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Scot Danforth, author of the new biography "An Independent Man," talks about the life of Ed Roberts, who founded the Independent Living Movement. In the revolutionary 1960s, Roberts and his fellow Berkeley activists pioneered the disability rights fight. He later led change in Sacramento as California's Director of Rehabilitation, advocating for state legislation years before the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. But, as current threats show, hard-won gains like these can be taken away.
Thirty five years after its signing, the Americans with Disabilities Act has led to changes in schools, work, and public spaces. The stories of St. Louisans with disabilities reveal what that landmark legislation — and disability rights activists' work in St. Louis long before ADA — changed. They also illustrate what remains to be done. Guests Lori Becker, Raven McFadden, and Seyoon Choi talk about their classroom, workplace, and social experiences as children and adults living with a disability in St. Louis.
What happens when a 17-year-old's dive into the Chesapeake Bay changes everything—and the healing never comes? Watch the full conversation on YouTube. Fifty-seven years later, Joni Eareckson Tada sits across from me with an answer that might undo everything you think you know about strength, suffering, and the strange mercy of God. In this conversation marking the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we go where few dare: into the raw, daily reality of quadriplegia, chronic pain that would break most of us by breakfast, and a two-time battle with breast cancer. But this isn't inspiration porn. This is Joni—unflinching, funny, and fiercely honest about what it means when "I can do all things through Christ" meets 4 a.m. despair. We talk about the crushing loneliness of being the only wheelchair in a room full of chairs. The rage when well-meaning Christians promise healing that doesn't come. The particular exhaustion of advocating for your own existence. And why she tells God some mornings, "I have no strength for today. Can I borrow yours?" But we also discover something unexpected: how limitation becomes liberation. Why the disabled community might be the most honest place in America. And what happens when churches stop trying to "fix" people and start making room for them. Fair warning: Joni doesn't do platitudes. She'll tell you exactly what not to say to someone in chronic pain (spoiler: "everything happens for a reason" isn't it). She'll explain why she's terrified of a world that's editing out Down syndrome. And she'll make you rethink whether your church's "all are welcome" sign means anything if there's no ramp to the door. This is for anyone who's ever wondered where God is when the miracle doesn't come. For those caring for someone who's suffering and don't know what to say. For all of us who suspect our obsession with optimization and control might be making us miss the point entirely. Come for the practical wisdom. Stay for the kind of hope that only comes from someone who's been asking "How long, O Lord?" for nearly six decades—and still believes the answer matters. Keep up with Joni's work through Joni and Friends, here. Keep up with Russell: Sign up for the weekly newsletter where Russell shares thoughtful takes on big questions, offers a Christian perspective on life, and recommends books and music he's enjoying. Submit a question for the show at questions@russellmoore.com Subscribe to the Christianity Today Magazine: Special offer for listeners of The Russell Moore Show: Click here for 25% off a subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A welfare-related company based in Osaka City is suspected of having improperly received tens of billions of yen in disability employment support subsidies (payments) since fiscal 2024, city officials revealed on November 5. The company allegedly exploited a system that increases subsidy amounts based on the number of disabled workers who find employment in regular companies. Osaka City has launched an audit under the Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities Act and is considering demanding repayment. Episode notes: ‘Osaka Firm Suspected of Tens of Billions in Improper Disability Work Subsidies': https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/11/07/osaka-firm-suspected-of-tens-of-billions-in-improper-disability-work-subsidies/
CBS's Face the Nation, ABC's Nightline, CBS's Sunday Morning, NBC's Today Show, PBS,, CNN,, Fox; National Public Radio;Washington Post, NewYork Times, are just some of the places you have read or seen him!Civil & Disability Rights are the topics of this show. With Civl Rights History being Preserved for Generations to learn about, What about Disability Rights with it's Multiracial History of Leadership & Activists?? I am concerned.Ralph was an author of the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973& the American with Disabilities Act along with many others in many Drafts it took to get through a Bi-Partisian Congress as the national law. His work in Civill Rights is amazing as he was trained by many icons including Dorothy Height, Senator Edward Brooke (R, MA), Benjamin Hooks, Roy Wilkins, Wade Henderson. Senator Edward Kennedy, Bayard RustinYou hear very little of Black Disability Leaders & Activists that are so pivitol to helping in this fight. Brad Lomax, The Black Panters, Dr. Sylvia Walker, (my mentor), Don Galloway or The Honorable Rep. Major Owens ( D, NY). & the Honorable Justin Dart, Tony Coehlo, Ed Roberts, Senator Lowell P. Weicker(R.CT) & others to advance Disability Rights & ADA History.Ralph Neas was both active duty and reserve in the United States Army (1968–1976). In late 1971, he joined the Congressional Research Service's American Law Division at the Library of Congress as a legislative attorney on civil rights. In January 1973, he was hired as a legislative assistant to Republican Senator Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts, eventually becoming the Senator's chief legislative assistant.From 1981 through 1995, Neas served as Executive Director of the nonpartisan Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the legislative arm of the civil rights movement. Neas coordinated successful national campaigns that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Civil Rights Restoration Act; the Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1988; the Japanese American Civil Liberties Act; the preservation of the Executive Order on Affirmative Action (1985–1986 and 1995–1996);and the 1982 Voting Right Act Extension.Final passage on all these laws averaged 85% in both the House of Representatives and the Senate; in addition, another 15 Leadership Conference on Civil Rights legislative priorities were enacted into law in the 1981–1995 period"The Americans with Disabilities Act Award" from the Task Force on the Rights of the Empowerment of Americans with Disabilities for "historic leadership regarding the enactment of the world's first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities" October 12, 1990;Benjamin Hooks "Keeper of the Flame" award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the 91st Annual Convention, Baltimore, Maryland, July 10, 2000"President's Award for Outstanding Service", Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, September, 2007.© 2025 Building Abundant Success!!2025 All Rights ReservedJoin Me ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASAmazon ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy: https://tinyurl.com/BASAud
Sharon Rennert, senior attorney with the ADA Division of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, has played a leading role in the development of their policy interpretations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. In this podcast, Sharon explains the protections for people with disabilities in employment and how they apply to people with Long COVID. Rennert describes the importance for employers to understand the protections that job applicants and employees with disabilities have in the workplace, and the related responsibility for people with disabilities to understand the process for securing needed accommodations that enable them to perform the essential functions of their job.
Affirmative action and DEI have become lightning rods in today's culture wars, but how much do we really know about where they came from and why they exist? In this episode, Sergio breaks down the long history of systemic racism in America, from slavery and Jim Crow to redlining and modern hiring bias. You'll learn what affirmative action actually is, what DEI really means, and how both have shaped access, opportunity, and fairness for everyone not just a few. This isn't about guilt. It's about awareness. Because when you understand the history, you start to see the patterns. And once you see them, you can't unsee them.1.Intro2. America's Original Construction Project3. The Evolution of Inequality4. Who's Really Getting the Handout?5. Before Affirmative Action, There Was Just...Discrimination6. DEI for Dummies: The Part They Never Told YouSources & References:• Bertrand, M., & Mullainathan, S. (2004). Are Emily and Greg more employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A field experiment on labor market discrimination. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w9873• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.). EEOC history: 1964–1969. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. https://www.eeoc.gov/history/eeoc-history-1964-1969• National Park Service. (n.d.). Equal Pay Act of 1963. U.S. Department of the Interior. https://www.nps.gov/articles/equal-pay-act.htm• Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, 413 U.S. 376 (1973). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Press_Co._v._Pittsburgh_Commission_on_Human_Relations• University of Washington. (n.d.). Racial restrictive covenants: Enforcing neighborhood segregation in Seattle. Civil Rights & Labor History Consortium. https://depts.washington.edu/civilr/covenants_report.htm• Jones-Correa, M. (2000). Origins and diffusion of racial restrictive covenants. Political Science Quarterly, 115(4), 541–568. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2657609• Urban Institute. (2023). Addressing the legacies of historical redlining. https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/Addressing%20the%20Legacies%20of%20Historical%20Redlining.pdf• Nardone, A., Casey, J. A., Morello-Frosch, R., Mujahid, M., Balmes, J., & Thakur, N. (2020). Associations between historical residential redlining and current age-adjusted rates of emergency department visits due to asthma across eight cities in California. The Lancet Planetary Health, 4(1), e24–e31. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9901820/• Pager, D., Western, B., & Bonikowski, B. (2009). Discrimination in a low-wage labor market: A field experiment. American Sociological Review, 74(5), 777–799. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2915472/• Corrigan v. Buckley, 271 U.S. 323 (1926). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrigan_v._Buckley• ADA National Network. “Timeline of the Americans with Disabilities Act.” adata.org. Accessed October 2, 2025. https://adata.org/ada-timeline• Administration for Community Living. “Origins of the ADA.” acl.gov. Accessed October 2, 2025. https://acl.gov/ada/origins-of-the-ada• U.S. Department of Justice. “Introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act.” ada.gov. Accessed October 2, 2025. https://www.ada.gov/topics/intro-to-ada/• Section508.gov. “IT Accessibility Laws and Policies.” section508.gov. Accessed October 2, 2025. https://www.section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies/• BrownGold. “DEI & A: The Effect of Donald Trump's DEI Executive Order on Accessibility.” browngold.com. Accessed October 2, 2025. https://browngold.com/blog/dei-a-the-effect-of-donald-trumps-dei-executive-order-on-accessibility/• Wikipedia. “Architectural Barriers Act of 1968.” Wikipedia.org. Accessed October 2, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architectural_Barriers_Act_of_1968• Michigan State University Libraries. “Advancing Accessibility: A Timeline.” lib.msu.edu. Accessed October 2, 2025. https://lib.msu.edu/exhibits/advancing-accessibility/timeline• Duane Morris LLP. “ADA Considerations for Neurodiversity Hiring Programs.” duanemorris.com. August 3, 2023. https://www.duanemorris.com/articles/ada_considerations_for_neurodiversity_hiring_programs_0803.html• Autism Spectrum News. “Neurodiversity Hiring Programs: A Path to Employment.” autismspectrumnews.org. Accessed October 2, 2025. https://autismspectrumnews.org/neurodiversity-hiring-programs-a-path-to-employment/Institute for Diversity Certification. “What Does It Mean to Provide Reasonable Workplace Accommodations for Your Neurodiverse Employees?” diversitycertification.org. Accessed October 2, 2025. https://www.diversitycertification.org/deia-matters-blog/what-does-it-mean-to-provide-reasonable-workplace-accommodations-for-your-neurodiverse-employeesKatznelson, I. (2005). When affirmative action was white: An untold history of racial inequality in twentieth-century America. W. W. Norton & Company. (See summary: History & Policy).• Onkst, D. H. (1998). “'First a negro… incidentally a veteran': Black World War II veterans and the G.I. Bill of Rights in the Deep South, 1944–1948.” Journal of Social History, 32(3), 517–543.• Blakemore, E. (2019; updated 2025). “How the GI Bill's promise was denied to a million Black WWII veterans.” History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/gi-bill-black-wwii-veterans-benefits.• Heller School, Brandeis University. (2023). “Not all WWII veterans benefited equally from the GI Bill” (impact report). https://heller.brandeis.edu/news/items/releases/2023/impact-report-gi-bill.html.• Perea, J. F. (2014). [Law review article on GI Bill and race]. University of Pittsburgh Law Review (available as PDF).• NBER working paper(s). (2024–2025). “Quantifying Racial Discrimination in the 1944 GI Bill” (authors and links in NBER repository).
The Paychex Business Series Podcast with Gene Marks - Coronavirus
Many potential holiday shoppers and business owners who stand to benefit are showing preseason cheer, as they express their desire to buy gifts despite anxiety about the economy and inflation. Gene Marks shares details of the Intuit survey, as well as news about the AICPA pushing the IRS to deliver additional guidance on no tax on tips and overtime to clarify for business owners their responsibilities. He also talks about the Grinch-like behavior of predatory legal firms targeting small businesses with lawsuits over their website accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Listen to the podcast. Additional Resources Make Paychex an extension of your team: https://bit.ly/meet-paychex DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.
This rebroadcast of the November 26, 2024 episode of Talk Justice features a panel discussion about wraparound services for veterans who are struggling with substance use disorders, mental and behavioral health challenges, brain injuries and cognitive impairment, or who have been charged with nonviolent offenses. The guests share about a rehabilitative treatment court program, civil legal services for veterans and how the Americans with Disabilities Act protects these former service members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This rebroadcast of the November 26, 2024 episode of Talk Justice features a panel discussion about wraparound services for veterans who are struggling with substance use disorders, mental and behavioral health challenges, brain injuries and cognitive impairment, or who have been charged with nonviolent offenses. The guests share about a rehabilitative treatment court program, civil legal services for veterans and how the Americans with Disabilities Act protects these former service members.
