Podcasts about disabilities

Impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions

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Latest podcast episodes about disabilities

The Weekend View
Unemployment, gender-based violence take centre stage at G20 Women Ministerial Meeting

The Weekend View

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2025 10:27


In the build-up to this month's G20 Summit in Johannesburg, The Weekend View, brings you a series of interviews on some of South Africa's key priorities as it prepares to host the global conference. Today, we zoom in on the recently-concluded G20 Women Empowerment Working Group Ministerial Meeting, which saw member countries re-affirming their strong commitments to advancing women's health, equal pay, inclusive leadership and gender-responsive policies. The meeting, which also focused in the current geo-political and social climate, luminated the tripple-threat of unemployment, gender-based violence and lack of access to adequate resources faced by women in South Africa. For more on the meeting and what should be done to address the plight of women Elvis Presslin spoke to Minister in the Presidency Responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga

St Joseph's Workshop
Faith and Inclusion: The Community of Disciples Initiative

St Joseph's Workshop

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2025 45:13


In this week's episode of St. Joseph's Workshop, Fr. Stephen engages in a discussion with Melissa Waldon (Director of the Office of Persons with Disabilities) and Alison Wire (Associate Director of the Office of Persons with Disabilities) about an exciting new initiative called the Community of Disciples Initiative. This program involves multiple parishes in the Diocese of Dallas, including St. Joseph, and aims to support individuals who are facing challenges within our communities, helping them to integrate and thrive among us.

Adventures in Accessibility
Ep. 81 - Jordan Burk

Adventures in Accessibility

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2025 25:12


Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe081This week's podcast guest is Jordan Burk. Jordan is the author of the Kelly And Kelso Children's book series and the creator of Kelly and Friends, an animated series currently in development that's set to be the first US cartoon with a lead character who has Down syndrome. Inspired by his late Uncle Kelly, Jordan writes stories that celebrate kindness, friendship, and the value of every child. Known to students as, That Koala Guy, thanks to Professor Kelso, his six-foot plush sidekick, Jordan brings laughter and life lessons to schools, libraries, and stages across the country. He's been recognized nationally for his work, but at the heart of it all, his mission is simple to remind us that being different is something to celebrateConnect with Jordan: Discover Kelly & Kelso Series - Inspiring Stories of Special Needs Advocacy by Jordan BurkKelly and Kelso | FacebookKelly & Kelso ™ (@kellyandkelso) • Instagram photos and videosConnect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!

ADALive!
Episode 6: Helping Employers Identify Qualified Candidates with Disabilities

ADALive!

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2025 30:43


This sixth episode features a conversation with Debra Ruh, CEO, Ruh Global Impact and Executive Chair of Billion Strong. Debra reveals the policies that prevent people with disabilities from seeking employment and the changes that need to happen. Debra also shares insights about the changing perception of corporations when it comes to hiring people with disabilities and how to help organizations identify qualified candidates with disabilities.

Uniquely Human: The Podcast
The Journey of an Autistic Librarian, with Kate Reynolds

Uniquely Human: The Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2025 58:55


Kate Reynolds , also known as the Lavender Librarian, is the founder and director of Storytime Solidarity. Based in Ontario, Canada, Kate has been working in public libraries since 2010. She is also a sought after international keynote speaker, trained opera singer, patient advocate, writer, and content creator with a large social media following. Kate's international advocacy has brought her to high-level events in Sweden, Hungary, Canada, and the United States. Kate holds masters degrees in musicology and library science at Western University as well as a bachelor of music in vocal performance at the University of Windsor. Openly disabled and autistic, Kate is working to make the world a kinder place, one storytime at a time.Learn more on our WebsiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Words Fail...Music Speaks
Episode 349 - Healing Beats: Lady Miranda on Genre‑Blending, Neurodiversity, and Music's Power Over Depression

When Words Fail...Music Speaks

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2025 39:29


Welcome back to the When Words Fail Music Speaks Podcast, where we dive into the power of music to lift us out of depression, break genre walls and rewrite the rules of the industry.In today's episode, host James Andrew Cox sits down with Seattle‑based, multi‑award‑winning singer‑songwriter Lady Miranda—a soulful vocalist who fuses R&B, rock, hip‑hop, and more into a sound that's unmistakably hers. We'll hear how she turned childhood poetry into a career that's as boundary‑defying as it is deeply personal, and why she refuses to follow anyone else's “songwriting template.”Beyond the music, Miranda opens up about her late‑life diagnoses of autism and ADHD, sharing how hyper‑focus fuels marathon‑writing sessions while also posing everyday challenges—from stage lighting to studio fatigue. She also spotlights ISSA (the International Society of Artists & Musical Professionals with Disabilities), an organization fighting for a more inclusive music world.From grunge‑era Seattle roots and favorite bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden, to surprise rap verses tucked into her tracks, Miranda's story is a testament to resilience, creativity, and community. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a mental‑health advocate, or simply a fan of genre‑bending music, this conversation will inspire you to let the melody speak where words fall short.Stay tuned—your next dose of musical inspiration starts now.

Educating All Learners Alliance
Needs to Strengths: Learner-Centered Practices for Students with Disabilities

Educating All Learners Alliance

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2025 13:02 Transcription Available


In this installment of our four-part series with Education Reimagined, we're diving into the concrete practices that define a truly learner-centered site. EALA's Aurora Dreger is joined by Lindsy Ogawa from Education Reimagined and Lela Bell Wesley from Big Thought to discuss how schools are designing meaningful, imaginative learning that empowers youth with disabilities and learning differences. Tune in to explore the challenges, breakthroughs, and bold ideas that are making learner-centered education a reality for every child.   Access the full transcript: bit.ly/EALAxER_EP3

Clare FM - Podcasts
Mother With MS Calls For More Awareness Of Hidden Disabilities

Clare FM - Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2025 8:46


A mother living with multiple sclerosis insists there should be more awareness of hidden disabilities so that people in Clare with conditions like hers do not feel stigmatised. Mother-of-two, Louise Power was diagnosed with MS a decade ago following the birth of her second child, though her symptoms began years earlier. She is encouraging families, schools, book clubs, workplaces and groups of all ages across Clare to get on board and support the MS Readathon, which runs from the 1st of November to the 15th of December. Alan Morrissey had a chat with Louise on Thursday's Morning Focus. Photo (c) MS Readathon Ireland

PBS NewsHour - Segments
Mother speaks out after teen with disabilities mistakenly arrested in immigration raid

PBS NewsHour - Segments

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2025 7:49


As the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on immigration, an increasing number of U.S. citizens are finding themselves caught in the sweeping actions. An investigation by ProPublica revealed that immigration agents have detained more than 170 American citizens during the first nine months of this push. Liz Landers spoke with the mother of one of these individuals. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Special Needs Mom Podcast
Balancing Identities: Mother, Professional, Advocate, Woman with Cynthia Schulz

The Special Needs Mom Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2025 44:30 Transcription Available


Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!)This week, I got to sit down with the wise and feisty Cynthia Schulz, author of Shine On: Raising Our Children with Disabilities to Lead Bright, Happy Lives. Cynthia's daughter is now 40, and hearing from a mom who's decades down the road was such a gift.We talked about what it was like when she first received her daughter's diagnosis, by mail, in the most abrupt and heartbreaking way, and how she decided early on that this would not ruin her life. Cynthia shared her “play to win” philosophy and how that mindset shaped everything from advocacy to joy to building a full, meaningful life for her daughter and family.We also got into self-care, identity, and the evolution that happens over time. Cynthia reminded me that while this life is a marathon, it's one fueled by a mother's love and that we can do hard things.This one left me encouraged, grounded, and full of hope for what's possible, both for our kids and for us.Resources Mentioned:Shine On: Raising Our Children with Disabilities to Lead Bright, Happy Lives  Sign up for The Pathway to Peace Coaching Community Waitlist Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack free resource Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

Breakfast with Refilwe Moloto
GroundUp news: Recovering addicts march for greater support from government

Breakfast with Refilwe Moloto

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2025 8:15 Transcription Available


Around 200 people marched through Cape Town in the annual Recovery Walk to celebrate recovery from substance abuse; draft affidavit describes how R17-million was paid to 28 companies for services not delivered to Fort Hare University; a private school in Ottery which caters to learners with disabilities has been ordered to close down due to zoning issues. Lester Kiewit speaks to Marecia Damons of GroundUp News. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Government Of Saint Lucia
Government Notebook (Oct. 10, 2025)

Government Of Saint Lucia

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2025 14:46


In the headlines: Minister for Persons with Disabilities emphasizes the critical need for mental and emotional support for individuals who have undergone amputations and; Caribbean nations, advanced regional integration For details on these stories and more, visit www.govt.lc

The Integrative Health Podcast with Dr. Jen
What You Don't See Can Still Hurt: Invisible Disabilities & the Hope of True Healing

The Integrative Health Podcast with Dr. Jen

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2025 16:40


Welcome back to The Integrative Health Podcast! In this solo episode, Dr. Jen Pfleghaar, DO, dives deep into a topic that impacts millions yet is often overlooked — Invisible Disabilities.From chronic fatigue to autoimmune diseases, these are the conditions you can't always see but that can shape every part of a person's daily life. Dr. Jen shares her own powerful story of living with and healing from Hashimoto's thyroiditis — and how that experience ignited her passion for a root cause, integrative approach to medicine.You'll learn what invisible disabilities really are, how to support those living with them, and why “invisible” doesn't mean “untreatable.”Dr. Jen breaks down her root cause framework for true healing — from hormone and immune balance to nutrition, circadian rhythm, and environmental detoxification — empowering you to take back control of your health.Plus, she highlights the inspiring work of the Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA) and how you can get involved to raise awareness, advocate for others, and make a difference.A must-listen episode filled with hope, not hype — for anyone living with invisible challenges or supporting someone who is.PODCAST: Thank you for listening please subscribe and share! Shop supplements: https://healthybydrjen.shop/CHECK OUT a list of my Favorite products here: https://www.healthybydrjen.com/drjenfavorites FOLLOW ME:Instagram :: https://www.instagram.com/integrativedrmom/Facebook :: https://www.facebook.com/integrativedrmomYouTube :: https://www.youtube.com/@integrativedrmom FTC: Some links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I truly appreciate your support of my channel. Thank you for watching! Video is not sponsored. DISCLAIMER: This podcast does not contain any medical or health related diagnosis or treatment advice. Content provided on this podcast is for informational purposes only. For any medical or health related advice, please consult with a physician or other healthcare professionals. Further, information about specific products or treatments within this podcast are not to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Diverse
Ep 339: Stories of Visible and Invisible Disabilities in Engineering

Diverse

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2025 36:38


What is it like to navigate STEM while living with a visible or invisible disability? In this episode, Haylee Mota, a recent engineering graduate who is blind, shares how she found her path to aerospace through robotics, hands-on research, and self-advocacy — overcoming barriers like inaccessible course materials. Angelie Vincent, a mid-career aerospace engineer living with autism, diabetes, and celiac disease, reflects on lessons learned from a late diagnosis, masking in the workplace, and the power of mentorship. In conversation with Jenevieve Surkin, lead of SWE's DisAbility Inclusion Affinity Group (DIAG), hear how universities and workplaces can do better and why requesting accommodations is about creating equal access and opportunity. DIAG was formed to build a supportive, safe community for differently abled/disabled engineers, caregivers, and allies to network and develop themselves professionally. Get involved and find out about upcoming events at sites.swe.org/diag/. — The Society of Women Engineers is a powerful, global force uniting 50,000 members of all genders spanning 85 countries. We are the world's largest advocate and catalyst for change for women in engineering and technology. To join and access all the exclusive benefits to elevate your professional journey, visit membership.swe.org.

