WEBVTT 00:00:00.596 --> 00:00:02.396 I know exactly what you're saying when you 00:00:02.548 --> 00:00:04.902 say like when you're sitting at home writing 00:00:04.902 --> 00:00:06.949 you're not like, I'm deaf, I'm deaf 00:00:06.949 --> 00:00:07.866 I'm deaf, I say the same for me 00:00:07.866 --> 00:00:08.784 like when I'm 00:00:08.784 --> 00:00:10.197 sitting around doing my makeup 00:00:10.197 --> 00:00:13.083 I'm not like ooh I'm blind, I'm blind 00:00:13.113 --> 00:00:15.219 Like, I'm not thinking about my 00:00:15.219 --> 00:00:17.340 blindness, I'm just living my life 00:00:17.340 --> 00:00:20.754 because this is our normal (Music) 00:00:24.956 --> 00:00:27.072 Hello everybody, we are back 00:00:27.072 --> 00:00:29.089 with my series , where I sit down 00:00:29.089 --> 00:00:30.505 with another person 00:00:30.505 --> 00:00:32.039 from the disability community 00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:33.855 and we disscuss all things 00:00:33.855 --> 00:00:36.022 life and disability related 00:00:36.022 --> 00:00:38.439 and this one is probably the 00:00:38.439 --> 00:00:41.639 most requested that I've seen. 00:00:41.639 --> 00:00:44.646 So we finally have Jessica 00:00:44.646 --> 00:00:46.433 and I'm gonna let you say your 00:00:46.433 --> 00:00:48.024 last name 00:00:48.024 --> 00:00:52.475 (Laughs) Jessica Kellgren-Fozard 00:00:52.475 --> 00:00:54.928 It's ok, I know, it's a difficult surname 00:00:54.928 --> 00:00:58.311 we literally like went over this before 00:00:58.311 --> 00:00:59.611 we started filming 00:00:59.611 --> 00:01:00.644 We've just been like talking on 00:01:00.644 --> 00:01:01.728 Google Meet 00:01:01.728 --> 00:01:04.095 And I was like, practicing the name 00:01:04.095 --> 00:01:05.378 and I was like no, you know what, 00:01:05.378 --> 00:01:07.228 I got here, I was too deep, 00:01:07.228 --> 00:01:08.211 I was like, I'm jumping 00:01:08.211 --> 00:01:09.325 out of the pool. 00:01:09.325 --> 00:01:11.145 She'll take over. So thank you- 00:01:11.145 --> 00:01:13.812 It's ok. It's complex. 00:01:13.812 --> 00:01:14.812 The Kellgren bit is Swedish, 00:01:14.812 --> 00:01:16.695 the Fozard is my wife's surname, 00:01:16.695 --> 00:01:18.661 it's from Normandy, smush it together, 00:01:18.661 --> 00:01:20.078 it's complicated for everyone. 00:01:20.078 --> 00:01:22.711 Or Jessica Out Of The Closet, 00:01:22.711 --> 00:01:25.495 which I think is a brilliant name 00:01:25.495 --> 00:01:27.160 because not only are you one of 00:01:27.160 --> 00:01:30.357 the most fabulous fashionistas 00:01:30.357 --> 00:01:32.128 that I follow on social media, 00:01:32.128 --> 00:01:34.611 but you are also in fact out of 00:01:34.611 --> 00:01:37.344 the closet, and so I think it's just 00:01:37.344 --> 00:01:38.977 such a fun username. 