You're listening to American Ground Radio with Stephen Parr and Louis R. Avallone. This is the full show for October 15, 2025. 0:30 We tackle a fiery moment from the U.S. Supreme Court as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s comments ignite debate over race, equality, and the limits of government intervention. Have America’s efforts to “fix” racism through legislation—like the Voting Rights Act and redistricting—gone too far? 9:30 Plus, we cover the Top 3 Things You Need to Know. A judge in San Francisco has placed another universal injunction on President Trump, this time over firing government workers during the government shutdown. The Supreme Court heard arguments today in a Louisiana redistricting case that could drastically alter the balance of power in the House of Representatives, and change how congressional districts are drawn at the state level. Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep, announced it's expanding its manufacturing base in the United States. 12:30 Get NSorb from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20. 13:30 The conversation turns to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s comparison between the Voting Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. We question the logic of equating race with disability and explore what equality truly means in a constitutional sense. 16:30 We ask the American Mamas about the ceremony where Charlie Kirk was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Mamas share their admiration for Erica Kirk’s extraordinary strength and grace in the face of loss — and for a president who made it a priority to honor her husband’s legacy. If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question, go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com/mamas and click on the Ask the Mamas button. 23:00 When is upholding “international law” really just targeting America’s allies? That's exactly what’s happening when New York City mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani calls for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 25:30 We Dig Deep into a new report from the Center for Heterodox Social Science that shows that trans and queer identification among college students has nearly cut in half since 2023. The trend exposes the social — not biological — roots of gender ideology, pointing to lockdown-era isolation, TikTok influence, and a mental-health crisis among teens. From “social contagion” to cultural correction, we wonder if Gen Z is quietly walking away from one of the most aggressive social experiments in modern history. 32:30 Get Prodovite from Victory Nutrition International for 20% off. Go to vni.life/agr and use the promo code AGR20. 33:30 We unpack a new study showing 42% of liberals — and a staggering 60% of liberals under 30 — consider breaking the law acceptable when protecting undocumented immigrants from deportation. 36:00 Plus, we are in the middle of a revival in this country, arguably the biggest Christian revival in our lifetimes, and that's a huge Bright Spot. It gained momentum after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Bible sales, religious app downloads, and Christian music streaming are all on the rise, and long-time believers and newcomers alike are posting online about returning to church, seeking community, and finding renewed faith. 40:30 Barack Obama is supporting California Governor Gavin Newsom and accusing Republicans of wanting to steal seats. Yet California is one of the most, if not the most, gerrymandered state in the country. And Barack Obama wants you to think that it's the Republicans that are trying to steal the election? We gotta say, "Whoa."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What if a 10-minute story from the past could make today's headlines finally click? We sit down with David Olson, Director of Education at Retro Report, to unpack how short documentaries and first‑person voices turn history into a powerful lens for understanding civics now—without turning classrooms into battlegrounds. David shares why narrative structure matters, how unintended consequences make the best teachable moments, and why the “40-word” version of a story can distort what students think they know.We trace vivid examples—the Berlin Airlift's path to NATO, the real stakes behind the McDonald's hot coffee case, and camp newspapers from Japanese American incarceration that list baseball scores next to a military draft notice. Along the way, David lays out practical routines for tackling fast-moving news: mapping what we know, what we think we know (with sources), and what questions still stand. We dig into primary sources as a safer foundation for hard conversations about political violence, polarization, and rights, shifting authority from opinion to evidence.You'll also get a first look at timely classroom tools: a new film on the 2008 financial crisis for students born after it, an eye-opening exploration of Island Trees v. Pico and who decides what stays on library shelves, plus upcoming pieces on Tiananmen, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and America 250. Every resource is free, scaffolded for diverse learners, and built with teacher feedback through Retro Report's ambassador network.If you're a civics, history, ELA, or social science teacher looking to connect past and present with less risk and more clarity, this conversation is your playbook. Dive into the full library at retroreport.org, share these resources with a colleague, and tell us which story helps your students “get” the world today. And if you found this helpful, follow, rate, and leave a review—your support helps more educators find practical, free tools that work. The Arizona Constitution ProjectCheck Out Our Free Lessons on Arizona History and Government!Follow us on:TwitterLinked InInstagramFacebookYouTubeWebsiteInterested in a Master's Degree? Check out the School of Civic and Economic Leadership's Master's in Classical Liberal Education and Leadership
JD sits down with Loren Campbell of the Utah Public Lands Alliance (UPLA) to talk about Moab trail reopenings. They break down the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) new Travel Management reconsideration and explain how off-roaders can submit effective comments about getting back in the 317 miles of Moab we lost. The pair also cover the proposed Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act, the power of calling your senators, and practical tips for writing persuasive, trail-saving feedback.
The U.S. Department of Justice recently sued Uber for refusing rides to passengers who use service dogs. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires ride-hailing services to accommodate riders who use service animals and mobility devices such as wheelchairs. A self-selected survey from the nonprofit Guide Dogs for the Blind found that 83% of respondents had been refused a ride at some point, causing them to miss appointments, flights, job interviews and more. Kirsten French, community education and advocacy manager at Guide Dogs for the Blind, has had drivers cancel rides due to her service dog. She joins us with more details about the lawsuit, along with Lynn Dubinski, vice president of client engagement and impact at the organization.
In this episode of Pushing Forward with Alycia, I sit down with the Honorable Tony Coelho, retired U.S. Congressman and the principal author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, for a conversation that reaches far beyond disability policy. It's a history lesson, a civics class, and a moral compass all in one thirty minute session. As a nation founded in defiance of oppression and animated by the promise of freedom, we need the values in this conversation now—dignity, equal access, and the courage to stand up to power with truth and love. This is not just a disability story; it's a blueprint for renewing the American experiment. Tony's story is America's story: perseverance in the face of stigma, faith in community, and courageous, bipartisan coalition-building that turned lived experience into law. He reminds us that the ADA wasn't a gift; it was won through testimony, organizing, and unlikely alliances that honored human dignity over party lines. He also offers a clear charge for today: rights on paper are meaningless without enforcement, and opportunity is the measure of whether our promises are real. As we begin our celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) let us remember we can't afford to ignore the warnings of our past. If we don't learn from history, we are bound to repeat it. Key Points on the Clock 00:00 Introduction to Pushing Forward with Alycia 00:26 Meet Tony Coelho: Champion of Disability Rights 02:41 Tony's Personal Journey with Epilepsy 07:30 Finding Purpose and Entering Politics 16:32 Crafting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 26:15 The Impact and Future of the ADA 32:55 Final Thoughts and Farewell A Quote by Tony “ Give me the opportunity to fail... then I may be able to succeed.” ~ Hon. Tony Coelho What You'll Find in this Episode
We have unfinished business! We spent time identifying many of the myths that people who can see have about those of us with visual impairments! We promised to explore what we should do about these myths! Do public service announcements work? Should we do training ourselves at the local level? Has the Americans with Disabilities Act had an effect? Is this issue something we just can't fix? There is another question that is out there as well! Do we have myths about people who are not disabled? Are our expectations inappropriate? Are there people who are blind who behave in ways that encourage myths? We could talk about superheroes and folks who behave in ways that most of us find embarrassing! Do those two groups have an impact? Find out more at https://acb-tuesday-topics.pinecast.co
The American with Disabilities Act required equal opportunity in hiring, access to public places like restaurants and hotels, and promised an end to discrimination.
The American with Disabilities Act required equal opportunity in hiring, access to public places like restaurants and hotels, and promised an end to discrimination.
On Legal Docket, the end of affirmative action in college admissions; on Moneybeat, David Bahnsen on possible rate cuts by the Fed; and on History Book, the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Plus, the Monday morning newsSupport The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donateAdditional support comes from Audio Deacon, a podcast for Christians and listeners who want more than background noise. Episodes offer thoughtful album reviews, curated lists of recordings, and conversations with musicians and thought leaders teaching maturing believers how to listen to music with biblical wisdom. It's also a resource for parents, guiding you through music's glories, pitfalls, and conversations worth having. Listen and subscribe at audio-deacon.com and read more at audiodeacon.substack.comWebsite: audio-deacon.comSubstack: audiodeacon.substack.comPodcast: Buzzsprout | Apple | SpotifyFrom Covenant College. Rigorous academics, grounded in Reformed theology, lived out in Christ-centered community. covenant.edu/WORLDAnd from WatersEdge. Save more. Do more. Give more. Helping Christians support ministry by giving through a donor-advised fund. watersedge.com/DAF
It's In the News.. a look at the top headlines and stories in the diabetes community. This week's top stories: cancer reserach may lead to T1D treatment, GLP-1 oral pill moves forward, Tandem pharmacy moves, Medtronic-Abbott sensor unveield, parents of kids with T1D see income drop, Mannkind submits Afrezza for pediatrics, diabetes scholarships and more! Find out more about Moms' Night Out Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! Learn more about Gvoke Glucagon Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection): Glucagon Injection For Very Low Blood Sugar (gvokeglucagon.com) Omnipod - Simplify Life Learn about Dexcom Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter here Here's where to find us: Facebook (Group) Facebook (Page) Instagram Twitter Check out Stacey's books! Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com Episode transcription with links: Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I'm Stacey Simms and every other Friday I bring you a short episode with the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. XX Cornell researchers have developed an implant system that can treat type 1 diabetes by supplying extra oxygen to densely packed insulin-secreting cells, without the need for immunosuppression. The system could also potentially provide long-term treatment for a range of chronic diseases. This lab has produced previous implantable devices that have proved effective in controlling blood sugar in diabetic mice, but they can only last so long. "It's the proof of concept. We really proved that oxygenation is important, and oxygenation will support high cell-density capsules," Tempelman said. "The capsules are immune protective and last for a long time without having some kind of fouling of the membrane. The body never likes it when you put a foreign substance in. So that's the engineering in the Ma Lab, to look for materials and coatings for the materials that are immune protective, but also don't invoke excess response from the body because of the material." The next step will be to implant the system in a pig model, and also test it with human stem cells. The researchers are interested in eventually trying to use the system for implanting different cell types in humans for long-term treatment of chronic diseases, according to Tempelman, who is CEO of Persista Bio Inc., a new startup she founded with Ma and Flanders that is licensing these technologies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-implant-diabetes-oxygenating-insulin-cells.html XX Mayo Clinic cancer research may be big news for T1D. After identifying a sugar molecule that cancer cells use on their surfaces to hide from the immune system, the researchers have found the same molecule may eventually help in the treatment of type 1. Cancer cells use a variety of methods to evade immune response, including coating themselves in a sugar molecule known as sialic acid. The researchers found in a preclinical model of type 1 diabetes that it's possible to dress up beta cells with the same sugar molecule, enabling the immune system to tolerate the cells. The findings show that it's possible to engineer beta cells that do not prompt an immune response In the preclinical models, the team found that the engineered cells were 90% effective in preventing the development of type 1 diabetes. The beta cells that are typically destroyed by the immune system in type 1 diabetes were preserved. https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-researchers-find-sugar-coating-cells-can-protect-those-typically-destroyed-in-type-1-diabetes/ XX A daily pill may be as effective in lowering blood sugar and aiding weight loss in people with Type 2 diabetes as the popular injectable drugs Mounjaro and Ozempic, according to results of a clinical trial announced by Eli Lilly on Thursday morning. The drug, orforglipron, is a GLP-1, a class of drugs that have become blockbusters because of their weight-loss effects. But the GLP-1s on the market now are expensive, must be kept refrigerated and must be injected. A pill that produces similar results has the potential to become far more widely used, though it is also expected to be expensive. Lilly said it would seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration later this year to market orforglipron for obesity and early in 2026 for diabetes. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/health/pill-glp-1-eli-lilly.html XX Use of diabetes technology has dramatically increased and glycemic control has improved among people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the US over the past 15 years, but at the same time, overall achievement of an A1c level < 7% remains low and socioeconomic and racial disparities have widened. These findings came from an analysis of national electronic health records of nearly 200,000 children and adults with T1D by Michael Fang, PhD, of the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, and colleagues. The study was published online on August 11, 2025, in JAMA Network Open. Use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) increased substantially from 2009-2011 to 2021-2023, from less than 5% in both children and adults to more than 80% and over half, respectively. While A1c levels did drop over the 15 years, just 1 in 5 children and slightly over a quarter of adults achieved a level < 7%. The average A1c level stayed above 8%, with ethnic minorities and low-income patients seeing the smallest gains. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/diabetes-tech-use-rise-a1c-reductions-still-lag-2025a1000lc9 XX Inflammation may predict how well people with diabetes respond to depression treatment, and the effects differ dramatically between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes and depression often appear together. Indeed, depression is more than three times more prevalent in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and nearly twice as prevalent in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). When they appear together, treatment for depression can vary widely. In a new study, researchers from the German Diabetes Center (DDZ), the Research Institute of the Diabetes Academy Mergentheim (FIDAM), and the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) investigated how inflammation in the body relates to improvement in depression symptoms in people with T1D and T2D. The researchers combined data from three previous German randomized clinical trials that aimed to reduce elevated depressive symptoms and diabetes distress in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Diabetes distress is characterized by feelings of overwhelm, frustration, guilt and worry about diabetes management and its potential complications. A total of 332 participants with T1D and 189 with T2D who had completed both a baseline and 12-month follow-up examination were included in the present study. Measures included depression using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D), blood tests for 76 inflammatory biomarkers, and symptoms broken down into cognitive-affective (e.g., feeling hopeless), somatic (e.g., poor sleep, fatigue), and anhedonia (loss of pleasure) clusters. After adjusting for factors like age, body mass index (BMI), diabetes duration, cholesterol, and co-existing illnesses, the researchers found that in patients with T1D, higher baseline inflammation was linked to smaller improvements in depression. Inflammation seemed to be more connected to physical/somatic symptoms in T1D patients. In those with T2D, higher baseline inflammation was linked to greater improvements in depression. For these patients, the effect was strongest for cognitive-affective and anhedonia – so, emotional and motivational – symptoms. The researchers weren't sure what caused the difference between T1D and T2D, but they suggest it might be due to the different forms of immune activation seen in each condition. That is, autoimmune processes in type 1 and metabolic inflammation in type 2. https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/inflammation-diabetes-depression-treatment/ XX Parents of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes suffer an income drop in the years following the diagnosis. The impact is more pronounced in mothers, especially mothers of children diagnosed in preschool years. And these findings come from a European study.. not the US. Previous research has shown that parents of children with type 1 diabetes are at increased risk of stress-related symptoms and may need to reduce their working hours. "In our study, we observed reduced parental work-related incomes in the years following the child's type 1 diabetes diagnosis. The drop was larger in mothers than in fathers. Since mothers earned significantly less than fathers in absolute terms, even before the child fell ill, the relative drop in mothers was 6.6% the year following diagnosis compared to 1.5% in fathers. We further note the greatest impact on work-related incomes in mothers of children diagnosed at preschool age," says Beatrice Kennedy, physician at the Endocrine and Diabetes unit at Uppsala University Hospital and Associate Professor of Medical Epidemiology at Uppsala University, who led the study. This is a huge study, builds on data from national population and health registers and the Swedish Child Diabetes Register (Swediabkids). The study includes the parents of more than 13,000 children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in Sweden in 1993−2014, as well as more than half a million parents in the general population who have children not diagnosed with diabetes. The researchers observed that the maternal pension-qualifying incomes (a composite outcome including work-related income and societal benefits) initially increased after the child's diagnosis. This was attributable to mothers applying for the parental care allowance from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. The parental care allowance was intended to compensate for disease-related loss of work-related income and contribute toward disease-specific costs. When the research team investigated long-term effects in mothers, they found that the pension-qualifying incomes gradually decreased after eight years, and had not recovered by the end of follow-up − 17 years after the children were diagnosed. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250811/Mothers-face-greater-financial-impact-following-childe28099s-type-1-diabetes-diagnosis.aspx XX The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement with Metro Nashville Public Schools after allegations that the district violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The parents of a student at the Ross Early Learning Center requested that the school monitor their child's glucose monitor. Investigators found the school refused to do so, despite the child's Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis. As part of the settlement, MNPS agreed to change its policies to allow the use of these devices, ensure trained staff can monitor them throughout the entire school day and at school activities, and improve communication with parents. https://www.wsmv.com/2025/08/12/metro-nashville-public-schools-settles-allegations-it-discriminated-against-students-with-diabetes/ XX Modular Medical has unveiled Pivot, its next-generation insulin patch pump technology aimed at simplifying diabetes care. The company announced its new pump for “almost-pumpers” at the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (“ADCES”) Conference in Phoenix, Arizona this weekend. It aims for Pivot to target adults with a user-friendly, affordable design. Modular Medical's current pump, the MODD1, won FDA clearance nearly a year ago. It features new microfluidics technology to allow for the low-cost pumping of insulin. The system has a reservoir size of 300 units/3mL. Users can monitor the pump activity with their cell phone and do not require an external controller. The pump uses a provided, single-use, disposable battery. The company announced recently that it validated its insulin pump cartridge line for human-use production in the U.S. Days later, it reported the first human use of the MODD1 pump. Now, it has taken the next steps with the debut of a next-gen pump, set for FDA submission in October. Modular Medical also gamifies diabetes care The company also said ADCES is the place where it will showcase the first playable level of its new Pivot pump gamified trainin module. Level Ex, a developer of medical games, develops the module. Modular Medical said gamification offers a way to make medical training more effective and efficient while improving information retention. Given the complexity in pump uptake, the company hopes to provide an easy way to bring its technology to clinicians and patients. The company expects to have training modules available at the same time as the pump's planned launch in 2026. “Level One is free because diabetes mastery shouldn't come with a price tag,” Sam Glassenberg, CEO of Level Ex, said. “Modular Medical is breaking barriers too – bringing pump therapy to more people through smart, accessible design. Together, we intend to make diabetes management simpler and more inclusive. “People learn best through play – and we believe they want to learn about insulin pumps the same way. In Level One, players aren't just mastering diabetes management through gameplay – they're asking to ‘play' with pumps: to explore how they work, understand their benefits, and build confidence before using them in real life. Our partnership with Modular Medical helps make that possible.” https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/modular-medical-unveils-next-gen-insulin-pump/ XX On Tuesday, 12 August 2025, Tandem Diabetes Care (NASDAQ:TNDM) presented at the Canaccord Genuity's 45th Annual Growth Conference, outlining strategic shifts and market focus. The company highlighted its plans for commercial transformation in the U.S. and expansion in international markets, alongside addressing competitive challenges and regulatory impacts. While optimistic about growth in Outside the U.S. (OUS) markets, Tandem is navigating a more competitive landscape domestically. We have entered into the pharmacy channel with Mobi only. And so as Mobi's been building up volume, we're getting experience and we're really learning and understanding what pharmacy offers to us. And the proof points have proved out the thesis I said earlier, which is it can really reduce that barrier for patients, is the out of pocket cost. And so we've decided to accelerate our strategy and where we were starting just with Mobi, we are now moving t slim supplies into the pharmacy channel, and that will kick into gear in the fourth quarter. So as people are looking at the cadence of sales for the remainder of the year with this reframing, many folks are seeing what looks like a a might be an outsized fourth quarter and and having trouble understanding those dynamics. We'll be adding the tSIM supplies to those contracts. We also have more coverage. We will have it in the coming weeks effective this year, so we will be increasing that 30% rate before the end of the year. And then, obviously, everyone's in the same cycle right now already negotiating and discussing their 2026 coverage. And so 30% is the floor. We do expect to continue to grow that coverage in the coming years, and ultimately have a much broader access. Absolutely. It's an exciting technology that allows for us to have an infusion set that extends the wear time from three days to up to seven days. So we're able to use that as part of an independent infusion set, which would then be used with the t slim and with the mobi pump today. But we're also using that same technology as part of the site that's used for mobi when you use it with a tubeless cartridge. So next year, we will launch Mobi in a patch configuration. It uses the same pump that's available today, but by using a modified cartridge, you're able to wear it as a patch pump. So one of the things we announced on the call is that we're using this extended wear technology as part of that site. So what it allows you to do is to change the portion that you wear in your skin separate from the timing of when you change the insulin cartridge. So it allows for that extended wear time, reduction of burden to the patient, which is especially important for higher volume insulin users as we expand into type two. So from here, we will launch the extended wear site next year along with we'll do a separate regulatory filing for the cartridge portion for Mobi that includes this extended wear technology as a predicate device. So that's another filing that we'll need to do, but we have the clearance today for the independent infusion set, but we'll file another five ten k for use of the extended wear technology as part of the tubeless Mobi feature. https://za.investing.com/news/transcripts/tandem-diabetes-at-canaccord-conference-strategic-shifts-and-market-focus-93CH-3834464 XX MannKind today announced a significant regulatory submission and a large financing agreement with Blackstone. The company submitted its lead inhaled insulin product for expanded FDA approval and secured $500 million in funding, it said. First, the Danbury, Connecticut-based company announced that it submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Afrezza, its inhaled insulin product, in the pediatric population. MannKind Director of Medical and Scientific Engagement Joanne Rinker, MS, RDN, BC-ADM, CDCES, LDN, FADCES, told Drug Delivery Business News at ADA 2025 that a submission was on the way for children and adolescents aged 4-17 years old. Further data shared at ADA found Afrezza both safe and effective in that age range. Afrezza is a fast-acting insulin formulation delivered through an inhaler device. MannKind engineered the mechanical inhaler device to slowly bring powder into the lung. A small compartment opens for the insertion of the insulin cartridge, then the user closes it. The only other component is a mouthpiece for the sake of cleanliness. Then, the inhalation takes just two seconds. It requires no electronics or extra components. The company expects a review acceptance decision early in the fourth quarter of 2025. “The submission of our supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Afrezza in pediatric patients is a meaningful milestone for MannKind and people living with diabetes,” said Michael Castagna, CEO of MannKind Corporation. Additional funding provides a significant boost for MannKind MannKind also announced a strategic financing agreement with funds managed by Blackstone worth up to $500 million. The financing provides MannKind with non-dilutive capital to advance its short- and long-term growth strategies. This senior secured credit facility includes a $75 million initial term loan funded at closing. It then has a $125 million delayed draw term loan available for the next 24 months. Finally, it features an additional $300 million uncommitted delayed draw term loan available at the mutual consent of MannKind and Blackstone. The facility bears interest at a calculated SOFR variable rate plus 4.75% and matures in August 2030. “This strategic financing significantly increases our operating flexibility and provides us substantial access to non-dilutive capital on favorable terms, complementing our strong cash position,” said Castagna. “The funding will support the expansion of our commercial team in preparation for the anticipated launch of the pediatric indication for Afrezza, if approved, continued pipeline advancement, potential business development opportunities, and general corporate purposes. Partnering with the Blackstone team on this transaction positions us to accelerate our next phase of growth and innovation.” https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/mannkind-fda-submission-pediatrics-500m-blackstone/ XX Medtronic MiniMed Abbott Instinct Sensor [Image from Medtronic Diabetes on LinkedIn] The Medtronic Diabetes business today took to social media to share an early preview of a new integrated Abbott sensor for its insulin delivery systems. Medtronic Diabetes — soon to be MiniMed after its planned separation from the medtech giant – said in the post that the new sensor specifically designed for its own systems is called “Instinct.” “Get a sneak peek at what's coming next: the Instinct sensor,” the business unit's account wrote. “Made by Abbott, the Instinct sensor is designed exclusively for MiniMed systems. We'll share more details about the Instinct sensor when it's commercially available.” The sensor, built on the Abbott FreeStyle Libre platform, reflects “the power of the partnership,” Abbott EVP, Diabetes Care, Chris Scoggins, told Drug Delivery Business News earlier this year. Medtronic and Abbott — two of the largest diabetes tech companies in the world — announced a year ago that they entered into a global partnership pairing Abbott continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) with Medtronic insulin delivery systems. The partnership aims to collaborate on a system based on Abbott's FreeStyle Libre CGMs with Medtronic's automated insulin delivery technology (the latest generation being the MiniMed 780G) and smart insulin pen systems, such as the InPen system. Read more about Medtronic, Abbott and the rest of the diabetes tech industry in our free Diabetes Technology Special Report. Medtronic's systems previously used its own CGMs, such as the Guardian 4 and the Simplera platform, and the company intends to continue using those systems as part of a comprehensive CGM portfolio. Under the companies' agreement, the systems would be sold exclusively by Medtronic — including the Abbott CGM. The companies brought the partnership a step further in April when Medtronic announced the submission of an interoperable pump with the Abbott sensor technology to the FDA. They plan to share more details following the expected FDA clearance, which remains pending. Management also recently emphasized the multi-year nature of the partnership, meaning Medtronic could pair current and future pumps with other Abbott sensors in the future. That could hint at integration with the company's future dual glucose-ketone monitor, as a number of pump makers have already announced collaborations to pair their systems with the sensor once it hits the market. https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/medtronic-diabetes-previews-abbott-sensor-minimed/ XX Governor Glenn Youngkin joined Civica officials at the company's Petersburg manufacturing facility to announce a $3 million grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia to accelerate Civica's efforts to develop and produce affordable insulin for Americans living with diabetes. CivicaRx Logo "We are proud to partner with Civica in their mission to make essential medicines more accessible," said Governor Youngkin. "This investment reflects our belief in the power of public-private collaboration to improve lives and strengthen communities." These funds will support the production of insulin aspart, a rapid-acting human insulin analog used to regulate blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes. Civica plans to produce both rapid- and long-acting insulins at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Petersburg, Va., where the company now employs more than 200 skilled workers.1 Over 8 million people living with diabetes need rapid-acting and/or long-acting insulin. The Governor also announced that he had officially proclaimed August 7 – 14 2025 'Life Sciences Week' demonstrating the Commonwealth's commitment to "accelerating the advancement of the life sciences through public-private partnerships, STEM education, workforce development, and sustained investment in research and development." "We are grateful for the Commonwealth's support," said Ned McCoy, Civica's President and CEO. "This funding will help us move closer toward our goal of ensuring that no one has to choose between insulin and other basic needs." Civica and Virginia officials were joined by Lynn Starr, Chief Global Advocacy Officer of Breakthrough T1D, the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization. "More than one million American adults live with type 1 diabetes, and many still, sadly, ration their insulin, due to the prohibitively high cost of this necessary medication," said Starr. "Civica's work will help to make insulin more affordable for people across the country." Breakthrough T1D is among more than two dozen organizations and philanthropists, along with the states of Virginia and California, that have partnered with Civica to support the development of affordable insulins. Civica's insulin initiative aims to provide patients with predictable, transparent pricing — no more than $30 per vial or $55 for a box of five pens — regardless of insurance status. About Civica Civica is a nonprofit pharmaceutical company established to address drug shortages. It was founded by a group of U.S. health systems and philanthropies who, after more than a decade of chronic shortages, recognized that the market was not self-correcting and that a different approach is required. Civica works to deliver a safe, stable, and affordable supply of essential medicines to U.S. patients. Media Contact: Liz Power liz.power@civicarx.org +1 860 501 3849 https://cbs4indy.com/business/press-releases/cision/20250807NY46213/governor-glenn-youngkin-announces-3-million-grant-to-support-civicas-affordable-insulin-programs/ XX If you or someone you love is living with diabetes, you already know the fight isn't just medical—it's financial, too. Between daily supplies, doctor visits, and long-term care, the cost of managing type 1 or type 2 diabetes can be overwhelming. Add college or trade school into the equation, and suddenly staying healthy competes with building a future. That's where scholarships for students with diabetes—like Beyond Scholars and others listed here—step in. Whether you're headed to a university, a two-year college, or a hands-on trade program, these opportunities were created to ease the load. Scholarships for students with diabetes Beyond Scholars (from Beyond Type 1): $10,000 for recently graduated high school seniors with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes entering college or trade school. This is one of the largest needs-based diabetes scholarships in the United States. This year, awardees will also receive 6 months of wellness coaching through Risely Health. Applications open: July 25, 2025 Deadline: August 29, 2025 Winners announced: October 2025 https://beyondtype1.org/beyond-scholars-diabetes-scholarships-college-trade-school/ XX Nick Jonas and Kyle Rudolph are using their platforms for a good cause. On Tuesday, Aug. 12, the singer and the former NFL tight end (via his professional fundraising platform Alltroo) announced they're teaming up to launch a rally featuring a fan-coveted prize: a custom 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric bus that the Jonas Brothers have brought along for their 20th anniversary tour. “Ten years ago, we hit the road with a goal to change what it means to live with diabetes. Since then, Beyond Type 1 has grown into the world's largest digital diabetes community, offering the tools, education, and peer support needed to not only survive but thrive with diabetes,” Jonas, who co-founded Beyond Type 1 (a nonprofit that advocates for those living with diabetes), says in a statement. “We've challenged stigma, built community, provided life-saving resources, and collectively driven global innovation toward prevention and cure. This milestone is a moment to rally even more support for our mission, and partnering with Alltroo helps us do that in a powerful, engaging way.” Related Stories Nick Jonas on Managing His Diabetes: 'The Mental and Emotional Health Aspect Is Really Important' nick jonas Nick Jonas Says He Was Diagnosed with Diabetes After Joe Told Their Parents: 'Something's Really Wrong' Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas attend the amfAR Cannes Gala 30th edition at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 23, 2024 For Rudolph, the campaign is about "celebrating Beyond Type 1's incredible work over the past decade, and standing behind their vision of a world where everyone with diabetes — or at risk of it — has access to the knowledge, care and support needed for early diagnosis and lifelong health." While the rally is live on Alltroo.com, fans can also scan QR codes available at all 36 Jonas Brothers concert stops to enter for a chance to win the electric bus. (A winner will be selected on November 14, which is World Diabetes Day.) Jonas, 32, has long been open about his Type 1 diabetes diagnosis at 13 years old. "I had this kind of wrench thrown into things when I was diagnosed and it took a while to figure out how to count carbs to properly dose for insulin and what things would affect me in different ways," he previously told PEOPLE. "When I was first diagnosed, I was sitting in the hospital and was scared to death, honestly, while I was learning about how to manage this new thing I was dealing with," Jonas recalled. "It would have been amazing to have someone to look at at that time to say, oh, this is a person living with it and they're following their dreams. They're doing what they want to do with their lives and not letting it slow them down." https://people.com/nick-jonas-kyle-rudolph-launch-fan-rally-diabetes-awareness-11788684
This week on Conflict Managed, Rachel Shaw joins us to share how we can make difficult conversations a normal, productive part of workplace life. We talk about:
The Americans with Disabilities Act became law 35 years ago. Coloradans reflect on our state's pivotal role and on the progress still to be made. Then, ahead of a special session of the state legislature, a look at a bad budget gap and some bad behavior. Plus, the season three premiere of Systemic, CPR's podcast about changemakers.
