Funny and Disabled: An Evening of Comedy and Conversation

More than one in four adults in the United States has a disability. And yet: Do you know how to be a true ally to someone, maybe yourself, with a disability? Have you felt awkward around people with a disability and not known what to say and do? Have you wanted to tell your friend how you understand yourself as a disabled person, but not known how to tell your story?

Fret not! Here comes Nina G., the stuttering standup comic to lighten up a heavy subject! Nina stutters and has learning disabilities. She also has a doctorate in psychology and is the author of multiple books on stand-up comedy as well as disability, invisible or not. Through humor and comedy, she will show us what it means to "laugh at disability" from an insider perspective. (When is it OK to laugh at people with disabilities? When they are holding a microphone and telling jokes!)

We'll practice our new skills, have a laugh-filled evening, and hopefully return home a little lighter, and a lot more enlightened. We'll deepen our understanding of what disability means, how to be an ally, and how to self-advocate. And maybe we can get her to tell us some stories about stand-up history.

There will be an opportunity an hour before and an hour after the event for attendees, especially those with disabilities, to meet one another and Nina. Although this also will be available on live stream video, for the full experience it's time to get out of the house and meet your community. We've all been cooped up for too long, and there will be wine! (But remember: You must be vaccinated to enter the Club, despite our ultramodern ventilation system. Masks and boosters are recommended.)

About the Speaker

Nina G., the "stuttering standup comic," is the author of Stutterer Interrupted: The Comedian Who Almost Didn’t Happen, Bay Area Stand-Up Comedy: A Humorous History, and Once Upon an Accommodation: A Book About Learning Disabilities. She has been featured on NPR, BBC, and Psychology Today, and has consulted for the Fortune 500 and many universities. She has also performed with Dave Chappelle and Mort Sahl.

MLF ORGANIZER

Eric Siegel