00:01:38.977 --> 00:01:41.041 (Laughs) Yeah, 00:01:41.041 --> 00:01:42.944 out of the closet in many ways. 00:01:42.944 --> 00:01:44.428 Out of the gay closet, out of the 00:01:44.428 --> 00:01:46.977 disability closet, just living life open. 00:01:46.977 --> 00:01:48.874 That's the way to live life. 00:01:48.874 --> 00:01:50.677 Being your best, most authentic, 00:01:50.677 --> 00:01:52.960 confident queen self. And that is 00:01:52.960 --> 00:01:54.693 exactly what you do. 00:01:54.693 --> 00:01:57.010 I watch your videos and I 00:01:57.010 --> 00:01:59.027 legitimately laugh out loud. 00:01:59.027 --> 00:02:01.360 Like you're one of, not only the most 00:02:01.360 --> 00:02:03.193 fashionable people I follow but one of 00:02:03.193 --> 00:02:04.889 the funniest people I follow, 00:02:04.889 --> 00:02:07.810 and I think that you, just by simply 00:02:07.810 --> 00:02:10.760 being you, break so many disability 00:02:10.760 --> 00:02:14.205 stereotypes and misconceptions, 00:02:14.205 --> 00:02:17.343 and I think it's so fabulous for just- 00:02:17.343 --> 00:02:18.577 so thank you for just exisiting 00:02:18.577 --> 00:02:19.960 on the internet. 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:22.393 (Laughs) I mean, I could say 00:02:22.393 --> 00:02:24.376 the same thing about you, Molly. 00:02:24.376 --> 00:02:26.277 I woke up this morning and I was like, 00:02:26.277 --> 00:02:28.278 OK, Molly, you have to try to look, like, 00:02:28.278 --> 00:02:30.710 a little bit half fabulous 00:02:30.710 --> 00:02:32.609 because you're going to be sitting next to 00:02:32.609 --> 00:02:34.309 Jessica in a video and it's going 00:02:34.309 --> 00:02:35.627 to be embarrassing. 00:02:35.627 --> 00:02:38.793 Oh no, I think you are incredibly stylish, 00:02:38.793 --> 00:02:40.526 I must say. I always enjoy 00:02:40.526 --> 00:02:41.572 your Instagram as well. 00:02:41.572 --> 00:02:43.593 Thank you, I appreciate it. 00:02:43.593 --> 00:02:46.475 So, I know a ton of my audience 00:02:46.475 --> 00:02:48.027 knows and loves your content already 00:02:48.027 --> 00:02:50.176 but for those who don't, would you like to 00:02:50.176 --> 00:02:52.276 kind of give the brief introduction of who 00:02:52.276 --> 00:02:54.059 Jessica is in a nutshell. 00:02:54.059 --> 00:02:56.043 My goodness, okay, the elevator pitch 00:02:56.043 --> 00:02:58.526 of me, then, I guess. 00:02:58.526 --> 00:03:00.577 So, I'm Jessica, I'm a YouTuber, 00:03:00.577 --> 00:03:02.609 content creator. I make content that is 00:03:02.609 --> 00:03:06.742 generally fun, informative, educational, 00:03:06.742 --> 00:03:09.426 amusing, around things that are to do with 00:03:09.426 --> 00:03:12.059 disability, chronic illness, and LGBTQ+ 00:03:12.059 --> 00:03:15.092 issues. So I have two genetic conditions, 00:03:15.092 --> 00:03:16.975 hereditary neuropathy with pressure 00:03:16.975 --> 00:03:19.326 palsies, which means that there are gaps 00:03:19.326 --> 00:03:22.310 in the myelin sheaths around your nerves. 00:03:22.310 --> 00:03:24.825 For me that means that I can paralyze 00:03:24.825 --> 00:03:27.509 parts of myself, that my nerves are more 00:03:27.509 --> 00:03:29.943 easily damaged, which does things like 00:03:29.943 --> 00:03:32.559 affect my hearing and I have loss of 00:03:32.559 --> 00:03:34.959 vision in one eye because of it, and it 00:03:34.959 --> 00:03:37.174 can do things like my hands don't have 00:03:37.174 --> 00:03:39.825 any feeling because I paralyzed both of 00:03:39.825 --> 00:03:41.691 my arms for a year and a half when I was 00:03:41.691 --> 00:03:44.076 a teenager. And they came back to a 00:03:44.076 --> 00:03:47.410 certain degree, but they can't now feel 