Towards a Kinder Public

Emily Mondschein, Executive Director at GiGi's Playhouse Buffalo, and member of the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and Down Syndrome Education International (DSEI) inclusive education working group, explains the application and impact of an educational profile and creating a disability category for Down syndrome:-Some benefits of and motivations to use the Down Syndrome: Guidelines for Inclusive Education document;-How inclusion for children with Down syndrome can help with differentiation and learning achievement for all students; -The critical importance of using evidence-based, research-based information to form educational and life expectations for individuals with Down syndrome; -How the exclusion of disabled individuals from the earliest stages of education may be related to other instances of exclusion in our communities.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramIf you would like to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest, please contact us as we would welcome your contributions.Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

What does inclusion mean, in the education setting? Is there data that supports inclusive education for individuals with Down syndrome? Emily Mondschein, Executive Director at GiGi's Playhouse Buffalo, and member of the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and Down Syndrome Education International (DSEI) inclusive education working group, explains the story behind the first inclusive education document for Down syndrome in the United States, which she also presented to the United States Congress. We discuss:-Why inclusion in the education setting is particularly important and powerful for learners with Down syndrome;-How Emily became acquainted with Professor Sue Buckley (UK), the foremost international expert on learning, literacy, and language for individuals with Down syndrome;-The NDSS and DSEI working group's adaptation of the UK's All Party Parliamentary Group on Down Syndrome (APPDSG 2012) inclusion guidelines for the United States;-How the Down Syndrome: Guidelines for Inclusive Education document can be used on the federal, state, county, school district, classroom, and family levels;-The profound and measurable ways that inclusion benefits typically developing students and the entire community.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramIf you would like to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest, please contact us as we would welcome your contributions.Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Down syndrome is the most common of the chromosomal disorders, and yet, it is often the subject of misinformation and openly discriminatory policies. Our discussion with Emily Mondschein, Executive Director at GiGi's Playhouse Buffalo, continues as she shares more strategies for disability inclusion. We discuss:-How medical practitioners can play a significant role in changing discriminatory attitudes towards individuals with Down syndrome; -The crucial role that early and elementary education can perform to radically improve inclusion for all disabled and neurodiverse individuals;-Why updated guidance on the needs of individuals with Down syndrome is an essential component of inclusion;-A call to doctors, teachers, administrators, and parents to help achieve equitable access of public space for disabled individuals.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramIf you would like to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest, please contact us as we would welcome your contributions.Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Emily Mondschein, Executive Director at Gigi's Playhouse Buffalo, joins us to talk about her urgent and trailblazing work in disability inclusion. She shares how her experiences as a special education teacher, and later, parent of a child with Down syndrome, led to her national advocacy work for equitable access to education for the Down syndrome community. In Part 1 of our 4-part interview, we discuss:-How the fight against disability exclusion and misinformation begins during pregnancy, and what this reveals about the culture of obstetrics and women's medicine; -The ways that our limited understanding of multiple disabilities prevents us from providing effective supports to individuals with Down syndrome;-Why access to education and literacy for the disability community is limited by a lack of educational models for true inclusion;-Why discrimination against the Down syndrome community is also discrimination against the Autism, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Blind and Low Vision, and other disability communities;-How Gigi's Playhouse, a dedicated space for the Down syndrome community, works as a bridge for improved community inclusion and disability awareness.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramIf you would like to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest, please contact us as we would welcome your contributions.Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

In this final episode of our interview with US-based artists Christa Donner and Selina Trepp of Cultural ReProducers, we discuss if cultural short-sightedness is a factor in architectural design and the operation of public space?-The greater significance and meaning of the perspective of parents; -Why the inclusion of children is both a cultural and a political position that positively impacts everyone;-Why archives are an important component in social change;-Structural and architectural changes we should be prioritizing;-Practical advice on effective advocacy in our own spaces and communities.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramIf you would like to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest, please contact us as we would welcome your contributions.Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