Discover Lafayette
Caroline Jurisich – Founder of The Quad, an Enrichment Center for Adults Living With Cognitive Disabilities

Discover Lafayette

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2025 43:53


Our guest, Dr. Caroline Jurisich, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss her inspiring work with The Quad, a Lafayette-based program helping adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities continue learning, building independence, and forming meaningful social connections after leaving school. A Lifelong Passion for Education and Inclusion Originally from North Louisiana, Caroline earned her bachelor's degree in communications from LSU and initially worked in that field. But her career path changed after she began working with students who had emotional and behavioral challenges. She went on to earn her Master's at UL Lafayette and taught in the Lafayette Parish School System before being recruited to help develop and teach in UL LIFE, an inclusive post-secondary education program for students with intellectual disabilities. “When I started with UL LIFE in 2014, there were about 200 programs like it in the country,” she recalled. “Now, there are 364.” The program, which began as a small pilot with local students, has since expanded to 35 students from across the U.S. who live on campus, participate in university classes, and are fully integrated into campus life. As the program grew, Caroline noticed a troubling pattern: “Once these students graduated, they secured employment, but there was still a gap in opportunities for continued learning and in maintaining the skills they'd developed.” That realization led her to found The Quad in 2023. Filling the Gap After Graduation Located in the Oil Center at 1021 E St Mary Blvd., Suite A, The Quad serves adults aged 18 to 62 who have completed high school or college-based programs and are seeking continued education, social engagement, and life skills training. “I'm a big believer in building a strong foundation before branching out,” Caroline said. “We're focused on what we call learning sessions—structured, engaging opportunities to develop practical skills without feeling like school.” The Quad offers 26 sessions a week, each about real-world abilities: Money Smarts: budgeting, banking, and financial literacy. Vocational Training: preparing for, securing, and maintaining employment. Social and Relationship Skills: navigating family, friendship, and workplace dynamics. Independent Living Skills: cooking, meal planning, grocery budgeting, and household management in their full kitchen lab. Each session is small and tailored. “We want to make sure it's meaningful for every individual,” she said. “Independence doesn't necessarily mean doing it all by yourself—it means knowing when to ask for help, knowing your strengths, and building on both.” The Quad also emphasizes community engagement. Members participate in service projects such as filling the Lafayette Community Fridge, supporting Second Harvest, and organizing toy drives. “We remind our members that to be an active, engaged part of your community, you also have to give back,” Caroline said. Creating Belonging and Connection Social isolation after leaving school is a major challenge for adults with disabilities. Caroline has seen firsthand how The Quad helps bridge that gap. “There's so much research on the impact of isolation—higher rates of depression and anxiety once individuals leave school,” she explained. “At The Quad, they have a space for connection, shared experiences, and casual practice of social skills.” Each Friday, The Quad hosts Happy Hour—a relaxed afternoon where members gather for games, conversation, and community. “Some play air hockey, some just hang out. For many, weekends can be isolating, so this helps fill that gap with friendship and laughter.” Members often form their own social groups. “We've had young men who didn't know each other before The Quad but now meet regularly to play cards or go out to lunch together. That's huge.” A Member-Focused Community

Joni and Friends Radio
Happily Embrace It

Joni and Friends Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2025 4:00


In honor of Joni's birthday, join us in spreading the Gospel around the world to people with disabilities who really need the hope of Christ. Help us celebrate here! --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Adventures in Accessibility
Ep. 80 - Cindy Bentley

Adventures in Accessibility

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2025 36:16


Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe080This episode's podcast guest is Cindy Bentley. For the last 25 years, Cindy has been Wisconsin's foremost voice for inclusion and civil rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 1999, Cindy helped found People First Wisconsin, a statewide disability advocacy organization with a mission to provide opportunities for people with disabilities in Wisconsin to speak up and be heard about healthcare, voting, employment, housing, and transportation issues. Cindy began her work at People First Wisconsin as an advocacy specialist, but was promoted to executive director and is the only person with an intellectual disability leading an advocacy organization in Wisconsin. Cindy recently received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in recognition of her many years of advocacy.Cindy serves on several boards, including the Governor's Committee for People with Disabilities, Life Navigators Board, and the Milwaukee County Combined Community Services Board. The Wisconsin Historical Society published a biography, which Cindy co-authored called Cindy Bentley: Spirit of a Champion. Choose the Pond, a short film about Cindy's life was recently shown at the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival. Cindy is a highly decorated Special Olympics athlete and global messenger. She's currently training for the Special Olympic National Games in 2026 where she will play volleyball for Team Wisconsin.Connect with People First Wisconsin: People First WisconsinPeople First Wisconsin | FacebookConnect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!

OPENPediatrics
Practice-Changing Research in Complex Care at the American Academy of Pediatrics Conference 2025

OPENPediatrics

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2025 33:27


In this special Complex Care Journal Club podcast episode, co-hosts Kilby Mann, Kristie Malik, and Kathleen Huth interview presenters of posters relevant to the care of children with medical complexity at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition. Speakers describe their study findings and implications for practice. Dr. Rishi Agrawal discusses the role of the Council on Children with Disabilities in translating research into improved clinical care and advocacy for children with medical complexity. SPEAKERS Rishi Agrawal, MD, MPH Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Elizabeth Avery ‌Hill, DO Assistant Professor, University of Utah‌ Michelle Melicosta, MD, MPH, MSC, Associate Chief Medical Officer, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Patricia Notario, MD, Medical Director of the Pediatric Complex Care Program, Billings Clinic Prasiddha Parthasarathy, MD, Resident, University of Toronto HOSTS Kristina Malik, MD Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine Medical Director, KidStreet Pediatrician, Special Care Clinic, Children's Hospital Colorado Kilby Mann, MD Assistant Professor Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Children's Hospital Colorado Kathleen Huth, MD, MMSc Pediatrician, Complex Care Service, Division of General Pediatrics Boston Children's Hospital Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Harvard Medical School DATE Initial publication date: October 14, 2025. RESOURCES REFERENCED ‌Project ECHO/ECHO Model: https://projectecho.unm.edu/model/ ‌Council on Children with Disabilities (COCWD): https://www.aap.org/en/community/aap-councils/council-on-children-with-disabilities/ ‌AAP Experience National Conference Denver 2025 - Conference Schedule: https://aapexperience.org/schedule/ TRANSCRIPT https://cdn.bfldr.com/D6LGWP8S/at/m48sjfwmqfnrfwnxg8p7p88/CCJCP_2025_AAP_conference_10-13-25.pdf Clinicians across healthcare professions, advocates, researchers, and patients/families are all encouraged to engage and provide feedback! You can recommend an article for discussion using this form: https://forms.gle/Bdxb86Sw5qq1uFhW6. Please visit: http://www.openpediatrics.org OPENPediatrics™ is an interactive digital learning platform for healthcare clinicians sponsored by Boston Children's Hospital and in collaboration with the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies. It is designed to promote the exchange of knowledge between healthcare providers around the world caring for critically ill children in all resource settings. The content includes internationally recognized experts teaching the full range of topics on the care of critically ill children. All content is peer-reviewed and open-access thus at no expense to the user. For further information on how to enroll, please email: openpediatrics@childrens.harvard.edu CITATION Mann K, Malik K, Agrawal R, Hill EA, Melicosta M, Notario P, Parthasarathy P, Huth K. Practice-Changing Research in Complex Care at the American Academy of Pediatrics Conference 2025. 10/2025. OPENPediatrics. Online Podcast. https://soundcloud.com/openpediatrics/practice-changing-research-in-complex-care-at-the-american-academy-of-pediatrics-conference-2025.

The Crossway Podcast
How to Get Started on Disability Ministry (No Matter How Big Your Church Is) (Sandra Peoples)

The Crossway Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2025 45:33


In this episode, Sandra Peoples encourages all churches to show love and care for those with disabilities in their church and community. Sandra Peoples (MDiv) is the disability ministry consultant for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and an adjunct professor for the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University, teaching classes in disability ministry. Sandra is currently a PhD student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is also the author of 'Accessible Church: A Gospel-Centered Vision for Including People with Disabilities and Their Families' from Crossway. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read the full transcript of this episode.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ❖ Listen to “Paralysis, Heartache, and Hymns of Hope” with Joni Eareckson Tada: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show.

A Journey Through History
Journey through History to discuss A sense of the world: how a blind man became history’s greatest traveler DB62703 by Jason Roberts. 10/07/2025

A Journey Through History

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2025 55:54


BARD annotation A sense of the world: how a blind man became history’s greatest traveler DB62703 Author: Roberts, Jason Reading Time: 12 hours, 41 minutes Read by: David Cutler Subjects: Biography of Persons with Disabilities, Disability, Travel Biography of Englishman James Holman (1786-1857), who was blinded at twenty-five after serving in the Napoleonic wars and who then achieved fame as a world traveler. Quoting from Holman’s memoirs, describes how he fought slavery in Africa, survived captivity in Siberia, charted the Australian outback, and published three books. 2006. New York : Harper Collins Publishers, c2006. Bookshare This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6462474?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUElMkJzZW5zZSUyQm9mJTJCdGhlJTJCd29ybGQlMjUzQSUyQmhvdyUyQmElMkJibGluZCUyQm1hbiUyQmJlY2FtZSUyQmhpc3RvcnklMjUyNiUyNTIzMzklMjUzQnMlMkJncmVhdGVzdCUyQnRyYXZlbGVyJTJC

Uniquely Human: The Podcast
An Autistic Mother reflects on Mothering and Writing, with Julie Green

Uniquely Human: The Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 59:12


Julie Green is a professional writer, a mother, and is a late diagnosed autistic women. She, Dave, and Barry discuss what led to her late diagnosis, and the insights she has as an autistic person in raising her now teenage autistic son. Julie has also published professionally on parenting issues and discusses the process of writing a memoir that focuses on motherhood and autism, while simultaneously deepening her understanding of her own autism.Learn more on our WebsiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After Hours: Conversations for Music Educators
Creating a Successful Band Experience for Students With Differences And Disabilities

After Hours: Conversations for Music Educators

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 43:06


This week Nick Averwater talks with Dr. Alice Hammel, a music educator who has dedicated her 40-year career to making music programs more supportive, productive, and enjoyable for students with differences and disabilities.Dr. Hammel has written four books about this subject, and we have links to them below.Our conversation was recorded in February 2025.Dr. Hammel's books include:Teaching Music to Students with Differences and Disabilities: A Label-Free ApproachTeaching Music To Students With AutismTeaching Music to Students with Differences and Disabilities: A Practical ResourceWinding It Back: Teaching to Individual Differences In Music Classroom and Ensemble Settings

Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY
Guest: Amanda Hedberg of Aspire on training workers with disabilities for warehouse jobs; The commercial real estate market; Turning uncertainty into an advantage

Logistics Matters with DC VELOCITY

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 22:05


Our guest on this week's episode is Amanda Hedberg, vice president of Strategic Initiatives at Aspire, a Chicago non-profit organization that works to place people with disabilities into the labor market. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This yearly event began in 1945 and is now commemorating 80 years of acknowledging the good work that people with mental and physical disabilities bring to their jobs, including work within our supply chains. Hedberg shares how t Aspire trains people with disabilities find meaningful work, including employment in warehouses. Our DC Velocity editorial staff spent the week at CSCMP EDGE conference in National Harbor, Maryland, near the nation's capital. On today's podcast we will talk about what we learned there:Ben shares about a session on the market for industrial real estate, which includes warehouses and fulfillment centers. According to the speakers, the U.S. right now has more unused logistics space available for rent in the industrial real estate market than at any time in U.S. history. We explained how the market got to that point and what is being done to better utilize the abundant space.Ben also shares about another session on the rise of the “synthetic workforce,” which is a term for increasing applications in artificial intelligence, and specifically agentic AI. Speakers stressed that the Synthetic Workforce is not just on the horizon but is already here. Victoria shares about a session presented by Per Kristian Hong, a global lead at management consulting firm Kearney. His talk was titled “Harnessing Uncertainty: Global Supply Chains in an Era of Geopolitical Disruption.” His central message was that these turbulent times we're experiencing are the norm and that supply chain leaders need to recalibrate and move from forecasting to foresight.Supply Chain Xchange  also offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. A new series is now available on Top Threats to our Supply Chains. It covers topics including Geopolitical Risks, Economic Instability, Cybersecurity Risks, Threats to energy and electric grids; Supplier Risks, and Transportation Disruptions  Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes. The podcast is also available at www.thescxchange.com.Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN)Report: Tariffs reshape sourcingGen-Z consumers drive change in e-commerce patternsVisit Supply Chain XchangeListen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcastSend feedback about this podcast to podcast@agilebme.comThis podcast episode is sponsored by: Duravant Integrated SolutionsOther linksAbout DC VELOCITYSubscribe to DC VELOCITYSign up for our FREE newslettersAdvertise with DC VELOCITY