00:03:47.410 --> 00:03:49.105 anything, so it's like wearing gloves 00:03:49.105 --> 00:03:50.908 all of the time. And I don't get hot and 00:03:50.908 --> 00:03:53.142 cold, any of those kinds of things, 00:03:53.142 --> 00:03:55.442 or wet. Which is really annoying when 00:03:55.442 --> 00:03:57.392 you're trying to hang up the washing, 00:03:57.392 --> 00:03:58.443 'cause you're like, is this wet? 00:03:58.443 --> 00:04:00.991 Is this dry? Absolutely no idea. 00:04:00.991 --> 00:04:02.909 And I end up having to like, press my face 00:04:02.909 --> 00:04:05.009 to all of my laundry to see whether it's 00:04:05.009 --> 00:04:07.792 dry or not. Very strange thing. 00:04:07.792 --> 00:04:10.508 And then you just get a random cheek stain 00:04:10.508 --> 00:04:12.225 or random foundation stain on the side 00:04:12.225 --> 00:04:13.389 of your white shirt. 00:04:13.389 --> 00:04:15.474 I mean, I should add, I only do this when 00:04:15.474 --> 00:04:17.974 I'm not wearing makeup. (Laughs) 00:04:17.974 --> 00:04:19.158 Pro tip. 00:04:19.158 --> 00:04:21.625 And then I also have Ehlers Danlos 00:04:21.625 --> 00:04:24.473 Syndrome, which is about my connective 00:04:24.473 --> 00:04:26.523 tissue, and means that not only am I 00:04:26.523 --> 00:04:30.259 hyper mobile, and very flexible and bendy, 00:04:30.259 --> 00:04:32.106 which most people think is like, whoa, 00:04:32.106 --> 00:04:34.179 what a great party trick, and it is, 00:04:34.179 --> 00:04:36.519 it's a pretty good party trick that I 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:39.051 perhaps overused when I was a child. 00:04:39.051 --> 00:04:41.522 I dislocated various things just to prove 00:04:41.522 --> 00:04:43.626 to people that I could. Don't do that. 00:04:43.626 --> 00:04:45.397 That's a terrible idea. Don't do that. 00:04:45.397 --> 00:04:48.815 But it also affects connective tissue in 00:04:48.815 --> 00:04:51.223 things like my internal organs, 00:04:51.223 --> 00:04:53.397 so I have some issues with my heart, and 00:04:53.397 --> 00:04:56.145 I have postural orthostatic tachycardia 00:04:56.145 --> 00:04:58.240 syndrome, which comes from that, 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:02.079 which is just a regulating blood pressure 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:07.296 issue, so I faint a lot. And I can't exert 00:05:07.296 --> 00:05:10.128 myself too much, basically I go up two 00:05:10.128 --> 00:05:12.055 flights of stairs and I'm like, oh gosh, 00:05:12.055 --> 00:05:13.571 there's a heart attack coming. 00:05:13.571 --> 00:05:15.512 Ok, wonderful, and then I've got to lie 00:05:15.512 --> 00:05:17.094 on the floor for half an hour. 00:05:17.094 --> 00:05:19.558 And the vintage fashion is just a layer 00:05:19.558 --> 00:05:21.894 over the top, just to make everything look 00:05:21.894 --> 00:05:22.976 gorgeous while we're 00:05:23.018 --> 00:05:24.243 here. I think you should 00:05:24.243 --> 00:05:25.723 make more fashion content. 00:05:25.723 --> 00:05:27.411 I'm putting the pitch in now, 00:05:27.411 --> 00:05:28.976 and I think a lot of people 00:05:28.976 --> 00:05:30.946 in the comments will agree 00:05:30.946 --> 00:05:33.006 that you should have like a whole segment 00:05:33.006 --> 00:05:34.789 of your channel devoted to 00:05:34.789 --> 00:05:37.929 fashion content because we need that 00:05:37.929 --> 00:05:39.729 vintage inspo that you bring, 00:05:39.730 --> 00:05:42.250 we need your vintage wisdom. 