Podcasts about disabilities act

Jack McElaney, Chief Revenue Officer at Microassist, has published the weekly newsletter Accessibility in the News for 10 years. He started in 2016 by emailing articles to colleagues he met at conferences. Then people began asking to subscribe.Jack spends about 22 hours a week on it, on top of his day job. It carries no advertising and no sponsors, and it is free, because many people in the disability community can't spare the cost.Neil Milliken, Debra Ruh and Antonio Vieira Santos ask Jack how he finds his stories and which news sources have disappeared or grown. Jack explains Title I, Title II and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act for listeners outside the United States. He covers why the Department of Justice delay on Title II matters to disabled people who have waited years for access, and why lawsuits under Title III get less coverage than they used to.The conversation also covers discrimination against disabled people in artificial intelligence hiring tools, accessible voting, and what Japan can teach other countries about an ageing population. Jack argues that people aged 62 to 80 will be hurt most when digital services aren't accessible.Subscribe to the newsletter at microassist.com/digital-access/newsSend us Fan MailSupport the showFollow axschat on social media.Bluesky:Antonio https://bsky.app/profile/akwyz.comDebra https://bsky.app/profile/debraruh.bsky.socialNeil https://bsky.app/profile/neilmilliken.bsky.socialaxschat https://bsky.app/profile/axschat.bsky.socialLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/antoniovieirasantos/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/axschat/https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilmilliken/Vimeohttps://vimeo.com/akwyzhttps://twitter.com/axschathttps://twitter.com/AkwyZhttps://twitter.com/neilmillikenhttps://twitter.com/debraruh

The big Republican tax and spending law that President Donald Trump signed a little more than a year ago made significant cuts to Medicaid funding. States scrambling to make up for that deficit are now pulling back on some home health services. Today, we'll get into the promises codified by the Americans with Disabilities Act, how Medicaid cuts threaten those promises, and what it means for folks with disabilities and the elderly. Plus, what the Fed's rate hike means for everyday borrowing costs.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.Stories featured in this episode:What Medicaid cuts mean for those who rely on home healthcare

The big Republican tax and spending law that President Donald Trump signed a little more than a year ago made significant cuts to Medicaid funding. States scrambling to make up for that deficit are now pulling back on some home health services. Today, we'll get into the promises codified by the Americans with Disabilities Act, how Medicaid cuts threaten those promises, and what it means for folks with disabilities and the elderly. Plus, what the Fed's rate hike means for everyday borrowing costs.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace Morning Report is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.Stories featured in this episode:What Medicaid cuts mean for those who rely on home healthcare