This week marks 35 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act reshaped civil rights in the U.S., guaranteeing access and inclusion for millions. But as workplaces, schools, and public spaces continue to evolve, so do the barriers. To reflect on what the ADA has achieved and what still needs to change to ensure equity and opportunity for all. I'm joined by longtime advocate and disability policy expert Gary Gilbert.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
It's In the News.. a look at the top headlines and stories in the diabetes community. This week's top stories: FDA approves the first fast-acting biosimilar insulin in the US, Tandem issues warning, DOJ stands up for remote monitoring in schools, GLP1 use protects against dementia, and more! Find out more about Moms' Night Out Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! Learn more about Gvoke Glucagon Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection): Glucagon Injection For Very Low Blood Sugar (gvokeglucagon.com) Omnipod - Simplify Life Learn about Dexcom Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter here Here's where to find us: Facebook (Group) Facebook (Page) Instagram Twitter Check out Stacey's books! Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com Episode transcription with links: Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I'm Stacey Simms and every other Friday I bring you a short episode with the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. XX We've got the first and only biosimilar FDA approved and moving to market. Kirsty – insulin aspart, which is a biosimilar to Novolog will be available as a single-patient-use prefilled pen for subcutaneous use and a multiple-dose vial for subcutaneous and intravenous use. KIRSTY has been available in Europe and Canada since 2022. This same company makes Semglee, the first biosimilar for long acting? Sales of Insulin Aspart in the United States were approximately $1.9 billion in 2024, according to IQVIA. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/07/15/3115973/0/en/Biocon-Biologics-Expands-Diabetes-Portfolio-with-FDA-Approval-of-Kirsty-the-First-and-Only-Interchangeable-Rapid-Acting-Insulin-Aspart-in-the-United-States.html XX Tandem Diabetes Care (Nasdaq:TNDM) has issued an urgent medical device correction for some t:slim X2 automated insulin pumps. In a July 22 notice, the San Diego-based company warned of pumps that may exhibit a higher rate of speaker failure. During normal use, the insulin pump software monitors current flowing through the speaker during use. Measurements that fall within a pre-determined range indicate a functioning speaker. Meanwhile, measurements falling outside the range indicate a speaker failure. When the measurements land outside the expected range, the system declares a malfunction, referred to as “Malfunction 16.” If the pump declares this malfunction, insulin delivery will stop and the pump will no longer be operational. Malfunction 16 terminates communication between the pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM), as well as the t:slim mobile app. If not addressed, the issue can lead to hyperglycemia, which can result in hospitalization or medical intervention. The company reports 700 adverse events and 59 reported injuries to date, with no reports of death. Tandem identified that certain speaker versions have a higher rate of Malfunction 16 events due to a wiring issue within the speaker. Users can continue using their pump but with added precautions because Malfunction 16 can occur at any time. They should use the t:slim mobile app with push notifications turned on so the app alerts them if the malfunction occurs, the company said. Additionally, Tandem intends to release a software update aimed at enhancing the early detection of speaker failure. The update also introduces persistent vibration alarms to help reduce potential safety risk. Tandem plans to notify affected pump users when it makes the update available. https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/tandem-warns-insulin-pump-speaker-malfunction/ XX BIG WIN! The DOJ protects T1D rights again! The US Attorney's office for the Western District of Washington State reached a settlement with a public school district that once again confirms remotely monitoring students' CGMs is a reasonable accommodation that schools must provide to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If its true for one state its true for all states under federal law! If your local schools still refuse to remotely monitor CGMs of their students, provide them with this letter to compel them to FOLLOWT1Ds and FOLLOW Federal Laws. If they still refuse contact us! https://followt1ds.org/ XX new study finds people taking GLP-1 agonists had a significantly lower cumulative risk of developing dementia, when compared to metformin users. Past studies show that people who have type 2 diabetes — a chronic condition where the body does not use its insulin properly — are at a higher risk of developing dementia. The study found that when comparing the neuroprotective abilities of two diabetes medications — metformin and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 agonists) — participants taking GLP-1 agonists had a significantly lower cumulative risk of developing dementia, when compared to metformin. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/glp-1s-may-offer-better-dementia-protection-than-metformin XX Front office changes coming to Dexcom. CEO Kevin Sayer will step down & give the reins to current Chief Operating Officer Jake Leach. Scheduled for January 1, 2026, Leach will also join Dexcom's board of directors where Sayer will remain executive chairman. One of our frequent guests here.. Leach has worked at Dexcom for 21 years. He served as chief technology officer from 2018 to 2022 before he was named COO in late 2022. He was given the title of president in May. https://www.medtechdive.com/news/dexcom-ceo-change-kevin-sayer-jake-leach/756382/ XX A major international study has revealed that many children and young adults in Sub-Saharan Africa who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may actually have a different, non-immune-based form of the condition. Unlike the traditional autoimmune version of T1D, this form appears to develop without the immune system attacking the insulin-producing cells. This finding could significantly reshape how diabetes is diagnosed and treated across the region, potentially leading to more precise care and better health outcomes. The researchers found that many young people in Sub-Saharan Africa diagnosed with T1D often don't have the usual markers in their blood (called islet autoantibodies) typically seen in people with T1D in other parts of the world. Specifically, 65% of participants with T1D in this region did not have islet autoantibodies. When the researchers compared this data to studies in the U.S., they found a smaller but significant proportion (15%) of Black participants diagnosed with T1D had a similar form of diabetes found in Sub-Saharan Africa – characterized by negative autoantibodies and a low T1D genetic risk score. However, white Americans with T1D showed the typical autoimmune pattern, even if they didn't have detectable autoantibodies, their genetics still pointed to autoimmune diabetes. “The identification of this T1D diabetes subtype in Sub-Saharan African populations and among individuals of African ancestry in the U.S. suggests a potential ancestral or genetic link,” Dabelea notes. “These findings highlight the need to consider alternative etiologies in this group and a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms may provide important insights for future prevention and treatment strategies.” https://scitechdaily.com/new-diabetes-subtype-discovered-in-africa-challenges-global-assumptions/ XX Formal recognition for the specialty of Diabetology. Diabetology is the specialty focused on the full continuum of diabetes care — encompassing diagnosis, treatment, prevention, technology integration, education, and cardiometabolic management. While it intersects with endocrinology, primary care, and public health, diabetology is uniquely defined by its depth and focus on diabetes alone. The American College of Diabetology (ACD) is the national professional organization representing clinicians who specialize in diabetes care. ACD advances clinical excellence and education to improve the lives of those affected by diabetes. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250725766248/en/American-College-of-Diabetology-Announces-Formal-Taxonomy-Classification-for-Diabetology XX Tidepool announces cloud-to-cloud integration with Abbott's FreeStyle Libre portfolio. From the release: This integration allows people living with diabetes using the FreeStyle Libre portfolio to connect their data to their Tidepool account seamlessly. For healthcare providers, this means more comprehensive insights and streamlined workflows, with FreeStyle Libre systems data flowing continuously into the Tidepool Data Platform. https://www.tidepool.org/blog/abbott-freestyle-libre-integration-launched XX Stelo dexom ai food XX With high drug prices remaining an ongoing concern for U.S. politicians, Roche is considering following in the footsteps of some of its peers with a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model to cut out the middlemen. About 50% of the money spent on drugs in the U.S. healthcare system goes straight to PBMs instead of the companies that create the medicines, Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker called out in a press conference on Thursday. Bringing the drugs directly to the consumer could be a solution to positively impact pricing for patients “without destroying innovation,” Schinecker added on a separate Thursday call with investors, noting that the company has discussed the matter with the U.S. government and its Department of Health and Human Services. The pricing talks come after President Donald Trump inked a “Most Favored Nation” executive order in May, aiming to tie U.S. drug prices to lower prices in other developed nations. The plan was quickly called out by industry voices such as the PhRMA trade group, which labeled it a “bad deal” for U.S. patients. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/roche-weighing-direct-consumer-drug-sales-ease-us-drug-pricing-woes-cut-out-pbms-ceo-says XX SAB BIO secures substantial $175M financing to advance T1D therapy with impressive investor lineup and extended cash runway until 2028. Most critically, this financing fully funds the pivotal Phase 2b SAFEGUARD study evaluating SAB-142 for delaying progression of autoimmune Type 1 diabetes in newly diagnosed patients. By extending the cash runway into mid-2028, SAB has effectively eliminated near-term financing risk and provided clear visibility through this crucial clinical trial and potential commercialization preparation. Participation from strategic investor Sanofi, along with new investors RA Capital Management, Commodore Capital, Vivo Capital, Blackstone Multi-Asset Investing, Spruce Street Capital, Forge Life Science Partners and Woodline Partners LP, and existing investors Sessa Capital, the T1D Fund, and ATW Partners https://www.stocktitan.net/news/SABS/sab-bio-announces-oversubscribed-175-million-private-fwsf2t91ek4z.html XX In a landmark 14-year study, researchers have found that artificially sweetened drinks raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than a third, significantly higher than those loaded with sugar. It challenges the long-standing perception of diet drinks being a healthier alternative and suggests they may carry metabolic risks of their own. In the first longitudinal study of its kind, led by Monash University, researchers tracked 36,608 participants over an average period of 13.9 years to assess how both sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) impacted health outcomes. The self-reported health data, from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, was drawn from participants aged 40 to 69 years at the time of recruitment. What they found was that drinking just one can of artificially sweetened soda increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 38%, compared to people who didn't consume these drinks at all. For those consuming the same amount of sugary drinks, the risk was 23% higher. This suggests there's more than obesity at play. The researchers believe this result is due to an independent metabolic effect, possibly gut microbiome disruption or a change in glucose metabolism. While the study didn't identify which artificial sweeteners were at play, Evidence suggests that artificial sweeteners can alter the composition and function of gut bacteria, leading to glucose intolerance – a precursor to type 2 diabetes. And that some sweeteners may trigger insulin release, desensitize metabolic responses over time, or confuse the body's glucose regulation system – even without actual sugar in the picture. Another hypothesis is that regular exposure to the kind of intense sweetness that artificial products deliver may condition the body to anticipate sugar calories that never come, affecting appetite regulation, insulin sensitivity and broader metabolic pathways. However, the authors suggest that how sweeteners affect the gut microbiota and glucose regulation are the most likely drivers of increased diabetes risk. https://newatlas.com/diet-nutrition/one-drink-diabetes-risk/ XX After months of deliberation, information gathering and public testimony, a state board unanimously agreed Monday that two common medications for type-2 diabetes and other conditions appear to pose an affordability challenge to the state and Marylanders. The state Prescription Drug Affordability Board approved two resolutions saying that prescription drugs Jardiance and Farxiga likely pose an “an affordability challenge for the state health care system” and the state should look for ways to bring down those costs. Health care advocates call the long-awaited resolution an “important first step” in the process in bringing down prescription costs for those on the state's health plan. That milestone has been years in the making. Created in 2019 by the General Assembly, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board was slow to launch due in part to a veto from former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) amid pandemic-induced economic uncertainty in 2020 that delayed the board's formation. The board also cited out-of-pocket costs for consumers and state and local spending on those drugs as indicators that there may be an affordability challenge. The board will now look at options to address the potential affordability challenge, which could include setting an upper payment limit on those drugs. But it's not clear when the state will see cost savings. That said, some members of the health care system and the pharmaceutical industry say that policies such as upper payment limits could weaken access to life-saving drugs. Others say that the board has not engaged enough viewpoints from the health care industry. https://marylandmatters.org/2025/07/29/state-board-determines-two-type-2-diabetes-drugs-may-be-unaffordable/ XX One year after it was revealed that Chrissy Teigen and John Legend's son, Miles, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Teigen is revealing how she's making her son feel more included. Teigen first opened up about her 7-year-old son's diagnosis after she and her two oldest kids, Miles and 9-year-old daughter Luna were at the 2024 summer Olympics cheering on Simone Biles. Teigen posted a photo of Miles and Luna holding up a sign. Also visible in the picture was the insulin pump on Miles' arm. Now, Teigen is sharing some insight into how she's making Miles more comfortable with having type 1 diabetes, including giving LeBron James' Barbie doll type 1 diabetes as well. In a video shared on Instagram, Teigen is seen taking the T1D Barbie, removing her insulin pump and gluing the pump onto LeBron James' Barbie. “Turning T1D Barbie into T1D Lebron James for my son,” Teigen captioned the video, revealing James is Miles' hero. 41 million followers https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/chrissy-teigen-gives-lebron-james-154608782.html
It was 35 years ago that the Americans with Disabilities Act -- widely known as the ADA -- was signed into law, protecting the rights of people with disabilities in all areas of public life. Today, we look at its impact as it relates to transportation, as an advocate details the work still to be done. Then, a new executive order from President Trump aims to get cities to remove people who are unhoused from the streets. Also, meet Joel Medina — a tattoo artist in Thornton, whose own story of loss, recovery, and second chances is etched into every piece he creates.
On this week's edition of the Michigan Department of Transportation podcast, Scott Bowen, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), addresses concerns about access to the beach for campers at the highly popular Traverse City State Park, which is divided by US-31.Bowen explains that the MDNR is investing in major improvements at the park, including changes that require removing the 60-year-old pedestrian bridge over US-31 (Munson Avenue). The bridge pre-dates laws that require accessibility for people with disabilities. The existing bridge is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. "This creates accessibility challenges, especially for pushing strollers, carrying coolers, etc.," the MDNR posted on Facebook. "Some campground patrons opt to drive between the campground and the day-use area, increasing traffic congestion and using limited beach parking."When the agreement was inked to build a pedestrian bridge over the highway in 1965, MDOT was the Michigan State Highway Commission and the MDNR was the Michigan State Department of Conservation. Photo credit: Traverse City State Park photo taken by Tyler Leipprandt and Michigan Sky Media LLC.
In this episode of The Employment Law Counselor, in collaboration with the Professional Liability Underwriting Society, Victoria Fuller, Partner and Co-Chair of Labor and Employment Practice Group, and Laura Corvo, Counsel, are joined by guest Chris Brooks, Executive Vice President, Berkley Select, for An Interactive Dialogue: The Intersection Between ADA, MFLA and PWFA. This episode focuses on the labyrinth of extremely complex laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and each of their state law counterparts, which employers must navigate. This podcast will shed light on the many requirements of those laws, explain how they intersect and the many risks that each law and its interaction with other laws present to employers.
35 years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act advanced the idea that society should be accessible for everyone. In this episode: Stories about people who had to find their way in a world built for someone else.Leave us a voicemail at 702-706-TALK, or email us at podcast@storycorps.org.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
This month marks 35 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law.
On Tuesday's show: The White House is proposing an end to federal funding for legal aid nonprofits that help low-income Americans obtain assistance with all manner of legal matters. We learn more from R.A. Schuetz of the Houston Chronicle.Also this hour: We mark the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and recall its roots here in Houston with Lex Frieden, a local disabilities advocate who was instrumental in creating the law and getting it passed.Then, we learn about the rise of sensory-friendly events around town, as local businesses and organizations create events for individuals who struggle with bright lights, loud noises, or overstimulation from crowds.And we take you to an exhibit at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts in Spring called “Art Unleashed,” which, unlike most exhibits and most museums, actually encourages you to reach out and touch the pieces of art on display.
Trump, E.U. reach contours of trade deal with 15% tariffs; Report: Colorado workers must earn $36.79 per hour to afford housing; Maine farmers assess climate risks as USDA cuts conservation funding; Tennessee celebrates 35 years of Americans with Disabilities Act.
It might feel like the US has always had a policy supportive of people with disabilities, but in fact, the Americans with Disabilities Act just turned 35. That's after Holly became a mom to a child with disabilities. Holly shares what the ADA has meant to her family.