Federal Drive with Tom Temin
AbilityOne expands economic opportunity for people with significant disabilities

Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 13:09


The AbilityOne Commission partners with federal agencies to deliver essential services while expanding economic opportunity for people with significant disabilities. As the program evolves, its leaders are working to modernize employment standards and navigate procurement reforms. Here to explain what AbilityOne is and what it isn't, are Kimberly Zeich, Executive Director of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission, and Robert Hogue, Chairperson of the Commission and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs at the Department of the Navy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

WICC 600
Melissa in the Morning: Supporting Workers with Disabilities

WICC 600

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 16:38


October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and we had Suzette Debeatham-Brown in studio. She is the Deputy Commissioner at CT Aging and Disability Services and she shared resources for people to know about. For more information: https://portal.ct.gov/ads/contact-us?language=en_US Image Credit: Getty Images

Wild & Sublime
ADHD + sex + intimacy with Dr. Lyne Piché

Wild & Sublime

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2025 50:36


Therapist and author Dr Lyne Piché talks with Karen about ADHD and tools individuals and couples can use to promote more intimacy and better sex lives. They discuss her new ADHD workbook in this far-ranging and lively conversation.Our seventh anniversary show is in Chicago, October 12, 6pm at Lincoln Lodge. Get tickets! Main show sponsor Rowan Tree Counseling.On the show:Psychologist and sex therapist Dr. Lyne Piché Host and certified sex educator Karen Yates  ADHD and Sex: A Workbook for Exploring Sexuality and Increasing Intimacy Buy the workbook on Bookshop and support Wild & Sublime! Available on Amazon too.Sign up for podcast announcements and show announcements on our website.Get tickets to the 7th Anniversary show in Chicago! Oct 12 at 6pm at Lincoln Lodge.Support the showFollow Wild & Sublime on Instagram and Facebook!

Better Buildings For Humans
Why “Good Design” Might Be Hurting Us: The Case for Sensory Accessibility and Invisible Disabilities – Ep 107 with Eliza Redmann

Better Buildings For Humans

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 37:28


This week on Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski dives into the artful side of architecture with sculptural artist Eliza Redmann, founder of Folded Poetry. Once an architect on a promising career path, Eliza's life took a dramatic turn after a traumatic brain injury. What followed was a powerful story of resilience, reinvention, and a new mission: creating art that's both visually stunning and acoustically functional. Eliza shares how her designs offer sensory accessibility, reflect invisible disabilities, and bring softness into harsh built environments. From using recycled acoustic felt to collaborating with manufacturers like UnikaVev, Eliza is transforming spaces into havens for the neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive. Tune in for a moving conversation about constraint, creativity, and how buildings—and art—can tell deeply human stories.More About Eliza RedmannEliza Redmann is a licensed architect, sculptural artist, and the founder of Folded Poetry, a design studio based in Durham, North Carolina. After a traumatic brain injury from a car accident abruptly disrupted her architecture career, Eliza transformed her path through creative reinvention. Her art became both a tool for healing and a platform for advocacy, offering viewers a visceral glimpse into the visual disturbances and sensory challenges she continues to navigate. Eliza specializes in custom commissions, design licensing, and prototyping “acoustic artwork” that enhances sensory accessibility in built environments—particularly for individuals with auditory sensitivities. Through her work, she seeks not only to raise awareness about invisible disabilities but also to dismantle the design barriers that often accompany them.Contact:https://www.instagram.com/folded_poetry/?hl=enhttps://www.tiktok.com/@folded_poetryhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elizaredmann-foldedpoetryhttps://www.foldedpoetry.com/Where To Find Us:https://bbfhpod.advancedglazings.com/www.advancedglazings.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/better-buildings-for-humans-podcastwww.linkedin.com/in/advanced-glazings-ltd-848b4625https://twitter.com/bbfhpodhttps://twitter.com/Solera_Daylighthttps://www.instagram.com/bbfhpod/https://www.instagram.com/advancedglazingsltdhttps://www.facebook.com/AdvancedGlazingsltd

Clark County Today News
Commission on Aging to discuss county's Tax Exemption Program at October meeting

Clark County Today News

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 1:46


Clark County's Commission on Aging will hold its October 15 meeting to discuss the county's Tax Exemption Program for Senior Citizens and People with Disabilities. Staff from the Assessor's Office will provide an overview and explain how residents can apply. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/people/commission-on-aging-to-discuss-countys-tax-exemption-program-at-october-meeting/ #ClarkCounty #CommissionOnAging #SeniorServices #TaxExemptionProgram #VancouverWA #Accessibility #CommunityPlanning #PublicMeeting #AgingReadinessPlan #CVTV

Joni and Friends Radio
Trust God in the Midst of Suffering

Joni and Friends Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2025 4:00


Visit www.joniradio.org for more on sweet auntie Doris and her niece Diana. --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Blonde Highlights with Kris and Kyle
Dressing with Disabilities with Disability Fashion Stylist & Cur8able Founder Stephanie Thomas

Blonde Highlights with Kris and Kyle

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2025 46:09


This week on Blonde Highlights Podcast with Kris Yeo & Kyle Hennessy, Stephanie Thomas, a disability fashion stylist and founder of Cur8able, shares her journey in the fashion industry, highlighting the importance of accessibility and inclusivity for people with disabilities. She discusses the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in shopping for clothes, the misconceptions surrounding disability and fashion, and the need for design changes to meet diverse needs. Stephanie emphasizes the role of advocacy and education in transforming the fashion landscape and encourages collaboration between brands and the disability community to create meaningful change.Follow on IG & TikTok @DisabilityfashionStylist @Cur8ableTakeawaysStephanie's passion for fashion began in childhood, influenced by her mother's style.The fashion industry often reflects societal views on disability, which can be limiting.Curatable aims to provide accessible fashion options for people with disabilities.Shopping can be a daunting experience for those with disabilities due to various barriers.Misconceptions about disability often lead to a lack of understanding in the fashion industry.Design changes, such as adaptive clothing, can significantly improve accessibility.Advocacy is crucial for promoting adaptive fashion and inclusivity.Education about disability and fashion is essential for both consumers and brands.The community's involvement is vital for driving change in the fashion industry.Separate is never equal; inclusivity should be the goal for all consumers.

British Ecological Society Journals
Included in Nature with Clare Rishbeth | Case Report 1 - Disabilities

British Ecological Society Journals

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2025 11:55


This series will be discussing four evidence reports commissioned by Natural England which were deposited on Applied Ecology Resources and explored the importance of nature inclusion across various communities. In this episode, Clare will be discussing the barriers to inclusion for those with disabilities, and how we might be able to overcome them. PEDALL Inclusive Cycling | New Forest National Park - https://www.pedall.org.uk/ Sensing Nature - https://sensing-nature.com/ Applied Ecology Resources Report: People with Disabilities - https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/applied-ecology-resources/document/20220436861/

British Ecological Society Journals
Included in Nature with Clare Rishbeth | Introduction

British Ecological Society Journals

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2025 8:07


This series will be discussing four evidence reports commissioned by Natural England which were deposited on Applied Ecology Resources and explored the importance of nature inclusion across various communities; people with disabilities, older people, ethnic minorities, and those in low-income areas. This series will be deep diving into the importance of nature connection, the potential barriers to inclusion for four specific groups of individuals, and strategies to overcome them. Our guest is Clare Rishbeth, who is a professor in Landscape Architecture from the University of Sheffield and co-authored the reports. Clare explains the reason for the reports and for the focus on four specific groups of people. The reports are linked below: People with Disabilities https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/applied-ecology-resources/document/20220436861/ Low Income Areas https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/applied-ecology-resources/document/20220436862/ Older People https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/applied-ecology-resources/document/20220436863/ Ethnic Minorities https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/applied-ecology-resources/document/20220436860/

Special Chronicles Show Podcast

In this empowering episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast, host Daniel Smrokowski sits down with Caleb J. Prewitt – the Guinness World Record Holder as the Most Prolific Down Syndrome Triathlete/Runner – and his mom Karen McConeghy Prewitt. At just 18 years old, Caleb has already completed 46 triathlons, 123 races, and 5 half-marathons, while serving as a Planet Fitness USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador. Together with his mom and Caleb's Crew, Caleb is helping to prove that Abilities > Disabilities. We discuss Caleb's athletic journey, his Guinness World Record, his role as an ambassador, and the family story behind his success. Plus, hear how he's Racing for 3.21 on World Down Syndrome Day 2024 and taking part in a USA Triathlon Foundation campaign at the 2025 Chicago Bank of America Marathon. Episode 802 ShowNotes & Links Follow @calebs_crew on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn to keep up with his journey. Listen and Follow at SpecialChronicles.com/Pod

Its Never Too Late
Traveling with disabilities and wonderful Easy Walks walks mapped out by Marjorie Turner

Its Never Too Late

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2025 22:55


Traveling with disabilities and wonderful Easy Walks walks mapped out by Marjorie Turner Hollman have been part of our Swimming Upstream Radio Shows for more than ten years and they've always been practical and useful. "I'd be happy to chat another time about winter walking--for non-snowy areas," she wrote in 2020. " I think it's mostly a matter of the right clothes, water proof boots and rain gear. And yes, gore-tex is worth the money (and no,, I do not get paid to say that!--but perhaps I should ;-) " I have right on my desk right now, her book, Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are as I've toyed with the idea of mapping such walks in the Pacific Northwest - a little harder because this is volcano country. But as we grow older and hiking, or walking gets harder. it's a real pleasure to have a friend to walk with who will offer no-nonsense advice along the way. So I shouldn't have been surprised to learn that Marjorie has developed a self publishing company to give people a chance to get the word out to everyone who should hear it. From world audiences to writing the family story for the grandchildren. Here's how Marjorie says it: Here's my gift to you! Self-publishing 101 Marjorie helps changemakers turn their experiences into professionally self-published books. Her team supports everything from editing to print-on-demand setup and can connect clients with trusted PR partners for launches. She's a great resource for amplifying your message through publishing. What seems important to me is that in the opportunities that Marjory provides is the chance to tell the family story and put it happily in the desk. Now we all know, the grand children won't read the stories - right now - but one day they will and what a gift to have a friend like Marjory to point you in the right direction - and an important point is that she'll work with you to find those easy walks in your area and perhaps get your own book in print. If you're interested in self-publishing and the opportunities it provides, you can find Marjory at MarjorieTurner.com Now you may be wondering, why am I writing so much about Marjorie's new business? Well it's because all these years she's been my friend who wrote about traveling with disabilities, and now she's my friend who writes about self publishing. That's wonderful. I hope you'll enjoy getting to know Marjorie as much as I have. And remember that book we started last year? Maybe we can finish it. Marjorie Turner Hollman Personal Historian/Freelance Writer/Author Forging connections between generations www.marjorieturner.com marjorie@marjorieturner.com https://www.amazon.com/author/marjorieturnerhollman Bellingham, MA 02019 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The SavvyCast
Ady's BiG Army: How One Girl's Journey Brings Hope to Adults with Disabilities