00:05:42.250 --> 00:05:44.366 I was just, like, as we were talking 00:05:44.381 --> 00:05:46.071 before we started filming, I was 00:05:46.071 --> 00:05:47.451 peppering her with questions 00:05:47.451 --> 00:05:48.981 about the vintage fashion scene 00:05:48.981 --> 00:05:51.361 because I am fascinated by it 00:05:51.361 --> 00:05:52.953 and whenever I've tried to do it, 00:05:52.953 --> 00:05:55.819 it has (pause) not necessarily panned out 00:05:55.819 --> 00:05:58.141 So, I feel like you should make fashion 00:05:58.141 --> 00:05:59.990 videos and yknow when I started 00:05:59.990 --> 00:06:01.350 doing fashion content 00:06:01.350 --> 00:06:03.116 it was kind of like a total mistake 00:06:03.116 --> 00:06:05.516 I wanted to make one video about, like, 00:06:05.516 --> 00:06:07.374 accessibility in online shopping 00:06:07.374 --> 00:06:08.102 and that was 00:06:08.102 --> 00:06:09.049 supposed to be it. 00:06:09.049 --> 00:06:10.832 But people requested me keep doing it 00:06:10.832 --> 00:06:11.612 and I was like 00:06:11.612 --> 00:06:13.682 "Well, If you want me to feed my addiction 00:06:13.682 --> 00:06:15.582 and talk about something I love, 00:06:15.582 --> 00:06:17.298 I am happy to do so" 00:06:17.298 --> 00:06:19.456 There is people 00:06:19.456 --> 00:06:21.796 in the disability activism community 00:06:21.796 --> 00:06:24.053 who have been upset by that. 00:06:24.053 --> 00:06:27.312 Like, they want me to kind of dedicate 00:06:27.312 --> 00:06:28.582 my channel to disability. 00:06:29.508 --> 00:06:31.989 And I can understand that, but 00:06:31.989 --> 00:06:33.663 to me, I am a human 00:06:33.663 --> 00:06:35.718 and disabilities are a very real, 00:06:35.718 --> 00:06:37.062 important topic to me 00:06:37.062 --> 00:06:38.580 and it affects my life daily, 00:06:39.283 --> 00:06:40.884 but so does fashion 00:06:40.884 --> 00:06:42.907 and the confidence that fashion gives me! 00:06:42.907 --> 00:06:43.975 So does makeup, 00:06:43.975 --> 00:06:45.069 so does my guide dog, 00:06:45.069 --> 00:06:46.060 so does dating, 00:06:46.060 --> 00:06:48.116 so do all these other aspects 00:06:48.116 --> 00:06:49.668 and I think it's very important 00:06:49.668 --> 00:06:51.739 for us, as a disability community, 00:06:51.739 --> 00:06:54.389 to show society the human side 00:06:54.389 --> 00:06:56.130 of our day-to-day life 00:06:56.130 --> 00:06:58.760 and the very normal, average 00:06:58.760 --> 00:07:00.875 human things that we love 00:07:00.875 --> 00:07:02.121 and that we partake in. 00:07:02.121 --> 00:07:03.911 Of course, of course 00:07:03.911 --> 00:07:06.420 I always link this back to 00:07:06.420 --> 00:07:07.314 children's books 00:07:07.314 --> 00:07:09.166 because I think it's the easiest way 00:07:09.166 --> 00:07:11.458 to understand people learning new concepts 00:07:11.458 --> 00:07:14.249 So, there are so many children's books 00:07:14.249 --> 00:07:16.056 that are about issues. 