive ethical frameworks that recognize disability as a matter of social justice and human rights. Dr. Joseph A. Stramondo is a philosopher and disability studies scholar whose work focuses on bioethics, philosophy of medicine, and disability justice. He is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and the Director of the Institute for Ethics and Public Affairs at San Diego State University. Dr. Stramondo’s research examines ethical issues related to disability, including healthcare equity, genetic testing, end-of-life decision making, and how social and medical systems shape the lived experiences of people with disabilities. Stephen Kuusisto is Director of the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach at the Burton Blatt Institute, and a University Professor at…

People in this episode

Host: Stephen Kuusisto

Guest: Dr. Joseph A. Stramondo

Topics covered

  • disability studies
  • ethics
  • social justice
  • human rights
  • healthcare equity
  • bioethics

Keywords

  • disability
  • ethics
  • social justice
  • healthcare equity
  • bioethics
  • philosophy of medicine
  • genetic testing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: San Diego State University, Burton Blatt Institute

Books & works: Planet of the Blind, Have Dog, Will Travel: A Poet’s Journey, Eavesdropping: A Memoir of Blindness and Listening, Only Bread, Only Light, Letters to Borges

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