US-based artists Christa Donner and Selina Trepp share further insights on the improved inclusion of children and families. Through Cultural ReProducers, a creative platform initiated by Christa Donner, they devised a Childcare Supported Event Series that allowed artist-parents to maintain professional engagement in the art world. We discuss:-Why the inclusion of children is a particularly complicated topic;-Selina's personal experience of workplace discrimination as a pregnant person in the art world;-How the typical view of children in the U.S. diverges from the view held by many other parts of the world;-Whether caregiving should be considered a personal responsibility or an element of public infrastructure.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramIf you would like to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest, please contact us as we would welcome your contributions.Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

US-based artists Christa Donner and Selina Trepp discuss their collaborative work on the problem of professional inclusion for artists and cultural workers who are also parents. Through Cultural ReProducers, a creative platform initiated by Christa Donner, they experimented and devised a Childcare Supported Event Series that allowed artist-parents to maintain professional engagement in the art world. We learn:-What challenges cultural workers face in continuing their professional engagement with the art world;-How these challenges may be exacerbated by gendered expectations around caregiving and the labor of raising children;-The experience that made Christa and Selina realize that a clear mission statement was a critical first step to introduce the project to cultural institutions;-Key technical details about the model- including space requirements, timing, staffing, and programming info- that are necessary for improved professional inclusion of parents.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramIf you would like to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest, please contact us as we would welcome your contributions.Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Walking the Land: A Loving Tribute to Family Farms is a new book of watercolor paintings, poetic reflections, and interviews with small and family farmers in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. In Part 2 of our interview, Reverend Gillette speaks further about her collaborative work with watercolorist Tommy Beers, their experiences in visiting the small-scale regional farms, and the lessons that she took away from their deeper look at the farms in the book. Reverend Gillette shares:-How families and children can talk about food, to bring a deeper level of awareness and gratitude of its value;-How Reverend Gillette's friendship with a sunflower farmer changed her understanding of the many steps of producing flowers and seeds;-How farms and food provide opportunities for growth of consciousness; -A reading of two poems in Walking the Land, and their significance to the author.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramIf you would like to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest, please contact us as we would welcome your contributions.Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Welcome to the Towards a Kinder Public Thanksgiving episode, Part 1 of 2. Walking the Land: A Loving Tribute to Family Farms is a new book of watercolor paintings, poetic reflections, and interviews with small and family farmers in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. Reverend Gillette speaks about the origins of this work in collaboration with watercolorist Tommy Beers, their experiences in visiting the small-scale regional farms, and why this type of farm is so crucial to preserve. We discuss:-Her gratitude and admiration for the work of farming and its deeper meaning;-What a children's game can teach us about our unique contributions to collective wellbeing;-The brilliance and determination of farmers; -How small and family farms- not large agribusiness- connect us to our human origins.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramIf you would like to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest, please contact us as we would welcome your contributions.Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

In the final segment of our interview (part 4 of 4), Han Malyn (they/them) speaks with Kinderpublic about the experience of neurodivergence in public and professional spaces, and examples of design and operational choices that can significantly improve accessibility. We discuss:-How being more aware of sensory experiences can help us reshape our interior environments;-Essential architectural elements in an inclusive space;-Why inclusion does not always mean physically present;-The self-learning project we can all undertake to help improve our shared spaces.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramIf you would like to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest, please contact us as we would welcome your contributions.Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