9:05 - 9:20 - 11:05 - A 'sea change' or a storm brewing? Inside President Trump's executive order to address homelessness A new executive order from President Trump aims to move homeless individuals into treatment facilities. One lawmaker is calling this a "sea change" in the right direction, saying it is 'like turning around the titanic'… but critics say this move is uncaring and an 'unfunded mandate'. Greg and Holly unpack the issue with Utah Representative Tyler Clancy and Bill Tibbitts, deputy executive director of the Crossroads Urban Center about whether the plan has real momentum. 9:35 - Fire destroys two Millcreek apartment buildings, dozens displaced A lawnmower left dozens of people without homes after a fire destroyed two apartment buildings in Millcreek. Unified Fire Authority, Captain Tony Barker joins the show to discuss what happened and a new poll that shows Utahns are divided on firework restrictions. 9:50 - The Monroe Canyon Fire Greg drove through smoke from the Monroe Canyon fire this weekend. It doubled in size on Friday and shows no sign of slowing down. The hosts discuss the latest developments and the impact of this fire. 10:05 - The legal battleground of Utah's public lands Public lands in Utah are back in the spotlight. A 3rd District Court judge just dismissed a lawsuit from an environmental group trying to block the state from suing for control of federal lands. Greg and Holly discuss. 10:20 - Funding flip-flop: Summer & after-school dollars restored Utah schools are feeling a little bit of whiplash with on, off and now back on federal funding for after school and summer programs... Greg and Holly discuss the latest and speak with Ben Trentelman Executive Director of the Utah Afterschool Network about his reaction and the issue as a whole. 10:35 - Signed, sealed and soaring: America's national debt crisis The big budget bill is behind us — but the national debt is still climbing. When will Congress finally get serious about reducing the debt? and Americans care anymore? Greg and Holly dig into the numbers, the politics, and what’s really at stake with Deseret News Opinion Editor Jay Evensen. 10:50 - U.S. and U.K to build food centers in Gaza to address rising starvation Pictures of starving children are focusing the world on what's happening in Gaza right now. Israel says they will pause fighting to allow aid to enter - but is it too little too late? Greg and Holly discuss the issue and the announcement that the U.S. and U.K. will be building food centers in Gaza. 11:20 - Americans Disabilities Act turns 35: What it means for families today It might feel like the US has always had a policy supportive of people with disabilities, but in fact, the Americans with Disabilities Act just turned 35. That's after Holly became a mom to a child with disabilities. Holly shares what the ADA has meant to her family. 11:35 - Caregiving crisis: Over 63 million Americans now care for family member with complex medical needs Over 63 million Americans now care for a family member with complex medical needs. And, it's getting harder, according to a new report from AARP. Greg and Holly discuss the report and what looming Medicaid cuts could mean for caregivers. 11:50 - Cottage cheese craze: How TikTok broke the dairy aisle Cottage cheese recipes have become so viral on TikTok… producers of the product are struggling to keep up! Greg and Holly speak with KSL NewsRadio Producer Caitlyn Johnston about what she has seen on the curd craze and some of the popular recipes circulating online.. Holly shares her fun facts of the day.
This week, we welcome former intern, Angela Molloy, as we celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Angela is a congenitally disabled cradle Methodist who is currently studying in Denver in the Iliff/DU Joint Doctoral Program, and she challenges us in her sermon to expand God's table for all!
Trump, E.U. reach contours of trade deal with 15% tariffs; Report: Colorado workers must earn $36.79 per hour to afford housing; ME farmers assess climate risks as USDA cuts conservation funding; Tennessee celebrates 35 years of Americans with Disabilities Act.
On July 26, 1990, then-President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, into law. This was a turning point for the quality of life for disabled people in the country. But disability rights activism didn't start when the ADA was introduced into Congress. Reset talks about disability advocacy before and after the ADA. We also dig into recent efforts to weaken it and how the community continues to fight. Our panel: Charles Petrof, senior ADA attorney with Access Living; Mike Ervin, writer and disability rights activist; and T.J. Gordon, co-founder of Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition. For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
We persist for what matters most—for the people we lead, and the people we love.But persistence can start to feel like just another weight to carry, another demand that drains us. And people are tired. So many of us are balancing caregiving, leadership, advocacy, a constant firehose of urgent crises, and maybe sneaking in some rest. So sure, persistence sounds good, but how do we keep going without flaming out?We learn how to prune our proverbial gardens.Pruning, whether a tomato plant or an out-of-control to-do list, requires focusing on the present so we can remove what no longer serves, while protecting what still has life in it. It's persistence in action. It's what keeps us from burning it all down and walking away or from our commitments taking over our lives.Today's guest offers us a masterclass in persistence. She started small. When resistance showed up, she didn't just push through. She revisited her vision. She stayed in relationship with mentors and worked in community. And over time, she has built a global movement for disability, visibility, equity, and justice.On today's 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Tiffany Yu shares a reminder that persistence isn't about doing it all right away or quitting when it's too much. It's about staying focused, refining our vision, and staying connected to supportive people and your mission.Tiffany Yu is the CEO and Founder of Diversability, a 3x TEDx speaker, and the author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change, and Building a Disability-Inclusive World. She started her career at Goldman Sachs and was named to the 2025 Forbes Accessibility 100 List. At the age of 9, Tiffany became disabled as a result of a car accident that also took the life of her father.Listen to the full episode to hear:How the seeds of Tiffany's disability activism were sown during her time at GeorgetownHow Tiffany's delayed processing of her grief and trauma impacted her ability to connect with disabled joyWhy it matters that all of us get invested in prioritizing accessibility and inclusion for the disability communityWhy accessibility is about more than just utility and needs to address the wholeness of people with disabilitiesWhat leaders can do now to craft more accessible and inclusive spaces and eventsThe importance of community and using your influence to build bridges in the face of setbacksLearn more about Tiffany Yu:WebsiteDiversabilityInstagram: @imtiffanyyuConnect on LinkedInThe Anti-Ableist Manifesto: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change, and Building a Disability-Inclusive WorldLearn more about Rebecca:rebeccaching.comWork With RebeccaThe Unburdened Leader on SubstackSign up for the weekly Unburdened Leader EmailResources:The Persist NetworkEP 134: Focus, Feel, Forward: Redefining Leadership for the Long Haul with Amanda LitmanJanina FisherDr. Dan SiegelStephen Porges, PhDBest Buddies InternationalStigma FightersMade of MillionsFrancis WellerThe Power of Exclusion | Tiffany Yu | TEDxBethesdaJudith Heumann - Defying Obstacles in "Being Heumann" and "Crip Camp" | The Daily ShowWhat My Bones Know, Stephanie FooBenson Boone - Beautiful ThingsSeveranceSchitt's CreekOppenheimerReading RainbowArthurMister Rogers' NeighborhoodShine Theory: Why Powerful Women Make the Greatest FriendsThe Problem with Positivity | Tiffany Yu | TEDxYouth@CaliforniaHighSchool
The late Kansas Sen. Bob Dole was a champion for disability rights. One of his biggest accomplishments was getting the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, 35 years ago this week. We'll look back on the role Kansas played in this landmark civil rights law.
In January, 2022 today's guest, Mike Paciello, made his first appearance on Unstoppable Mindset in Episode 19. It is not often that most of us have the opportunity and honor to meet a real trendsetter and pioneer much less for a second time. However, today, we get to spend more time with Mike, and we get to talk about not only the concepts around web accessibility, but we also discuss the whole concept of inclusion and how much progress we have made much less how much more work needs to be done. Mike Paciello has been a fixture in the assistive technology world for some thirty years. I have known of him for most of that time, but our paths never crossed until September of 2021 when we worked together to help create some meetings and sessions around the topic of website accessibility in Washington D.C. As you will hear, Mike began his career as a technical writer for Digital Equipment Corporation, an early leader in the computer manufacturing industry. I won't tell you Mike's story here. What I will say is that although Mike is fully sighted and thus does not use much of the technology blind and low vision persons use, he really gets it. He fully understands what Inclusion is all about and he has worked and continues to work to promote inclusion and access for all throughout the world. As Mike and I discuss, making technology more inclusive will not only help persons with disabilities be more involved in society, but people will discover that much of the technology we use can make everyone's life better. We talk about a lot of the technologies being used today to make websites more inclusive including the use of AI and how AI can and does enhance inclusion efforts. It is no accident that this episode is being released now. This episode is being released on July 25 to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act which was signed on July 26, 1990. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADA! After you experience our podcast with Mike, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to email me at michaelhi@accessibe.com to tell me of your observations. Thanks. About the Guest: Mike Paciello is the Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye, Inc., a digital accessibility company. Prior to joining AudioEye, Mike founded WebABLE/WebABLE.TV, which delivers news about the disability and accessibility technology market. Mike authored the first book on web accessibility and usability, “Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities” and, in 1997, Mr. Paciello received recognition from President Bill Clinton for his work in the creation of World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). He has served as an advisor to the US Access Board and other federal agencies since 1992. Mike has served as an international leader, technologist, and authority in emerging technology, accessibility, usability, and electronic publishing. Mike is the former Founder of The Paciello Group (TPG), a world-renowned software accessibility consultancy acquired in 2017 by Vispero. Ways to connect with Mike: mpaciello@webable.com Michael.paciello@audioeye.com Mikepaciello@gmail.com 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 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset where inclusion diversity and the unexpected meet. Normally, our guests deal with the unexpected, which is anything that doesn't have to do with inclusion or diversity. Today, however, we get to sort of deal with both. We have a guest who actually was a guest on our podcast before he was in show 19 that goes all the way back to January of 2022, his name is Mike Paciello. He's been very involved in the whole internet and accessibility movement and so on for more than 30 years, and I think we're going to have a lot of fun chatting about what's going on in the world of accessibility and the Internet and and, you know, and but we won't probably get into whether God is a man or a woman, but that's okay, God is actually both, so we don't have to worry about that. But anyway, Mike, welcome to unstoppable mindset. Mike Paciello ** 02:21 Yeah, Hey, Mike, thanks a lot. I can't believe has it really been already since today, six years since the last time I came on this? No, three, 320, 22 Oh, 2022, I for whatever I 2019 Okay, three years sounds a little bit more realistic, but still, it's been a long time. Thank you for having me. It's, it's, it's great to be here. And obviously, as you know, a lot of things have changed in my life since then. But, yeah, very Michael Hingson ** 02:46 cool. Well, you were in show number 19. And I'm not sure what number this is going to be, but it's going to be above 360 so it's been a while. Amazing, amazing, unstoppable, unstoppable. That's it. We got to keep it going. And Mike and I have been involved in a few things together, in, in later, in, I guess it was in 20 when we do the M enabling Summit, that was 2021 wasn't it? Yeah, I think it was, I think it was the year before we did the podcast, yeah, podcast, 2021 right? So we were in DC, and we both worked because there was a group that wanted to completely condemn the kinds of technologies that accessibe and other companies use. Some people call it overlays. I'm not sure that that's totally accurate today, but we we worked to get them to not do what they originally intended to do, but rather to explore it in a little bit more detail, which I think was a lot more reasonable to do. So we've, we've had some fun over the years, and we see each other every so often, and here we are again today. So yeah, I'm glad you're here. Well, tell us a little about well, and I guess what we'll do is do some stuff that we did in 2022 tell us about kind of the early Mike, growing up and all that and what eventually got you into dealing with all this business of web accessibility and such. Yeah, thank you. Mike Paciello ** 04:08 You know, I've tried to short this, shorten this story 100 times. Oh, don't worry. See if I get let's see if I can keep it succinct and and for the folks out there who understand verbosity and it's in its finest way for screen reader users, I'll try not to be verbose. I already am being Michael Hingson ** 04:28 intermediate levels fine. Mike Paciello ** 04:30 I came into this entire field as a technical writer trying to solve a problem that I kind of stumbled into doing some volunteer work for the debt the company that I then then worked for, a Digital Equipment Corporation, a software company, DEC software hardware company, back then, right back in the early 80s. And as a technical writer, I started learning at that time what was called Gen code. Eventually that morphed in. To what Goldfarb, Charles Goldfarb at IBM, called SGML, or standard, Generalized Markup Language, and that really became the predecessor, really gave birth to what we see on the web today, to HTML and the web markup languages. That's what they were, except back then, they were markup languages for print publications. So we're myself and a lot of colleagues and friends, people probably here, I'm sure, at bare minimum, recognized named George Kercher. George and I really paired together, worked together, ended up creating an international steer with a group of other colleagues and friends called the icad 22 which is 22 stands for the amount of elements in that markup language. And it became the adopted standard accessibility standard for the American Association of Publishers, and they published that became official. Eventually it morphed into what we today call, you know, accessible web development. It was the first instance by that was integrated into the HTML specification, I think officially, was HTML 3.1 3.2 somewhere in there when it was formally adopted and then announced in 1997 and at the World Wide Web Conference. That's really where my activity in the web began. So I was working at DEC, but I was doing a lot of volunteer work at MIT, which is where the W 3c was located at that particular time. And Tim Bursley, who a lot of people i Sir, I'm sure, know, the inventor of the web, led the effort at that time, and a few other folks that I work with, and.da Jim Miller, a few other folks. And we were, well, I wasn't specifically approached. Tim was approached by Vice President Gore and eventually President Clinton at that time to see if we could come up with some sort of technical standard for accessibility. And Tim asked if I'd like to work on it myself. Danielle, Jim, a few others, we did, and we came up that first initial specification and launched it as part of the Web Accessibility Initiative, which we created in 1997 from there, my career just took off. I went off did a couple of small companies that I launched, you know, my namesake company, the Paciello Group, or TPG, now called TPG IGI, yeah, yeah, which was acquired by vector capital, or this bureau back in 2017 so it's hard to believe that's already almost 10 years ago. No, yeah. And I've been walking in, working in the software, web accessibility field, usability field, writing fields, you know, for some pretty close to 45 years. It's 2025 40 years, I mean, and I started around 1984 I think it was 8384 when all this first Michael Hingson ** 07:59 started. Wow, so clearly, you've been doing it for a while and understand a lot of the history of it. So how overall has the whole concept of web accessibility changed over the years, not only from a from a coding standpoint, but how do you think it's really changed when it comes to being addressed by the public and companies and so on. Mike Paciello ** 08:26 That's a great question. I'd certainly like to be more proactive and more positive about it, but, but let me be fair, if you compare today and where web accessibility resides, you know, in the in the business value proposition, so to speak, and list the priorities of companies and corporations. You know, fortune 1000 fortune 5000 call whatever you whatever you want. Accessibility. Is there people? You could say section five way you could say the Web Accessibility Initiative, WCAG, compliance, and by and large, particularly technology driven, digital economy driven businesses, they know what it is. They don't know how to do it. Very rarely do they know how to do it. And even the ones that know how to do it don't really do it very well. So it kind of comes down to the 8020, rule, right? You're a business. Whatever kind of business you are, you're probably in more online presence than ever before, and so a lot of your digital properties will come under you know the laws that mandate usability and accessibility for people with disabilities today that having been said and more and more people know about it than ever before, certainly from the time that I started back in the you know, again, in the early, mid 80s, to where we are today. It's night and day. But in terms of prioritization, I don't know. I think what happens quite often is business value proposition. Decisions get in the way. Priorities get in the way of what a business in, what its core business are, what they're trying to