The lessons I carried away from September 11 did not begin that day, and they certainly did not end there. In this solo episode, I reflect on how my parents taught me not to accept the limits others placed on blindness, how my guide dogs taught me about trust and teamwork, and how September 11 confirmed so much of what I already believed about fear, leadership, change, and possibility. I share why I work hard not to worry about things I cannot control, why I believe we can never truly go back to “normal,” and why strong teams are built through trust rather than control. I also challenge some of the ways we think about blindness and disability, because different does not mean less capable. I hope these lessons help you think differently about fear, change, leadership, and what it really means to live with an unstoppable mindset. Highlights: 00:46 – Why the lessons of September 11 began long before that day. 08:56 – How Michael learned that blindness is not the real barrier. 17:13 – Why focusing on what you can control can reduce fear. 24:28 – Why getting back to “normal” is not always the answer. 32:30 – What guide dogs taught Michael about trust and teamwork. 1:01:37 – Why disability does not mean a lack of ability. About the Host: Michael Hingson, blind since birth, was born in Chicago to sighted parents who believed in raising their son with a can-do attitude. Treated like all other children in his family, Michael rode a bike did advanced math in his head and learn to read and write – Braille that is! Michael's family relocated to the warm Palmdale area of California when he was five years old. It is here that Hingson had his first adventure with Guide Dogs for the Blind and received his first guide dog. He later went to college receiving a bachelor's and master's degree in Physics along with a secondary teaching credential from the University of California at Irvine. Michael then enjoyed a nearly-30-year career working for high tech companies spending most of his time in management roles. Michael Hingson's life changed dramatically on September 11, 2001 when he and his guide dog, Roselle, escaped from the 78th floor of Tower One in the World Trade Center moments before it collapsed. Soon after, Michael and Roselle were thrust into the international limelight where Michael began to share his unique survival story and 9-11 lessons of trust, courage, heroism, and teamwork. Mike has served as The National Public Affairs Director for one of the largest Nonprofit organizations in the nation: Guide Dogs for the Blind; He has served as the vice president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users; Michael has held a seat on the Fort Worth Lighthouse for the Blind. He is the chair of the board of directors of the Earle Baum Center for the Blind  and is the vice chair of the Colorado Center for the Blind; Michael is The National Ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign of the National Federation of the Blind. Until October 2019 he worked as the CEO of the Do More Foundation, the non-profit arm of Aira Tech Corp, a manufacturer of assistive technology which makes a revolutionary visual interpreter for blind people. In January 2021 Mike joined accessiBe as its Chief Vision Officer to help advance the company goal of making the entire internet fully inclusive. He held this position through June of 2026. He is the author of the #1 New York Times Best Seller: “Thunder dog –The True Story of a Blind Man, a Guide Dog & the Triumph of Trust” – selling over 2.5 million copies Worldwide. In 2013 Mr. Hingson published his 2 book “Running with Roselle”- which Is the first of its kind- A story for our youth shedding light on one of Americas Darkest Days. Mr. Hingson's third book, “Live Like A Guide Dog”, was released on August 20, 2024. This book shows readers how they can learn to control fear and not, as Mike would say, “become blinded by fear in the face of crisis”. Aside from his talents and advocacies, Mr. Hingson has traveled the Globe from Japan to New Zealand, the Netherlands to his hometown, Chicago. Speaking to some of the world's most elite: from former President, George W. Bush to Larry King, to Fortune 500 companies and colleges and Universities Nationwide. After sharing his story of survival on hundreds of TV and Radio programs, Michael is now an Expert hired by many of today's major corporations and organizations. Speaking and consulting on the importance of Teamwork and Trust, Moving from Diversity to Inclusion, as well as offering Adaptive Technology Training – spearheading innovation for ALL! - Thus, bringing organizations to the forefront of the ever-changing competitive modern world. In June, 2024 Mike was inducted as an alumni member into the honors Fraternity Phi Beta Kappa. Currently Michael lives in Victorville, California with Alamo, Michael's eighth guide dog and his rescue feline, Stitch. More information on Mr. Hingson is available on his website. Here also is a link to Mr. Hingson's press kit: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/q8uxu9u7pap4puj5de7rg/h?rlkey=22bziy0wmghf8111kad73685y&dl=0 http://www.michaelhingson.com/live-like-a-guide-dog www.michaelhingson.com www.michaelhingson.com/podcast Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/mhingson https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://www.facebook.com/Roselle911GuideDog/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1568642850718948 https://www.facebook.com/?paipv=0&eav=AfZNi2VDR2R4nC6SveyCvZIyKtyi9VOLOzOKcG-v0Hk1glaVssEHwdR920w1_u-8B-k&_rdr https://www.facebook.com/?paipv=0&eav=AfZNi2VDR2R4nC6SveyCvZIyKtyi9VOLOzOKcG-v0Hk1glaVssEHwdR920w1_u-8B-k&_rdr Twitter, https://twitter.com/mhingson LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson Youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfCx2L9OVN38Dv4mX6udP8g 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  00:04 What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe? Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingson, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head-on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together, we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Well, hello, everyone. I am Michael Hingson. I am your host on Unstoppable Mindset, and this happens to be episode 475. Yeah, we've done a lot of these, and most all of them have been conversations with people who said that they wanted to come on the podcast and talk about one thing or another. And I was really pleased to have them. This episode is going to be a little bit different, as the last few have been. Episode 472, which we published on September 4, was a talk I gave in April of 2024, which told my story of being in the World Trade Center on september 11, on episode 473 on the eighth of September, Michelle Abraham interviewed me, and we talked about a number of things around september 11 and so on. Episode 474, which was published on the 11th of September, 2026. was a conversation with Bob Ellis, who was in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, an escape, and we hear his story, and we got to chat and kind of talked about notes from both of us. Now it's episode 475, and it was suggested that I ought to talk about things that I learned from September 11th and how my life has changed, and I'm going to do the best I can to talk about all that. So you're just going to be hearing me today. I hope you won't go away. I hope that you'll enjoy it. I just returned from speaking all week from September 9th through September 11th in Kilgore, Texas, at Kilgore College, they did an incredible job of doing some things to help people become aware of September 11th. They actually had in the library and around the library at Kilgore College a monument to September 11th. They had some columns or portions of columns from the World Trade Center. They had a list of all of the names. They had flags in a in a in several rows with the names of all of the people who were lost on September 11th. They had a timeline from my book Thunderdog: The Story of a Blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at Ground Zero-a timeline of what I experienced, and they also had, I think, a timeline of just the World Trade Center events in in general. Well, okay, so all of that happened. I got back last night, and now here it is, Sunday. It is the 13th of September, and I'm recording this so that we can publish it on Tuesday, september 15. So that's a little bit of a long way to get to where we are. But as I said, people asked me to talk about what I learned that day, and how I proceeded and progressed from that day, but I have to go back to long before September 11th to really do everything justice and to put it all in context. So let me start this way. I believe that I have said a few times on this podcast, and certainly in some of the speeches that I've given, that I was born two months premature, and I was given a pure oxygen environment when I was born, because I was born early. Medical science had started to hear that even too much oxygen might not necessarily be a good thing, but the doctors in Chicago where I was born didn't buy into that concept yet, and so the result was I was given a pre-oxygen environment, and my retinas didn't develop as they should, and I became blind. So was I born blind? If you're very technical, no. But for all intents and purposes, yes. The doctors told my parents to send me to a home, to send me away, because no blind child could ever. Michael Hingson  04:59 Grow up to amount to anything, and all I would be would would end up being a drain on my family, sucking up all the love that my parents might have had for their older son, two years older than I, my brother Ellery. But the reality is, my parents said you're wrong. He can grow up to do whatever he chooses, and we're going to give him that opportunity. And I grew up with that idea. I grew up with that concept. My parents told me at some point when I was still fairly young about what the doctors had said, and they said, "You know, we think that you can do whatever you want. We want you to have that opportunity. Well, they did a number of things to help the process along. For example, we lived in Chicago until I was five, but at the age of four, typically children in in Illinois start or in Chicago start kindergarten, and I did as well. My parents worked with other parents and the school district to start a kindergarten class for children who were blind, and there were a number of preemies in the Chicago area. In that class, Miss Lapree, my teacher, taught me Braille. See, I remember her name. Taught me Braille. Taught me other skills. Taught the other blind kids because it was a kindergarten class for blind children. Taught us all a variety of different things that we could use, and then unfortunately, in a sense, I guess after kindergarten at the age of four, and it was over, my father had gotten an offer and took a job out in California, and we moved to California. Well, in California, kindergarten starts at five, and even though I had had a course in kindergarten already, I had to go through a second year of it, but we didn't have any kind of facilities to teach us or teach me about Braille going forward, getting me Braille books and so on. So kindergarten, first, second, and third grade, I didn't have access directly to textbook material. My parents helped me though. My father taught me math. He was an electronics and electrical engineer. I was doing algebra in my head by the time I was six. My mother read other assignments to me, taught me the spelling words because in first, second, and third grade you learned to spell, and in theory beyond third grade as well, of course. But what happened for me was that I learned about spelling by my mother teaching me how to spell the words, and then she would say the words, and then I would spell them. Well, that ended up going even further because typically in classrooms, what happened was that when it came time to take the actual spelling test, which happened on Fridays, the teacher would say the words. All of us or all the children in the class would write down the answers. Then we would exchange papers, and the teacher would then write the correct spellings on the board. Not in my class. I had to. Well, I got to get up. I. I don't want to say I had to. That's a lesson that I want to get to. wasn't that I had to get up. I got to get up, and actually spell the words out loud. I remember once missing a word, at least starting to miss a word, and somebody made a noise, and I realized, oh, that must be wrong, and I corrected it. But I learned how to spell words, and I learned to spell them out loud for the whole class, and not be afraid of them, and that way students could grade each other's papers. And so, in a sense, I could say that's where I started to learn how to be involved in doing public speaking, and I learned not to be afraid of standing up and and saying things as long as they were the right kinds of things. Well, between third and fourth grade, I got access to Braille books. Cora Hershberger was hired by the school district to come in. She was a resource teacher with training in dealing with blindness and blind kids and so on. Michael Hingson  08:56 And there were a number of us, and she she was able to get us books, she was able to work with each of us and prove our Braille skills and my Braille skills especially, and so on. So I tell you all of that because I want to put things in perspective, and I think that the most important thing is the doctors told my parents that I couldn't do anything. My parents said, "Of course he can, and they brought me up believing that I could. So I rode a bicycle to school. Everybody still thinks that's amazing. One of the important things that I have learned over the years, and I've learned to articulate it even more effectively. I hope, certainly, I believe better since the World Trade Center, and I became a full-time keynote public speaker, which I've been doing for 25 years, I have learned to discuss this whole concept of blindness and accept the fact that there are going to be a lot of people who have eyesight who get it wrong. They think that, like the doctor said, blind people really can't do anything. You can't absorb the same material, or at least you don't get the same. As sighted people do, so you really aren't going to be able to do the things that we can do. And I have learned that I can't be angry at that. I've learned that in reality, I need to articulate the fact that blindness isn't the problem. The problem happens to be the misconceptions and poor attitudes that people have about blindness. It would be so easy just to be upset every time I hear some comment that talks about what I can do and what I can't do. You can't really ride a bicycle. That's amazing that you could do that. I can't imagine anybody else doing it. I know lots of blind kids who rode bikes, and I'm sure that they still do. Blindness isn't the problem. The reality is the problem consists of the misconceptions and poor attitudes that sighted people have about blindness. Whether you like it or not, that's the way it is. Blindness isn't the problem. We can learn to do the same things pretty much that you can do, and we can learn to do things that you can't do, and we learn all of that and use that knowledge to help us move forward and be more effective. What can I do that you can't do? Try walking around in the dark. You can't do it. You don't know how to do it. You don't have the techniques to do it. One of the things that has cropped up over the past significant number of years is restaurants do something called dining in the dark. Dining in the dark, and there are organizations that promote that, and they say, "Oh, you get to learn how blind people eat and how much of a challenge it is. That is so disgusting that people do that because dying in the dark isn't going to teach you anything about blindness. You don't get the training that you need in order to function as a blind person. Just like I don't get the training to learn how to function as a sighted person. Although I've spent a lot of time observing sighted people, and I understand a lot about eyesight, and I understand what you can do, and I accept that. But I expect, and I think it is reasonable for you to understand and accept that I can do lots of things. That it's not about eyesight. I wrote a book in 20, and it was published by Thomas Nelson Publishing in 2011. I and Susie Florey wrote the book. It's called Thunderdog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dogs, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero. And there is a section near the end of the book called Guide Dog Wisdom. And number two in Guide Dog Wisdom includes a sentence that says, "Don't let your sight get in the way of your vision. You all strictly deal with eyesight, and if it's not something that you can see with your eyes, or you don't really separate eyesight from vision, you tend to really misunderstand so many things. But the reality is, don't let your sight get in the way of your vision. Recognize there's a whole lot more to life than eyesight. Michael Hingson  13:01 SEAL Team Six, other military teams, so many other people learn how to use those other senses, and that's the same thing that we as blind people do. We learn to use our other senses. They're not magically enhanced simply because we go blind, but rather we learn how to use those senses? I hope, or we try to, and by doing so, we improve them and we develop them. And those of us who truly do that are a lot more better off, and we're able to do so many things that people think are amazing, but they're not. They're not really amazing. They're certainly not amazing to me. Anyway, I grew up believing all of that, and of course, I was also very fortunate to have a number of jobs throughout my career. And the final result of all of that was I ended up getting the opportunity to open an office in the World Trade Center for Quantum ATL, the company that hired me to open an office in New York, and there we were on September 11th when everything happened. The night, as September 11th ended, was spent by me and my wife Karen. By the way, Karen was in a wheelchair her whole life. We got married in November of 1982, and we were married through into November of 2022. We were married 40 years. Karen was in a wheelchair her whole life. It was a great marriage, as I love to tell people. She read, I pushed, worked out well. How do I push a person in a wheelchair? Well, she used a manual chair, and when we got to curbs and so on, she would stop, and she would hold the wheels, and and I knew that she had stopped. And I would tip the chair back. She might say, "There's a curb. I would tip the chair back onto its back wheels. We'd roll down off the curb, put the chair down. We'd cross the street, tip the chair up. Front wheels go up on the curb on the other side, unless there was a ramp to go up. And we continued on our way. It's not that magical. It is just what I learned to do, and I enjoyed it. and And I enjoyed Karen's company and so on for 40 years. We were locked down during the pandemic and so on. We'll get to some of that in a bit. But I learned overall that in reality, what my parents taught me was true. Blindness wasn't going to be the problem; eyesight was going to be the problem. And that night after September 11th, we kind of tried to make sense of it. It was me and Karen and a friend of Karen's who I also got to know, and who became a friend of mine. Tom Painter had come down. Tom and Karen went to the same high school, but we all ended up in New Jersey. And Tom came to visit us, actually visit Karen after September 11th started. When he heard about the terrorist attacks, he just came down, not knowing whether I was in the office or not. But I was, and Karen and Tom, well, Tom stayed with Karen and and drove her to pick me up at the Westfield, New Jersey train station at about 7p.m. on september 11. We went home with my guide dog Roselle. When we got home, I took Roselle's harness off because I was going to take her outside. She would have none of it. She ran off. She grabbed her favorite tug bone and started playing tug of war with my retired guide dog Linnie. Well, that was kind of fun, and I didn't think a lot about it. But I went. That was interesting. The next day, I contacted Guide Dogs for the Blind because several people from there had visited us in the World Trade Center, and among others, I spoke to the head of the veterinary department, and I said, "So, tell me, how is all this going to affect Roselle? Because everybody's talking about how it's going to affect everyone and all that, and and he asked me, "Did anything threaten directly Roselle? Did anything really threaten her? And I said, No, not really. Nothing directly affected her. And he said, Well, there you go. Dogs don't do what if. They live in the moment. Michael Hingson  17:13 And when you took the harness off, it was over for her, and she was ready to go play. She wanted to relax. She wanted to play, and she did. Oh, and yes, we did eventually get her outside. But the bottom line is, I think that's one of the most important things that I learned coming out of September 11th, and I, I kind of knew it beforehand, but I really got to understand it afterward. We what if everything to death? We what if anything that comes into our lives, well, we're we're in a war with Iran. Well, what if Iran bombs us? What if Iran does this? What if the Hooties do that? What are we going to do? What if our government takes us to war in the first place? Well, they have. The bottom line is, though, we don't have control over all of that. We do have control over some things in our lives, and those are the things that we should worry about. We should stop worrying about everything else. And people say, "Well, it's natural to worry. No, it's not. Not any more natural to worry than it is not to worry. We learn to worry because we're taught that. But the bottom line is, if we learn only to focus on the things over which we truly have control, and be aware of the other things, but don't let them worry us. Don't let them cause fear in our lives. We will live much less fearful and much more stress-free lives than in any other way. If you want another example of why I believe this, on September 11th, David Frank, my colleague who had come in to be involved with the seminars, David had come in the night before, and he came to our office about 8o'clock in the morning on the 11th of September. When we were escaping from the towers, we ended up downstairs and outside. David saw fire in Tower Two, and the way we happened to walk took us very close to Tower Two. We were at Broadway and Vessi Street, maybe 100 yards away from Tower Two. And when David stopped, he said, "You know, there's fire in Tower Two. I want to take pictures of it. And and I also wanted to try to call my wife Karen to let her know that we had gotten out of the towers, I couldn't get through. The circuits were busy because, as we later learned, people were calling and talking to loved ones. But anyway, David had just started putting his camera away. I had put my phone away, and a police officer yelled, "Get out of here! It's coming down right now! And we heard this sound I describe as kind of a combination of a freight train and a waterfall. I could hear glass breaking, metal clattering, and then just the building collapsing straight down. We didn't necessarily know that it was going to do that, but it did. It did exactly what it was designed to do. Anyway, everyone turned and ran. David ran. I turned 180 degrees. With Roselle, and started running back the other way. And as soon as I started to run, I thought to myself, "God, I can't believe that you got us out of a building just to have it fall on us. And I heard in my head a voice as clearly as you hear me right now-a voice that said, "Don't worry about what you can't control, focus on running with Roselle, and the rest will take care of itself. And I had this absolute sense of conviction that if we worked together, we would be fine. Well, we were. Where'd that voice come from? It was God talking to me. I grew up with my father very seriously believing in the concept of God. If you don't, that's fine. That is your choice. I've had people on my podcast who don't necessarily have strong beliefs and convictions about God. I do, but it's not my job to force people or compel people to believe in God. I will tell my story, and people can accept it or reject it as they choose. But that's what happened to me, and I've realized from that time on: don't worry about what you can't control. And I really, truly work very hard to focus on not worrying about the things that I don't have any influence over. Michael Hingson  21:16 I like to be aware of them. I hear from people all the time today about don't watch the news. I don't like to watch the news because it just makes me so angry and so fearful. And my response is, I'm going to watch the news because I want to know what's going on. And sometimes I'll yell at politicians through the TV, but I won't really overall get angry at them. I will hear it. I will either accept it or decide I don't have any influence over it, so I'm not going to worry about it, and I don't because it isn't going to help me to worry about it. It isn't going to help anyone else to worry about any of those kinds of things. Don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on what you can and leave the rest alone, and that's one of the basic premises of the third book that I wrote, which was published in 2024, entitled "Live Like a Guide Dog: True Stories from a Blind Man and His Dogs About Being Brave, Overcoming Adversity, and Moving Forward in Faith. And that book was written by me and Carrie Wyatt Kent. The book was published by Tyndale House, and is out there for people to to read. The first book was published by Thomas Nelson Publishing, which is now part of Harper Collins, and a lady, Jeanette Hanscom, and I wrote the second book, which is called Running with Roselle, which is really a book more for children, teaching them about me growing up, Roselle growing up, and how we met. A little bit about the World Trade Center. That one was self-published, but all three books are available wherever you can find books, so you can get them always from Amazon, of course. And so I hope that that you'll get them and read them. They will help. Live Like a Guide Dog probably is the best book for me to talk about in terms of things that I learned over the years, but if I really summarize mostly what happened for me after September 11th, it is that what happened on that day validated everything that I've believed about me. Certainly, what I believe about God, but it validates everything that I've ever thought about blindness, blind people, what we can do, the challenges we face, some of the issues that other people have, and the validation is certainly something that helped what I learned. But I learned other things along the way, and you know I want to talk about some of those things. The first, as I said, is don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on what you can, and let the rest take care of itself. Speaker 1  23:56 If you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes, thank you for being part of the Unstoppable Mindset Community. One Michael Hingson  24:28 of the things that happened to me almost immediately after September 11th is I started hearing people say, "We got to get back to normal. If we don't get back to normal, that's a problem. We got to get back to normal. And I always reacted internally, at least pretty negatively to that. And I finally realized why I reacted to that statement about we got to get back to normal. The reason I reacted to that statement, and I still react to to myself to that statement, is normal will never be the same again. We can't get back to normal. If we get back to normal the way it was prior to September 11th, the same thing will happen again. We can't do that. We have to get back to a different normal, and and in fact, normal is probably going to be an ongoing, constant process of change. We ought to learn not to fear that either. Change is all around us. We always say that, but then we don't like change. It's kind of a paradox. But the reality is, change is all around us. And what we really need to do is to learn how to focus in change. And we need to learn that in reality, we can deal with change. And if we have any influence over it, then we should do something about that too. But the bottom line is, getting back to normal prior to September 11th isn't going to help any of us, and and it isn't going to happen. So that is an one thing that I will say definitely. I learned from September 11th: normal will never be the same again. As I said a lot earlier, I think I probably learned about public speaking at least the beginning of it by doing the spelling tests and so on. But after September 11th, the media got my story, and that happened because Joanne Ritter, the public and information services person at the time at Guide Dogs wanted to write a story, and I kind of agreed. And I said, "That's fine. And then she said, "I'll bet you'll be on TV. What television show do you want to be on first? So I kind of just sort of flippantly said, "Larry King Live. That was on the 12th of September when I talked with her. On the 13th, she called back and she said, "Larry King wants you on his show on september 14, which was a Friday, and they sent a car to pick me up, and and I recall Karen and and Tom one as well, and anyway, we went into the World Trade Center, not to the World Trade Center, but we went into New York, and I appeared on CNN, which was the first of five interviews with Larry. Larry also, by the way, at my request, wrote the foreword for Thunderdog. So when you read Thunderdog, you'll get to read Larry's words as well. But after being on Larry King, the media really got my story, and a lot of things happened after that. I started getting literally calls every day for interviews. People wanted to talk to me about September 11th and ask questions and so on. And one of the things that I learned was that talking to reporters could be a great therapy because they would ask virtually any kind of question you can imagine. And of course, a lot of people said things like, "Well, did you know what happened on September 11th when it was happening? And I said no. And they said, well, of course you didn't. You're blind, you know. And my response is, anybody who says that really needs to not let their sight get in their way or their vision to be polite about it. The fact of the matter is, as we were going down the stairs, no one knew anything about what was going on. When I got into the stairwell, I began smelling an odor, and it took me four floors to realize I was smelling the fumes from burning jet fuel. I did a lot of travel for my company, and so I was in airports a lot. So I recognized that smell. People were speculating about what they were smelling. People were speculating about what was going on. Nobody had a clue. Michael Hingson  28:20 When I realized I was smelling jet fuel, I observed it to everyone around me, and they said, "You're right. That's what we're smelling. It's burning jet fuel. We must have been hit by an airplane. You see, no one knew. We had no clue. Superman and X-ray vision just aren't real. And the bottom line is, nobody knew what was actually happening on September 11th. Blindness have nothing to do with it. People want to feel more comfortable by saying, "Well, most people probably did