00:07:16.056 --> 00:07:17.114 It's about 00:07:17.114 --> 00:07:19.087 "Some people move in a wheelchair" 00:07:19.087 --> 00:07:21.563 or "some people have 2 mums" 00:07:21.563 --> 00:07:24.115 and kids don't love them, 00:07:24.115 --> 00:07:26.416 they don't want to read those books, 00:07:26.416 --> 00:07:28.071 because they're very much 00:07:28.071 --> 00:07:30.571 focused on "this one object that you need 00:07:30.571 --> 00:07:32.257 to learn." It's not fun! 00:07:32.257 --> 00:07:34.507 Whereas, when they are reading 00:07:34.507 --> 00:07:36.442 like a fun, adventure book 00:07:36.442 --> 00:07:38.129 where "oh. the main character just 00:07:38.129 --> 00:07:40.268 happens to have a disability" 00:07:40.268 --> 00:07:42.499 or just happens to have a different 00:07:42.499 --> 00:07:45.110 family setup to the nuclear family, 00:07:45.110 --> 00:07:47.164 then it's more engaging 00:07:47.164 --> 00:07:49.564 and they are more willing to learn things 00:07:49.564 --> 00:07:51.178 And I know the great things about 00:07:51.178 --> 00:07:53.393 having disabled content creators 00:07:53.393 --> 00:07:54.679 who are creating content 00:07:54.679 --> 00:07:56.718 that isn't just disability focused 00:07:56.718 --> 00:07:59.071 is that you are also bringing in people 00:07:59.071 --> 00:08:00.749 who wouldn't have necessarily have 00:08:00.749 --> 00:08:01.797 clicked on your video, 00:08:01.797 --> 00:08:03.325 being like "Ooh, I don't know, 00:08:03.325 --> 00:08:04.578 i don't know i wanna 00:08:04.578 --> 00:08:05.638 watch something about 00:08:05.638 --> 00:08:06.478 a blind person 00:08:06.478 --> 00:08:07.628 cause I've never really 00:08:07.628 --> 00:08:08.528 met a blind person 00:08:08.528 --> 00:08:09.868 and that could be awkward." 00:08:09.868 --> 00:08:11.488 But if it's a video where you are 00:08:11.488 --> 00:08:12.498 doing something else 00:08:12.498 --> 00:08:13.378 and they click in, 00:08:13.378 --> 00:08:14.148 they are like 00:08:14.148 --> 00:08:15.402 "Well, you know what, 00:08:15.402 --> 00:08:17.202 this is actually really interesting, 00:08:17.202 --> 00:08:18.302 Imma keep watching her 00:08:18.302 --> 00:08:19.422 other videos as well." 00:08:19.422 --> 00:08:21.022 And then, it's just a great way 00:08:21.022 --> 00:08:22.432 to lead people in, I think 00:08:22.432 --> 00:08:23.782 And they start to really be 00:08:23.782 --> 00:08:25.249 more involved in the issues, 00:08:25.249 --> 00:08:27.369 it's not something that's far away 00:08:27.369 --> 00:08:28.939 Now, it's "oh, my favourite 00:08:28.939 --> 00:08:30.185 content creator Molly 00:08:30.185 --> 00:08:31.682 also happens to have 00:08:31.682 --> 00:08:32.590 a disability and 00:08:32.590 --> 00:08:34.110 also happens to talk about that 00:08:34.110 --> 00:08:36.091 And now I've learnt things about it" 00:08:36.091 --> 00:08:38.061 So I always think that's the best way, 00:08:38.061 --> 00:08:39.423 but, actually, Molly, 00:08:39.423 --> 00:08:41.233 two birds, one stone, 00:08:41.233 --> 00:08:43.497 to do with this fashion thing, 00:08:43.497 --> 00:08:44.997 I think the next time you come 00:08:44.997 --> 00:08:46.877 to England, I'm gonna have to give you 00:08:46.877 --> 00:08:47.797 a vintage makeover. 00:08:47.797 --> 00:08:48.505 Oh my gosh, 00:08:48.505 --> 00:08:49.694 absolutely!! 