Remaking Normal with Alexander Freeman | Long Form Conversations on Norms, Culture, Society

In this episode of Remaking Normal, Alexander Freeman sits down with disabled filmmaker, educator, and disability-rights activist Stan Clawson to explore how storytelling, branding, and political advocacy intersect through the power of documentary film.Stan is a bold and incisive voice within the disability community, known for creating branded independent documentary content for companies and organizations that want to tell authentic, socially grounded stories. Through his filmmaking, educational work, and activism, Stan challenges the narratives that too often marginalize disabled people—reframing them through a lens of agency, complexity, and political urgency. His work pushes back on ableist assumptions, elevates disabled leadership, and highlights the systems and policies that shape disabled lives.A committed advocate, Stan uses filmmaking as both an artistic practice and a political tool: to document inequity, amplify underrepresented voices, and spark deeper conversations about disability rights, social justice, and the broader political forces affecting disabled communities. His projects often blend personal narrative with institutional critique, reminding audiences that disability is not just a personal experience, but a political identity shaped by access, representation, and power.Together, Alexander and Stan dive into what it means to create media that doesn’t simply portray disability, but actively advances disability rights. They discuss branded storytelling, the responsibilities of representing marginalized communities, and the transformative potential of documentary film in shifting public perception. Stan shares insights from his work partnering with organizations to craft inclusive media, his approach to blending storytelling with advocacy, and his commitment to using film as a catalyst for systemic change.Follow @stanclawson on Instagram.Find out about my documentary "My Own Normal" at https://myownnormalmovie.com and consider working with me on a feature film by visiting my production company Outcast Productions LLC at https://www.outcast-productions.com. Subscribe to the Outcast Productions LLC YouTube Channel @OUTCASTPRODUCTIONSCo and follow @realalexanderfreeman on Instagram.Support the show

In this episode of Remaking Normal, Alexander Freeman explores how assistive technology is transforming the way people with disabilities work, communicate, and thrive in the modern world.Alexander sits down with Shamus Crowley, founder and CEO of the Boston-based technology company Accessabl, a pioneering startup dedicated to creating digital tools that bridge the gap between accessibility and opportunity. Together, they unpack how innovation can empower independence — and how technology can challenge outdated assumptions about ability and employment.They also reflect on a powerful question at the heart of the series: How do we define “normal” — and what needs to change about the norms that shape our workplaces and our technology?https://accessabl.comFind out about my documentary "My Own Normal" at https://myownnormalmovie.com and consider working with me on a feature film by visiting my production company Outcast Productions LLC at https://www.outcast-productions.com. Subscribe to the Outcast Productions LLC YouTube Channel @OUTCASTPRODUCTIONSCo and follow @realalexanderfreeman on Instagram. Support the show

In the debut episode of Remaking Normal, filmmaker, writer, musician, and disability advocate Alexander Freeman takes listeners on a powerful journey through the origins and evolution of one of society’s most dangerous and misunderstood words: normal.With his signature blend of personal reflection, history, and empathy, Alexander explores how the concept of “normal” was never just about averages — it became a tool of power, exclusion, and control. Drawing from research by Adolphe Quetelet, Lennard J. Davis, and others, he unpacks how scientific ideals shaped social hierarchies, from eugenics movements to modern systems of bias that still affect marginalized communities today.Find out about my documentary "My Own Normal" at https://myownnormalmovie.com and consider working with me on a feature film by visiting my production company Outcast Productions LLC at https://www.outcast-productions.com. Subscribe to the Outcast Productions LLC YouTube Channel @OUTCASTPRODUCTIONSCo and follow @realalexanderfreeman on Instagram. Support the show

In this episode of Remaking Normal, Alexander Freeman sits down with activist, creator, and YouTuber Annie Segarra — known online as Annie Elainey — for a heartfelt and unfiltered conversation about disability, queer identity, love, and the urgent need for authentic representation in media.Annie, a proud queer disabled woman and one of the most influential voices in online activism, shares her personal journey of navigating intersectional identities in a world that often insists on labels and limits. Together, she and Alexander explore what it means to exist fully — to live at the intersection of disability and queerness — while facing social structures that still define “normal” through exclusion.Through stories, laughter, and hard truths, they discuss how media and culture shape perceptions of identity, why visibility matters, and how love and self-acceptance become acts of resistance. Find out about my documentary "My Own Normal" at https://myownnormalmovie.com and consider working with me on a feature film by visiting my production company Outcast Productions LLC at https://www.outcast-productions.com. Subscribe to the Outcast Productions LLC YouTube Channel @OUTCASTPRODUCTIONSCo and follow @realalexanderfreeman on Instagram. Support the show

In this episode of Remaking Normal, Alexander Freeman sits down with adaptive sports pioneer, inventor, coach, and ordained minister Ross Lilley to explore how access, innovation, and community can transform lives through sport.Ross has been adapting and teaching high-challenge sports since 1983, with roots in personal training and coaching that date back to the late 1970s. Recognized as the foremost authority on adaptive windsurfing in the United States. His work has always been driven by a deeper mission, creating inclusive spaces that overcome disparity and discrimination.The conversation dives into the personal story that sparked a movement. In 1986, Ross’s son Josh was born with cerebral palsy and spastic quadriplegia. When Josh was four years old, father and son began windsurfing together—an experience that became the catalyst for Access Sport America, with Josh continuing to serve as the organization’s “Chief Test Pilot.”Together, Alexander and Ross discuss how innovation, adaptive design, and inclusive training programs empower athletes to achieve higher function, improved fitness, better health, and a true sense of belonging. They also explore Ross’s journey from the pulpit to full-time advocacy, the role of invention in accessibility, and why community and hope are just as essential as physical achievement.https://goaccess.orgFind out about my documentary “My Own Normal” at https://myownnormalmovie.com, and consider working with me on a feature film by visiting my production company Outcast Productions LLC at https://www.outcast-productions.com.Subscribe to the Outcast Productions LLC YouTube Channel @OUTCASTPRODUCTIONSCo and follow @realalexanderfreeman on Instagram.Support the show