know, but you're blind. You didn't know. We've got to get away from these habits of thinking that just because somebody is different than we are, that they're less than we are. That's just not true. In any case, the bottom line is that we we really deal with those kinds of things, and that helped me as as time went by recognize and realize that normal would never be the same again, and it validated more my belief that blindness isn't the problem; it's the misconceptions and poor attitudes that people have about blindness that tends to truly be the problem that we face. So, as I began to talk with reporters, I didn't think about what was actually happening. But later, I realized when people started saying, "Well, did you ever get counseling or therapy, and I said no. And then it just popped into my head to say I probably had the best therapy around. I got interviewed by hundreds of reporters that asked basically any question that you can imagine, and I learned to answer those questions without being upset, especially when they were asking pretty derogatory questions or making derogatory comments. Your dog led you down the stairs. No, my dog did not lead me down the stairs. Guide dogs do not lead; they guide. And I understand the definition of lead, but it's a little bit different than what people were truly saying. What they were saying is you didn't know anything, and the dog took you all the way down the stairs because the dog could see. No, in fact, Roselle didn't lead me. Roselle's job wasn't, and no guide dog's job is to lead a person or to take charge. The dog's job is to make sure that we walk safely. I also have a job on the team. My job is to make sure that I know where we're going and how to get there. A lot easier now than it was 25 years ago, but the bottom line is that I'm the one that has to direct the dog and give the dog commands, and the dog needs to make sure that we carry out those commands safely. We are a team; we work together. I've always kind of known that guide dog schools didn't necessarily early in my guide dog career, express it that way, but it's it's a much stronger statement now. They recognize that truly we're a team. We each have a job to do on the team, and we have to work together to make the team work, which is true of any team. I've mentioned Seal Team Six earlier. They're a team. They work together. The firefighters in the World Trade Center and the other people who who were around there worked as a team, and they had to work as a team in order to develop a level of trust and a relationship where essentially each person knew what the others on their team were going to do, and it gave them more of a confidence to be able to function. Teamwork is so crucial in our world, and I learned, and and again on September 11th, it was totally validated how teamwork is so important. Roselle and I worked together well. The firefighters worked together well. Yes, we lost people, but the team really is so important, and we need to recognize that anyone listening to this ought to work in any of the things that they do to develop teams. Being alone makes no sense; it isn't going to work. You're going to have to and should learn to work with other people to make teams work better. I've seen companies where when they have award ceremonies, the leader of a team or the boss of a team gets an award, but the rest of the team doesn't really get the same recognition. Michael Hingson  32:30 If a leader is truly doing a good job at creating a team and being a part of a team, then that leader is really enhancing everyone else on the team, and that leader is the person who should help to make sure that when awards are given, that everyone on a team is recognized. We need to to learn and realize that a team is a bunch of people. It's not just one people, but they learn to work together, and that is also so important. And as I learned more and more about the events of the World Trade Center, I learned and realized more about the whole understanding of teamwork and trust and the value of it. I knew about it with me and Roselle, and I recognized the concept of teamwork. But certainly, September 11th again validated that a whole lot more effectively than anything else that I could think of, but I worked with eight dogs over the years, and working with eight dogs from my first guide dog Squire, who was a golden retriever, up through my current guide dog Alamo, I've learned probably I think more than I ever learned from experts and teamwork and sales and so on and motivation. I learned more from those dogs than I ever learned from the human experts because of the fact that one, I had to build a team with a creature who didn't think the same way I did, who didn't talk the same language that I did, and that expected things from me, and and as one of the things that I've learned is that dogs who are guide dogs really want the human to be the pack leader because it is the pack leader, it is the human who's supposed to tell the dog what they want the dog to do, and dogs take that so incredibly seriously. I mentioned Linny. Well, I didn't mention her, I think, by name. But Lenny was my fourth guide dog, and we were out in in San Diego at a company meeting one Friday in May of 1999, and we came home. It was a Saturday morning that we got home. I flew a red eye home, fed Lenny, and then rested and and all that. But Saturday night, when it came time to feed Linny, I called her. She wouldn't come. Karen even called her. She wouldn't come. We went. Upstairs and found her lying on her bed, kind of really not very responsive. We got her to a veterinarian, and it took a few days for the veterinarian to diagnose what she had as something called glomerular nephritis, which is a disease where the kidneys, the glomeria of the kidneys, which would normally pass out bad stuff from the kidneys but not the good stuff. They were passing out the good stuff as well, and Lenny was was not doing well. We were able to reverse that, but she had to retire from being a guide dog. In fact, we thought in late June of 1999 that we were going to lose her. We went off to a a meeting, not a meeting, but we went off to a hotel to say goodbye to Linny, if you will, on like the second of July. But Linny didn't pass away then, and she did get better. And then Roselle came into our lives, and Roselle and Linny became really good friends, but I mention all of it because I had no clue what was happening to Linny. Guide dogs love their jobs; they take them very seriously. And the fact of the matter is, as I learned, and especially after September 11th, I learned that these dogs will work till they drop. They will. They will do everything they can to please us, because they love what we do. They love us, and we need to bestow the same kind of love on them, which is all part of what teamwork is all about. Well, the bottom line was with Linny. She was with us for three more years, and she got to play with Roselle a lot, and so on. Michael Hingson  36:41 Of course, as I also mentioned after September 11th, but I again, especially because of what happened to Linny, but then afterward on September 11th, I realized how much it was important for me to do all I could to keep the team relationship a positive, strong one, to recognize that in reality these dogs work so hard on their own part to make the team's relationships work. They they deal with what they have to deal with. They get very stressed if we're upset. They take it very personally if we get upset, even if we're not necessarily upset at them; they still take it very personally. The more stress that a guide dog faces in their lives, the harder it's going to be for them, and frankly, the shorter their lives are going to be. So I learned, even before September 11th, but especially after September 11th, to do all I could to keep the stress away from the dog. As we were going down the stairs on September 11th, I constantly encouraged and praised Roselle. What a good dog! Keep going. What a good job! Good girl, Roselle. Even if I wasn't able to hold the harness because the stairs were so crowded that Roselle couldn't walk next to me and had to walk behind me at heel, and I would just hold the leash. I kept praising her because I wanted her to know for her I was okay, and I had to focus on not being afraid and letting that fear come out. Well, I was fearful like anyone was, and in fact, I love to tell people. Being a great fan of science fiction, I have a great imagination, and I was listening for the building to make creaks and groans, and you never knew what was going to happen. Fortunately, it didn't all the way down. But the bottom line for me was that doing so kept me focused. And I and I learned later that while I might have been afraid on September 11th, partly because I was encouraging Roselle and working to sound very calm and confident, I was able to also help other people, but help Roselle and keep Roselle from being afraid and and being stressed. And I work very hard to do that with my guide dogs that I've had since even more than prior to September 11th. My current guide dog Alamo and I travel the world speaking all over the place, if you will. We've been to Israel. We've been well, actually, Alamo didn't get to go to London, but we've been to Israel with my seventh guide dog, Africa. We went to the Netherlands, Alamo and I have been to Wisconsin. I've been to a variety of places, and of course, all around the the world, all around the United States, to Canada, everywhere. And again, I don't necessarily know a lot about where we're going in advance, but I ask a lot of questions so that I can learn where we're going to go, so that I can give the dogs the appropriate commands. I mentioned Wisconsin's. I've been all over the United States. It's been an honor, and I'm going to continue to do that. If anybody wants a public speaker to come and talk to their organization, please reach out to me. I'd love to hear from you. My email address is really simple. It's speaker@michaelhinkson.com. We'll put that in the show notes, and love to hear from you. So anyway, I learned a lot about teamwork from working with eight guide dogs, and I continue to learn every day. I think it's very important for me to learn and to focus all that I can to make sure that I do what it is that's necessary to make a team work, and I believe it is all about the team. I've mentioned that I've written three books, and each one was a collaboration with someone else: Susie Florey with Thunderdog, Jeanette Hanscom with Running with Roselle and Carrie Wyatt Kent with Live Like a Guide Dog, and and the fact of the matter is those collaborations I think were very important. Michael Hingson  40:49 They made the books come out a lot different than I might have imagined them coming out by themselves and the way I would have written them without having collaboration, and probably Live Like a guide dog more than more than the other two, just because of the way it all went. But with live like a guide dog, we focused on each of my my guide dogs and the lessons that we learned. So I mentioned Squire, who I worked with in high school and then went to college with Squire, and Squire was was all around where wherever I was. One night in a dorm, I was with a roommate. Well, actually, a person who lived in a room next door to mine, and I was in his room. We were dealing with a physics problem. By the way, my master's degree is in physics. I have a secondary teaching credential, but I was in with Richard dealing with a physics problem. When I went back into my room, there was no Squire. I didn't realize that a couple of the students decided to play a trick and kidnap him. I went looking around the dorm. I even went into the bathroom and opened the shower door and called Squire, and nothing was totally quiet, and finally, I was getting a little bit concerned. And one of the people said, "Oh well, look, we took the dog. We'll show you. They went into the bathroom, opened the shower door, and out comes Squire. He was in on it. He didn't do a thing when I opened the door, but when the other people did, then then he came out. I wasn't mad at him. Sneaky dog that he is, he had a great sense of humor. But I got vengeance because that that person didn't tell the other people that they showed him where showed me where Squire was. I went and hit Squire somewhere, and then I went back out into the main part of the dorm and I started going, "Who took my dog? What's going on? Where is he? And all the other people said, "Oh, come on, he's in the bathroom. And they went in and opened the door to the shower. No Squire, and they were starting to worry about what happened to him. And Squire, of course, was again not making noise. But eventually, I brought him out and I said, "Okay, I found him. I knew where he was. We're playing a trick on you just like you played a trick on me. That'll teach you. I learned that dogs have a sense of humor that day, but I also learned how much I valued having Squire around, and so Squire worked with me up until and through my first graduate year in physics at UC Irvine, and then Squire retired and went to live with my parents. And in 1973, I got my second guide dog, Holland. Holland was with me through 1986. He worked for almost 13 years, and in fact, was two weeks from retiring when he collapsed in our backyard one day, and we took him to the vet. And the vet said, "I could probably bring him out of whatever he's got, maybe a stroke or a heart attack or both, but he won't have a good quality of life. And so we said goodbye to to Holland. Holland and Squire were both golden retrievers, but again, Holland so strongly reinforced all the things that that I had felt about teamwork, and I learned so much more from him about what I needed to do in order to to function well, not just with a dog, but in my whole life. Then I got Klondike, who was my third guide dog, who was also a golden retriever. Soon after I got Klondike, well, about a year after I got Klondike, suddenly one day he had a very strong grand mal epileptic seizure, and we took him to the vet, and they put him on some medication that wasn't really helping that. And we then kept trying to to deal with it, and finally, and during that same time, I was looking for a job. I had owned my own company for four years, but decided I wanted to go back into the workforce, and and I finally got a job with a company. Michael Hingson  44:52 And on one of the first days that I worked there, Klondike had four grand mal seizures in the. Period of time, and we thought we were going to have to say goodbye to Klondike. But I talked to our veterinarian, and he said, "You know, before we do that, I want to send him to a neurologist who did an electroencephalograph. And he said, "I didn't see much, but he said one thing he did was to take some blood tests, and he said I noticed that his Klondike's thyroid level is low, and low thyroid levels in dogs like Klondike can make them more susceptible to have seizures, just like it can for children. Well, we put Klondike on synthroid, synthetic thyroid, as well as on phenobarbital to control the seizures. The synthroid had much more of an effect than the phenobarb did, Klondike actually became a much more active and playful and interactive dog, and did not have from that time on for the next seven years that he worked for me as a guide dog never had a single seizure. So the thyroid theory was a good one. Again, with with Klondike, it was about developing a team and recognizing that we had to work together. Well, then I got Linny, and again I mentioned Linny only worked for three years. Linny had glomerular nephritis that was really probably from a tick bite where the tick had Lyme's disease, and we didn't know any of that was happening until that night that Linny didn't wake up at all or didn't get up from her bed, and we finally got it diagnosed. And then I got Roselle. Now Roselle was a a wonderful dog. One of the things that I've always said is that when I get a new guide dog and I tell the trainers I want a dog with an on-off switch. That is, I want a dog that knows when the harness is on, it's time to work, and when the harness is off, then they can play. Clearly, Roselle had that when she was in harness. She was very focused. She did develop a phobia of thunderstorms, but there were a few times that we had thunderstorms, and she was able to continue to guide, even though she would shake and she would shiver a little bit. But she continued to guide. She focused. In fact, there was a thunderstorm the morning of September 11th, about 12:30 in the morning. But there was no thunder when we were going through what we did in the World Trade Center, so none of that caused her to be fearful. But again, Roselle was a dog that that taught me a lot about observation, learning what the dogs do, what what they fear, and how to help keep them focused and calm. And so I did that. My sixth guide dog was Meryl. Meryl only worked for about a year. Roselle retired in 2007. Merrill worked from 2007 to 2008, but Merrill became very fearful of guiding, and so ended up not being a guide dog very long. And I I'd never experienced that, although I had heard other people who had issues where dogs didn't work very long. Lenny only worked for three years, but a dog that didn't work for more than a year-that was unusual for me. However, poor Meryl wasn't able to do well as a guide, and so she retired. And then we got Africa. Now Africa was my seventh guide dog. Africa's mother was Fantasia. In January of 2006, we were working. I was working at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and we applied to be what were called breeder keepers. That is, they were the the people who would keep a breeder dog in their home because the guide dogs for the blind bred their own guide dogs and so on. And breeder keepers would keep dogs in their homes so that the dogs weren't just cooped up in kennels all day, and we volunteered to do that. And the director of breeding, Marina Hall, called us and said, "I've got four dogs for you to look at. I think one's better than the others for you, but I want you to come and meet these dogs. So we went down, and and she made the comment again. I think one dog is going to be better than the others. Michael Hingson  49:02 And and I said, well, if you think so strongly, but which one is it? Well, she finally sort of told us. She said, I didn't want to tell you, but I'll tell you. So she did. But anyway, the first dog who came in was a dog named Fantasia, and it works sort of the same way that when people get guide dogs, you're in a room. The dog is allowed to come in, and you see how the dog reacts to you. When I met Squire for the first time, I was sitting in a chair. They let Squire in. He came over and started sniffing me all over. Didn't leave me. He just started sniffing. And Bruce Benzler, who was the apprentice instructor at the time, later became director of Guide Dogs for the Blind, CEO anyway, anyway. Bruce then said, "Looks like you found a friend already, and we became friends. But anyway, when when Fantasia came into the room, she took one look at Karen and leaped into Karen's lap. She had no fear of the power wheelchair that Karen was using by that time. The other three dogs, we still looked at them, and they all expressed one level of fear or concern about being around this wheelchair. But Marina said Fantasia was the one that we thought you'd like best and would like you best, and she was. So anyway, in 2006, we got Fantasia in January, and later that year, she had a litter of puppies, and then in early or mid 2007, she Fantasia had her second litter. I guess it was late in 2006 she had the second litter, but anyway, by the middle of 2008, when we had to retire Meryl because she wasn't working out very well, we were notified that they found a dog that they thought would be a really good replacement for Meryl, and that's a dog named Africa. And Karen and I realized Africa was a name that we suggested as as breeder keepers that they could name one of their puppies if they had puppies who came from an A litter. And the way it works, by the way, is when a litter is born, they're assigned a letter of the alphabet, and they got a big book, and they go into that book and they get the next names that are available. They don't use names of current guide dogs, so when a dog retires, then they can start using that name again. But anyway, Africa was a name that we suggested, and as soon as we saw the email that said Africa, we knew Fantasia was Africa's mother. Well, Africa came and joined us, and mom and daughter did really well, and Roselle was still with us. So the three of them have a lot of fun together, but again with Africa, I learned about teamwork and doing the things that I needed to do. Every dog is different, and one of the things that I developed over the years was an understanding that to truly develop a relationship with a dog takes probably close to a year by the time we really are totally comfortable with each other, but I worked with Africa. We became good friends. Africa became good friends with Roselle. Of course, Africa liked her mom, and all worked out really well. Developing those teeming relationships is so important, and you can learn a lot more about them if you get live like a guide dog. I think you'll find them all very interesting to to read about. So in 2017, I noticed that Africa was starting to slow down and not do as well. She wasn't able to see as well at night. Sort of typical signs of a dog getting older, even though I work to to keep stress out as much as possible, but I applied and in 2018 on the 9th of February, Africa's puppy raisers, Bill and Peggy Sproul from San Francisco or San Diego rather, came to visit us in Victorville, and we had offered them the opportunity to take Africa because we had Fantasia, and we had Africa. And if we kept Africa and Fantasia, and I got a new guide dog, Karen would have a hard time taking care of two dogs when I traveled, because I was doing a great deal of travel by then as a keynote speaker, and so the Sprouls came and got Africa. Michael Hingson  53:26 Left our house, Africa didn't even look back. She was gone. We had visited her several times since then, and and in in the Sprouls home, Africa died in 2020. But we we got to visit Africa several times and it was a lot of fun and and she she loved us and all that and remembered us anyway on the 11th of February two days later I went to Guide Dogs for the Blind and I met Alamo who was my first black Labrador and I met him we we met in the room and he kind of sniffed me a little bit and walked around the room. But then came back and sniffed me, and then I took him on leash back to our our dorm room at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and I decided I'd sit on the floor to to visit with him. And the next thing I know, this big, huge, 60 pound Labrador is in my lap. Alamo was and is a lapdog, but he doesn't know a stranger, which is great. I mentioned earlier that I always said that when I get a guide dog, I want a guide dog that has an on and off switch. Another thing that I require is that guide dogs that I get be raised by cats. I have known of animals who of guide dogs who don't like cats, and I would not want that because we always have had cats. And by that time, when we got Alamo, we had Stitch, who we rescued in January of 2015. So now here it is, February of 2018. So I knew that we needed to have a dog that wasn't going to be. Be afraid of cats. Well, so Stitch and Alamo kind of walked around each other a little bit when we first went home, but they got to like each other pretty well pretty quickly, and they have been together ever since. Alamo has been on a number of aircraft, as I've mentioned over the years, he went to Israel with me. He didn't go to England when I spoke in 2024, but he's been to other places and will continue to travel with me. I work really hard to keep the stress out of his life. I don't want him to become any more stressed than he ever has to be, and he feeds off of how I behave, as as I've learned guide dogs do. So that's one of the most important things that I've learned is to keep that stress out of his life. I would point out that is just as much true for human teams. Don't stress out your team. If you are a leader, your job is to enhance what those leaders, what the team does. Your job isn't to boss them around. If you're doing that, you're only causing more stress, and you're going to find you're going to have a big job turnover, much more than you really should. I've always felt that my job isn't to boss people around when I hire them, my job is to enhance their abilities by using the skills that I have and learning to work with them to give them the benefit of what I know and to use the benefits of what they know to learn myself as well, so that we become more effective. And the people who really get that do very well. The people who didn't get that tend not to last very long at the company because they don't perform very well. Because I know that in reality, I add value to the team by working to add value, not bossing the team around. I think there's a big difference between leaders and bosses, and I've learned that over the years. That leaders are people who can enhance what other people do, who work to make the whole team effective and not just try to boss people around. In late 2020, I discovered a company called Accessibe, A C C E S S I capital B E. Website is accessibee.com. Was a company that made products to help make internet websites more inclusive, and at first, they had some challenges because they were using a lot of AI stuff to make their products work, and they sort of did. But there were there were challenges. But one day in January of 2021, the founder of the company, Sheer Eckerling. Michael Hingson  57:41 contacted me and said we're interested in you joining the company. I had been looking at possibly selling their products because the pandemic had hit, and I thought I could sell them from home because we were locked down. And and he said, well, you know, we we'd like you to not sell as a partner, just on your own, we'd like you to join the company. Well, he asked what I was doing, and by that time I had started to learn about podcasting because I couldn't travel and speak all over the world. So what I decided to do was to look at using podcast as a revenue source. And Shear said, "Well, you know, we we're really interested in having somebody do a podcast for us. And I said, "What do you want? And he said, "I want to just get somebody who will do a podcast to show that we're part of the world. And you join the company; you could do that in part. I joined the company, and he didn't have any specific agenda for the podcast. So, in August of 2021, I began Unstoppable Mindset, and soon it became unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. And I'll explain all of that in a moment. But the point is that we started the podcast. I created the title. I recreated the description, and I wanted the podcast to be conversations. And as anyone who has been on the podcast knows, we don't do interviews as such. We do conversations, and I ask people to send me materials to help me prepare to be able to do the conversation. And so a number of times we've had diversity experts on people from the DEI world, and when I ask them what they do, they say, you know, we focus a lot on diversity, and I say, what does that mean? And they say, well, we deal with race, gender, sexual orientation, and so on. And we chat for a little while, and then I say, but you haven't talked about disabilities. And they say, oh, disability is not a minority. And I say, what do you mean? He said, well, disability is a social justice thing. It's not like race, gender, or sexual orientation. And my response to that is balderdash. I like to use balderdash. I could go back and use what Colonel Sherman Potter did on Mash and say monkey muffins. But anyway, balderdash because diversity should include disability because it is a minority. Even the Center for Disease Control says that. Adversity, or that that people with disabilities are a minority of about 25% of people in the United States. Well, so the bottom line for me is that I would say to them, "What do you mean you're you're not including it? And they say, "Well, it's a it's a disability, but it's social justice. It's always about being a lack of ability, and as I have learned, especially since September 11th and and beyond, disability does not mean a lack of ability. You might want to think it does. You might want to try to make that fit, but it doesn't. And I learned that most effectively in March of 2023 when I went to something, by that time Karen had passed, and I was working with a person who had been Karen's caregiver, who decided to work for me. Very grateful for Josie doing that. Josie entered my name in the contest to be a guest at the Kelly and Ryan Oscar after party, which was going to be held the Monday after the Oscars at the Dolby Theater, well, I didn't even know she entered me, but I got a call the Tuesday before the Oscar after party and the Oscars, and I was and I picked up the phone and they said congratulations, and I said for what? Oh, you won an invitation to come to the Kelly and Ryan Oscar after party, and I went really well. Anyway, I went down with my niece and nephew, Tracy and Charlie Green. The there wasn't room for taking Josie, her husband, and her mother and her five kids. So it was just me, Tracy, and Charlie. Michael Hingson  1:01:37 We got up to our room about 3o'clock in the afternoon on the Saturday before the Oscars, the day before the Oscars, we put our luggage in our room and we were coming back down the main stairwell staircase actually from the third to the first floor in the Hollywood Roosevelt. It's a very open staircase, and all of a sudden I heard people screaming, and it took me a while to to try to understand what's going on, and finally I couldn't figure it out. I said, Tracy, what's going on? And she said, Oh, we just lost power and lighting on the stairs, and and power and lighting in and around the entire hotel. Now it didn't bother Tracy. Tracy had known me for a long time, but people were panicky because they weren't getting all the light they expected, even though the windows were open, the the shades were up on the first floor in the lobby, and so on. Lots of light, but it wasn't all that people expected. And I thought about that, and what I learned from that was, it proves that disability isn't a lack of ability; it proves that disability is a characteristic that we all have. Thomas Edison and others worked on the light bulb, and Thomas Edison is credited with developing the electric light bulb back in 1878. But in the 148 years since the light bulb was developed, all society has done in that regard is worked very hard on coming up with better ways of providing light on demand, so that you sighted people could have all the light you want when you want it. Nowadays, we have smartphones, we have flashlights, we have other ways of getting light on demand. But as the Americans with Disabilities Act would describe it. The light bulb is simply, or any piece of technology that produces light on demand, is simply a piece of technology that provides light on demand to light-dependent people who otherwise don't function well without it. The bottom line is, disability is not a lack of ability. We got words like discrete, discern, disciple. What is discern? Is it a lack of discern? What is it? What is disciple? A lack of viple? No. Disability is not a lack of ability. Disability is a character

