[Podcasts] DISABILITY as a Podcast Category with Subcategories

[atypicaltruth]

Hello,

Currently, there are 19 primary categories and 91 subcategories for podcasts and disability is not included in any of these. Disability-themed podcasts are spread out into a variety of categories that do not exactly fit nor represent the content. Even in the primary categories of "Health & Fitness," disability is not an option amongst alternative health, fitness, medicine, nutrition, mental health, and sexuality. The lack of disability as a category or even a subcategory for podcasts mirrors a critical problem in our society - ableism.

Creating a podcast category for “disability” helps the disabled community in several ways:

1) it makes it easier to find podcasts relating to disability, therefore, more accessible to those who are searching them out
2) it helps disability podcast creators to be more discoverable to the demographic of people who are searching it out

Being disabled has historically been stigmatized and those within disabled community are working to change that. We are a large community - disability does not discriminate, it impacts every other identity factor: race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and socio-economic status. We deserve the ability to have convenient access to content that we can relate to, we deserve representation.

Will Spotify be the first to make this bold step for our community? I sure hope so.

[atypicaltruth]

I would love to see Spotify promote this idea so that others can see it. This is an important social issue regarding disability representation across media platforms.

[MC4Ever]

Disability representation matters and I would appreciate and benefit from this change as well! It would fit well as a subcategory of it's own under Health & Fitness, or it could be a primary category with a variety of different subcategories such as: Rare Disease, Chronic Illness, Advocacy, etc.

[KittieRyanMcMil]

Disability is a category that represents many people that thus far have been not been given the representation that they deserve through podcasts. Please consider creating a category this facet of our population. 

[OnceUponAGene]

Disability is Diversity. Let's do this, Spotify!

[Acharlottek88]

Atypical Truth is amazing! The podcast needs to have the most relatable descriptive category to reach as many people as possible. Families that live any atypical life need to hear the wonderful, supportive and informative truths about how other families are affected, live and thrive with disabilities. The Atypical Truth podcast is very relatable to many types of people, parents and cross family dynamics. Also, adding the disability category would give other podcasts like Atypical Truth a category to call home! Inclusiveness does amazing things! 

[arebecaIuana]

Yeah totally agree, this category need to be implemented as soon as possible. I'm going to share it with people from disabled community in Brazil who also are creators so they can vote too. 

[atypicaltruth]

Thank you all for your support, please share with hopes that Spotify considers this idea and begins to make giant steps towards accessibility for all! 

[Luan]

Updated on 2021-10-10

Hello and thanks for bringing your feedback to the Idea Exchange. We've marked this as 'New Suggestion'.
Spotify Staff will look into this idea once it reaches the necessary amount of votes.

More information about how the Spotify Idea Exchange works can be found here.

[atypicaltruth]

I am absolutely thrilled to know that this has been marked as a "New Suggestion."

I would encourage Spotify to consult with disabled creators should this Idea evolve into a Change. As with many issues surrounding identity and inclusion, consulting with people who identify as disabled as these changes are made would be the most appropriate and responsible way to cultivate this kind of reform in the world of mass media. Include the voices of those who represent a variety of disabilities, both visible and invisible. Include the voices of those who have the lived experience of being disabled.

Thank you, Spotify. This consideration is huge, but not yet enough. Society, we still have a lot of work to do. Asking for disability representation in the media should not require nor depend on "the necessary amount of votes," it should be a purposeful decision because disabled people deserve equal representation in all areas of life.

[Luan]

Updated on 2021-10-11

Hey! Looks like that your idea is growing up fast and it's amazing! We are going to change its status to 'Good Suggestion' now and we hope it continues to be supported by more and more users.
Thanks again for your idea. We really appreciate it 🙂

More information about how the Spotify Idea Exchange works can be found here.