accomplish, who they're trying to sell, sell to. They still view the disability market, never mind the blind and low vision, you know, market alone as a niche market. So they don't make the kind of investors that I, I believe that they could, you know, there's certainly, there are great companies like like Microsoft and and Google, Amazon, Apple, you know, a lot of these companies, you know, have done some Yeoman work at that level, but it's nowhere near where it should be. It just absolutely isn't. And so from that standpoint, in where I envision things, when I started this career was when I was in my 20 somethings, and now I'm over now I'm over 60. Well over 60. Yeah, I expected a lot more in, you know, in an internet age, much, much more. Michael Hingson ** 11:00 Yeah, yeah. Well, it's it's really strange that so much has happened and yet so much hasn't happened. And I agree with you, there's been a lot of visibility for the concept of accessibility and inclusion and making the the internet a better place, but it is so unfortunate that most people don't know how to how to do anything with it. Schools aren't really teaching it. And more important than even teaching the coding, from from my perspective, looking at it more philosophically, what we don't tend to see are people really recognizing the value of disabilities, and the value that the market that people with disabilities bring to the to the world is significant. I mean, the Center for Disease Control talks about the fact that they're like up to 25% of all Americans have some sort of disability. Now I take a different approach. Actually. I don't know whether you've read my article on it, but I believe everyone on the in the in the world has a disability, and the reality is, most people are light dependent, but that's as much a disability as blindness. Except that since 1878 when Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. We have focused nothing short of trying to do everything we can to improve light on demand for the last 147 years. And so the disability is mostly covered up, but it's still there. Mike Paciello ** 12:37 You know, yeah, and I did read that article, and I couldn't agree with you more. In fact, I personally think, and I actually have my own blog coming out, and probably later this month might be early, early July, where I talk about the fact that accessibility okay and technology really has been all along. And I love the fact that you call, you know, you identified the, you know, the late 1800s there, when Edison did the the light bulb, Alexander Graham Bell came up with, you know, the telephone. All of those adventures were coming about. But accessibility to people with disabilities, regardless of what their disability is, has always been a catalyst for innovation. That was actually supposed to be the last one I was going to make tonight. Now it's my first point because, because I think it is exactly as you said, Mike, I think that people are not aware. And when I say people, I mean the entire human population, I don't think that we are aware of the history of how, how, because of, I'm not sure if this is the best word, but accommodating users, accommodating people with disabilities, in whatever way, the science that goes behind that design architectural to the point of development and release, oftentimes, things that were done behalf of people with disabilities, or for People with disabilities, resulted in a fundamental, how's this for? For an interesting term, a fundamental alteration right to any other you know, common, and I apologize for the tech, tech, tech language, user interface, right, right? Anything that we interact with has been enhanced because of accessibility, because of people saying, hey, if we made this grip a little bit larger or stickier, we'll call it so I can hold on to it or softer for a person that's got fine motor dexterity disabilities, right? Or if we made a, you know, a web browser, which, of course, we have such that a blind individual, a low vision individual, can adjust the size of this, of the images and the fonts and things like that on a web page, they could do that unknown. Well, these things now. As we well know, help individuals without disabilities. Well, I'm not much, right, and I, again, I'm not speaking as a person beyond your characterization that, hey, look, we are all imperfect. We all have disabilities. And that is, that is absolutely true. But beyond that, I wear glasses. That's it. I do have a little hearing loss too. But you know, I'm finding myself more and more, for example, increasing the size of text. In fact, my note, yes, I increase them to, I don't know they're like, 18 point, just so that it's easier to see. But that is a common thing for every human being, just like you said. Michael Hingson ** 15:36 Well, the reality is that so many tools that we use today come about. And came about because of people with disabilities. Peggy Chung Curtis Chung's wife, known as the blind history lady, and one of the stories that she told on her first visit to unstoppable mindset, which, by the way, is episode number five. I remember that Peggy tells the story of the invention of the typewriter, which was invented for a blind countist, because she wanted to be able to communicate with her lover without her husband knowing about it, and she didn't want to dictate things and so on. She wanted to be able to create a document and seal it, and that way it could be delivered to the lever directly. And the typewriter was the result of Mike Paciello ** 16:20 that? I didn't know that. I will definitely go back. I just wrote it down. I wrote down a note that was episode number five, yeah, before with Curtis a couple of times, but obviously a good friend of ours, yeah, but I yeah, that's, that's, that's awesome. Michael Hingson ** 16:37 Well, and look at, I'll tell you one of the things that really surprises me. So Apple was going to get sued because they weren't making any of their products accessible. And before the lawsuit was filed, they came along and they said, we'll fix it. And they did make and it all started to a degree with iTunes U but also was the iPhone and the iPod and so on. But they they, they did the work. Mostly. They embedded a screen reader called Voiceover in all of their operating systems. They did make iTunes you available. What really surprises me, though is that I don't tend to see perhaps some things that they could do to make voiceover more attractive to drivers so they don't have to look at the screen when a phone call comes in or whatever. And that they could be doing some things with VoiceOver to make it more usable for sighted people in a lot of instances. And I just don't, I don't see any emphasis on that, which is really surprising to me. Mike Paciello ** 17:38 Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, there are a lot of use cases there that you go for. I think Mark Rico would certainly agree with you in terms of autonomous driving for the blind, right? Sure that too. But yeah, I definitely agree and, and I know the guy that the architect voiceover and develop voiceover for Apple and, boy, why can I think of his last name? I know his first name. First name is Mike. Is with Be My Eyes now and in doing things at that level. But I will just say one thing, not to correct you, but Apple had been in the accessibility business long before voice over Alan Brightman and Gary mulcher were instrumental towards convincing, you know, jobs of the importance of accessibility to people with disabilities, Michael Hingson ** 18:31 right? But they weren't doing anything to make products accessible for blind people who needed screen readers until that lawsuit came along. Was Mike Paciello ** 18:40 before screen readers? Yeah, that was before, Michael Hingson ** 18:43 but they did it. Yeah. The only thing I wish Apple would do in that regard, that they haven't done yet, is Apple has mandates and requirements if you're going to put an app in the App Store. And I don't know whether it's quite still true, but it used to be that if your app had a desktop or it looked like a Windows desktop, they wouldn't accept it in the app store. And one of the things that surprises me is that they don't require that app developers make sure that their products are usable with with VoiceOver. And the reality is that's a it doesn't need to be a really significantly moving target. For example, let's say you have an app that is dealing with displaying star charts or maps. I can't see the map. I understand that, but at least voiceover ought to give me the ability to control what goes on the screen, so that I can have somebody describe it, and I don't have to spend 15 or 20 minutes describing my thought process, but rather, I can just move things around on the screen to get to where we need to go. And I wish Apple would do a little bit more in that regard. Mike Paciello ** 19:52 Yeah, I think that's a great a great thought and a great challenge, if, between me and you. Yeah, I think it goes back to what I said before, even though we both see how accessibility or accommodating users with disabilities has led to some of the most incredible innovations. I mean, the Department of Defense, for years, would integrate people with disabilities in their user testing, they could better help, you know, military soldiers, things like that, assimilate situations where there was no hearing, there was they were immobile, they couldn't see all, you know, all of these things that were natural. You know, user environments or personas for people with disabilities. So they led to these kind of, you know, incredible innovations, I would tell you, Mike, I think you know this, it's because the business value proposition dictates otherwise. Michael Hingson ** 20:55 Yeah, and, well, I guess I would change that slightly and say that people think that the business proposition does but it may very well be that they would find that there's a lot more value in doing it if they would really open up their minds to looking at it differently. It's Mike Paciello ** 21:10 kind of, it's kind of like, it's tough. It's kind of like, if I could use this illustration, so to speak, for those who may not be religiously inclined, but you know, it's, it's like prophecy. Most people, you don't know whether or not prophecy is valid until years beyond, you know, years after. And then you could look back at time and say, See, it was all along. These things, you know, resulted in a, me, a major paradigm shift in the way that we do or don't do things. And I think that's exactly what you're saying. You know, if, if people would really look at the potential of what technologies like, you know, a voice over or, as you know, a good friend of mine said, Look, we it should be screen readers. It should be voice IO interfaces, right? That every human can use and interact with regardless. That's what we're really talking about. There's Michael Hingson ** 22:10 a big discussion going on some of the lists now about the meta, Ray Ban, glasses, and some of the things that it doesn't do or that they don't do well, that they should like. It's really difficult to get the meta glasses to read completely a full page. I think there are ways that people have now found to get it to do that, but there are things like that that it that that don't happen. And again, I think it gets back to what you're saying is the attitude is, well, most people aren't going to need that. Well, the reality is, how do you know and how do you know what they'll need until you offer options. So one of my favorite stories is when I worked for Kurzweil a long time ago, some people called one day and they wanted to come and see a new talking computer terminal that that Ray and I and others developed, and they came up, and it turns out, they were with one of those initial organizations out of Langley, Virginia, the CIA. And what they wanted to do was to use the map the the terminal connected to their computers to allow them to move pointers on a map and not have to watch the map or the all of the map while they were doing it, but rather, the computer would verbalize where the pointer was, and then they could they could move it around and pin a spot without having to actually look at the screen, because the way their machine was designed, it was difficult to do that. You know, the reality is that most of the technologies that we need and that we use and can use could be used by so much, so many more people, if people would just really look at it and think about it, but, but you're right, they don't. Mike Paciello ** 24:04 You know, it's, of course, raise a raise another good friend of mine. We both having in common. I work with him. I been down his office a few, more than few times, although his Boston office, anyway, I think he's, I'm not sure he's in Newton. He's in Newton. Yeah. Is he still in Newton? Okay. But anyway, it reminded me of something that happened in a similar vein, and that was several years ago. I was at a fast forward forward conference, future forward conference, and a company, EMC, who absorbed by Dell, I think, right, yes, where they all are. So there I was surprised that when that happened. But hey, yeah, yeah, I was surprised that compact bought depth, so that's okay, yeah, right. That HP bought count, right? That whole thing happened. But um, their chief science, chief scientist, I think he was a their CSO chief scientist, Doc. Came up and made this presentation. And basically the presentation was using voice recognition. They had been hired by the NSA. So it was a NSA right to use voice recognition in a way where they would recognize voices and then record those voices into it, out the output the transcript of that right text, text files, and feed them back to, you know, the NSA agents, right? So here's the funny part of that story goes up i i waited he gave his presentation. This is amazing technology, and what could it was like, 99% accurate in terms of not just recognizing American, English speaking people, but a number of different other languages, in dialects. And the guy who gave the presentation, I actually knew, because he had been a dec for many years. So in the Q and A Part I raised by hand. I got up there. He didn't recognize it a few years had gone by. And I said, you know, this is amazing technology. We could really use this in the field that I work in. And he said, Well, how's that? And I said, you know, voice recognition and outputting text would allow us to do now this is probably 2008 2009 somewhere in that area, would allow us to do real time, automated transcription for the Deaf, Captioning. And he looks at me and he he says, Do I know you? This is through a live audience. I said. I said, Yeah, Mark is it was. Mark said, So Mike gas yellow. He said, you're the only guy in town that I know that could turn a advanced, emerging technology into something for people with disabilities. I can't believe it. So that was, that was, but there was kind of the opposite. It was a technology they were focused on making this, you know, this technology available for, you know, government, obviously covert reasons that if they were using it and applying it in a good way for people with disabilities, man, we'd have been much faster, much further along or even today, right? I mean, it's being done, still not as good, not as good as that, as I saw. But that just goes to show you what, what commercial and government funding can do when it's applied properly? Michael Hingson ** 27:41 Well, Dragon, naturally speaking, has certainly come a long way since the original Dragon Dictate. But there's still errors, there's still things, but it does get better, but I hear exactly what you're saying, and the reality is that we don't tend to think in broad enough strokes for a lot of the things that we do, which is so unfortunate, Mike Paciello ** 28:03 yeah? I mean, I've had an old saying that I've walked around for a long time. I should have, I should make a baseball cap, whether something or T shirt. And it simply was, think accessibility, yeah, period. If, if, if we, organizations, people, designers, developers, architects, usability, people, QA, people. If everybody in the, you know, in the development life cycle was thinking about accessibility, or accessibility was integrated, when we say accessibility, we're talking about again, for users with disabilities, if that became part of, if not the functional catalyst, for technology. Man, we'd have been a lot further along in the quote, unquote value chains than we are today. Michael Hingson ** 28:46 One of the big things at least, that Apple did do was they built voiceover into their operating system, so anybody who buys any Apple device today automatically has redundancy here, but access to accessibility, right? Which, which is really the way it ought to be. No offense to vispero and jaws, because they're they're able to fill the gap. But still, if Microsoft had truly devoted the time that they should have to narrate her at the beginning. We might see a different kind of an architecture today. Mike Paciello ** 29:26 You know, I so I want to, by the way, the person that invented that wrote that code is Mike shabanik. That's his name I was thinking about. So Mike, if you're listening to this guy, just hi from two others. And if he's not, he should be, yeah, yeah, exactly right from two other mics. But so let me ask you this question, because I legitimately can't remember this, and have had a number of discussions with Mike about this. So VoiceOver is native to the US, right? Michael Hingson ** 29:56 But no, well, no to to the to the to the. Products, but not just the US. No, Mike Paciello ** 30:02 no, I said, OS, yes, it's native to OS, yeah, right. It's native that way, right? But doesn't it still use an off screen model for producing or, you know, translate the transformation of, you know, on screen to voice. Michael Hingson ** 30:27 I'm not sure that's totally true. Go a little bit deeper into that for me. Mike Paciello ** 30:34 Well, I mean, so NVDA and jaws use this off screen model, right, which is functionally, they grab, will they grab some content, or whatever it is, push it to this, you know, little black box, do all those translations, you know, do all the transformation, and then push it back so it's renderable to a screen reader. Okay, so that's this off screen model that is transparent to the users, although now you know you can get into it and and tweak it and work with it right, right? I recall when Mike was working on the original design of of nary, excuse me, a voiceover, and he had called me, and I said, Are you going to continue with the notion of an off screen model? And he said, Yeah, we are. And I said, Well, when you can build something that's more like what TV Raman has built into Emacs, and it works integral to the actual OS, purely native. Call me because then I'm interested in, but now that was, you know, 1520, years ago, right? I mean, how long has voiceover been around, Michael Hingson ** 31:51 since 2007 Mike Paciello ** 31:54 right? So, yeah, 20 years ago, right? Just shy of 20 years, 18 years. So I don't know. I honestly don't know. I'm Michael Hingson ** 32:02 not totally sure, but I believe that it is, but I can, you know, we'll have to, we'll have to look into that. Mike Paciello ** 32:08 If anyone in the audience is out there looking at you, get to us before we find out. Let us we'll find out at the NFB Michael Hingson ** 32:12 convention, because they're