In part 3 of our 4-part conversation, Han Malyn (they/them) speaks with Kinderpublic about the experience of neurodivergence in public space, and how increased awareness and empathy can improve inclusion. We discuss:-Receiving a diagnosis of neurodivergence as an adult, and how that shed light on past experiences;-How design and operational choices in public space can cause difference to be experienced as disability;-Examples of potential barriers to inclusion and examples of effective accommodations;-How inequities for neurodivergent and disabled individuals begin in our educational system.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramIf you would like to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest, please contact us as we would welcome your contributions.Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Han Malyn (they/them) returns to discuss safety and accessibility for women and gender minorities in public space. They advocate for the use of intersectionality, empathy, and non-defensive listening for decision makers in making design and operational choices. We discuss:-How women and gender minorities are marginalized by the way we design and operate public space;-Why failing to ensure the safety and dignity of all people in public space can impact our own experience of inclusion;-How the history of curb cuts reveals that we are having the wrong conversations about the design of public bathrooms; -The specific steps we can all take to improve accessibility and safety.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramWe invite you to get in touch to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest. Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Kinderpublic welcomes Han Malyn (pronouns they/them) to discuss intersectionality and empathy in the design and operation of public space. Han is an institutional fundraiser and has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years, including major organizations working in anti-poverty, human rights, LGBTQI+ community, and arts education. We reflect on: -The current state of safety for women and gender minorities in public space, and how that negatively impacts accessibility;-How restrictions on breastfeeding in public space and the safety of pregnant people share a relationship with protecting the safety of the LGBTQI+ community;-Why Han moved from work in the art and art education sector to human rights;-Why we should prioritize tolerance and “do no harm” over knowing and categorizing.(See Episode Website link below for a transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramWe invite you to get in touch to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest. Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

This is the final part of our 3-part conversation with artist and activist Lehna Huie. In the previous episodes, we have talked about BIPOC intergenerational healing, reproductive justice, her personal experiences with medical apartheid and work as a doula. She returns to explain:-Some of the essential qualities of a healing space;-Why we should be creating spaces for dialogue on a foundation of emotional respect vs one of emotional safety;-Her experiences with the MoCADA and Asian American Arts Alliance Bandung Residency and its emphasis on allyship and global human rights; -Why we should make space to celebrate friendship.(See Episode Website link below for a full transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information and links.)About Us Follow Us On InstagramWe invite you to get in touch to share your thoughts with us, suggestions for future episodes or if you're interested in joining us as a guest. Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Lehna Huie, a Baltimore and New York City based multimedia artist, and recipient of the Artist Changemaker Award from the Global Fund for Women, returns to explain:-How her collage processes also function as investigative processes;-How she deepens her understanding of family connections across time and space;-Her personal experience, as a pregnant person, with medical apartheid; -Her work towards reproductive justice for pregnant people and babies who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.(See Episode Website link below for a full transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information about our guest & links to learn more about the topics discussed)About Us Follow Us On InstagramWe invite you to share your thoughts with us and suggestions for future episodes!Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Multimedia artist and reproductive justice advocate Lehna Huie discusses her Pan-African and Caribbean identity, the personal, familial, and cultural context of her art, and her work in community and healing modalities. She shares:-Her roles as a storyteller and an archivist, and how she uses her creative practice to reveal hidden histories;-The way that she maintains a focus on community care in her life and work as an artist; -Her research on Harriet Tubman's presence in Baltimore and subsequent ritual performance at the re-dedicated space of Harriet Tubman Grove; -Why the removal of the racist monuments is just the beginning of reclaiming public space.(See Episode Website link below for a full transcript, YouTube episode with captioning, background information about our guest & links to learn more about the topics discussed)About Us Follow Us On InstagramWe invite you to share your thoughts with us and suggestions for future episodes!Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

How can public spaces improve the communication accessibility of their exhibitions and programming? Rachel Seligman, the Assistant Director for Curatorial Affairs and the Malloy Curator at the Francis Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, will discuss her work towards greater communication accessibility in exhibition design and the museum space, particularly with respect to her curatorial work with Berlin-based contemporary artist Christine Sun Kim. Rachel shares:-The contributions to public space that art institutions are uniquely situated to make;-Why museums must go beyond ADA requirements, -Details about exhibition design, the organization of space, operations, and the inclusion of ASL in museum programming;-The importance of building relationships and listening.(See Episode Website link below for full transcript, background information & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramWe invite you to share your thoughts with us and suggestions for future episodes!Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Rachel Seligman, the Assistant Director for Curatorial Affairs and the Malloy Curator at the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, will discuss her work to improve communication accessibility in exhibition design and the museum space, and her curatorial work with Berlin-based contemporary artist Christine Sun Kim. She shares:-The mission of the Tang Museum to reflect the richness and diversity of the human experience;-The details about American Sign Language that hearing-typical people often get wrong;-Conceptual frameworks and themes in Christine Sun Kim's work that reveal the relationship of sound to structures and systems of power in the world;-Christine Sun Kim's strategic tool to work across difference;-Where our society regularly misdirects the work of improving accessibility. (See Episode Website link below for full transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramWe invite you to share your thoughts with us and suggestions for future episodes!Contact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

