- Have you ever used your wheelchair as a weapon?
I'm not gonna lie.
There was a woman one time at a Bruce Springsteen concert
who was really getting on my nerves.
So, did I kind of ram into her ankles just a little bit?
Prove it.
(samba music)
Hi, I'm Santina.
I'm livin' in California, by way of New Jersey,
and I'm an actress.
I'm a writer.
I'm an improvisor at the Bright Citizens Brigade Theatre.
I'm not the only girl in a wheelchair,
so I speak only on behalf of me today.
Does is feel like people are going
out of their way to be nice to you?
Sometimes, yeah I get that question.
Sometimes it does.
But I don't know, I'm from New Jersey,
so I kinda have like a good bullshit meter.
Does it bug you when people ask
if you need help with anything?
No, it bugs me when I say no thank you,
and then they keep asking me like I can't handle it.
Or like I didn't understand the question.
Or like I couldn't possibly do it myself.
But of course, if you think somebody needs help,
or if you just wanna be a nice person, like
I am not here to discourage anybody
from being a nice person.
I don't have a disability.
Can I use the handicap stall in bathrooms?
If you go into the bathroom,
and all of the stalls are taken up,
and there's like a line of girls, right?
You're at a concert or something.
Then yes, go ahead.
Use the handicap stall, and then get out.
But, if you walk into the bathroom,
and there's like plenty of stalls available,
but you just like, have to take a shit,
so you're gonna use the handicap stall.
Can you please not do that?
Can you please just use the non-handicap stall
for shitting please?
Would you rather people ignore the wheelchair?
I mean, don't be delusional about it.
Don't be like a weirdo.
Don't ask me to like step right up.
But also, don't focus on it.
Ya know what I mean?
That's what life is all about you guys, balance.
Do you get upset when people ask you
how you got into the wheelchair?
I get upset when that's the first question people ask me.
Because, I don't know, that's kinda personal.
And also, my story's a little tragic.
So if I'm out at a bar, or I'm out just like shopping,
and I'm like having a real feel good day,
don't harsh my mellow, stranger.
How does it make you feel
when someone says you're an inspiration?
It depends.
Why am I an inspiration?
If they're inspired just because I like,
got dressed and left the house,
and I'm not at home crying over my disability,
then, they can save it.
But if you're inspired because you've seen my work,
or you've seen something I've done
or ya know, you've always wanted to move to California,
and never thought you could do it
but then, you saw that I did it
and that's like wow, if she can do it, maybe I can do it,
then yes, great, thank you, happy to help.
What can we do as a society to better
provide for those in wheelchairs?
If people in wheelchairs
had a little bit more representation on television,
and not just in the very special episode,
I think that would be awesome.
Is it particularly offensive when people stare at you?
Yes, it is offensive when people stare.
And there's a difference, by the way,
between I'm staring at you because you're in a wheelchair
or I'm staring at you because I think you look familiar
or I'm staring at you because I'm checkin' you out.
There's like a difference, and I can tell.
I think I don't feel as different
as people sometimes make me feel.
What advice would you give young women in wheelchairs
in terms of what to expect when they get older?
If you're a young girl in a wheelchair,
I do want you to know, that like,
you can have dreams and you can follow those dreams.
And you may need to make adjustments to those dreams.
But, don't assume you can't do it.
You just might have to do it a different way.
(gentle syncopated music)