Your Accessible Life

Lessons we've learned on the long, winding roads of advocacy. Patience and persistence help us to (slowly) change the world.

An interview with Lendel Bright, ADA Coordinator for St. Petersburg, Florida, shows us the wonderful ways his city approaches the opportunity to be as accessible and inclusive as possible. Working with their CAPI committee (Committee to Advocate for Persons with Impairments) they strive to ensure their city is a welcoming place for people of all abilities to visit and live.

Finding accessible facilities should not depend on which US city or town you visit. But as this story shows, there are still places where folks with disabilities can not safely go.

A company who specializes in autonomous buses shows us the value of understanding the needs of all customer groups - especially customers with disabilities.

Travel can be challenging when you have a disability, and even more so during a pandemic. This podcast includes observations about a recent trip that included safely and accessibly driving from Florida to upstate New York and back.

So much changed in all of our lives as a result of COVID-19. But, now that we may have had a chance to "settle-in" to our new reality, this can be a time to re-evaluate how we can get back to work living our best lives, even as our circumstances have changed - again!

A new year and a new decade give the opportunity to honestly evaluate our situations and plan for our best future possible - even as we deal with disabilities or less-abilities.

The holidays can be challenging times for anyone, but often even more so for people with new or worsening disabilities or less-abilities. In this episode we again speak with Mona McGregor, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor about strategies for surviving and thriving through the holidays.

Having a basic knowledge about the laws protecting our rights can be very helpful as we stand up for the "reasonable accommodations" we need.

We may need different devices for different purposes. But knowing which one(s) to take on a trip can result in having to juggle ideas and wheelchairs! In this episode we talk about choosing between options and making it all work as we travel.

As our less-abilities or disabilities begin to affect our driving, we find that there are professionals who can help. In this episode we speak with Liz Green, Executive Director of ADED, the Association of Driver Rehabilitation Specialists. She talks about the available evaluations, referrals, training and more that their members can provide to help ensure safe driving even as our abilities change.

When disabilities or less-abilities lead us to a retirement from working in our previous jobs and careers, that doesn't have to mean we don't have options. In this episode we speak with Elaine Mann, the founder of Bizthinkubator (https://www.facebook.com/bizthinkubator) and an expert on business incubators and the role they can play in building our own work situations. She shows us how connecting with small business resources and other entrepreneurs can help us find unique ways to keep enjoying some of the benefits we had when working, while now accommodating our changed abilities.

Hearing loss affects large numbers of people, but many don't recognize it, don't realize the importance of treating it and don't even know where to turn for accurate information. In this episode we speak with our collaborator Joan Weisberg about what she has learned in her journey of progressive hearing loss.

"Ancestry Travel" is a real growth area of the travel industry. But heading to cities and smaller towns in far away places can be extra challenging when we are having to accommodate our disabilities or less-abilities. In this episode I speak about traveling around Tallinn and beyond in my parents' beautiful homeland of Estonia.

In this episode we speak with Joan Weisberg, a friend and collaborator whose progressive hearing loss taught her about the many aspects of adjusting to changing abilities. We discuss some of our common experiences regardless of specific disabilities or "less-abilities".

When illnesses, accidents or simple aging brings us disabilities or “less-abilities”, we often need to find new ways to keep living our best lives. In this episode, we are, again, joined by Joanne Laflin certified ICF coach. She shares her thoughts about how to find resources by first addressing our individual wants and needs and reaching out to others for support and ideas.

It takes a lot of effort to plan a successful and enjoyable road trip. And even more so when it is in a foreign country. And even more than that when it involves a wheelchair! In this episode we talk about what we found in traveling through Ireland!

The world of non-driving can be a real challenge. But in this episode we look at how to find available transportation resources in your community. Seeking out and trying the available systems can bring back our sense of freedom and be a new adventure.

Diet, and nutrition are major issues for everyone. They can take on special dimensions when we have new or worsening disabilities or “less-abilities”. In this episode we speak with Mary Twohey and Bob Bouchard of UBee Nutrition about their unique approach to product development and manufacture.

When we, as people with disabilities or less-abilities, see areas where access is unsafe, and notify those who can correct them, we make our worlds safer for everyone. Our unique points of view help make us very valuable safety sentinels!

Travelers with disabilities and "less-abilities" can learn so much from talking to each other. In this segment we speak with Josh Grisdale, founder of the Accessible Travel Forum, Accessible Japan and the "Have Disability Will Travel" podcast. He tells us about how these sharing communities make travel easier for everyone.

So many of us don't like think of our moderate physical challenges as disabilities. But recognizing them and making needed adjustments can have many benefits. Seeing them as "less-abilities" may help give the perspective needed to move forward.

As our new disabilities or less-abilities start to impact daily activities, concerns about work can emerge quickly. What are our options when we can no longer work? In this episode, attorney David Lillesand talks about government and private programs and the steps we need to take when "filing for disability"

As disabilities, less-abilities or other physical challenges make driving more difficult it is helpful to know our options and consider new choices.

There are so many emotions associated with developing a disability or a less-ability. In this episode we speak with Mona McGregor, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor about these feelings. And, how they relate to us, personally, and to our family members.

In this episode we talk about a trip taken to the Phoenix at the end of May. We speak with Jen Rosa, special needs certified travel agent about planning a trip like this And we recap our experiences visiting parks, a museum, a boat trip and old-west towns all with the focus of disability accessibility.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets requirements for access to commercial and municipal buildings. But not private homes. In this segment we talk about the challenges and rewards of creating the access needed to visit the homes of friends and family.

In the US there are 10 Federal laws governing the rights of individuals with disabilities. This segment gives overview information about how these laws can help all of us obtain the best access to our world.

In this episode we look at the available information about prevalence of disabilities and how that is gathered. We find that disabilities are more common than we thought and people with disabilities really count!

In this episode we interview Jen Rosa, Special Needs Certified Travel Agent. We talk about the value of traveling and travel planning when disabilities, less-abilities or other physical challenges enter our lives.

In this episode we interview Coach JoAnne Laflin. She describes coaching and how it can help people with disabilities, less-abilities or other physical challenges to build their own best lives!

We welcome you to the Your Accessible Life Podcast. In this episode we define Disability and Less-ability, describe our new podcast and let you know what it means for you!