The SavvyCast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 51:09


In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with Chrissy Schubert, mom to Ady and founder of Ady's BiG Army, to hear the powerful story behind her daughter's journey. Chrissy shares how Ady was diagnosed with autism, the struggles their family faced, and the miracle of how Ady went from being nonverbal to spelling out her very first poem.  Out of this journey came Ady's BiG Army, an organization that helps adults with disabilities by providing resources, support, and community for families navigating similar challenges. This conversation is filled with hope, faith, and practical insight for anyone looking for organizations that resource adults with disabilities.   QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE: Who is Ady? - Her story, her diagnosis with autism and mitochondrial dysfunction, and how her journey inspired Ady's BiG Army. Understanding Ady's Journey - How she experienced regressions and the causes behind them & the miracle of how she went from being unable to communicate to spelling out her first poem. A Mother's Perspective - Chrissy shares the struggles and emotions of raising a severely autistic child, the impact on her marriage, and how God worked through their challenges. The Birth of Ady's BiG Army - How the nonprofit began, the heart behind it, and the amazing projects they've done to serve families facing similar struggles. Looking Ahead - What Ady's BiG Army is doing now, their vision for the future, and how listeners can support their mission.   LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED: Ady's BiG Army's website Follow along with Chrissy & Ady's hiking journey Check out all the BiG replication locations across the country Mark your calendars for the Art Auction on April 25, 2025!  Mitchell's Place in Birmingham, AL   WHERE TO LISTEN The SavvyCast is available on all podcasting platforms and YouTube. One of the best ways to support the show is by leaving a rating and review—I so appreciate you sharing your thoughts, my friends!   ENJOYED THIS EPISODE? CHECK THESE OUT! How Unless U Helps Create a Brighter Future for Developmentally Disabled Adults Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Watch on YouTube   Thistle Farms: A Safe Haven for Human Trafficking Survivors Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Watch on YouTube  

Education Beat
How one student became a powerful voice for others with disabilities

Education Beat

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025


Saran Tugsjargal grew up with multiple disabilities. At school she received speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and help with learning to understand social cues. But the support often felt isolating.  Making things even more difficult was the designation Saran received because of some of her behavioral challenges: emotional disturbance. She says it felt stigmatizing. Saran found herself wondering who would stand up for students like her. Little did she know that she would become that person. Guests: Saran Tugsjargal, student commissioner, California's Advisory Commission on Special Education Emma Gallegos, reporter, EdSource Read more from EdSource: How this teen pushed California to change special education policy Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource's Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube

Adventures in Accessibility
Ep. 79 - Murray Siple

Adventures in Accessibility

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 30:42


Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe079This episode's podcast guest is Murray Siple. Murray is a multimedia artist, filmmaker, and adapted surfer from Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Trained at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, he began his career capturing the raw energy of Canadian snowboard and skateboard culture. He directed the acclaimed documentary Carts of Darkness. After his spinal cord injury left him quadriplegic, Siple turned to painting, sculpture, and murals, exploring resilience, adaptation, and the poetry in broken things.Recently, adaptive surfing has become central to his life and work, offering a new form of movement, freedom, and expression. His upcoming feature documentary follows this journey, capturing the intersection of art, sport, and human determination. Siple's work is unflinching, electric, and demands that viewers look again and keep looking until they see what's truly there.Connect with Murray: Murray Siple / WALLETMOTH STUDIOSMurray Siple (@murraysiple) • Instagram photos and videosWalletmoth (@walletmothstudios) • Instagram photos and videosConnect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!

Unstoppable Mindset
Episode 375 – Unstoppable Caring, Heart-Centered Attorney with Erin Edgar