This is a Kinderpublic special episode about effective civic engagement, and Part 2 of our interview with climate activist Pamela Tate, Chair of Campaigns for Climate Reality Project's Chicago Metro Chapter. Pamela walks us through the steps that she uses to advocate for climate and conservation issues with legislators. She shares:-How to look up your congressional representative and senator,-How to schedule a meeting and what to expect,-The talking points and meeting outline that she uses to discuss regenerative agriculture and agroforestry considerations in the 2023 U.S. Farm Bill,-Why citizen outreach for the 2023 Farm Bill is helpful for everyone involved.This episode includes the Climate Reality Project Chicago Metro Chapter slide presentation, “The 2023 U.S. Farm Bill, the Food System, & Soil: A Call to Action” available at Kinderpublic's Youtube Channel.(See Episode link below for transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.comWe invite you to share your thoughts with us and suggestions for future episodes.

Pamela Tate is an advocate for regenerative agriculture and agroforestry and climate activist with leadership roles in organizations including The Climate Reality Project and American Forests. She walks us through policy proposals for climate smart practices in agriculture, so that we can help advocate for good nutrition, conservation, and climate resilience. She explains:-Why we all should be concerned about good Farm Bill policy,-What global soil degradation means for the world's food supply,-How the key principles of regenerative agriculture and agroforestry work towards weather resilience and environmental health for the planet,-The Regenerative Agriculture Coalition's key policy recommendations to improve nutrition, climate change, and food security outcomes through the 2023 U.S. Farm Bill.This episode includes the Climate Reality Project Chicago Metro Chapter slide presentation, “The 2023 U.S. Farm Bill, the Food System, & Soil: A Call to Action” available at Kinderpublic's Youtube Channel.(See Episode link below for transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Don Viecelli, Climate Reality Project Leader and Co-Chair of the Climate Reality Project Regenerative Agriculture Coalition advocating for the 2023 Farm Bill, speaks about regenerative agriculture and why it is key to climate change mitigation. He explains:-The main principles of regenerative agriculture, and their Indigenous origins;-The environmental benefits of using regenerative agriculture methods to draw down carbon from the atmosphere and sequester it in the soil;-The most threatening ecosystem changes and why they can be addressed through changes to agricultural methods;-What we can do to help make sure the 2023 Farm Bill incorporates beneficial environmental and climate policy.(See Episode link below for transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Elizabeth Henderson, author and organic farmer for more than 30 years, joins us to speak more about the climate crisis and the 2023 Farm Bill, and how U.S. agricultural policy and spending must join other economic sectors in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting urgent climate goals. She explains:-How New York used money for ecological conservation on increasing methane production and biogas to feed into the natural gas pipeline;-Examples of the ecological conservation practices that help mitigate climate change while also protecting farmland productivity;-The link between skewed U.S. agricultural pricing, agricultural overproduction, and the heat island effect on large farms;-The programs and organizations that need your support in working for sustainable policy on climate, nutrition, food security, and land access policy.(See Episode link below for transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