John reflects on disability history after re-watching the documentary, Crip Camp. He discusses how Camp Jened gave young people with disabilities the opportunity to make friends, increase their independence, and provide a sense of belonging that helped inspire disability-rights activism, including the fight for equality and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Robinson connects this history to his own childhood, when he was excluded from Little League. Luckily, he and his parents created other adaptive opportunities through the sport of golf. John also emphasizes how much progress came from earlier advocates like Judy Heumann, and challenges today's generation to continue creating accessible opportunities in education, employment, recreation, transportation, and housing for those who come next.Click or copy the link to watch Crip Camp for free: CRIP CAMP: A DISABILITY REVOLUTION | Full Feature | Netflix - YouTube

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Cindy Tarshish from Minnetonka, MN.Join Gin in the new Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There's nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don't Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there's just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you're new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren't ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you'll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available. IF is free. You don't need to join our community to fast. But if you're looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. Cindy is an expert in the Americans with Disabilities Act, and she works with agencies, employers, and people with disabilities. Cindy shares her journey from diet brain to calm weight maintenance, highlighting how intermittent fasting transformed her life without the need for costly programs or restrictive rules. Cindy found success by tuning into her body's signals instead of following the latest diet fads. She explains how she has maintained her ideal weight for nearly four years—despite life's chaos, travel, and temptation—by embracing flexibility and listening to her body's needs. Gin and Cindy discuss common misconceptions about fasting, they explore how real food and food quality matter more than calorie counting, and they also uncover the importance of ditching diet brain for good. Cindy shares how her approach supports mental wellbeing, body acceptance, and long-term health—without obsessing over every calorie or food noise. At the end of the episode, she tells new IFers not to compare themselves to others, but instead know that this is your journey. Join Gin in the new Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.Get Gin's books at: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html. Good news! The second edition of Delay, Don't Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook. This is the book that you'll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF. It's been updated to include the clean fast, an easier to understand and more thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section. When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has a 2024 publication date. The audiobook for the second edition is available now! Join Gin's community! Go to: ginstephens.com/communityDo you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You'll probably also like Gin's other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts. Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: gin@intermittentfastingstories.comVisit Gin's website at: ginstephens.com Check out Gin's Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.htmlSubscribe to Gin's YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_frGNiTEoJ88rZOwvuG2CASee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us Fan MailA building sways, the air turns sharp with jet fuel, and a guide dog wakes up ready to work. Mike Kingson, New York Times best-selling author of Thunder Dog, takes us back to the 78th floor of World Trade Center Tower One on September 11th and walks us through what kept him moving when thousands of people were trying to survive at the same time. What stands out isn't a movie-style miracle. It's preparation, clear thinking, and the quiet confidence of Roselle doing her job while everything outside the stairwell turns unreal.From that 9-11 survival story, we pivot into something just as necessary: blindness etiquette and the everyday misconceptions that make life harder for blind and low vision people. I ask the uncomfortable questions sighted folks think but rarely say out loud, and Mike answers with patience and edge. We talk about why “visually impaired” can land wrong, why speaking louder to a blind person is a tell, and why the real barrier is often attitude, not ability. He also shares a reframing that sticks: if you're light-dependent, you're not “normal,” you're accommodated.Then we get practical about guide dog etiquette and service dog rules. If a dog is in harness, it's working, so ask the handler first and accept the answer. Mike breaks down the Americans with Disabilities Act definition of a trained service dog, explains how fake service dog vests damage access for everyone, and even tackles the question people love to argue about: can blind people drive with the right information and technology?Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reality check, and leave a review so more listeners find the show. What's one assumption you've caught yourself making about blindness or service dogs?Support the showJoin me as I talk to those "amazing people turning their Actions 2 Impact all over the world. #BE THE CHANGE

