Project Link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tGPdJ0MfuoUhbE-NvTSpUs77xsfDTs1S/view?usp=sharing

You Don't Look Disabled

During a recording of the Disability Joy Suite podcast, disabled hosts Maya and Rae devote an episode to the phrase “you don’t look disabled,” inviting callers like Olivia to share stories that range from absurd accusations of faking to real emotional harm. When Jay, a disabled listener who once left that exact comment about Maya, calls in to apologize and name his own internalized ableism, the conversation shifts from venting to a deeper on‑air reckoning with how ableism seeps into disabled lives by surrounding them, and with how Disability Joy can be an act of resistance that shifts the paradigm so that how others feel about us does not determine how we feel about ourselves.

Andrea Jennings - Disabled - Spinal Cord Injury, Mobility and Sensory Disability - Cane and leg brace user - IG AndreaJennings_TV TicTok @AndreaJenningsCreative LinkedIn @AndreaJennings

Katie Vespar Farmer - Disabled - Deaf/hearing loss/Mobility Disability - IG@katievespercadofarmer @KatieFarmer

Dawn Grabowski - Disabled - Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Wheelchair and crutch user- IG @grabowskidawn @DawnGrabowski

All Disabled
Composers - Tabi Haley, Grace-Mary Burega and Steven Letnes

  • Andrea Jennings
    Director
    AEIOU
  • Andrea Jennings
    Writer
  • Andrea Jennings
    Producer
  • Andrea Jennings
    Key Cast
    "Myah"
    Sunshine & Kitty, My Little Caregiver, Access for All: Integrating Accessibility
  • Katie Vesper Farmer
    Key Cast
    "Rae"
  • Dawn Grawbowski
    Key Cast
    "Olivia"
    SWAT, E.R
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 15 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 29, 2026
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    4K ProRes 422 LT / Apple Log / 2
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Andrea Jennings

Andrea Jennings is an actress, director, creative producer, spoken word artist, and musician, dedicated to advancing accessibility and disability culture across entertainment, health, technology, and design. With a Master of Music (M.Mus.) degree in Music Business and Entertainment Industries, Andrea combines her creative expertise with a passion for equity. After a life-changing car accident and spinal cord injury, she founded Shifting Creative Paradigms – Leveling the Playing Field®, a social enterprise focused on integrating accessibility into media, business, and policy.

As the lead actress in an award-winning film about healthcare, Andrea has made significant contributions to both the entertainment and health sectors. She contributed to the groundbreaking global health equity report The Intersection of Health Equity in Communities & Business Strategy: A Call-to-Action, commissioned by Atlantic Insights and OPRG. She has worked with organizations like Easterseals to further accessibility and disability inclusion. Andrea has been featured in Forbes, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and The New York Times.

She is also a founding member of RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities). She serves on the Advisory Board of the Wavy Awards, advocating for more inclusivity within the music industry. Andrea is the host and a producer of the award-nominated TV series Access for All: Integrating Accessibility, a Pasadena Media production that explores accessibility in pop culture. Additionally, she serves as Chair Emeritus and a commissioner for Pasadena’s Accessibility and Disability Commission, where she helps advise council members in shaping policy and initiatives for a more inclusive society.

Her creative work has been showcased at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Park Avenue Armory, solidifying her influence in both the arts and advocacy spaces

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I created “You Don’t Look Disabled” as a disability dramedy rooted in my lived experience of being questioned and disbelieved. Shot on an iPhone in just a few days for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, the film drops viewers into a scrappy indie podcast where disabled women talk back to the phrase “you don’t look disabled,” confront internalized ableism, and imagine what real accountability could look like. We intentionally kept it simple and low‑budget to reflect real life and what many disabled creators are working with, and to show our community that a conversation starter can happen in your living room with your iPhone, not just on a big studio set. This short is a proof‑of‑concept for a live theatre piece, series and a real‑world “Disability Joy Suite” podcast that centers disability joy, discomfort, and conversation in front of an audience.