U.S agriculture must help mitigate climate change. Without changes to large scale production methods, projections suggest the agricultural sector will be responsible for 30% of U.S. emissions by 2050. On a day of intense wild fire smoke and poor air quality across New York, Elizabeth Henderson, an organic farmer for more than 30 years, explained why organic and sustainable farming methods are our key to meeting climate goals:-What makes healthy soil and why it's the basis of organic farming;-How conventional (industrial) agriculture is destroying the environment;-The bad math that hides profiteering by industrial agriculture;-Why organic and small farms are well prepared to meet climate and food production challenges.(See Episode link below for transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Can a music venue create space for civic life? Sarah Craig, Executive Director of Caffe Lena, the famous historic live music listening room, shares her insights and experiences about:-What music contributes to health, even if we don't fully understand why;-The special capacity of music to effect change, and why folk music has a particular relationship to this potential;-Her conclusion that civic engagement was a natural part of Caffe Lena's work;-The brilliant community-oriented programs that Caffe Lena has developed to fulfill their mission as a non-profit music organization.(See Episode Website link below for transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Sarah Craig, Executive Director of Caffe Lena, the famous historic live music listening room, shares insights about the interdependent relationship of music and architecture at the oldest continuously operating folk music venue in the United States. We learn:-The uniquely American music type that was reinvigorated in response to over-commercialization, and influenced the development of a distinct architectural form;-5 details of Caffe Lena's interior architecture that meaningfully impact the relationship between audience members and performers;-The most terrifying question to consider when renovating a beloved historic music venue;-What the intensive building restoration taught Sarah Craig about the most important elements in the experience of live music and a thriving community.(See Episode Website link below for transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

The co-founders of Historicons, a trained architect working in social and political issues and published children's author, and a research scientist with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Physiology, return in part 2 to speak in more depth about:-Why deliberately obscuring historical figures and facts is not a new problem.-How the preservation of historic buildings gives us a misleading view of past disability accommodations.-What the Curb Cut Effect is and what it tells us about designing better public space.-What neuroscience knows about diversity in representation and its effects on child development. (See Episode Web Page link below for transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramFeel free to share your comments & ideas for future episodes with us at: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Historicons is a visionary toy company that promotes diversity in representation. It was co-founded by an architect-artist and published children's author, and a research scientist with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Physiology specializing in child development. In part 1 of this 2-part episode, we talk about:-How Historicons designs toys about individuals and events that have traditionally been excluded from representation in media, toys, and history.-What criteria the Historicons team used to choose the subject matter for their first puzzles.-Why some of us aren't already familiar with the exceptional accomplishments of the iconic, historic figures depicted in their puzzle games.-What representation (or lack of representation) of diverse groups reveals about our society.(See Episode Web Page link below for transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Dave Liao is the owner of web and print design firm Offpeak Design, is Chinese American, and a dad who lives with his wife and daughter in Queens, New York. We talk about gender, safety, and accessibility in public space. In part 2 of this 2-part episode, we discuss:-Why all parents should be advocates for disability rights-When complements reveal gendered expectations about caregiving-The kinds of public spaces that accommodate both small children (and rowdy adults)-Why single-occupant, all-gender bathrooms are a necessity for all public spacesContent advisory: Using indirect language, we reference male violence and abuse, and effects on feelings of safety, privacy, and equitable access to public space.(See Episode Website link below for transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Dave Liao is the owner of web and print design firm Offpeak Design, is Chinese American, and a dad who lives with his wife and daughter in Queens, New York. In part 1 of this 2-part episode, we discuss:-Running the New York City Marathon which gave him an opportunity to reflect on his feelings about belonging;-The mistakes that Americans often make when meeting new people;-Why he was excited to move into a neighborhood with many immigrants;-How working from home while parenting is a wonderful opportunity with a personal cost.(See Episode Website link below for transcript, background info. & links)About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

What can music teach us about economic development and kinder public space? As we continue our conversation with Chelsie Henderson, the owner of Rural Soul Music Studio, we discuss:-The experiences that led Chelsie to turn her career path from choral work to West African percussion.-The skills of music making that are a strong foundation for business.-How Chelsie co-founded a grassroots event that has become central to her business district's development.-The key piece of advice for businesses seeking to center values while growing economically. Transcript & Background About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Entrepreneur and small business owner Chelsie Henderson of Rural Soul Music Studio explains how she developed a values-driven, collaborative business in her rural home region and shares:-What her first years as a public school teacher looked like.-How teacher burnout led her to pursue community-based work.-Why collaboration is the key to the grassroots, experimental approach she has developed in her music business.-The values and practices that allow her to build a one-of-a-kind creative business. Transcript & Background About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