We react to the sudden, bombshell political news rocking Pennsylvania: Donald Trump's decision to commute the federal sentence of infamous Philadelphia union boss Johnny Doc. Linda Kearns, filling in for Dawn Stensland, breaks down the massive legal and political implications of freeing the poster child for local corruption. We argue against the decision, highlighting how union members lost their hard-earned dues to his personal slush fund while Trump wipes away over a million dollars in fines and restitution. The crew debates whether this surprise move signals underlying political deals in Pennsylvania as major elections approach. We dive straight into high-stakes courtroom drama as a judge declares a mistrial in the high-profile Lindsay Clancy case after the jury remains hopelessly deadlocked. Linda walks us through the intense last-minute legal maneuvers from defense attorney Reddington, who desperately scrambles for an emergency stay from the Massachusetts Supreme Court to stop the mistrial declaration. We unpack the strategy behind invoking double jeopardy and the Americans with Disabilities Act, while evaluating what this chaotic outcome means for the prosecution moving forward. We wrap up the show taking a lighter turn as the team tackles a bizarre new survey revealing how many Americans fall for wild conspiracy theories. From flat earth claims and vaccine microchips to Elvis Presley's unannounced visit to the White House to request a federal drug enforcement badge from Richard Nixon, no topic is off-limits. Plus, Dom Giordano stops by to share hilarious personal memories of his past public feuds with Johnny Doc.

Episode description, speaker bios, transcripts, and resources for Episode 157: The Adventures of Superfreak: My Childhood on the Hippie Trail with My Disabled Parents www.adalive.org/episodes/episode-157 In this episode of ADALive! we talk with Caleb Dardick, who was raised by parents with disabilities who later became disability-rights advocates in the years before passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. At age five, he crossed continents with his family from Amsterdam to India, along the Hippie Trail, as part of a generation's sweeping search for freedom. In his book, “The Adventures of Superfreak: My Childhood on the Hippie Trail,” Dardick tells the story of his family “dropping out”, capturing the wild promise of the era and the intimate realities of family life on the road.

This episode of The John Phillips Show is a must-listen for anyone concerned about the state of California. The conversation with Councilwoman Traci Park is a wake-up call for those who think the city's homeless crisis is being handled effectively. Park shares her thoughts on the recent debate regarding the city's ability to regulate public spaces and the dangers of allowing homeless encampments to persist. The discussion touches on the importance of keeping public spaces safe and clean, particularly for vulnerable populations like children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Park highlights the absurdity of arguing against removing encampments, citing the Americans with Disabilities Act as a prime example. She also expresses concern about the broader movement to repeal the provision that gives the city the authority to prohibit tent encampments in public areas. The conversation also delves into the recent debate between Karen Bass and Nithya Ramana, two candidates vying for the Los Angeles City Council seat. Park shares her thoughts on the debate and the importance of understanding the positions of both candidates on key issues like public safety and homelessness. She also discusses her own experiences with the city's handling of the Pacific Palisades fire and the need for accountability. If you're concerned about the state of California and the city's handling of the homeless crisis, this episode is a must-listen. Join Councilwoman Tracy Park as she shares her insights and experiences on the issue. Listen to the full episode to hear her thoughts on the city's approach to homelessness and the importance of prioritizing public safety.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode of The John Phillips Show is a must-listen for anyone concerned about the state of California. The conversation with Councilwoman Traci Park is a wake-up call for those who think the city's homeless crisis is being handled effectively. Park shares her thoughts on the recent debate regarding the city's ability to regulate public spaces and the dangers of allowing homeless encampments to persist. The discussion touches on the importance of keeping public spaces safe and clean, particularly for vulnerable populations like children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Park highlights the absurdity of arguing against removing encampments, citing the Americans with Disabilities Act as a prime example. She also expresses concern about the broader movement to repeal the provision that gives the city the authority to prohibit tent encampments in public areas. The conversation also delves into the recent debate between Karen Bass and Nithya Ramana, two candidates vying for the Los Angeles City Council seat. Park shares her thoughts on the debate and the importance of understanding the positions of both candidates on key issues like public safety and homelessness. She also discusses her own experiences with the city's handling of the Pacific Palisades fire and the need for accountability. If you're concerned about the state of California and the city's handling of the homeless crisis, this episode is a must-listen. Join Councilwoman Tracy Park as she shares her insights and experiences on the issue. Listen to the full episode to hear her thoughts on the city's approach to homelessness and the importance of prioritizing public safety.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A clunky accommodations process can undo years of diversity work in a single bad moment. Neil Milliken sits down with disability inclusion consultant Deb Dagit to get specific about what actually helps employees with disabilities thrive at work and what quietly blocks them, even inside well-meaning companies. Deb shares her lived experience with apparent and non-apparent disabilities, and the practical realities of mobility devices, hearing aids, and a service dog, not as inspiration but as everyday context employers need to understand. We trace Deb's journey from early corporate discrimination to founding a nonprofit focused on disability employment, to lobbying for the Americans with Disabilities Act and witnessing the ADA signing in 1990. From there, she returns to the corporate world and becomes one of the early Chief Diversity Officers, giving her a rare long-view on how workplace accessibility, disability rights, and organisational culture move forward. We also talk about why disability inclusion is increasingly recognised as a major market opportunity, and how assistive technology and digital accessibility can expand independence and productivity across neurodiversity, hearing, vision, and mobility needs. Then we get practical: centralised accommodations budgets, a supported assistive technology catalogue, and the reality that HR can create friction while managers sometimes cut through it. That creates a hard question we don't dodge: if your access to “reasonable adjustments” depends on whether you got a good boss, is that equity? We close with a grounded look at AI accessibility, why it may be the biggest assistive-tech leap in 25 years for executive function and cognitive accessibility, and why human oversight is non-negotiable to reduce bias and harm. If you care about disability inclusion, workplace accommodations, accessibility, and better management, subscribe, share this conversation with a colleague, and leave a review with one change you want to see in your own organisation.Send us Fan MailSupport the showFollow axschat on social media.Bluesky:Antonio https://bsky.app/profile/akwyz.comDebra https://bsky.app/profile/debraruh.bsky.socialNeil https://bsky.app/profile/neilmilliken.bsky.socialaxschat https://bsky.app/profile/axschat.bsky.socialLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/antoniovieirasantos/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/axschat/https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilmilliken/Vimeohttps://vimeo.com/akwyzhttps://twitter.com/axschathttps://twitter.com/AkwyZhttps://twitter.com/neilmillikenhttps://twitter.com/debraruh

