Episode 64: Andrea Dalzell "The Seated Nurse"

Episode 64

Interviewee: Andrea Dalzell, The Seated Nurse

Interviewer: Drs. Lisa Meeks and  Pete Poullos

Description: 

We are excited to bring you the continuation of our series on Voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color with Disabilities in Medicine. These episodes amplify the voices of healthcare providers at the intersection of disability and BIPOC identity, enlightening our understanding of challenges for multiple marginalized populations. By elevating these stories and sharing these lived experiences, we hope to advance critical conversations about race and disability and facilitate a greater understanding of the challenges and benefits at the intersections. Funding for this project was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Together, we believe that a culture of health requires the dismantling of structural racism and ableism so that everyone has the chance to live the healthiest life possible.

In Episode 64 we are joined by Andrea Dalzell, also known as "The Seated Nurse." As someone who has used a wheelchair full-time since the age of twelve, Andrea understands what it's like to constantly come up against barriers as she navigates a world often not built with disabled people in mind and has devoted her career to advocating for and working to support people with disabilities. In this episode, Andrea, Dr. Meeks, and Dr. Poullos discuss the strengths and challenges that having a disability and other marginalized identities has presented in her journey to become a nurse, as well as her visions for future disabled nursing and healthcare trainees and professionals as she drives forward her ongoing advocacy and education work. 

Transcript: https://bit.ly/DWD_Ep64

Key Words: nursing, wheelchair, physical disability, advocacy 

 

Bio: 

Andrea Dalzell is the people’s disability rights advocate. As someone who has used a wheelchair full-time since the age of twelve, she understands what it’s like to constantly come up against barriers because life is built for the non-disabled. She challenges this narrative daily as “The Seated Nurse” – the first and only registered nurse in a wheelchair in all of New York State. Andrea’s advocacy has won her national recognition over the years, including being named “New Mobility’s Person of the Year” in 2021. She has also been featured in publications such as Unite Spinal, HomeCare, and Forbes.