How does disability inclusion happen? Janae Romano, a nurse and Advocate for Individuals with Complex Communication Needs, explains:-Why it is imperative to use a disability inclusion model in kindergarten.-How family financial resources directly impact a disabled child's access to public education and literacy.-The dangerous form of censorship experienced by people with communication-related disabilities.-What public institutions and businesses can do to improve access for complex communicators.Janae has more than 20 years of experience working with individuals with neurological conditions impacting speech-typical communication. This is part 2 of our 2 part conversation with Janae Romano.Transcript and Links About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Janae Romano, a disability inclusion proponent, nurse with 20+ years of experience working with individuals with neurological conditions impacting speech-typical communication, and advocate for individuals with complex communication needs, explains:-The surprising reason most people haven't heard of complex communication needs.-The large number of medical conditions that can impact speech-typical communication.-The neurological reasons our communication abilities can change from moment to moment.-Why some fields urgently need to normalize multi-modal communication.Transcript and Links About Us Follow Us On InstagramContact Us: podcast@kinderpublic.com

Hudson Crossing Park is a bi-county public park on an island, situated between the Hudson River and the Champlain Canal, in upstate New York. We interview Kate Morse, Executive Director of Hudson Crossing Park, about the design and operational choices encouraging the park's high level of civic engagement, and learn:-Why the unusual and exciting playground design reflects the park mission and future -How values of inclusivity and engagement have created unique opportunities in the design and operation of the park -How Hudson Crossing Park has modeled the power of public engagement in its region-The contribution public art makes to accessibility goals and other core elements of the park mission Transcript & Background Info.About UsFollow Us on InstagramGet in touch:podcast@kinderpublic.com

Hudson Crossing Park is a bi-county public park on an island, situated between the Hudson River and the Champlain Canal, in upstate New York. We interview Kate Morse, Executive Director of Hudson Crossing Park about the design and operational choices encouraging the park's high level of civic engagement, and learn:-How community collaboration was built into the park from the beginning -How the founder's civic values are revealed in the park design-The design outcomes of stewardship vs ownership-Why you are likely to find adults (and kids) playing on this playgroundEpisode Transcript & Background Info.About UsFollow Us on InstagramGet in touch:podcast@kinderpublic.com

Reverend Peaches Gillette is a poet, prison chaplain, diversity consultant, school board member, and educator originally from Park Slope, Brooklyn. She shares her thoughts with us about inclusivity in public space: -The impact of pushing past perceived differences and instead looking for commonalities-Why it's crucial to help each other feel belonging-How to interrupt racism and indifference with one of the 4 kinds of love-What a variation of the game of tag can teach us about strengthening our communitiesEpisode Transcript & Background Info.About UsFollow Us on InstagramGet in touch:podcast@kinderpublic.com

Reverend Peaches Gillette is a poet, prison chaplain, diversity consultant, school board member, and educator. She shares her thoughts about unequal access to public space:-What it means to belong-How to think about the human costs of exclusion-The missing piece in the study of racism and racial injustice-Why we must carefully guard against indifferenceMentioned on the podcast:The National Memorial for Peace and JusticeSouthern Poverty Law CenterThe National Museum of African American History and CultureNational Museum of African American History and Culture Episode transcript and background information:Episode #001About Us:KinderpublicFollow Us:Kinderpublic InstagramGet in Touch:podcast@kinderpublic.com

Towards a Kinder Public is the podcast of Kinderpublic, an interdisciplinary design consultancy. We are working to create kinder public space: more inclusive, accessible, equitable, and sustainable. Interviewing experts from a variety of roles and backgrounds, from architects, poets, conservationists, equity consultants, farmers, scientists, disability advocates, to historians, we discover the meaningful role that each of us can play in the work of making things better. The first step is becoming aware of the experiences of the people around us - this podcast tells those stories.Transcript & Background Info:TranscriptAbout Us:kinderpublicFollow Us:kinderpublic IGGet in touch:podcast@kinderpublic.com