Unstoppable Mindset

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2025 69:32


Each episode on Unstoppable Mindset I ask all of you and my guests to feel free to introduce me to others who would be good guests on our podcast. Our guest this time, Erin Edgar, is a guest introduced to me by a past podcast guest, Rob Wentz. Rob told me that Erin is inspirational and would be interesting and that she would have a lot to offer you, our audience. Rob was right on all counts. Erin Edgar was born blind. Her parents adopted an attitude that would raise their daughter with a positive attitude about herself. She was encouraged and when barriers were put in her way as a youth, her parents helped her fight to be able to participate and thrive. For a time, she attended the Indiana School for the Blind. Her family moved to Georgia where Erin attended high school. After high school, Erin wanted to go to college where she felt there would be a supportive program that would welcome her on campus. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapple Hill. After graduating she decided to continue at UNC where she wanted to study law. The same program that gave her so much assistance during her undergraduate days was not able to provide the same services to Erin the graduate student. Even so, Erin had learned how to live, survive and obtain what she needed to go through the law program. After she received her law degree Erin began to do what she always wanted to do: She wanted to use the law to help people. So, she worked in programs such as Legal Aid in North Carolina and she also spent time as a mediator. She will describe all that for us. Like a number of people, when the pandemic began, she decided to pivot and start her own law firm. She focuses on estate planning. We have a good discussion about topics such as the differences between a will and a living trust. Erin offers many relevant and poignant thoughts and words of advice we all can find helpful. Erin is unstoppable by any standard as you will see. About the Guest: Erin Edgar, Esq., is a caring, heart-centered attorney, inspirational speaker and vocal artist. She loves helping clients: -- Plan for the future of their lives and businesses, ensuring that they have the support they need and helping them find ways to provide for their loved ones upon death. --Ensure that the leave a legacy of love and reflect client values -- Find creative ways that allow them to impact the world with a lasting legacy. She is passionate about connecting with clients on a heart level. She loves witnessing her clients as she guides them to transform their intentions for their loved ones into a lasting legacy through the estate planning process. Erin speaks about ways to meld proven legal tools, strategies, and customization with the creative process to design legal solutions that give people peace of mind, clarity, and the assurance that their loved ones will be taken care of, and the world will be left a better place Ways to connect with Erin: Facebook: https://facebook.com/erin-edgar-legal LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/erinedgar About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of unstoppable mindset. We're glad that you're here with us, wherever you may be. Hope the day is going well, and we have Erin Edgar on our episode today. Edgar is a very interesting person in a lot of ways. She's a caring, heart centered attorney. She is also an inspirational speaker and a vocal artist. I'm not sure whether vocal artistry comes into play when she's in the courtroom, but we won't worry about that too much. I assume that you don't sing to your judges when you're trying to deal with something. But anyway, I'll let her answer that. I'm just trying to cause trouble, but Erin again. We're really glad you're with us. We really appreciate you being here, and I know you do a lot with estate planning and other kinds of things that'll be fun to talk about. So welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Erin Edgar ** 02:14 Thank you, Michael. It's great to be here, and I haven't sung in a courtroom or a courthouse yet, but I wouldn't rule it out.   Michael Hingson ** 02:23 I have someone who I know who also has a guide dog and his diet. His guide dog, it's been a while since I've seen him, but his guide dog tended to be very vocal, especially at unexpected times, and he said that occasionally happened in the courtroom, which really busted up the place. Oh, dear.   Erin Edgar ** 02:45 I imagine that would draw some smiles, hopefully, smiles.   Michael Hingson ** 02:48 Well, they were, yeah, do you, do you appear in court much?   Erin Edgar ** 02:53 Um, no, the type of law that I practice, I'm usually, I don't think I've ever appeared in court after I've written people's wills, but I have done previous things where I was in court mediating disputes, which is a kind of a separate thing that I used to do, so I've been in court just not recently. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 03:17 Well, that's understandable. Well, let's start a little bit with the early Erin and growing up and all that sort of stuff. Tell us about that? Sure.   Erin Edgar ** 03:26 So I was born in cold, gray Indiana, and, yeah, chilly in the wintertime, and I started out I was blind from birth, so my parents thought it would be a good idea to send me to the school for the blind for a while. And back when I was born, um, teen years ago, they did not mainstream visually impaired and disabled students in that state, so you went where you could, and I was at the blind school for until I reached third grade, and then we moved to Georgia, and I've been in the south ever since I live in North Carolina now, and I started going to public schools in fourth grade, and continued on that route all the way up through high school.   Michael Hingson ** 04:21 Oh, okay. And so then, what did you do?   Erin Edgar ** 04:29 So after, after that, I, you know, I was one of those high school students. I really wanted to get out of dodge and leave my high school behind. I went visiting a couple of colleges in Georgia, and I said to my parents, I said, I really don't like this. It's like going to high school again. Literally, I was meeting people I had been in high school with, and I decided, and was very grateful that my parents. Were able to rig it some way so that I could go to an out of state school. And I went to UNC Chapel Hill here in North Carolina, Tar Heels all the way. And I was there for undergrad. And then I got into law school there as well, which I was very excited about, because I didn't have to go anywhere, and graduated from law school again a while ago in the early 2000s   Michael Hingson ** 05:31 Okay, and so then you went straight into law from that.   Erin Edgar ** 05:37 I didn't I did some other things before I actually went into law itself. I worked with some local advocacy organizations, and I also mediated, as I said earlier, I did mediations with the county court, helping mediate criminal disputes. And we're talking about like things with you get in a dispute with your neighbor and you yell at each other, those kind of People's Court type things. They were fun and interesting. And then I did go into law. After that, I started working with Legal Aid of North Carolina, which is a an organization that helps people in poverty who cannot afford a lawyer to go and have have their options communicated to them and some help given to them regarding their public benefits or certain other, you know, public things that we could help with we weren't able to help with any personal injury, or, you know, any of the fun stuff you see on TV. So and then, when the pandemic hit, I started my own law practice and completely changed gears and went into writing estate plans and wills for a living.   Michael Hingson ** 07:07 Do you think that your time doing mediation work and so on taught you a lot about humanity and human nature and people?   Erin Edgar ** 07:16 It did. I bet it did. It was invaluable, actually, in that area taught me a lot about, I don't know necessarily, about human nature. However, it did teach me a lot about how to talk to people who were on different pages. You know, they had, perhaps, values and principles that weren't quite the same, where they had a different way of looking at the same exact situation, and how to bring those those people together and allow them to connect on a deeper level, rather than the argument we're able to get them to agree to kind of move forward from that, so nobody has to be found guilty, right? And you know a judge doesn't have and you don't have to drag a criminal conviction around with you. I think the most rewarding cases that I had, by far were the education cases. Because I don't know if anyone knows this, but in most states, in the United States, if you don't send your kids to school, you are guilty of a crime. It's called truancy, and you can be arrested. Well, the county that I live in was very forward thinking, and the school system and the court said, that's kind of dumb. We don't want to arrest parents if their kids aren't going to school, there's something behind it. You know, there the school is not providing what the child needs. The child's acting out for some reason, and we need to get to the bottom of it. So what they did was they set up a process whereby we come in as neutral observers. We did not work for the court. We were part of a separate organization, and have a school social worker there or counselor, and also have a parent there, and they could talk through the issues. And in a lot of cases, if the children were old enough, they were teenagers, they were there, and they could talk about it from their perspective. And truly amazing things came out of those situations. We could just we would discover that the children had a behavioral issue or even a disability that had not been recognized, and were able to come up with plans to address that with you know, or the school was with our help,   Michael Hingson ** 09:42 going back a little bit, how did your parents deal with the fact that you were blind? I gather it was a fairly positive experience   Erin Edgar ** 09:50 for me. It was positive. I was so fortunate, and I'm still so grateful to this day for having parents who you. I were very forward thinking, and advocated for me to have and do whatever, not whatever I wanted, because I was far from spoiled, but, you know, whatever, yeah, yeah, you know. But whatever, however I wanted to be successful, they advocated for me. And so my mother actually told me, you know, when I was born, they went through all the parent things like, oh, gosh, what did we do wrong? You know, why is God punishing us? You know, all that. And they, very early on, found support groups for, you know, parents with children with either blindness or disabilities of some sort, and that was a great source of help to them. And as I grew up, they made every effort to ensure that I had people who could teach me, if they couldn't, you know, how to interact with other children. I think, for a while when I was very little, and I actually kind of remember this, they hired an occupational therapist to come and teach me how to play with kids, because not only was I blind, but I was an only child, so I didn't have brothers and sisters to interact with, and that whole play thing was kind of a mystery to me, and I remember it sort of vaguely, but that's just A demonstration that they wanted me to have the best life possible and to be fully integrated into the sighted world as much as possible. So when I was at the blind school, and I was in this residential environment, and there was an added bonus that my parents didn't really weren't happy in their jobs either, and they weren't happy with the education I was getting, that they decided, well, we're just going to pick up and move and that was, quite frankly, as I look back on it now, a huge risk for them. And they did it, you know, 50% for me and 50% for them, maybe even 6040, but as I look back on it now, it's another demonstration of how supportive they were, and all the way through my school age years, were very active in ensuring that I had everything that I needed and that I had the support that I needed.   Michael Hingson ** 12:19 That's cool. How did it go when you went to college at UNC?   Erin Edgar ** 12:25 Yeah, that's an interesting question, a very good question.   Michael Hingson ** 12:29 You didn't play basketball, I assume? Oh no, I figured you had other things to do.   Erin Edgar ** 12:33 Yeah, I had other stuff to do. I sang in the choir and sang with the medieval chorus group, and, you know, all this other, like, musical geek, geeky stuff. But, or, and when we were looking for colleges and universities, one of the criteria was they had to have a solid kind of, like disability, slash visually impaired center, or, you know, support staff that would help in, you know, allow people with disabilities to go through the university. So at UNC Chapel Hill, the they had as part of their student affairs department Disability Services, and it just so happened that they were very aware of accommodations that blind people needed. I wasn't the first blind student to go through undergrad there. That's not law school, that's undergrad. And so you know, how much was it? Time and a half on on tests if I was doing them on the computer, double time if I was doing them in Braille. A lot of the tests were in Braille because they had the technology to do it. And also the gentleman who ran the Disability Services Department, I think, knew Braille, if I'm not mistaken, and could transcribe if necessary. But I was at the stage at that point where I was typing most of my exams anyway, and didn't need much that was in Braille, because I had books either electronically or they had a network of folks in the community that would volunteer to read if there was not, you know, available textbooks from RFD, and what is it, RFP and D? Now was at the time, yeah, now Learning Ally, there wasn't a Bookshare at that time, so we couldn't use Bookshare, but if there weren't textbooks available, they would have people in the community who would read them for them, and they would get paid a little bit. Now, when I went to law school, it was a totally different ball game, because I was the first law student who was blind, that UNC Chapel Hill had had, and it was a different school within the school, so that student affairs department was not part of law school anymore, and we had quite a time the first semester getting my book. Works in a format that I could read them in. They did eventually, kind of broker a deal, if you will, with the publishers who were either Thompson Reuters or Westlaw at the time to get electronic versions. They were floppy disks. This is how old I am. Floppy disks. They were in this weird format. I think it was word perfect or something. Usually it was, and they   Michael Hingson ** 15:27 didn't really have a lot of them new or no, they didn't know now, newer publishing system,   Erin Edgar ** 15:32 yeah, there wasn't PDF even, I don't think, at the time. And the agreement was I could get those, and I actually had to buy the print textbooks as well. So I have this whole bookcase of law books that are virgin, unopened, almost. And they are, you know, some of them almost 25 years old, never been opened and of no use to anyone. But I have them, and they look nice sitting down there in that bookshelf antiques books. They're antiques. So the first year was a little rough, because for a while I didn't have books, and we were able to make arrangements so that I could kind of make up some classes on a later year and switch things around a little bit. And it ended up all working out really well once we got started.   Michael Hingson ** 16:16 Yeah, I remember when I was going through getting my bachelor's and master's in physics, I needed the books in braille because, well, it's the only way to be able to really deal with the subject. You can't do it nearly as well from recordings, although now there's a little bit better capability through recording, because we have the DayZ format and so on. But still, it's not the same as reading it in Braille and for mathematics and physics and so on. I think that the only way to really do it is in Braille. And we had challenges because professors didn't want to decide what books to use until the last minute, because then, oh, a new book might be coming out and we want to get the latest book, and that didn't work for me, right? Because I had a network that I, in part, I developed with the Department of Rehabilitation out here, helped our office for disabled students didn't really have the resources to know it. They were very supportive. They just didn't really deal with it. But the bottom line is that we had to develop, I had to develop the network of transcribers, but they needed three to six months to do the books, at least three months and and sometimes I would get them one or two volumes at a time, and they barely kept ahead of the class. But, you know, it worked, but professors resisted it. And my the person who ran the Office for Students with Disabilities, said, Look, you have to work on these things, but if you're not getting cooperation from professors, and you come and tell me, and I will use the power of this office to get you what you need, there's another thing you might consider doing, she said. And I said, What's that? And Jan said, Go meet the chancellor. Make friends, yeah, friends in high places. And so I did. And Dan, oh, there you go. Became pretty good friends over the years, which was pretty cool,   Erin Edgar ** 18:15 you know, it was weird because we didn't, I didn't have that problem with the professors. They were, you know, I had a couple of old codgers, but they weren't really worried about the books. They were fine with me having the books, but it was the publishers. The publishers were irritated that that I needed them, and, you know, in an alternative format. And I didn't really, I was not. I was one of those people that if someone said they were going to do something for me, I kind of let people do it. And at the time, I was really not an advocate, advocator for myself, at that time, a very good self advocate. And so I kind of let the school interface with that. I think it would have been really interesting, if I look back on it, for me to have taken a hand in that. And I wonder what would have happened well, and at this point, you know, it's neither here nor there, but that's really fascinating. Making Friends with the chancellor, sometimes you have to do stuff like that   Michael Hingson ** 19:15 well. And the idea was really to get to know Him. And what there was, well, obviously other motivations, like, if we needed to go to a higher court to get help, we could go to the chancellor. I never had to do that, but, but the reason for meeting him and getting to know him was really just to do it and to have fun doing it. So we did,   Erin Edgar ** 19:36 yeah, and I kind of had a comparable experience. I met the Dean of the Law School for that very reason. And he said, you know, if you've got trouble, come to me, my parents got involved a little bit. And we all, you know, met together and maybe even separately at some points just to make sure that I had everything that I needed at various times. Mm. Yeah, and I made friends with the some of the assistant deans at the law school, in particular because of the situation, and one of whom was the Dean of the Law School Student Affairs, who was helping me to get what I needed. And for a while, when I was in law school and beyond. He was like, We lent books to each other. It was very funny. We found out we had the same reading tastes beyond law books. It wasn't, you know, legal at all, but we were like, trading books and things. So a lot of really good relationships came out of that.   Michael Hingson ** 20:37 And I think that's extremely important to to do. And I think that's one of the things that that offices for students with disabilities that tend to want to do everything for you. I think that's one of the things that it's a problem with those offices, because if you don't learn to do them, and if you don't learn to do them in college, how are you going to be able to be able to really act independently and as an advocate after college, so you have to learn that stuff   Erin Edgar ** 21:05 Absolutely. That's a very good point.   