This story was originally published on Passionfruit.
Imani Barbarin (@crutches_and_spice) is a content creator known for her disability advocacy. With more than 430,000 followers on TikTok and 114,000 followers on Instagram, she’s the voice of reason when other creators need to be checked on ableist language, and she provides insight on how everyone can be an advocate for disability rights. During her first attendance at this year’s VidCon, she spoke on a panel called “Diversity Spotlight: Playing to Our Strengths,” with Jessica McCabe and the Valentine Brothers, and talked about what it’s like being a disabled content creator and how to improve on TikTok—both from the community side and the app side. Barbarin spoke with us about how she balances being a content creator, how to navigate these spaces, and her upcoming first novel.