going to be a number of Apple people there. We can certainly ask, there Mike Paciello ** 32:17 you go. That's right, for sure. James Craig is bound to be there. I can ask him and talk to him about that for sure. Yep, so anyway, Michael Hingson ** 32:23 but I think, I think it's a very it's a valid point. And you know, the the issue is that, again, if done right and app developers are doing things right there, there needs to, there ought to be a way that every app has some level of accessibility that makes it more available. And the reality is, people, other than blind people use some of these technologies as well. So we're talking about voice input. You know, quadriplegics, for example, who can't operate a keyboard will use or a mouse can use, like a puff and zip stick to and and Dragon to interact with a computer and are successful at doing it. The reality is, there's a whole lot more opportunities out there than people think. Don't Mike Paciello ** 33:11 I agree with that. I'm shaking my head up and down Mike and I'm telling you, there is, I mean, voice recognition alone. I can remember having a conversation with Tony vitality, one of the CO inventors of the deck talk. And that goes all the way back into the, you know, into the early 90s, about voice recognition and linguistics and what you know, and I know Kurzweil did a lot of working with Terry right on voice utterances and things like that. Yeah, yeah. There's, there's a wide open window of opportunity there for study and research that could easily be improved. And as you said, and this is the point, it doesn't just improve the lives of the blind or low vision. It improves the lives of a number of different types of Persona, disability persona types, but it would certainly create a pathway, a very wide path, for individuals, users without disabilities, in a number of different life scenarios. Michael Hingson ** 34:10 Yeah, and it's amazing how little sometimes that's done. I had the pleasure a few years ago of driving a Tesla down Interstate 15 out here in California. Glad I wasn't there. You bigot, you know, the co pilot system worked. Yeah, you know, I just kept my hands on the wheel so I didn't very much, right? Not have any accidents. Back off now it worked out really well, but, but here's what's really interesting in that same vehicle, and it's something that that I find all too often is is the case if I were a passenger sitting in the front seat, there's so much that I as a passenger don't have access to that other passenger. Do radios now are mostly touchscreen right, which means and they don't build in the features that would make the touchscreen system, which they could do, accessible. The Tesla vehicle is incredibly inaccessible. And there's for a guy who's so innovative, there's no reason for that to be that way. And again, I submit that if they truly make the product so a blind person could use it. Think of how much more a sighted person who doesn't have to take their eyes off the road could use the same technologies. Mike Paciello ** 35:35 You know, Mike, again, you and I are on the same page. I mean, imagine these guys are supposed to be creative and imaginative and forward thinking, right? Could you? Can you imagine a better tagline than something along the lines of Tesla, so user friendly that a blind person can drive it? Yeah? I mean this is, have you heard or seen, you know, metaphorically speaking, or that's okay, a an advertisement or PR done by any, any company, because they're all, all the way across the board, that hasn't featured what it can do to enhance lives of people with disabilities. Where it wasn't a hit. I mean, literally, it was, yeah, you see these commercials played over and over to Apple, Microsoft, Emma, I see McDonald's, Walmart. I mean, I could just name, name the one after another. Really, really outstanding. Salesforce has done it. Just incredible. They would do it, yeah. I mean, there is there any more human centric message than saying, Look what we've built and designed we're releasing to the masses and everyone, anyone, regardless of ability, can use it. Yeah, that, to me, is that's, I agree that's a good route, right for marketing and PR, good, Michael Hingson ** 37:03 yeah. And yet they don't, you know, I see commercials like about one of the one of the eye injections, or whatever Bobby is, Mo or whatever it is. And at the beginning, the woman says, I think I'm losing sight of the world around me. You know that's all about, right? It's eyesight and nothing else. And I appreciate, I'm all for people keeping their eyesight and doing what's necessary. But unfortunately, all too often, we do that at the detriment of of other people, which is so unfortunate. Mike Paciello ** 37:39 Yeah, you know again, not to, not to get off the subject, but one of my favorite books is rethinking competitive advantage, by Ram Sharon. I don't know if you know know him, but the guy is one of my heroes in terms of just vision and Business and Technology. And in this, this book, he wrote this a couple of years ago. He said this one this is his first rule of competition in the digital age. The number one rule was simply this, a personalized consumer experience, key to exponential growth. That's exactly you and I are talking about personally. I want to see interfaces adapt to users, rather than what we have today, which is users having to adapt to the interface. Michael Hingson ** 38:32 Yeah, and it would make so much sense to do so. I hope somebody out there is listening and will maybe take some of this to heart, because if they do it right, they can have a huge market in no time at all, just because they show they care. You know, Nielsen Company did a survey back in 2016 where they looked at a variety of companies and consumers and so on. And if I recall the numbers right, they decided that people with disabilities are 35% more likely to continue to work with and shop, for example, at companies that really do what they can to make their websites and access to their products accessible, as opposed to not. And that's that's telling. It's so very telling. But we don't see people talking about that nearly like we should Mike Paciello ** 39:20 you talk about a business value proposition. There is bullet proof that where you are leaving money on the table, yep, and a lot of it, yeah, exactly. We're not talking about 1000s or hundreds of 1000s. We're talking about billions and trillions, in some instances, not an exaggeration by any stretch of the imagination, very, very simple math. I had this conversation a couple years ago with the CEO of Pearson. At that time, he's retired, but, you know, I told him, if you spent $1 for every person that it was in the world with. Disability, you're, you're, you're talking about 1/4 of the population, right? It's simple math, simple math, Michael Hingson ** 40:08 but people still won't do it. I mean, we taught you to mention section 508, before with the whole issue of web access, how much of the government has really made their websites accessible, even though it's the law? Mike Paciello ** 40:19 Yeah, three years, three or four years ago, they did a study, and they found out that the good that every federal agency, most of the federal agencies, were not even keeping up thinking with reporting of the status, of where they were, and yet that was written right into the five way law. They were mandated to do it, and they still did do Michael Hingson ** 40:37 it. We haven't, you know, the whole Americans with Disabilities Act. Finally, the Department of Justice said that the internet is a place of business, but still, it's not written in the law. And of course, we only see about 3% of all websites that tend to have any level of access. And there's no reason for that. It's not that magical. And again, I go back to what do we do to get schools and those who teach people how to code to understand the value of putting in accessibility right from the outset? Mike Paciello ** 41:10 Yeah, no, I totally agree with you. I think this is what Kate sanka is trying to do with with Teach access. In fact, you know, again, my company, TPG was one of the founding companies have teach access back again, 10 years ago, when it first started. But that's where it starts. I mean, they're, they're pretty much focused on post secondary, university education, but I could tell you on a personal level, I was speaking at my kids grade school, elementary school, because they were already using laptops and computers back then it starts. Then you've got to build a mindset. You've got to build it we you've heard about the accessibility, maturity models coming out of the W, 3c, and in I, double AP. What that speaks to fundamentally, is building a culture within your corporate organization that is think accessibility as a think accessibility mindset, that it is woven into the fiber of every business line, in every technology, software development life cycle, all of the contributors at that level, from A to Z. But if you don't build it into the culture, it's not going to happen. So I would love to see a lot more being done at that level. But yeah, it's, it's, it's a, it's a hero. Yeah, Michael Hingson ** 42:34 we're, we're left out of the conversation so much. Yeah, yeah, totally. So you, you sold TPG, and you then formed, or you had web able and then able Docs. Mike Paciello ** 42:48 So what web able came out was a carve out, one of two carve outs that I had from when I sold TPG. The other was open access technologies, which which eventually was sold to another accessibility company primarily focused on making documentation accessible to meet the WCAG and other standards requirements and web able I carved out. It's been a kind of a hobby of mine now, for since I sold TPG, I'm still working on the back end, ironically, from the get go, so we're talking, you know, again, eight years ago, I had built machine learning and AI into it. From then back then, I did so that what it does is it very simply, goes out and collects 1000s and 1000s of articles as it relates to technology, people with disabilities, and then cleans them up and post them to web able.com I've got a lot more playing for it, but that's in a nutshell. That's what it does. And I don't we do some we do some QA review to make sure that the cleanup in terms of accessibility and the articles are are properly formatted and are accessible. We use the web aim API, but yeah, works like magic. Works like clockwork, and that's got aI uses IBM Watson AI built into it. Yeah, enable docs was abledocs was, how should I say this in a nice way, abledocs was a slight excursion off of my main route. It can work out. I wish it had. It had a lot of potential, much like open access technologies, but they both suffered from owners who really, really not including myself, who just didn't have good vision and in lack humility, Michael Hingson ** 44:43 yeah. How's that? There you go. Well, so not to go political or anything, but AI in general is interesting, and I know that there have been a lot of debates over the last few years about artificial. Intelligence and helping to make websites accessible. There are several companies like AudioEye, user way, accessibe and so on that to one degree or another, use AI. What? What? So in general, what do you think about AI and how it's going to help deal with or not, the whole issue of disabilities and web access, Mike Paciello ** 45:22 yeah, and we're going to set aside Neil Jacobs thoughts on how he sees it in the future, right? Although I have to tell you, he gave me some things to think about, so we'll just set that to to the side. So I think what AI offers today is something that I thought right away when it started to see the, you know, the accessibes, the user ways, the audio, eyes, and all the other companies kind of delving into it, I always saw potential to how's this remediate a fundamental problem or challenge, let's not call it a problem, a challenge that we were otherwise seeing in the professional services side of that equation around web accessibility, right? So you get experts who use validation tools and other tools, who know about code. Could go in and they know and they use usability, they use user testing, and they go in and they can tell you what you need to do to make your digital properties right, usable and accessible. People with disabilities, all well and good. That's great. And believe me, I had some of the best people, if not the best people in the world, work for me at one time. However, there are a couple of things it could not do in it's never going to do. Number one, first and foremost, from my perspective, it can't scale. It cannot scale. You can do some things at, you know, in a large way. For example, if, if a company is using some sort of, you know, CMS content management system in which their entire sites, you know, all their sites, all their digital properties, you know, are woven into templates, and those templates are remediated. So that cuts down a little bit on the work. But if you go into companies now, it's not like they're limited to two or three templates. Now they've got, you know, department upon department upon department, everybody's got a different template. So even those are becoming very vos, very verbose and very plentiful. So accessibility as a manual effort doesn't really scale well. And if it does, even if it could, it's not fast enough, right? So that's what AI does, AI, coupled with automation, speeds up that process and delivers a much wider enterprise level solution. Now again, AI automation is not, is not a whole, is not a holistic science. You know, it's not a silver bullet. David Marathi likes to use the term, what is he? He likes the gold standard. Well, from his perspective, and by the way, David Marathi is CEO of audio. Eye is a combination of automation AI in expert analysis, along with the use of the integration of user testing and by user testing, it's not just personas, but it's also compatibility with the assistive technologies that people with disabilities use. Now, when you do that, you've got something that you could pattern after a standard software development life cycle, environment in which you integrate all of these things. So if you got a tool, you integrate it there. If you've got, you know, a digital accessibility platform which does all this automation, AI, right, which, again, this is the this is a forester foresters take on the the the daps, as they calls it. And not really crazy about that, but that's what they are. Digital Accessibility platforms. It allows us to scale and scale at costs that are much lower, at speeds that are much faster, and it's just a matter of like any QA, you've got to check your work, and you've got it, you can't count on that automation being absolute. We know for a fact that right now, at best, we're going to be able to get 35 to 40% accuracy, some claim, larger different areas. I'm still not convinced of that, but the fact of the matter is, it's like anything else. Technology gets better as it goes, and we'll see improvements over time periods. Michael Hingson ** 49:49 So here's here's my thought, yeah, let's say you use AI in one of the products that's out there. And I. You go to a website and you include it, and it reasonably well makes the website 50% more usable and accessible than it was before. I'm just, I just threw out that number. I know it's random. Go ahead, Yep, yeah, but let's say it does that. The reality is that means that it's 50% that the web developers, the web coders, don't have to do because something else is dealing with it. But unfortunately, their mentality is not to want to deal with that because they also fear it. But, you know, I remember back in the mid 1980s I started a company because I went off and tried to find a job and couldn't find one. So I started a company with a couple of other people, where we sold early PC based CAD systems to architects, right? And we had AutoCAD versus CAD. Another one called point line, which was a three dimensional system using a y cap solid modeling board that took up two slots in your PC. So it didn't work with all PCs because we didn't have enough slots. But anyway, right, right, right. But anyway, when I brought architects in and we talked about what it did and we showed them, many of them said, I'll never use that. And I said, why? Well, it does work, and that's not the question. But the issue is, we charge by the time, and so we take months to sometimes create designs and projects, right? And so we can't lose that revenue. I said, you're looking at it all wrong. Think about it this way, somebody gives you a job, you come back and you put it in the CAD system. You go through all the iterations it takes, let's just say, two weeks. Then you call your customer in. You use point line, and you can do a three dimensional walk through and fly through. You can even let them look out the window and see what there is and all that they want to make changes. They tell you the changes. You go off and you make the changes. And two weeks later, now it's a month, you give them their finished product, all the designs, all the plots and all that, all done, and you charge them exactly the same price you were going to charge them before. Now you're not charging for your time, you're charging for your expertise, right? And I think that same model still holds true that the technology, I think most people will agree that it is not perfect, but there are a lot of things that it can do. Because the reality is, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, are all things that can be defined with computer code, whether it necessarily does it all well with AI or not, is another story. But if it does it to a decent fraction, it makes all the difference in terms of what you're able to do and how quickly you can do Mike Paciello ** 52:52 it. Yeah, I can argue with that at all. I think any time that we can make our jobs a little bit easier so that we can focus where we should be focused. In this case, as you said, the expertise side of it, right to fix those complicated scenarios or situations that require a hands on surgical like Right? Expertise, you can do that now. You've got more hours more time because it's been saved. The only thing I would say, Mike, about what, what you just said, is that there with that, with that mindset, okay, comes responsibility. Oh, yeah, in this is where I think in everybody that knows anything about this environment, you and I have an intimate understanding of this. The whole overlay discussion is the biggest problem with what happened was less about the technology and more about what claims are being made. Yeah, the technology could do which you could not do in, in some cases, could never do, or would never, would never do, well, right? So if you create, and I would submit this is true in as a fundamental principle, if you create a technology of any kind, you must, in truth, inform your clients of of what it can and cannot do so they understand the absolute value to them, because the last thing you want, because, again, we live in a, unfortunately, a very litigious world. Right soon as there's Michael Hingson ** 54:49 a mistake couldn't happen, Mike Paciello ** 54:51 they'll go right after you. So now you know, and again, I don't I'm not necessarily just blaming the ambulance chasers of the world. World. I was talking to an NFP lawyer today. He referred to them in a different name, and I can't remember well, I never heard the expression