You can draw a line between a protest in Denver and the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A half century later, the fight for access continues. Today we share some of that history with NPR's podcast, "The Sunday Story," hosted by Ayesha Rascoe with guests Joseph Shapiro from NPR and CPR's Stephanie Wolf, and we look ahead at the current challenges. Then, the world premiere of a play at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts inspired by the movement, called "504: The Musical." Director Ben Raanan and actor Jolee Harston from Phamaly Theatre Company spoke with CPR's Alejandro Alonso Galva for our series "Raise the Curtain." 

Today, we discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act, its recent anniversary, what changes were made, and what work still needs to be accomplished to help the disabled community. We also introduce Annie Burdick, an occupational therapy student and intern at Our Ability. 

Ableism favors the non-disabled at any cost. That is the powerful phrase that resonates after my conversation with India Harville, an exceptionally talented dancer, educator and disability justice advocate. It conveys that ableism is structural, embedded in government systems and in our cultural norms, which limit the access of disabled people to resources, opportunity and agency over their own lives. This reality, although exacerbated in this toxic political climate is not new. It has taken fearless organizing by generations of disabled activists to forge game changing policy breakthroughs, including passage of the now embattled Americans for Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Laws. So, it is not surprising that for India, advocacy is an everyday necessity. She is active in legislative policy campaigns that advance disability justice and she uses her voice and expertise to support her fellow dancers in securing housing and attendents. At Embraced Body, the nonprofit she founded, India makes self-expression accessible to dancers with disabilities and other marginalized identities. As a consultant, she coaches organizations in taking the steps needed to create inclusive workplaces where everyone is seen and heard. We can all learn from India and for our collective humanity, we must.  

July 26th marked the 36th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As we've talked about many times on this podcast, the ADA was no doubt, a major milestone for accessibility and the inclusion of disabled people in social, economic, and civic life. But there is still so much work to do, including in the music industry, where the inaccessibility of performance venues and award ceremonies like the Grammys, and the undervaluing of disabled music professionals continue to invisibilize disability culture.In this throwback from season five, Qudsiya sat down with Precious Perez, a classically trained Pop R&B and Latin vocalist, song writer, and multi instrumentalist, about her involvement with Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities, an organization co-founded by past Down to the Struts guest, Lachi. RAMPD is a professional consultancy group and networking platform that amplifies disability culture and inclusion within the music industry. When Qudsiya spoke to Precious, RAMPD was a brand new organization that has since exploded onto the music scene—making incredible strides to bring accessibility to the Grammys, create new opportunities for disabled music professionals, and reshape how we think about the business of music.-Let us know what you think with a comment or review!Visit our website⁠ ⁠for⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Disability Rights Oregon filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that Portland and Multnomah County “fail to protect people with disabilities before, during and after disasters.” It argues that the city and county’s emergency management systems — from alerts and warnings to evacuation assistance and shelter accommodations — are out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.    For more on the lawsuit, we’re joined by Jake Cornett, the executive director and CEO of Disability Rights Oregon, and Audra Pearson, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.  

How difficult is it for people with mobility disabilities to navigate the city's sidewalks? This question is the center of a lawsuit against the City of Chicago, alleging a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. The firm suing the city claims it has failed to maintain sidewalks leaving them inaccessible.As Disability Pride Month comes to a close, In the Loop brings together an attorney behind both the new and previous lawsuit, a plaintiff in the suit and a local advocacy group leader to hear just how accessible Chicago is.GUESTS: Rachel Weisberg, directing attorney at Disability Rights AdvocatesKevin Sullivan, plaintiff against the city, motivational speakerPeter Tucic, vice president of public policy at Chicago LighthouseFor a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop. 

Disability and breast cancer intersect in more than one direction. Some people develop long-term effects like lymphedema, neuropathy or cognitive changes because of treatment — effects recognized as disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Others are already living with a disability, of any kind, when a breast cancer diagnosis enters the picture. This July, in recognition of Disability Pride Month, Krista Park Berry, Director of Susan G. Komen's Breast Care Helpline, returns to Real Pink to talk about how the Helpline supports people through their breast health experience no matter when their disability started, and what that support looks like for women of color in particular. Key takeaways No two disability experiences are the same Disability can exist before or develop after breast cancer treatment The Komen Breast Care Helpline provides personalized support and resources Accessible, whole-person care improves quality of life and health outcomes Chapters 00:00 – Understanding disability and breast cancer 02:08 – Treatment-related disabilities and ADA protections 06:26 – Supporting people living with metastatic breast cancer 08:11 – Navigating breast cancer with a pre-existing disability 12:11 – Health equity, women of color, and closing care gaps 13:36 – Why asking for help can change everything

 - TPS for Haiti expires today — what it means for 300,000+ immigrants  Jim Bennett co-hosts with Greg Skordas today, Jim and Greg catch up on how they spent the Pioneer Holiday Weekend.. Temporary Protected Status for more than 300,000 Haitians living in the U.S. is set to expire today after the Supreme Court cleared the way last month for the Trump administration to end the program. Jim and Greg break down what TPS actually is, which countries are affected, the broader impact on communities and employers, and what this means for immigrants from other nations still under the designation.      - From Seattle to Berlin: Deadly attacks rock a weekend of celebration  It was a violent weekend at home and abroad. In Seattle, three people are dead and four wounded after gunfire erupted at the Bite of Seattle food festival near the Space Needle on Sunday evening. Police say two men opened fire on each other, catching bystanders in the crossfire. One suspect is in custody; a second remains at large. Overseas, a van-ramming and stabbing attack at Berlin's Pride parade killed one woman and injured 29 others in what German authorities are calling an Islamist terror attack. The suspect was later tracked down and shot dead by police. Greg and Jim discuss the latest.      – The WHCD redo and the weirdness that came with it  The White House Correspondents' Dinner got a do-over Friday night after that armed security breach shut down the original back in April — and things got awkward. Jim and Greg lay out the moments from the President that shocked them most.      – The ADA at 36: What's better, what's broken, and what's next for disability rights  This weekend marked the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this special hour we take an look at how far the country has come in protecting the rights of Americans with disabilities, where progress has stalled, and what may have gotten worse.  Nate Crippes of the Disability Law Center of Utah joins on how the legal landscape has shifted since the ADA became law, Matthew Wappett, executive director of Utah State University's Institute for Disability Research, Policy, & Practice, on the big-picture challenges still facing the disability community, and our very own Holly Richardson — a mom with several kids with special needs — on what the fight for access and inclusion actually looks like day to day.     – The Iran war pause: What's next?  After 13 consecutive nights of U.S. airstrikes on Iran, the bombs have stopped — at least for now. Both sides paused attacks over the weekend as regional mediators push to revive negotiations. Greg and Jim share their analysis on the situation and where things could go from here.      - How Utah is trying to lower its criminal recidivism rate  A report has found while Utah has fewer people under "correctional control" than much of the nation, it's spending more per inmate than neighboring states. Bridger Beal Cvetko with KSL.com joins to help walk through this report and why it matters.      - Fourth firefighter dies following Knowles fire burnover | Timp fire arson suspect faces judge  The wildland firefighting community is mourning again. Nate Matthews, 43, a 10-year veteran from Lincoln, Nebraska, has died from burn injuries suffered during the June 27 burnover on the Utah-Colorado border — making him the fourth firefighter killed in the same incident. Three other crew members died at the scene, and a fifth remains hospitalized. The Knowles Fire has since been overtaken by the Snyder Fire.  Then, we turn to a local arson case: a judge will consider Tuesday whether to grant bail to a West Jordan man accused of setting the Timp Fire that evacuated the Timpooneke Campground in American Fork Canyon. Greg shares the latest and what is to be expected in court.       – Concerns rise around Utah's overnight temperatures + closing arguments  Meteorologist are warning people to find air conditioning and drink plenty of water as a part of a major heat wave is hitting the Wasatch front...  we'll get into why the overnight temperatures are causing the most concern. Greg shares his closing arguments.  

This weekend marked the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this special hour we take an look at how far the country has come in protecting the rights of Americans with disabilities, where progress has stalled, and what may have gotten worse.  Nate Crippes of the Disability Law Center of Utah joins on how the legal landscape has shifted since the ADA became law, Matthew Wappett, executive director of Utah State University's Institute for Disability Research, Policy, & Practice, on the big-picture challenges still facing the disability community, and our very own Holly Richardson — a mom with several kids with special needs — on what the fight for access and inclusion actually looks like day to day. 

