Badass, by Design — with Day Al-Mohamed

Penn and Moses welcome filmmaker, author, and policy expert Day Al-Mohamed. She shares her blindness story, trauma and recovery, and a practical view of advocacy from campus to Congress to the White House. The conversation covers ADA pressures, why state-level action matters, AI bias and disability, fencing as a confidence lab, and the power of authentic media (“Renegades” on PBS). Day closes with steady counsel for hard seasons: it will be okay—because we plan, support each other, and figure it out.

Contact Info
Guest — Day Al-Mohamed
Website: dayalmohamed.com
Books/Film: The Labyrinth Archivist; Renegades (PBS)

Aftersight
Web: aftersight.org
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Producer
Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight — [e-mail]

Show Credits
Hosts: Penn Street, Moses Street
Guest: Day Al-Mohamed — filmmaker, author, disability policy leader
Producer: Jonathan Price
An Aftersight Original

Chapter Markers
00:00 — Cold open + show intro
00:28 — Cabin banter and Halloween setup
02:49 — Guest intro: policy, filmmaking, and advocacy
05:10 — Blindness origin and the “first question” problem
09:00 — Trauma, community, and rebuilding life
11:27 — From social work to law: rules that actually work
13:51 — Fencing and refusing limits
18:20 — First steps in policy and data-driven advocacy
20:43 — Statehouse internship to Capitol Hill
24:37 — ADA, regs, and where erosion happens
26:58 — What to do now: act local, build state protections
31:43 — How real constituents move votes
36:20 — AI bias, oversight, and disability truth
41:01 — Why stories change policy: books and film
45:46 — “Renegades” and disability history without inspiration porn
50:19 — What’s next: season two hopes and the blind detective
52:44 — The White House guide dog story
55:08 — What I’d whisper then, what I’d shout now
57:18 — Where to find Day + closing and Aftersight CTA