Michael Hingson ** 21:09 So I, I think it was extremely important to do it, and we did, and had a lot of fun doing it. So it was, was good. What are some of the biggest misconceptions you think that people had about you as a blind child growing up?   Erin Edgar ** 21:25 Oh yeah, that's a great question. I think that one of the biggest misconceptions that people had about me, especially when I was younger, is that I would know I would be sort of relegated to staying at home with parents all of my life, or being a stay at home parent and not able to be kind of professionally employed and earning, you know, earning a living wage. Now, I have my own business, and that's where most of my money goes at the same at this point. So, you know, earning a living wage might be up in the air at the moment. Ha, ha. But the the one thing I think that the biggest misconception that people had, and this is even like teachers at the blind school, it was very rare for blind children of my age to grow up and be, you know, professionals in, I don't want to say high places, but like people able to support themselves without a government benefit backing them up. And it was kind of always assumed that we would be in that category, that we would be less able than our sighted peers to do that. And so that was a huge misconception, even you know, in the school that I was attending. I think that was the, really the main one and one misconception that I had then and still have today, is that if I'm blind, I can't speak for myself. This still happens today. For instance, if I'm if I want, if I'm going somewhere and I just happen to be with someone sighted, they will talk whoever I'm, wherever I'm at, they will talk to the sighted person, right? They won't talk to you. They won't talk to me. And so, for instance, simple example, if I'm somewhere with my husband, and we happen to be walking together and we go somewhere that I need to go, they will talk to him because he's guiding me, and they won't talk. And he's like, don't talk to me. I have no idea, you know, talk to her, and part of that is I'm half a step behind him. People naturally gravitate to the people that are leading. However, I noticed, even when I was a young adult, and I would go, you know, to the doctor, and I would be with my my parents, like, maybe I'm visiting them, and I need to go to the doctor, they would talk to them and not me, yeah, which is kind of sad. And I think it happens a lot, a lot more than people realize.   Michael Hingson ** 24:10 Yeah, it does. And one of my favorite stories is, is this, I got married in 1982 and my wife has always been, or had always been. She passed away in 2022 but she was always in a wheelchair. And we went to a restaurant one Saturday for breakfast. We were standing at the counter waiting to be seated, and the hostess was behind the counter, and nothing was happening. And finally, Karen said to me, she doesn't know who to talk to, you know? Because Karen, of course, is, is in a wheelchair, so actually, she's clearly shorter than this, this person behind the counter, and then there's me and and, of course, I'm not making eye contact, and so Karen just said she doesn't know who to talk to. I said, you know? All she's gotta do is ask us where we would like to sit or if we'd like to have breakfast, and we can make it work. Well, she she got the message, and she did, and the rest of the the day went fine, but that was really kind of funny, that we had two of us, and she just didn't know how to deal with either of us, which was kind of cute. Mm, hmm. Well, you know, it brings up another question. You use the term earlier, visually impaired. There's been a lot of effort over the years. A lot of the professionals, if you will, created this whole terminology of visually impaired, and they say, well, you're blind or you're visually impaired. And visually impaired means you're not totally blind, but, but you're still visually impaired. And finally, blind people, I think, are starting to realize what people who are deaf learned a long time ago, and that is that if you take take a deaf person and you refer to them as hearing impaired, there's no telling what they might do to you, because they recognize that impaired is not true and they shouldn't be equated with people who have all of their hearing. So it's deaf or hard of hearing, which is a whole lot less of an antagonistic sort of concept than hearing impaired. We're starting to get blind people, and not everyone's there yet, and we're starting to get agencies, and not every agency is there yet, to recognize that it's blind or low vision, as opposed to blind or here or visually impaired, visually impaired. What do you think about that? How does and how does that contribute to the attitudes that people had toward you?   Erin Edgar ** 26:38 Yeah, so when I was growing up, I was handicapped, yeah, there was that too, yeah, yeah, that I was never fond of that, and my mother softened it for me, saying, well, we all have our handicaps or shortcomings, you know, and but it was really, what was meant was you had Something that really held you back. I actually, I say, this is so odd. I always, I usually say I'm totally blind. Because when I say blind, the immediate question people have is, how blind are you? Yeah, which gets back to stuff, yeah, yeah. If you're blind, my opinion, if you're blind, you're you're blind, and if you have low vision, you have partial sight. And visually impaired used to be the term, you know, when I was younger, that people use, and that's still a lot. It's still used a lot, and I will use it occasionally, generally. I think that partially sighted, I have partial vision is, is what I've heard people use. That's what, how my husband refers to himself. Low Vision is also, you know, all those terms are much less pejorative than actually being impaired,   Michael Hingson ** 27:56 right? That's kind of really the issue, yeah. My, my favorite example of all of this is a past president of the National Federation of the Blind, Ken Jernigan, you've heard of him, I assume, Oh, sure. He created a document once called a definition of blindness, and his definition, he goes through and discusses various conditions, and he asks people if, if you meet these conditions, are you blind or not? But then what he eventually does is he comes up with a definition, and his definition, which I really like, is you are blind if your eyesight has decreased to the point where you have to use alternatives to full eyesight in order to function, which takes into account totally blind and partially blind people. Because the reality is that most of those people who are low vision will probably, or they may probably, lose the rest of their eyesight. And the agencies have worked so hard to tell them, just use your eyesight as best you can. And you know you may need to use a cane, but use your eyesight as best you can, and if you go blind, then we're going to have to teach you all over again, rather than starting by saying blindness is really okay. And the reality is that if you learn the techniques now, then you can use the best of all worlds.   Erin Edgar ** 29:26 I would agree with that. I would also say you should, you know, people should use what they have. Yeah, using everything you have is okay. And I think there's a lot of a lot of good to be said for learning the alternatives while you're still able to rely on something else.   Michael Hingson ** 29:49 Point taken exactly you know, because   Erin Edgar ** 29:53 as you age, you get more and more in the habit of doing things one way, and it's. Very hard to break out of that. And if you haven't learned an alternative, there's nothing you feel like. There's nothing to fall back on, right? And it's even harder because now you're in the situation of urgency where you feel like you're missing something and you're having to learn something new, whereas if you already knew it and knew different ways to rely on things you would be just like picking a memory back up, rather than having to learn something new. Well, I've never been in that position, so I can't say, but in the abstract, I think that's a good definition.   Michael Hingson ** 30:34 Well, there are a lot of examples, like, take a person who has some eyesight, and they're not encouraged to use a cane. And I know someone who was in this situation. I think I've told the story on this podcast, but he lived in New Jersey and was travel. And traveled every day from New Jersey into Philadelphia to work, and he was on a reasonably cloudy day, was walking along. He had been given a cane by the New Jersey Commission for the Blind, but he they didn't really stress the value of using it. And so he was walking along the train to go in, and he came to the place where he could turn in and go into the car. And he did, and promptly fell between two cars because he wasn't at the right place. And then the train actually started to move, but they got it stopped, and so he was okay, but as as he tells the story, he certainly used his cane from then on. Because if he had been using the cane, even though he couldn't see it well because it was dark, or not dark, cloudy, he would have been able to see that he was not at the place where the car entrance was, but rather he was at the junction between two cars. And there's so many examples of that. There's so many reasons why it's important to learn the skills. Should a partially blind or a low vision person learn to read Braille? Well, depends on circumstances, of course, I think, to a degree, but the value of learning Braille is that you have an alternative to full print, especially if there's a likelihood that you're going to lose the rest of your eyesight. If you psychologically do it now, that's also going to psychologically help you prepare better for not having any eyesight later.   Erin Edgar ** 32:20 And of course, that leads to to blind children these days learn how to read, yeah, which is another issue.   Michael Hingson ** 32:28 Which is another issue because educators are not teaching Braille nearly as much as they should, and the literacy rate is so low. And the fact of the matter is even with George Kircher, who invented the whole DAISY format and and all the things that you can do with the published books and so on. The reality is there is still something to be said for learning braille. You don't have sighted children just watching television all the time, although sometimes my parents think they do, but, but the point is that they learn to read, and there's a value of really learning to read. I've been in an audience where a blind speaker was delivering a speech, and he didn't know or use Braille. He had a device that was, I think what he actually used was a, was, it was a Victor Reader Stream, which is   Erin Edgar ** 33:24 one of those, right?   Michael Hingson ** 33:25 I think it was that it may have been something else, but the bottom line is, he had his speech written out, and he would play it through earphones, and then he would verbalize his speech. Oh, no, that's just mess me up. Oh, it would. It was very disjointed and and I think that for me, personally, I read Braille pretty well, but I don't like to read speeches at all. I want to engage the audience, and so it's really important to truly speak with the audience and not read or do any of those other kinds of things.   Erin Edgar ** 33:57 I would agree. Now I do have a Braille display that I, I use, and, you know, I do use it for speeches. However, I don't put the whole speech on   Michael Hingson ** 34:10 there that I me too. I have one, and I use it for, I know, I have notes. Mm, hmm,   Erin Edgar ** 34:16 notes, yeah. And so I feel like Braille, especially for math. You know, when you said math and physics, like, Yeah, I can't imagine doing math without Braille. That just doesn't, you know, I can't imagine it, and especially in, you know, geometry and trigonometry with those diagrams. I don't know how you would do it without a Braille textbook, but yeah, there. There's certainly something to be said for for the the wonderful navigation abilities with, you know, e published audio DAISY books. However, it's not a substitute for knowing how to   Michael Hingson ** 34:55 read. Well, how are you going to learn to spell? How are you going to really learn sit? Structure, how are you going to learn any of those basic skills that sighted kids get if you don't use Braille? Absolutely, I think that that's one of the arenas where the educational system, to a large degree, does such a great disservice to blind kids because it won't teach them Braille.   Erin Edgar ** 35:16 Agreed, agreed. Well, thank you for this wonderful spin down Braille, Braille reading lane here. That was fun.   Michael Hingson ** 35:27 Well, so getting back to you a little bit, you must have thought or realized that probably when you went into law, you were going to face some challenges. But what was the defining moment that made you decide you're going to go into law, and what kind of challenges have you faced? If you face challenges, my making an assumption, but you know what?   Erin Edgar ** 35:45 Oh, sure. So the defining moment when I decided I wanted to go into law. It was a very interesting time for me. I was teenager. Don't know exactly how old I was, but I think I was in high school, and I had gone through a long period where I wanted to, like, be a music major and go into piano and voice and be a performer in those arenas, and get a, you know, high level degree whatnot. And then I began having this began becoming very interested in watching the Star Trek television series. Primarily I was out at the time the next generation, and I was always fascinated by the way that these people would find these civilizations on these planets, and they would be at odds in the beginning, and they would be at each other's throats, and then by the end of the day, they were all kind of   Michael Hingson ** 36:43 liking each other. And John Luke Picard didn't play a flute,   Erin Edgar ** 36:47 yes, and he also turned into a Borg, which was traumatic for me. I had to rate local summer to figure out what would happen. I was in I was in trauma. Anyway, my my father and I bonded over that show. It was, it was a wonderful sort of father daughter thing. We did it every weekend. And I was always fascinated by, like, the whole, the whole aspect of different ideologies coming together. And it always seemed to me that that's what human humanity should be about. As I, you know, got older, I thought, how could I be involved in helping people come together? Oh, let's go into law. Because, you know, our government's really good at that. That was the high school student in me. And I thought at the time, I wanted to go into the Foreign Service and work in the international field and help, you know, on a net, on a you know, foreign policy level. I quickly got into law school and realized two things simultaneously in my second year, international law was very boring, and there were plenty of problems in my local community that I could help solve, like, why work on the international stage when people in my local community are suffering in some degree with something and so I completely changed my focus to wanting to work in an area where I could bring people together and work for, you know, work on an individualized level. And as I went into the legal field, that was, it was part of the reason I went into the mediation, because that was one of the things that we did, was helping people come together. I realized, though, as I became a lawyer and actually started working in the field, most of the legal system is not based on that. It's based on who has the best argument. I wanted no part of that. Yeah, I want no part of that at all. I want to bring people together. Still, the Star Trek mentality is working here, and so when I when I started my own law firm, my immediate question to myself was, how can I now that I'm out doing my own thing, actually bring people together? And the answer that I got was help families come together, especially people thinking about their end of life decisions and gathering their support team around them. Who they want to help them? If they are ever in a situation where they become ill and they can't manage their affairs, or if you know upon their death, who do they want to help them and support them. And how can I use the law to allow that to happen? And so that's how I am working, to use the law for healing and bringing people together, rather than rather than winning an argument.   Michael Hingson ** 39:59 Yeah. Yeah, well, and I think there's a lot of merit to that. I I value the law a great deal, and I I am not an attorney or anything like that, but I have worked in the world of legislation, and I've worked in the world of dealing with helping to get legislation passed and and interacting with lawyers. And my wife and I worked with an attorney to set up our our trust, and then couple of years ago, I redid it after she passed away. And so I think that there was a lot of a lot of work that attorneys do that is extremely important. Yeah, there are, there are attorneys that were always dealing with the best arguments, and probably for me, the most vivid example of that, because it was so captivating when it happened, was the whole OJ trial back in the 1990s we were at a county fair, and we had left going home and turned on the radio, only To hear that the police were following OJ, and they finally arrested him. And then when the trial occurred, we while I was working at a company, and had a radio, and people would would come around, and we just had the radio on, and followed the whole trial. And it was interesting to see all the manipulation and all the movement, and you're right. It came down to who had the best argument, right or wrong?   Erin Edgar ** 41:25 The bloody glove. If it doesn't fit, you must acquit. Yeah, yep, I remember that. I remember where I was when they arrested him, too. I was at my grandparents house, and we were watching it on TV. My grandfather was captivated by the whole thing. But yes, there's certainly, you know, some manipulation. There's also, there are also lawyers who do a lot of good and a lot of wonderful things. And in reality, you know, most cases don't go to trial. They're settled in some way. And so, you know, there isn't always, you know, who has the best argument. It's not always about that, right? And at the same time, that is, you know, what the system is based on, to some extent. And really, when our country was founded, our founding fathers were a bunch of, like, acted in a lot of ways, like a bunch of children. If you read books on, you know, the Constitution, it was, it was all about, you know, I want this in here, and I want that in here. And, you know, a lot of argument around that, which, of course, is to be expected. And many of them did not expect our country's government to last beyond their lifetimes. Uh, James Madison was the exception, but all the others were like, Ed's going to fail. And yet, I am very, very proud to be a lawyer in this country, because while it's not perfect, our founding documents actually have a lot of flexibility and how and can be interpreted to fit modern times, which is, I think the beauty of them and exactly what the Founders intended for.   Michael Hingson ** 43:15 Yeah, and I do think that some people are taking advantage of that and causing some challenges, but that's also part of our country and part of our government. I like something Jimmy Carter once said, which was, we must adjust to changing times while holding to unwavering principles. And I think absolutely that's the part that I think sometimes is occasionally being lost, that we forget those principles, or we want to manipulate the principles and make them something that they're not. But he was absolutely right. That is what we need to do, and we can adjust to changing times without sacrificing principles. Absolutely.   Erin Edgar ** 43:55 I firmly believe that, and I would like to kind of turn it back to what we were talking about before, because you actually asked me, What are some challenges that I have faced, and if it's okay with you, I would like to get back to that. Oh, sure. Okay. Well, so I have faced some challenges for you know, to a large extent, though I was very well accommodated. I mean, the one challenge with the books that was challenging when I took the bar exam, oh, horror of horrors. It was a multiple, multiple shot deal, but it finally got done. However, it was not, you know, my failing to pass the first time or times was not the fault of the actual board of law examiners. They were very accommodating. I had to advocate for myself a little bit, and I also had to jump through some hoops. For example, I had to bring my own person to bubble in my responses on the multiple choice part, it. And bring my own person in to kind of monitor me while I did the essay portion. But they allowed me to have a computer, they allowed me to have, you know, the screen reader. They allowed me to have time and a half to do the the exam. And so we're accommodating in that way. And so no real challenges there. You know, some hoops to jump through. But it got all worked out.   