July marks Disability Pride Month — celebrating the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.Here in San Diego, there's all kinds of ways to celebrate disability pride. One is by getting involved with the adaptive sports community in our region.On KPBS Midday Edition, we highlight two local programs promoting access, inclusivity and community through water sports and dance.Guests:John White, founder, Waves4All Adaptive Surf ClubAndy Zirzow, competitive surfer, Waves4All Adaptive Surf ClubQuinn Waitley, competitive surfer, Waves4All Adaptive Surf ClubRosalia Arellano, executive director, Wheelchair Dancers OrganizationStephanie Nichols-Rodas, dancer and community outreach specialist, Wheelchair Dancers Organization

Thirty-six years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, guaranteeing civil rights for millions of Americans. But the movement that made that day possible began years earlier. One pivotal victory was won by a small, often-forgotten group of activists in Denver known as the "Gang of 19."On The Sunday Story, NPR's Joseph Shapiro and Colorado Public Radio's Stephanie Wolf trace the history of the disability rights movement—from the protests that secured accessible public transit to the modern-day fight to protect the hard-won right to live independently. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Politics is no longer confined to campaigns and government. It now appears across sports, music, movies, social media, and celebrity culture. In this episode, we explore how Americans feel about athletes and entertainers speaking on political and social issues, whether those messages influence public opinion, and why many people think politics has become too present in everyday life. And, we remember that, while this is not really new, from the 1968 Black US Olympians in Mexico City to politically-charged Oscars shows, it does seem more widespread than ever. Then, we look at the continuing disability employment gap. More than 35 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, people with disabilities remain far less likely to be employed, even when they have comparable education and qualifications. Employer assumptions, inaccessible hiring practices, and concerns about accommodations can all create barriers. At the same time, the growth of remote work may be helping some people with physical disabilities enter or remain in full-time employment. Finally, we revisit an old superstition: is opening an umbrella indoors really bad luck? And what about all those other things we do like tossing salt over your shoulder...or coins into the back seat of your new car? Turns out, we are a far more superstitious bunch than you (or we) might have thought.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine, First, Sina talks with Blaise Bryant about the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and where disability rights are at these days. Later on, harpist Alex Chang joins us to talk about new work and improvisational collaboration. After that, Willie Terry talks more about the role of the church in Juneteenth with Pastor Victor Patterson of Fifth Avenue AME Zion Church at the Troy Juneteenth passport, “Freedom Crawl” celebration, Finally, Jacob and Liz talk yoga, cheer leading, and community wellness with Nikki Rogers of Lifted Vision. Co-Hosts: Sina Basila Hickey, Jacob Boston | Engineer: Jacob Boston

36 years after the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we ask how far have we come really, and what is the current US administration doing to dismantle these rights. Disability advocate and producer of The Blaisin' Access show, Blaise Bryant, spoke to Sina Basila Hickey for Hudson Mohawk Magazine. Image description: the disability pride flag has a grey background with striped at a slant in the muted colors of red, yellow, white, light blue, and green.

Web accessibility requirements for cities and towns under the Americans with Disabilities Act are nothing new. However, legal requirements for accessibility will go into effect in April 2027 and April 2028, depending on the municipality's population. Kevin Benson of VC3 discusses what city officials need to know. More information: https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/

July 26 is the 36th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. National data shows 1 in 4 people in the U.S. has some kind of disability or impairment that can impact their everyday lives, which includes the workplace. We wanted to acknowledge the ADA anniversary and talk about the legalities around it. We spoke with Gary Phelan, employment attorney with Hurwitz Sagarin & Slossberg in Milford and a law professor at Quinnipiac University.

What happens when you finally meet someone who understands how your body works? For Alycia Anderson and Karen Tamley, a LinkedIn introduction became the beginning of a powerful disability sisterhood. Both women were born with sacral agenesis, a rare congenital disability affecting the lower spine. They grew up using wheelchairs during a time when disabled children were routinely underestimated, accessibility was rare, and doctors placed devastating limitations on their futures. Then they met and immediately began comparing notes: “Wait, your body does that? Mine does too.” In Episode 151 of Pushing Forward with Alycia, Karen Tamley, President and CEO of Access Living, joins Alycia for an honest conversation about rare disability, peer support, leadership, aging, Disability Pride, and the urgent fight to protect disability rights. Finding Someone Who Understands Karen did not meet another person with sacral agenesis until her twenties. Before social media, finding others with the same disability was incredibly difficult. Meeting Alycia gave both women a rare opportunity to talk openly about their bodies, mobility, health, childhoods, and aging without having to explain every detail first. Karen describes that connection as a security blanket and safety net. Their friendship reflects the importance of peer support within the independent living movement. Disabled people hold knowledge that cannot always be found in medical offices or textbooks, and that lived experience can help others navigate healthcare, access, identity, and everyday life. Growing Up Before Accessibility Alycia and Karen remember life before the Americans with Disabilities Act. They recall inaccessible buses, oversized wheelchairs, buildings with stairs, restaurants without accessible bathrooms, and being carried into spaces. Karen shares that her mother carried her up four stairs every morning to reach a summer job in an inaccessible building. She also remembers putting flip flops on her hands so she could crawl across public restroom floors. Alycia had done the same thing. Their stories reveal how exclusion becomes normalized when disabled people are not protected by enforceable civil rights. Community Living Is a Disability Right Karen explains the importance of the 1999 Olmstead decision, which affirmed that unnecessary institutionalization and segregation can be discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The decision helped establish that disabled people have the right to receive services and live within their communities. Through Access Living and partner organizations, disabled people are supported as they transition from nursing facilities and institutions into their own homes. Karen warns that Medicaid reductions, weakened enforcement, and renewed conversations about institutionalization threaten decades of progress. Disabled people are asking for the right to live in their own homes, make decisions about their lives, and participate fully in their communities. Advocacy Belongs to Everyone Karen reminds listeners that advocacy is not limited to policy experts. People can make a difference by learning from trusted disability led organizations, sharing accurate information, contacting elected officials, submitting public comments, telling personal stories, amplifying disabled advocates, and connecting with a local Center for Independent Living. Her message is clear: Do not assume your voice will not be heard. Speak up anyway. Leadership Begins in the Deep End Karen credits her parents and mentors with encouraging her to take risks. Her mother often said they were going to throw Karen into the deep end of the pool and let her figure out how to swim. That mindset followed her throughout her career. Mentors including Judy Heumann, Ed Roberts, Wade Blank, and Marca Bristo recognized Karen's potential and placed her in leadership roles before she always felt ready. Karen later served as Commissioner of the Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, was appointed to the U.S. Access Board, and became President and CEO of Access Living. Her journey demonstrates the power of leaders who believe in someone before that person fully believes in themselves. Disability Pride and Aging For Karen, Disability Pride means community, visibility, self worth, and being okay with who we are. It does not mean loving every part of disability every day. Pride can exist alongside pain, fear, frustration, internalized ableism, and uncertainty. Alycia and Karen also discuss the realities of aging with a rare disability, including concerns about mobility, transfers, travel, health, and future independence. Both women were given frightening medical predictions as children. Decades later, they are still here, leading, traveling, advocating, creating community, and celebrating every year they were told they might never have. Aging with disability can be uncertain. It is also a privilege. You Deserve to Be in the Space Karen's Pushing Forward moment is a challenge to step outside your comfort zone. Attend the event. Accept the opportunity. Enter the room, even when you do not know anyone. Leadership does not eliminate fear or imposter syndrome. You deserve to be there. You deserve to be in that space. Two Women, One Rare Disability, and a Movement to Protect

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine: First, we hear from an ER nurse about the opposition to downsizing Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson, NY. Then, we hear about comments to the Albany Common Council on ranked choice voting, data centers, and Flock cameras. Later on, Rosemary Armao talks with Leslie-Jean Thornton about the place of political cartoons in the current day. After that, with the Trump administration scaling back its enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Sina talks with Blaise Bryant about how the media covers disability issues. Finally, with the Trump administration ramping up its rhetoric against Cuba, we air a previous discussion with Mabel Leon. Co-hosts Mark Dunlea and Benno Greene

Disability issues are not a hot topic I the news. Just this week the Department of Justice announced that it would not enforce title 2 of the Americans with Disabilities Act and most major publications didn't even cover it! So we reached out to disability advocate and producer of The Blaisin' Access show, Blaise Bryant, to get his take on disability issues in media and who is influencing his social feeds. He spoke with Sina Basila Hickey. image description: the disability pride flag has a grey background with striped at a slant in the muted colors of red, yellow, white, light blue, and green.

Get ready to get deep into the realm of Special Education. As a general ed teacher, I've had a love-hate relationship with how best to work with special education students and the teachers who support them. While I understand the necessity, the implementation in a general education classroom often felt awkward and overwhelming. I'm sure I'm not alone in this. I'm also sure our special education teachers have similar grievances when dealing with general ed teachers.So I decided to do a deep dive to better understand the history of our SPED programs, how they are supposed to work, and whether they are really benefiting the students they serve. This deep dive was too big to fit into a single episode, so Jen and I decided to create several episodes to give this topic the time it deserves. Welcome to Episode one:The History of Special Education (SPED)In this episode of Transparency in Teaching, Jen and I dive deep into the history of special education (SPED) in the United States. We start with a light-hearted conversation about Jen's rigorous walking routine, but quickly transition into the main topic: the evolution of special education. In this episode we discuss:Early Days of Special Education:Initially, children with disabilities were often institutionalized or kept at home with no formal education.Wealthier families could afford private tutors or specialized schools, but most families had limited options.Legislative Milestones:A series of laws from 1958 to 1968 began addressing the needs of children with disabilities, but these were piecemeal efforts.Notable acts included the Captioned Films Act (1958), the Training of Professional Personnel Act (1959), and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965).Major Legal Cases:Brown vs. Board of Education (1954): Although primarily about racial desegregation, it laid the groundwork for arguments against segregating children with disabilities.PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1971): This case established that children with intellectual disabilities had the right to public education.Mills vs. Board of Education of D.C. (1972): Extended the right to free public education to all children with disabilities, regardless of the cost.The IDEA Act:The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975), later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), guaranteed a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to all children with disabilities.This act has been reauthorized multiple times but has not been updated since 2004.Current Challenges:The IDEA Act is outdated and needs reauthorization and updates to address current educational needs and funding issues.The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) further ensured accessibility in public spaces, including schools.Jen's Perspective: She is struck by how long it took for meaningful changes to occur and empathizes with the struggles of parents both past and present.Anne's Perspective: She is concerned about the IDEA Act's outdatedness and the lack of recent updates to address current educational challenges.We wrap up by encouraging listeners to reflect on the history of special education and its impact on today's educational landscape. We also tease the next episode, which will delve into the current state of special education, including enrollment numbers and costs.Listeners are invited to share their thoughts and experiences related to special education on our website, TransparencyInTeaching.com, where they can also find past episodes and blog posts.Key Points Discussed: Reflections and Takeaways:Conclusion:Call to Action:

It's Disability Pride Month, and we're continuing our trip down memory lane with a brand new mini series featuring past podcast conversations with leaders who have reshaped arts and media through the lens of disability. The Trump administration continues to threaten the erasure of disabled people from American society, most recently by calling into question a decades-old Supreme Court precedent in the case Olmstead v. L.C. that enshrined a right to community integration for disabled people under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now, more than ever, we need to lift up disability culture and tell disabled stories through every form of media possible. We also must ensure that media is accessible to disabled people because the ability to share our stories in our own voices is more important than ever.As we continue the struggle to protect our right to live and thrive in this world, this season, we're uplifting the journalists, podcasters, musicians, and artists who, every day, ensure that accessibility, disability culture, and disability stories are front and center. We'll begin with one of our earliest podcast guests, Sean Collins, to  learn about why image descriptions in news articles are essential to accessing the news.We hope you enjoy revisiting these episodes with us! And stay tuned for a very special brand new episode to close out this mini series!--Let us know what you think with a comment or review!Visit our website⁠ ⁠for⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of Hiring to Firing, hosts Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter examine the evolving issue of weight discrimination in the workplace. Joined by Lynne Wakefield, a partner in Troutman Pepper Locke's Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice group, they draw on the medical drama The Pitt to discuss obesity, workplace bias, and legal protections. The discussion explores whether weight or obesity may be protected under federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws, including the unsettled analysis under the Americans with Disabilities Act. They also address key employee benefits considerations surrounding GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. The episode offers practical guidance for employers navigating this complex intersection of workplace fairness and health benefits. Troutman Pepper Locke's Labor + Employment Practice Group provides comprehensive thought leadership through various channels. We regularly issue advisories that offer timely insights into the evolving employment law landscape, and maintain the HiringToFiring.Law Blog, a resource spotlighting best practices for employers. Our Hiring to Firing Podcast, hosted by Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter, delves into pressing labor and employment law topics, drawing unique parallels from pop culture, hit shows, and movies. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Louisiana state Senator Larry Selders died suddenly last week after collapsing at his son's football practice. The “gentle giant” leaves behind his wife, Dr. Kendra Michael and sons, Larry and Luke.The Louisiana Illuminator senior reporter Julie O'Donoghue joins us for more on Selders, his advocacy for substance abuse treatment and mental health rehabilitation, and what happens to his empty senate seat. A Baton Rouge community refrigerator is aiming to keep access to fresh foods available all summer long. The fridge is located in the Garden District of Baton Rouge and hosted by the organization Red Shoes as part of their “Fill the Fridge” initiative.Rachael Hebert, executive director of Red Shoes, joins us for more.An iconic New Orleans event returns to the city next week. Tales of the Cocktail is an annual summer event to celebrate spirits. It includes walking tours, tastings and panels that celebrate the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages that define New Orleans. Charlotte Voisey, Tales of the Cocktail's CEO, joins us for more. July is National Disability Pride Month, but despite the more than 30 years since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, people with physical limitations still struggle to find spaces designed with their needs in mind.Back in 2023, WWNO's Alana Schreiber took us to the Split Second Foundation, the first gym in New Orleans made specifically for people with disabilities. Today, we give that story a second listen. —Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Karen Henderson. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber. We receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman, Adam Vos and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell. You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Thomas English talks with a guest from On My Own about their upcoming ADA Festival Community Challenge. The guest is On My Own Marketing and Community Relations Director Kalli Gober. She discusses the reason behind the event and the celebration of the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She highlights the various activities and education opportunities available during the event. Lastly, she details the tasks associated with the relay race. 

