Dance Through It: The Story Behind “Disabled” and a New Era of Disabled Joy

Pop artist and model Austin Halls joins Lily and Erin for a funny, candid conversation about music, face difference, and building a career that actually works. Born with Möbius syndrome (complete facial paralysis at birth), Austin talks about growing up with media that coded face differences as villainy, and how that shaped first impressions, assumptions, and everyday interactions.

Austin’s answer is art and access. His dance-pop track “Disabled” flips the script with a hook that invites everyone onto the floor, shifting from pity narratives to unapologetic confidence. He shares how fashion and stagecraft became tools of self-expression, why “success ≠ cured,” and how to handle lateral ableism when visibility rises.

From Runway of Dreams and New York Fashion Week to mentorship with RAMPD and a seat at the GRAMMYs (now a Recording Academy voting member), Austin shows what practical pathways look like: make the room workable, choose teams who get it, and insist on authentic casting rather than performances of disability.

Key Moments

02:20 Audio descriptions and why on-mic context matters

03:11 Writing “Disabled”: reclaiming a word with a dance-pop hook

08:39 Breaking the villain trope for face difference in media

11:47 “Command the room”: reframing visibility as an advantage

18:01 Beyond pity narratives: success for talent, not sympathy clicks

27:46 Runway of Dreams to NYFW: firsts and why fashion became a tool

31:08 Success doesn’t cancel disability: on lateral ableism

40:46 RAMPD mentorship to the GRAMMYs: from guest to voting member