before, but that's what he meant, right? Yeah, it's the salesman and the product managers and the marketing people themselves, who are were not themselves, to your point, properly trained, properly educated, right? It can't be done, what clearly could not be said, what should or should not be said, right? And then you got lawyers writing things all over the place. So, yeah, yeah. So, so I look people knew when I made the decision to come to audio eye that it was a make or break scenario for me, or at least that's what they thought in my mindset. It always, has always been, that I see incredible possibilities as you do or technology, it just has to be handled responsibly. Michael Hingson ** 55:56 Do you think that the companies are getting better and smarter about what they portray about their products than they than they were three and four and five years ago. Mike Paciello ** 56:08 Okay, look, I sat in and chaired a meeting with the NFB on this whole thing. And without a doubt, they're getting smarter. But it took not just a stick, you know, but, but these large lawsuits to get them to change their thinking, to see, you know, where they where they were wrong, and, yeah, things are much better. There's still some issues out there. I both know it that's going to happen, that happens in every industry, Michael Hingson ** 56:42 but there are improvements. It is getting better, and people are getting smarter, and that's where an organization like the NFB really does need to become more involved than in a sense, they are. They took some pretty drastic steps with some of the companies, and I think that they cut off their nose, despite their face as well, and that didn't help. So I think there are things that need to be done all the way around, but I do see that progress is being made too. I totally Mike Paciello ** 57:11 agree, and in fact, I'm working with them right now. We're going to start working on the California Accessibility Act again. I'm really looking forward to working with the NFB, the DRC and Imperato over there and his team in the disability rights consortium, consortium with disability rights. What DRC coalition, coalition in in California. I can't wait to do that. We tried last year. We got stopped short. It got tabled, but I feel very good about where we're going this year. So that's, that's my that's, that is my focus right now. And I'm glad I'm going to be able to work with the NFB to be able to do that. Yeah, well, I, I really do hope that it passes. We've seen other states. We've seen some states pass some good legislation, and hopefully we will continue to see some of that go on. Yeah, Colorado has done a great job. Colorado sent a great job. I think they've done it. I really like what's being done with the EAA, even though it's in Europe, and some of the things that are going there, Susanna, Lauren and I had some great discussions. I think she is has been a leader of a Yeoman effort at that level. So we'll see. Let's, let's, I mean, there's still time out here. I guess I really would like to retire, Michael Hingson ** 58:28 but I know the feeling well, but I can't afford to yet, so I'll just keep speaking and all that well, Mike, this has been wonderful. I really appreciate you taking an hour and coming on, and at least neither of us is putting up with any kind of snow right now, but later in the year we'll see more of that. Mike Paciello ** 58:45 Yeah, well, maybe you will. We don't get snow down. I have. We've gotten maybe 25 flakes in North Carolina since I've been here. Michael Hingson ** 58:53 Yeah, you don't get a lot of snow. We don't hear we don't really get it here, around us, up in the mountains, the ski resorts get it, but I'm out in a valley, so we don't, yeah, Mike Paciello ** 59:02 yeah, no. I love it. I love this is golfing weather. Michael Hingson ** 59:05 There you go. If people want to reach out to you, how do they do that? Mike Paciello ** 59:11 There's a couple of ways. Certainly get in touch with me at AudioEye. It's michael.paciello@audioeye.com Michael Hingson ** 59:17 B, A, C, I, E, L, L, O, Mike Paciello ** 59:18 that's correct. Thank you for that. You could send me personal email at Mike paciello@gmail.com and or you can send me email at web able. It's m passielo at web able.com, any one of those ways. And please feel free you get on all the social networks. So feel free to link, connect to me. Anyway, I try to respond. I don't think there's anyone I I've not responded to one form or another. Michael Hingson ** 59:46 Yeah, I'm I'm the same way. If I get an email, I want to respond to it. Yeah, well, thanks again for being here, and I want to thank all of you for listening. We really appreciate it. Love to hear your thoughts about this episode. Please feel free to email. Me, you can get me the email address I generally use is Michael h i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, or you can go to our podcast page, which is Michael hingson.com/podcast, and there's a contact form there. But love to hear from you. Love to hear your thoughts, and most of all, please give us a five star rating wherever you're listening. We value your ratings and your reviews a whole lot, so we really appreciate you doing that. And if any of you, and Mike, including you, can think of other people that you think ought to be guests on the podcast, we are always looking for more people, so fill us up, help us find more folks. And we would appreciate that a great deal. So again, Mike, thanks very much. This has been a lot of fun, and we'll have to do it again. Mike Paciello ** 1:00:44 Thanks for the invitation. Mike, I really appreciate it. Don't forget to add 10 Nakata to your list, Michael Hingson ** 1:00:49 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 your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.
This episode of Philanthropy Speaks marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. Host Lynn Williams, Director of Equity & Community Engagement, sits down with Jessica Dixon, Community Advocacy and Peer Specialist at the Disability Network, for a conversation about the disability experience, ableism, intersectionality, and inclusion. Jessica discusses how the Disability Network supports and empowers people with disabilities to live independently in Genesee County, and how the team ensures that people with disabilities have a seat at the table for systems-level conversations. Jessica also shares how her own lived experience, including both visible and non-apparent disabilities, has shaped their work. With humor and heart, Jessica invites listeners to rethink assumptions, center the voices of people with disabilities, and move from pity to partnership.Listen to this episode to understand how "the disability experience is the human experience," and what it means to build a world where everyone can thrive. If you'd like to learn more about the Disability Network, visit disnetwork.org. To learn more about the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, visit cfgf.org. Support the show
A new state law requires social media sites to verify the age of minors trying to sign up for their platforms. A coalition of media companies is challenging that requirement at the U.S. Supreme Court.Then, disability rights leaders say federal cuts could make it harder for folks to get equal opportunities through the Americans with Disabilities Act.Plus, we sit down with MPB's Executive Director, Royal Ails, to discuss how federal cuts to public broadcasting could affect Mississippians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July is Disability Pride Month and the anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the United States. Communications Manager Sheridan Powell sat down with Mark Windle of the Independence Center to talk about Disability Pride Month, accessibility in Colorado Springs and the importance of celebrating disability all year long! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss our next episode! Send any questions or inquiries to Media@VisitCOS.com.
Updates to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations require public colleges to increase their efforts to ensure that digital content meets accessibility standards. In this episode, Sean Moriarty joins us to discuss strategies to foster a culture of access across an institution. Sean is the Chief Technology Officer at SUNY Oswego. Sean and Rebecca have worked collaboratively on digital accessibility initiatives at SUNY Oswego since 2017 A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.
Tensions are growing between some Trump administration officials amid the fallout over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein documents. The Department of Justice announced last week that there's no new evidence to reveal, prompting criticism from some. Sources say FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino didn't show up to work on Friday and was weighing whether to resign after a heated confrontation with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. CBS News' Scott MacFarlane reports. As the Americans with Disabilities Act turns 35, CBS News' Lisa Ling speaks with a family navigating unequal access to adoption services and the fight to secure rights many take for granted.Women make up more than half of U.S. drivers, but are 73% more likely to suffer serious injuries in a crash than men, and are 17% more likely to be killed, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A bipartisan group of women senators are hoping female crash test dummies could help solve the issue. In a statement, the DOT said Secretary Sean Duffy "appreciates Congress' interest in resolving this issue and is committed to accelerating the process to improve safety for all Americans," adding regulators are in the process of testing and evaluating updates to the new test dummies. CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave reports. As part of "Dear David" month on CBS Mornings, David Begnaud spotlights three powerful stories: Jessica Caldwell, a Texas custodian who earned four degrees while raising four kids; Ian Burke, a mailman who rescued a beloved dog after its owner died; and Jaden Brunz, a former graffiti artist who transformed his second chance into a citywide art project in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.As part of our "Never Too Late" series, Paula Ebben of CBS Boston's WBZ fulfills a lifelong goal by spending the day as a Red Sox ballgirl at historic Fenway Park. Author Daniel Silva joins "CBS Mornings" to talk about his newest novel, a fast-paced international mystery filled with stolen treasure, murder, and secrets inside the Vatican. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In a powerful episode of On the Brink with Andi Simon, I sat down with Joyce Salzberg, an extraordinary woman whose life and work illuminate the intersection of personal resilience, professional purpose, and societal transformation. Joyce is the co-founder and co-CEO of Sunny Days, a national provider of early intervention and autism services, and the founder of Oxford Consulting, which supports schools and adults with developmental needs. But her journey began with a painful turning point—and became a lesson in turning adversity into impact. A Catalyst for Change: From Breast Cancer to Bold Beginnings Joyce's career in early childhood intervention took an unexpected turn after a breast cancer diagnosis while serving as the Associate Executive Director of United Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey. Despite undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, she continued working tirelessly—only to be told her insurance premiums had become a burden and, soon after, that her position was no longer needed. Rather than retreat, Joyce fought back. She filed a lawsuit, becoming one of the first to test the newly passed Americans with Disabilities Act as a cancer survivor. The case garnered national attention and, ultimately, inspired Joyce to launch Sunny Days in 1994. Pioneering a New Model of Care Starting in the basement of her home, Joyce reimagined how services could be delivered. While others were focused on center-based programs, Sunny Days sent occupational, speech, and physical therapists into the child's natural environment—their home. Joyce's vision was validated when Congress reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1998, mandating that early intervention services be delivered in those very environments. Her innovation wasn't just timely—it was transformative. Today, Sunny Days serves families in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, California, and more. Her son now leads operations in New York, her daughter supports administration, and Oxford Consulting continues to expand services for school-aged children and adults. You may enjoy our YouTube video of this podcast: Leading with Purpose, Scaling with Precision Running a mission-driven company isn't just about compassion—it's about operational excellence. Joyce built Sunny Days and Oxford Consulting with no formal business training, relying instead on her background as a social worker, her experience managing programs, and her keen ability to recruit the right experts, understand government regulations, and manage complex budgets. Today, Joyce oversees a team of 15 directors, with leadership succession plans in place to ensure her legacy lives on. The organization's services are not only clinically sound—they're deeply personal. Joyce continues to receive emails from parents whose children have made remarkable progress because of Sunny Days' early intervention programs. Policy Challenges and a Call to Action Despite its success, Joyce is clear-eyed about the challenges ahead. Funding for early intervention, especially through Medicaid, is at risk. In states like New Jersey and New York, where the majority of children served rely on Medicaid, the future of these programs is in jeopardy. She urges policymakers to recognize that early intervention is not an expense—it's an investment. Getting services to children between birth and age three can dramatically reduce the long-term costs associated with developmental disabilities. As Joyce explains, “We save Part B of IDEA money by intervening early, helping children reach developmental milestones before entering school.” Giving Back with Grace Joyce's success has come full circle. A first-generation college graduate from a working-class family in Philadelphia, she never forgot her roots. In 2019, she donated $1 million to Temple University to create the Joyce K. Salzberg Center for Professional Development, helping liberal arts students prepare for meaningful careers. She also established scholarships for single mothers, recognizing how hard that journey can be. Her advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs? Network relentlessly. “You never know who will open the next door,” she says. And most importantly, listen to what others see in you. Sometimes others recognize your potential before you do. I know you are going to want to know more about Sunny Days and Joyce Salzberg. Here is where to find out more: https://www.sunnydays.com/ https://www.oxfordconsulting.com/ Listen to these other podcasts or read the blogs about them: 438: How Nicole Loftus Is Disrupting Venture Capital 437: Erika Baez Grimes: Purpose-Driven Business Transitions 436: Women, #WorkSchoolHours Can Transform Your Life Connect with me: Website: www.simonassociates.net Email: info@simonassociates.net Books: Learn more about our books here: Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights Listen + Subscribe: Available wherever you get your podcasts—Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and more. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share with someone navigating their own leadership journey. Reach out and contact us if you want to see how a little anthropology can help your business grow. Let's Talk! From Observation to Innovation, Andi Simon, PhD CEO | Corporate Anthropologist | Author Simonassociates.net Info@simonassociates.net @simonandi
The vast majority of care recipients are exclusively receiving unpaid care from a family member, friend, or neighbor. The rest receive a combination of family care and paid assistance, or exclusively paid formal care. Whether you're a paid home care provider, or rely on personal assistance to meet your daily needs, or a family member caring for a loved one, the nature of the working relationship depends on mutual respect and dignity. During this week's anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we'll revisit the dynamic and complex relationship of care receiving and giving. Covering the movements, issues and people fighting for some of the most important social justice issues of our time. Hosted by Amy Gastelum, Salima Hamirani, Anita Jonhson, and Lucy Kang. Sign up for program alerts and sneak peeks from Making Contact at: http://ow.ly/1FkV30aq1z2 The post Caring Relationships: Disability and Maintaining Dignity (Encore) appeared first on KPFA.
To kick off our series highlighting the fight for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act we have on NDRN's founder and former Executive Director Curt Decker.
Deborah Burgess returns to discuss the evolution of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the 1960s to present day, exploring how what began with the Civil Rights movement has grown into a projected $24.4 billion global industry by 2030.• History of DEI from the 1960s with affirmative action to today's comprehensive approaches• Notable milestones including the first Employee Resource Group at Xerox in the 1970s• Americans with Disabilities Act signed by George H.W. Bush in 1991• How social movements like Me Too (founded by Tarana Burke) and Black Lives Matter shaped modern DEI• Current backlash against DEI initiatives and how terminology may evolve while the work continues• DEI's global growth despite political challenges, with companies recognizing both moral and business imperatives• The importance of courage in continuing to advocate for equity and inclusion• White allies' responsibility to have difficult conversations and call in problematic behaviorFind Mia On Social Media here. Listen and subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Today we discuss the power of your voice to elected officials. Also, are doordash and uber eats ADA compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act). Rideshare Rodeo Brand & Podcast: https://linktr.ee/RideshareRodeo
Animals rescue people all the time, but not like this. In this episode, first aired more than a decade ago, Jim Eggers is a 44-year-old man who suffers from a problem that not only puts his life at risk—it jeopardizes the safety of everybody around him. But with the help of Sadie, his pet African Grey Parrot, Jim found an unlikely way to manage his anger. African Grey Parrot expert Irene Pepperberg helps us understand how this could work, and shares some insights from her work with a parrot named Alex.And one quick note from our producer Pat Walters: Jim considers Sadie to be a “service animal,” a designation under the Americans with Disabilities Act that protects the rights of individuals with disabilities to bring certain animals into public places. The term service animal sometimes is legally limited to include only dogs and miniature horses. Jim disagrees with those limitations, but the local bus company, regardless of definitions, said they'll make an exception for Sadie.