00:08:49.694 --> 00:08:51.372 Once this whole madness 00:08:51.372 --> 00:08:52.788 in this world is done, 00:08:52.788 --> 00:08:54.764 and we're all vaccinated, 00:08:54.764 --> 00:08:56.331 I'm coming out to England, 00:08:56.331 --> 00:08:57.899 so I can finally see my brother 00:08:57.899 --> 00:08:58.890 for the first time 00:08:58.890 --> 00:09:00.335 in over a year. 00:09:00.335 --> 00:09:01.796 AND I can see you 00:09:01.796 --> 00:09:03.778 and we are doing the vintage makeover 00:09:03.778 --> 00:09:05.539 I'm absolutely holding you to that. 00:09:05.539 --> 00:09:07.814 But I could not agree more with 00:09:07.814 --> 00:09:08.894 what you've just said. 00:09:08.894 --> 00:09:11.204 My favourite thing about what 00:09:11.204 --> 00:09:12.504 I do is that I get to 00:09:12.504 --> 00:09:14.473 make learning fun for people. 00:09:14.473 --> 00:09:16.032 I get to teach 00:09:16.032 --> 00:09:18.024 people in a way that entertains them 00:09:18.024 --> 00:09:19.894 that truly is the best way to learn. 00:09:19.894 --> 00:09:21.696 That's how I always 00:09:21.696 --> 00:09:23.363 learned the most growing up 00:09:23.363 --> 00:09:24.764 I was never somebody 00:09:24.764 --> 00:09:26.774 who could sit in class 00:09:26.774 --> 00:09:28.844 and hear you talk to me about something. 00:09:28.844 --> 00:09:30.474 I need to be the one 00:09:30.474 --> 00:09:32.084 that was getting up and doing it 00:09:32.084 --> 00:09:33.614 I was a very kinesthetic learner 00:09:33.614 --> 00:09:35.424 I need to be actually doing the thing 00:09:35.424 --> 00:09:36.524 and immersed in it 00:09:36.524 --> 00:09:38.048 to be able to understand it 00:09:38.048 --> 00:09:39.524 and being able to 00:09:39.524 --> 00:09:41.939 hopefully be entertaining to people 00:09:41.939 --> 00:09:44.802 um, while they- they learn 00:09:44.802 --> 00:09:46.295 and open their minds 00:09:46.295 --> 00:09:47.672 to new ways of thinking 00:09:47.672 --> 00:09:49.046 is so rewarding 00:09:49.046 --> 00:09:50.796 so I completely agree with you 00:09:50.796 --> 00:09:52.212 And I always say 00:09:52.212 --> 00:09:54.212 we talk a lot in the disability community 00:09:54.212 --> 00:09:55.182 about the fact that 00:09:55.182 --> 00:09:56.631 y'know that we're quite low 00:09:56.631 --> 00:09:59.420 on the totem pole of causes 00:09:59.420 --> 00:10:01.213 and of things that people care about 00:10:01.213 --> 00:10:02.724 and talk about or know about. 00:10:02.724 --> 00:10:04.404 You know, you often see those like 00:10:04.404 --> 00:10:05.918 "Diversity panels" 00:10:05.918 --> 00:10:08.193 and it's like everything is shown 00:10:09.536 --> 00:10:10.616 ... except disability. 00:10:10.616 --> 00:10:11.804 And we're like "Hey now, 00:10:12.514 --> 00:10:13.214 "Hi" 00:10:13.214 --> 00:10:15.208 "Where are we at the table" 00:10:15.208 --> 00:10:17.275 I think so many different 00:10:17.275 --> 00:10:18.970 brands and companies 00:10:18.970 --> 00:10:20.740 think that they can kind of get away 00:10:20.740 --> 00:10:22.615 doing the absolute least 00:10:22.615 --> 00:10:24.635 when it comes to disability representation 00:10:24.635 --> 00:10:26.590 Whether that be in adverts 00:10:26.590 --> 00:10:28.988 or actually making things accessible.