Michael Hingson ** 45:23 And even so, some of that came about because blind people actually had to go all the way to the Supreme Court. Yes, the bar to the Bar Association to recognize that those things needed to be that way,   Erin Edgar ** 45:37 absolutely. And so, you know, I was lucky to come into this at a time where that had already been kind of like pre done for me. I didn't have to deal with that as a challenge. And so the only other challenges I had, some of them, were mine, like, you know, who's going to want to hire this blind person? Had a little bit of, you know, kind of challenge there, with that mindset issue for a while there, and I did have some challenges when I was looking for employment after I'd worked for legal aid for a while, and I wanted to move on and do something else. And I knew I didn't want to work for a big, big firm, and I would, I was talking to some small law firms about hiring me, small to mid size firms. And I would get the question of, well, you're blind, so what kind of accommodations do you need? And we would talk about, you know, computer, special software to make a talk, you know, those kinds of things. And it always ended up that, you know, someone else was hired. And I can, you know, I don't have proof that the blindness and the hesitancy around hiring a disabled person or a blind person was in back of that decision. And at the same time, I had the sense that there was some hesitation there as well, so that, you know, was a bit of a challenge, and starting my own law firm was its own challenge, because I had to experiment with several different software systems to Find one that was accessible enough for me to use. And the system I'm thinking about in particular, I wouldn't use any other system, and yet, I'm using practically the most expensive estate planning drafting system out there, because it happens to be the most accessible. It's also the most expensive. Always that. There's always that. And what's it called? I'm curious. It's called wealth Council, okay, wealth. And then the word councils, Council, SEL, and it's wonderful. And the folks there are very responsive. If I say something's not accessible, I mean, they have fixed things for me in the past. Isn't that great? And complain, isn't that wonderful? It is wonderful. And that's, that's awesome. I had a CRM experience with a couple of different like legal CRM software. I used one for a while, and it was okay. But then, you know, everyone else said this other one was better and it was actually less accessible. So I went back to the previous one, you know. So I have to do a lot of my own testing, which is kind of a challenge in and of itself. I don't have people testing software for me. I have to experiment and test and in some cases, pay for something for a while before I realize it's not, you know, not worth it. But now I have those challenges pretty much ironed out. And I have a paralegal who helps me do some things that, like she proof reads my documents, for instance, because otherwise there may be formatting things that I'm not, that I miss. And so I have the ability to have cited assistance with things that I can't necessarily do myself, which is, you know, absolutely fine,   Michael Hingson ** 49:04 yeah. Now, do you use Lexus? Is it accessible?   Erin Edgar ** 49:08 I don't need Lexus, yeah, yeah. I mean, I have, I'm a member of the Bar Association, of my, my state bar association, which is not, not voluntary. It's mandatory. But I'm a member primarily because they have a search, a legal search engine that they work with that we get for free. I mean, with our members, there you go. So there you go. So I don't need Lexus or West Law or any of those other search engines for what I do. And if I was, like, really into litigation and going to court all time and really doing deep research, I would need that. But I don't. I can use the one that they have, that we can use so and it's, it's a entirely web based system. It's fairly accessible   Michael Hingson ** 49:58 well, and. That makes it easier to as long as you've got people's ears absolutely make it accessible, which makes a lot of sense.   Erin Edgar ** 50:08 Yeah, it certainly does well.   Michael Hingson ** 50:10 So do you regard yourself as a resilient person? Has blindness impacted that or helped make that kind of more the case for you? Do you think I do resilience is such an overused term, but it's fair. I know   Erin Edgar ** 50:24 I mean resilience is is to my mind, a resilient person is able to face uh, challenges with a relatively positive outlook in and view a challenge as something to be to be worked through rather than overcome, and so yes, I do believe that blindness, in and of itself, has allowed me to find ways to adapt to situations and pivot in cases where, you know, I need to find an alternative to using a mouse. For instance, how would I do that? And so in other areas of life, I am, you know, because I'm blind, I'm able to more easily pivot into finding alternative solutions. I do believe that that that it has made me more resilient.   Michael Hingson ** 51:25 Do you think that being blind has caused you, and this is an individual thing, because I think that there are those who don't. But do you think that it's caused you to learn to listen better?   Erin Edgar ** 51:39 That's a good question, because I actually, I have a lot of sighted friends, and one of the things that people just assume is that, wow, you must be a really good listener. Well, my husband would tell you that's not always the case. Yeah. My wife said the same thing, yeah. You know, like everyone else, sometimes I hear what I want to hear in a conversation and at the same time, one of the things that I do tell people is that, because I'm blind, I do rely on other senses more, primarily hearing, I would say, and that hearing provides a lot of cues for me about my environment, and I've learned to be more skillful at it. So I, I would say that, yes, I am a good listener in terms of my environment, very sensitive to that in in my environment, in terms of active listening to conversations and being able to listen to what's behind what people say, which is another aspect of listening. I think that that is a skill that I've developed over time with conscious effort. I don't think I'm any better of a quote, unquote listener than anybody else. If I hadn't developed that primarily in in my mediation, when I was doing that, that was a huge thing for us, was to be able to listen, not actually to what people were saying, but what was behind what people were saying, right? And so I really consciously developed that skill during those years and took it with me into my legal practice, which is why I am very, very why I very much stress that I'm not only an attorney, but I'm also a counselor at law. That doesn't mean I'm a therapist, but it does mean I listen to what people say so that and what's behind what people say, so that with the ear towards providing them the legal solution that meets their needs as they describe them in their words.   Michael Hingson ** 53:47 Well, I think for me, I learned to listen, but it but it is an exercise, and it is something that you need to practice, and maybe I learned to do it a little bit better, because I was blind. For example, I learned to ride a bike, and you have to learn to listen to what's going on around you so you don't crash into cars. Oh, but I'd fall on my face. You can do it. But what I what I really did was, when I was I was working at a company, and was told that the job was going to be phased out because I wasn't a revenue producer, and the company was an engineering startup and had to bring in more revenue producers. And I was given the choice of going away or going into sales, which I had never done. And as I love to tell people, I lowered my standards and went from science to sales. But the reality is that that I think I've always and I think we all always sell in one way or another, but I also knew what the unemployment rate among employable blind people was and is, yeah, and so I went into sales with with no qualms. But there I really learned to listen. And and it was really a matter of of learning to commit, not just listen, but really learning to communicate with the people you work with. And I think that that I won't say blindness made me better, but what it did for me was it made me use the technologies like the telephone, perhaps more than some other people. And I did learn to listen better because I worked at it, not because I was blind, although they're related   Erin Edgar ** 55:30 exactly. Yeah, and I would say, I would 100% agree I worked at it. I mean, even when I was a child, I worked at listening to to become better at, kind of like analyzing my environment based on sounds that were in it. Yeah, I wouldn't have known. I mean, it's not a natural gift, as some people assume, yeah, it's something you practice and you have to work at. You get to work at.   Michael Hingson ** 55:55 Well, as I point out, there are people like SEAL Team Six, the Navy Seals and the Army Rangers and so on, who also practice using all of their senses, and they learn, in general, to become better at listening and other and other kinds of skills, because they have to to survive, but, but that's what we all do, is if we do it, right, we're learning it. It's not something that's just naturally there, right? I agree, which I think is important. So you're working in a lot of estate planning and so on. And I mentioned earlier that we it was back in 1995 we originally got one, and then it's now been updated, but we have a trust. What's the difference between having, like a trust and a will?   Erin Edgar ** 56:40 Well, that's interesting that you should ask. So A will is the minimum that pretty much, I would say everyone needs, even though 67% of people don't have one in the US. And it is pretty much what everyone needs. And it basically says, you know, I'm a, I'm a person of sound mind, and I know who is important to me and what I have that's important to me. And I wanted to go to these people who are important to me, and by the way, I want this other person to manage things after my death. They're also important to me and a trust, basically, there are multiple different kinds of trusts, huge numbers of different kinds. And the trust that you probably are referring to takes the will to kind of another level and provides more direction about about how to handle property and how how it's to be dealt with, not only after death, but also during your lifetime. And trusts are relatively most of them, like I said, there are different kinds, but they can be relatively flexible, and you can give more direction about how to handle that property than you can in a will, like, for instance, if you made an estate plan and your kids were young, well, I don't want my children to have access to this property until they're responsible adults. So maybe saying, in a trust until they're age 25 you can do that, whereas in a will, you it's more difficult to do that.   Michael Hingson ** 58:18 And a will, as I understand it, is a lot more easily contested than than a trust.   Erin Edgar ** 58:24 You know, it does depend, but yes, it is easily contested. That's not to say that if you have a trust, you don't need a will, which is a misconception that some, yeah, we have a will in our trust, right? And so, you know, you need the will for the court. Not everyone needs a trust. I would also venture to say that if you don't have a will on your death, the law has ideas about how your property should be distributed. So if you don't have a will, you know your property is not automatically going to go to the government as unclaimed, but if you don't have powers of attorney for your health care and your finance to help you out while you're alive, you run the risk of the A judge appointing someone you would not want to make your health care and financial decisions. And so I'm going to go off on a tangent here. But I do feel very strongly about this, even blind people who and disabled people who are, what did you call it earlier, the the employable blind community, but maybe they're not employed. They don't have a lot of   Michael Hingson ** 59:34 unemployed, unemployed, the unemployable blind people, employable   Erin Edgar ** 59:38 blind people, yes, you know, maybe they're not employed, they're on a government benefit. They don't have a lot of assets. Maybe they don't necessarily need that will. They don't have to have it. And at the same time, if they don't have those, those documents that allow people to manage their affairs during their lifetime. Um, who's going to do it? Yeah, who's going to do that? Yeah, you're giving up control of your body, right, potentially, to someone you would not want, just because you're thinking to yourself, well, I don't need a will, and nothing's going to happen to me. You're giving control of your body, perhaps, to someone you don't want. You're not taking charge of your life and and you are allowing doctors and hospitals and banks to perpetuate the belief that you are not an independent person, right? I'm very passionate about it. Excuse me, I'll get off my soapbox now. That's okay. Those are and and to a large extent, those power of attorney forms are free. You can download them from your state's website. Um, they're minimalistic. They're definitely, I don't use them because I don't like them for my state. But you can get you can use them, and you can have someone help you fill them out. You could sign them, and then look, you've made a decision about who's going to help you when you're not able to help yourself,   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:07 which is extremely important to do. And as I mentioned, we went all the way and have a trust, and we funded the trust, and everything is in the trust. But I think that is a better way to keep everything protected, and it does provide so much more direction for whoever becomes involved, when, when you decide to go elsewhere, then, as they put it, this mortal coil. Yes, I assume that the coil is mortal. I don't know.   Erin Edgar ** 1:01:37 Yeah, who knows? Um, and you know trusts are good for they're not just for the Uber wealthy, which is another misconception. Trust do some really good things. They keep your situation, they keep everything more or less private, like, you know, I said you need a will for the court. Well, the court has the will, and it most of the time. If you have a trust, it just says, I want it to go, I want my stuff to go into the Michael hingson Trust. I'm making that up, by the way, and I, you know, my trust just deals with the distribution, yeah, and so stuff doesn't get held up in court. The court doesn't have to know about all the assets that you own. It's not all public record. And that's a huge, you know, some people care. They don't want everyone to know their business. And when I tell people, you know, I can go on E courts today and pull up the estate of anyone that I want in North Carolina and find out what they owned if they didn't have a will, or if they just had a will. And people like, really, you can do that? Oh, absolutely, yeah. I don't need any fancy credentials. It's all a matter of public record. And if you have a trust that does not get put into the court record unless it's litigated, which you know, it does happen, but not often,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:56 but I but again, I think that, you know, yeah, and I'm not one of those Uber wealthy people. But I have a house. We we used to have a wheelchair accessible van for Karen. I still have a car so that when I need to be driven somewhere, rather than using somebody else's vehicle, we use this and those are probably the two biggest assets, although I have a bank account with with some in it, not a lot, not nearly as much as Jack Benny, anyway. But anyway, the bottom line is, yeah, but the bottom line is that I think that the trust keeps everything a lot cleaner. And it makes perfect sense. Yep, it does. And I didn't even have to go to my general law firm that I usually use. Do we cheat them? Good, and how so it worked out really well. Hey, I watched the Marx Brothers. What can I say?   Erin Edgar ** 1:03:45 You watch the Marx Brothers? Of course.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:49 Well, I want to thank you for being here. This has been a lot of fun, and I'm glad that we did it and that we also got to talk about the whole issue of wills and trusts and so on, which is, I think, important. So any last things that you'd like to say to people, and also, do you work with clients across the country or just in North Carolina?   Erin Edgar ** 1:04:06 So I work with clients in North Carolina, I will say that. And one last thing that I would like to say to people is that it's really important to build your support team. Whether you're blind, you know, have another disability, you need people to help you out on a day to day basis, or you decide that you want people to help you out. If you're unable to manage your affairs at some point in your life, it's very important to build that support team around you, and there is nothing wrong. You can be self reliant and still have people on your team yes to to be there for you, and that is very important. And there's absolutely no shame, and you're not relinquishing your independence by doing that. That. So today, I encourage everyone to start thinking about who's on your team. Do you want them on your team? Do you want different people on your team? And create a support team? However that looks like, whatever that looks like for you, that has people on it that you know, love and trust,   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:18 everybody should have a support team. I think there is no question, at least in my mind, about that. So good point. Well, if people want to maybe reach out to you, how do they do that?   Erin Edgar ** 1:05:29 Sure, so I am on the interwebs at Erin Edgar legal.com that's my website where you can learn more about my law firm and all the things that I do,   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:42 and Erin is E r i n, just Yes, say that Edgar, and   Erin Edgar ** 1:05:45 Edgar is like Edgar. Allan Poe, hopefully less scary, and you can find the contact information for me on the website. By Facebook, you can find me on Facebook occasionally as Erin Baker, Edgar, three separate words, that is my personal profile, or you can and Michael will have in the show notes the company page for my welcome as   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:11 well. Yeah. Well, thank you for being here, and I want to thank all of you for listening. This has been a fun episode. It's been great to have Erin on, love to hear your thoughts out there who have been listening to this today. Please let us know what you think. You're welcome to email me at Michael H i@accessibe.com M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, or go to our podcast page, www, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, I wherever you're listening, please give us a five star rating. We really appreciate getting good ratings from people and reading and getting to know what you think. If you know anyone who you think might be a good guest, you know some people you think ought to come on unstoppable mindset. Erin, of course, you as well. We would appreciate it if you'd give us an introduction, because we're always looking for more people to have come on and help us show everyone that we're all more unstoppable than we think we are, and that's really what it's all about, and what we want to do on the podcast. So hope that you'll all do that, and in the meanwhile, with all that, Erin, I want to thank you once more for being here and being with us today. This has been a lot of fun. Thank you so much,   Erin Edgar ** 1:07:27 Michael. I very much enjoyed it.   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:34 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite

Joni and Friends Radio
A Profession is a Mission

Joni and Friends Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2025 4:00


Sign up for a Wheels for the World outreach today! Volunteer here. --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

RTÉ - Liveline
Suicide - Spitting in Public - Disabilities

RTÉ - Liveline

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2025 69:03


Laura and Mary spoke about their experiences of losing a loved one to suicide. https://about.rte.ie/ie/helplines/ / Philip wants to know why some men feel that it's ok to spit in public / Callers described how people can make assumptions about disabilities and how it affects their daily lives.

DocsWithDisabilities
Episode 118: Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners with Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition

DocsWithDisabilities

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2025 38:44


Interviewees: Dr. Zoie Sheets, Resident Physician in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Chicago; and Dr. Nalinda Charnsangavej, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Residency Program Director at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. Interviewer:  Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, Guest Editor, Academic Medicine Supplement on Disability Inclusion in UME. Description: Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners with Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition This episode of Stories Behind the Science brings you an intimate conversation with Dr. Zoie Sheets (University of Chicago) and Dr. Nalinda Charnsangavej (Dell Medical School, UT Austin), co-authors of Preparing to Thrive, part of the Academic Medicine supplement on Disability Inclusion in Undergraduate Medical Education. We go beyond the article to uncover the motivations, lived experiences, and research that shaped their scholarship. Together, we explore four critical decision points that can shape the trajectory of disabled medical students as they move from UME to GME: Disclosure decisions Specialty selection Program selection Requesting and utilizing accommodations in residency Zoie and Nalinda share how research, mentorship, and community informed their work, and why bridging this “black box” transition period is essential for cultivating a more inclusive profession. Whether you're a program director, DRP, advisor, or student, this episode offers insights and concrete strategies to ensure learners are not just surviving this pivotal transition—but thriving. Resources and links to the open-access article, Disability Resource Hub, and related tools are in the show notes. Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h4bh81klK-mfP3grm5LNzmYp-czCEP_haP704aJBekk/edit?usp=sharing Bios:   Nalinda Charnsangavej, MD is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin where she serves as the pediatric residency program director. She serves as Co-Chair of the Disability in Graduate Medical Education group as part of the Docs with Disabilities Initiative and Co-Chair of the UME to GME Transitions Committee for the Disability Resource Hub -- the result of a collaboration between the ACGME and DWDI. As a program director, she is interested in fostering a healthy and supportive learning environment that promotes physician well-being and resilience. Her current work focuses on the transition from medical school to residency training and how to support learners with disabilities during this critical transition period. Outside of medical education, she enjoys spending time with her family, teaching her children how to cook, and attending Texas Longhorn sporting events. Zoie C. Sheets, MD, MPH is a resident physician in internal medicine and pediatrics (Med/Peds) at the University of Chicago. She is also a leader within the Docs with Disabilities Initiative, serving as Co-Chair of the Disability in Graduate Medical Education group and Co-Chair of the UME to GME Transitions Committee for the creation of a Disability Resource Hub — a collaboration between ACGME and DWDI. She believes deeply that increasing the number of disabled clinicians can transform medical education and practice, for providers and patients alike. Her current research focus centers on how graduate medical education can best support learners with disabilities, particularly during the challenging transition out of UME. In her free time, Zoie loves to read, re-watch too many medical dramas, and play with her two cats!  Key Words:   Disability inclusion Medical education Undergraduate medical education (UME) Graduate medical education (GME) UME–GME transition Disabled medical students Residency accommodations Program director support Disability Resource Professionals (DRPs) Academic Medicine  Resources:  Article from Today's Talk Sheets, Zoie C. MD, MPH; Fausone, Maureen MD, MA; Messman, Anne MD, MHPE; Ortega, Pilar MD, MGM; Ramsay, Jessica MD; Creasman, Megan MD, MA; Charnsangavej, Nalinda MD. Preparing to Thrive: Supporting Learners With Disabilities Through the Undergraduate-to-Graduate Medical Education Transition. Academic Medicine 100(10S):p S161-S165, October 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000006136   The Disability Resource Hub from ACGME and DocsWithDisabilities  https://bit.ly/DisabilityResourceHUB_GME   The Docs With Disabilities Podcast https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/docswithpodcast   Docs With Disabilities You Tube, Disability in Graduate Medical Education Videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc4XEizXENYw58ptzAgfxBA4q3uLRcmx6   Docs With Disabilities Disability in Graduate Medical Education Working Group https://www.docswithdisabilities.org/digme

Joni and Friends Radio
The Sound of Amazing Grace

Joni and Friends Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 4:00


Find church training resources here! --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Uniquely Human: The Podcast
Choosing a Developmental and Relationship Play-based Approach over ABA, with Daria Brown

Uniquely Human: The Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 54:05


As a parent, Daria Brown had some difficult decisions to make about choosing the right path for her young autistic child and her family. She chose a developmental relationship- based approach as it resonated with her as the best fit for her child. That choice led to a professional career in supporting parents, and also to her own late diagnosis as an autistic person. Barry and Dave discussed this choice with Daria, and how her journey has evolved.Learn more on our websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Life to the Max
Drums, Disabilities, and Divine Purpose: Victoria Djembe

Life to the Max

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 6:02 Transcription Available


Sometimes the most powerful conversations happen outside the studio. Recorded live at the Abilities Expo in Chicago, this episode introduces you to Victoria Jembe, a remarkable self-autism advocate revolutionizing opportunities for people with disabilities through the captivating rhythms of West African drumming.Victoria shares the inspiring story behind founding Victoria Djembe Academy in 2021, where students with disabilities learn authentic drumming techniques from Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Mali. Her vision goes beyond simply teaching music—she's creating spaces where people with disabilities can be "seen, heard, and celebrated" through cultural expression and public performance. We explore Victoria's entrepreneurial journey and recent successes, including features on Fox 32 Chicago and in Block Club Chicago newsletter. Her ambitious plans to expand nationally and eventually connect back to West Africa demonstrate her commitment to both disability inclusion and cultural preservation. The conversation highlights additional community initiatives, including monthly drum workshops and disability-focused open mic events that welcome talents ranging from poetry to comedy.Whether you're interested in disability advocacy, cultural arts, or inclusive entrepreneurship, Victoria's story offers inspiration and practical insight. Discover how rhythmic expression is creating powerful new opportunities for community building and creative celebration. Visit Victoria's website or attend an upcoming event to experience firsthand how West African drumming is breaking barriers and building bridges.

Wild & Sublime
Autism + sex, kink, and polyamory

Wild & Sublime

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 57:48


Season 9 on neurodiversity and sex begins with a deep dive into autism. Therapist Elmo Painter-Edington, herself autistic, gives us a primer on this unique brain difference and its interplay with sex, kink, and polyamory.Plus! Don't miss our Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, 6pm, SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY SHOW in Chicago. Get tix and more info here! Main show sponsor: Rowan Tree Counseling.In this episode:Neurodiversity-affirming therapist and coach Elmo Painter-Edington, LPC, SEP, ASDIHost Karen YatesNeuroTribes by Steve Silberman Unmasking Autism by Devon Price I'm looking for…Episodes on specific topics - There's a list! The Afterglow, our Patreon membership club, brings you regular bonus content, early show alerts, discounts to live shows, and more goodies! Join now to help us continue to spread the message of sex-positivity. Or show your love for Wild & Sublime any time: Leave a tip!Be Wild & Sublime out in the world!  Check out our new tees and accessories. Peep our Limited Collection and let your inner relationship anarchist run free… Support the showGet tickets to the 7th Anniversary show in Chicago! Oct 12 at 6pm at Lincoln Lodge.Support the showFollow Wild & Sublime on Instagram and Facebook!

Brave Together
EXPERT: Developing Resilience in Caregiving with Kris Burbank

Brave Together

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2025 37:16


Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's expert episode, #226, with Kris Burbank, whose book, Embracing Another Normal: Resilience Stories and Strategies for Raising Children with Disabilities has a lot to teach us. On this episode, Jessica Patay welcomes Kris Burbank who shares her journey as a mother of three, including her son Andrew, who has cerebral palsy. We discover how Kris's experiences led her to co-authoring a book on resilience and get an overview of her researched strategies for developing resilience for parents of children with disabilities.Find more information about Kris Burbank here.Find our first book from We Are Brave Together here.Find FULL episodes and clips of our podcast on Youtube here.Brave Together Podcast is a resource produced by We Are Brave Together, a global nonprofit that creates community for moms raising children with disabilities, neurodivergence, or complex medical and mental health conditions. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to preserve and protect the mental health of caregiving moms everywhere. JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here. Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here. Donate to keep this podcast going here. Can't get enough of the Brave Together Podcast? Follow us on Instagram , Facebook and Youtube. Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here. Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance! ...

Travel with Rick Steves
654a Best of Bulgaria; Traveling with Disabilities; Chasing the Sun

Travel with Rick Steves

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2025 52:00


Two tour guides from Sofia explain why Bulgaria is one of Europe's most underrated travel destinations (hint: it has a long, fascinating history — and bargain prices). Author Francine Falk-Allen shares know-how and insights for traveling with a physical disability. And author Richard Cohen describes the varied ways human cultures have long celebrated — and feared — our life-giving nearby star. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Joni and Friends Radio
Brother, My Brother!

Joni and Friends Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025 4:00


Learn more about Wheels for the World here! --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Uniquely Human: The Podcast
Educational Practices for Neurodivergent Students: We Can Do So Much Better - with Dr. Shelley Moore

Uniquely Human: The Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2025 65:56


Barry and Dave engage in a lively and wide-ranging discussion with educational specialist, Dr. Shelley Moore, internationally known for her progressive and value-based approach for educating neurodivergent students, and indeed, all students. The focus of the discussion is on changes that are needed to help educational systems to be neuro-affirming, inclusive, strength-based, and respectful of different learning styles.Learn more on our websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can You Don't?
Can You Don't? | Survey. Astronaut. Excel. Disabilities.

Can You Don't?

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 89:24


We've never had sex with a hamburger... but maybe we will after today's episode. Let's talk about that, the worst advice from an implied expert in his field, spraying disabled kids with your sprinkler system while they load and unload the school bus, wearing the perfect pajamas to fight crime, and more on today's episode of Can You Don't?! *** Wanna become part of The Gaggle and access all the extra content on the end of each episode PLUS tons more?! Our Patreon page is LIVE! This is the biggest way you can support the show. It would mean the world to us: http://www.patreon.com/canyoudontpodcast ***New Episodes every Wednesday at 12pm PSTWatch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/KGlcOzKXoaUSend in segment content: heyguys@canyoudontpodcast.comMerch: http://canyoudontpodcast.comMerch Inquires: store@canyoudontpodcast.comFB: http://facebook.com/canyoudontpodcastIG: http://instagram.com/canyoudontpodcastYouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3wyt5rtOfficial Website: http://canyoudontpodcast.comCustom Music Beds by Zach CohenFan Mail:Can You Don't?PO Box 1062Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816Hugs and Tugs.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.