Women have long been leaders in the disability rights movement, and were the driving force in getting the Americans with Disabilities Act passed. In this classic, we spotlight some of the notable women that made the ADA happen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lesley Logan and Brad Crowell recap the conversation with Julian Barnes, co-founder and CEO of the BFS Network and a leading voice on boutique fitness market data. They unpack what his numbers-first view of the Pilates business reveals about pricing, client commitment, and the confidence it takes to run a profitable studio. With twenty plus years guiding studio founders, Julian brings hard data to the soft topics most owners avoid. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:What it really means to sell the transformation not the process.How to help clients see the cost as an investment.Where courage and conviction change who becomes your client.Signs the Pilates bubble is bursting and what survives it.Stepping into your authority so clients commit and get results.Episode References/Links:OPC Membership - opc.me/beiteLevate Waitlist - xxll.co/waiitlisteLevate Replays - lesleylogan.co/elevateOPC Summer Tour (Powered by Balanced Body) - https://opc.me.tourOPC Flashcards - https://opc.me/flashcardsOPC Pilates Posters - https://opc.me/postersEp. 697 ft. Adrian Starks - https://beitpod.com/ep697Ep. 698 Adrian Stark Recap - https://beitpod.com/ep698Ep. 53 ft. Launa Jae - https://beitpod.com/ep53If I Die by Christopher S Lombardi - https://a.co/d/0eorMLTNFree Will - https://www.freewill.comBIPOC Resources - https://mhanational.org/bipoc-mental-healthSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questions If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  You have to understand that if people are making decisions based on cost, they will always do that. You have to bring it back to the investment of the transformation they want to have, and how badly do they want to have that. Lesley Logan 0:13  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 0:55  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap on my coast in life. Brad and I are going to dig into the enlightening convo I had with Julian Barnes in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that interview, this will make a lot of no sense, because it was a different type of interview. It wasn't really an interview of what Julian does, it wasn't really a Be It Till You See It, it was very much a "let's talk about the Pilates industry." Brad Crowell 1:17  Yeah, it was an industry debrief. Lesley Logan 1:18  An industry debrief, and so. Brad Crowell 1:20  It was kind of cool, actually.Lesley Logan 1:22  Yeah, and I also, coming off of the recap of Adrian Starks, it made me even more aware of our purpose when it comes to Pilates business coaching. Because I don't know if Julian asked me this when we were on camera or off, but he was like, "You like helping these small studios?" And I was like, "Because that's what accessibility is." There's got to be different types of Pilates studios, because people need different things, and everyone shouldn't be in a 14-person class.Brad Crowell 1:48  Yeah.Lesley Logan 1:49  So, anyways, it's a really... if you are a Pilates instructor, or you have one, then they need to listen to both these episodes. After you listen to the amazing announcement of today, the holiday and the charity, and the other things, if you want to go off to an FYF or something else, I won't be offended. If you like the sound of this voice and you want to keep supporting it, and Brad, just the voice.Brad Crowell 2:12  Just the voice.Lesley Logan 2:13  You should be an OPC member. OPC is not for people who are obsessed with Pilates, I mean, it is, but it's really for people who just want easy access to real Pilates, and then a safe place to be imperfect, and to be themselves, and to be supported, and to be like, "It's okay if you missed a week, you're welcome back. We're all here for you." And if so, "Oh, you recover from injury. Oh, I had that one. Here are these things." It's where you get community support, and you're not alone. So, go to opc.me/40Brad Crowell 2:39  Yeah, actually, we got a new link for you. It's opc.me/beitLesley Logan 2:43  opc.me/beitBrad Crowell 2:45  B-E-I-TLesley Logan 2:47  B-E-I-T. I'm still waiting for my "just be it" things, given that everyone can distill people's shit around here. Why can't I just have "just be it"?Brad Crowell 2:59  I love that.Lesley Logan 3:01  It's okay, but we have "be it," and you can be it too, and you can be an OPC member while you're being it. I promise, I promise it helps. Today is July 9, 2026, and it's International Emergency Kit Day.Brad Crowell 3:13  That's right. It's Emergency Kit Day, y'all. This is a Boy Scout talking to you right now.Lesley Logan 3:18  Today is a day to raise awareness about being prepared when disaster strikes. An emergency kit, sometimes called a go-bag or disaster bag, is a portable kit that has essentials you and your family need to survive in case of emergency. They are easy to grab when you need to evacuate for whatever reason, usually a natural disaster. This day is a reminder to check your kit or build one today. It will make all the difference when an emergency happens. We have first aid kits, but that's what I thought this was, and it's clearly a go-bag, which we do not have, Brad.Brad Crowell 3:44  Yeah, we don't have. I don't have the movie duffel bag that's like, "Go, go, go," and you grab it on the way out the door, or the baby bag when someone is pregnant and has to run to the hospital, they got a bag ready. We probably could put one of those together. I think that would be wise. Don't let someone sell you a $300 go-bag. Put it together yourself.Lesley Logan 4:07  Just put it together. Just please put it together yourself. Photocopies of things are really great. If you learn anything from the fires of LA, it means you need to have copies of very important documents: birth certificates, passports, but also insurance policies, wills, whatever that is.Brad Crowell 4:24  I should digitize those and just put them.Lesley Logan 4:25  Can we have a digitized go-bag, Brad? Because I gotta be honest, we're gonna have to then remember where it is. Because I thought there's an emergency kit thing, and it was so funny, because you were asked if you had one recently by someone, and you're like, "Oh yeah," and I'm like, "Thank God they asked you, because if they had asked me, I'd be like, 'We don't have one.'"Brad Crowell 4:47  But not only that, if you have an emergency kit, go through it, because when was the last time you had it, or opened it, or used it? I went through ours, I don't know, six or 12 months ago, and I pulled everything out, and all the Band-Aids, the stickiness of the Band-Aids was just gone.Lesley Logan 5:03  Not sticky.Brad Crowell 5:04  Yeah, so I was like, "Oh wow, yeah, all this expired in 2005." So I got rid of all that and replaced everything. And then sure enough, somebody asked us, "Hey, do you have an emergency kit?" And I was like, "Yes," and I can stand by that everything is ready for you here. Yeah.Lesley Logan 5:23  And it's really funny because we actually have a really massive emergency kit in the bathroom by our studio in the house, and I was looking for Band-Aids in the bathroom that I get ready in every day. And then I was cleaning things up and getting ready for people to show up, and there's this massive Brad kit, and I was like, "Oh, we have a massive emergency kit," and I opened it up. No Band-Aids. Zero Band-Aids. That has not been updated. I'm like, clearly this is not a real studio, because. So go check your emergency kits, go create a digitized go-bag, because. Brad Crowell 5:56  We want a digitized go-bag, and then maybe a real one that's like, if you got to run out the door and you need a change of clothes or some shoes or something. This is notLesley Logan 6:02  This is not what the holiday is, what the holiday is, but there's that If I Die book. Have you seen this? I got asked for it on my Instagram. It's called If I Die or When I Die, and it's all these important things, and we should really fill that out.Brad Crowell 6:16  Everything You Need to Know Journal. If I Die.Lesley Logan 6:20  Brad's gonna find a digital one.Brad Crowell 6:21  I found it already. Yeah, well, this is a book, actually, by Christopher Lombardi. Collect all the information your loved ones will need to know at a difficult time. And he said, "When my father passed away, I wish I had such a book."Lesley Logan 6:35  Yeah, well, that's interesting. It's a little too much adulting for me in one day, but I like the idea of it.Brad Crowell 6:40  Yeah, there's also When I Die planners with pockets.Lesley Logan 6:44  Pocket.Brad Crowell 6:44  Yeah, that has little pockets in it.Lesley Logan 6:46  Oh, for things like my card, I have a card in Brad's office attached to the refrigerator from when my dad dies, a number to call for them to cremate him.Brad Crowell 6:54  Yeah.Lesley Logan 6:54  I know where the card is.Brad Crowell 6:56  I mean, there's even Reddit arguments about this: I made an "If I die" packet for my husband. My family is now calling me morbid for this effort. I think it's smart.Lesley Logan 7:05  It's incredibly smart, and it's not morbid. And you are gonna be... here's the thing, we talked about grief two weeks ago, had nothing to do with people, but we're just gonna bring it back up, when someone is dealing with the loss of a loved one, the last thing you need to figure out is the fucking password to your shit.Brad Crowell 7:22  Yeah.Lesley Logan 7:23  Don't do that to people. I'm watching The Pit, and that is a trap. You don't want to be dealing with that, plus what is their insurance? All that stuff. No, no, don't do that to people. And as I say this, Brad and I are hypocrites, because we have yet to sit down and do our fucking thing that his parents asked us to do three times, which is the DNR and the will thing, and all that stuff. So.Brad Crowell 7:48  There's a, we talked about this before, there's an organization called Free Will. Make your free will online.Lesley Logan 7:54  Okay, well. Brad Crowell 7:57  freewill.comLesley Logan 7:57  Well, this day just turned into a very helpful day, and my ADHD is really overwhelmed. Upcoming travel and events, you guys, eLevate 2027 is full, sold out, can't take another body, but you can join us today.Brad Crowell 8:13  You can join us today.Lesley Logan 8:17  At 1pm Pacific time.Brad Crowell 8:19  Is that 1pm? Lesley Logan 8:20  Yeah. Brad Crowell 8:20  I'm glad you know that.Lesley Logan 8:21  It's at 1 p.m. to learn about 2028 Elevate, and if you're like, "Well, Lesley, thanks, I'm going back to this on a different date," there's probably a replay up.Brad Crowell 8:31  Yeah, there'll be a replay. We'll put the replay up on the Elevate page, I'm sure.Lesley Logan 8:35  Go to xxll.co/waitlist, and if you missed it. Brad Crowell 8:40  Then go to lesleylogan.co/elevate and that's where the replay will be.Lesley Logan 8:45  Yeah, summer tour is really close, a few weeks away.Brad Crowell 8:49  OPC Summer TourLesley Logan 8:50  Yeah. Brad Crowell 8:50  Come join us in real life, I'm very excited.Lesley Logan 8:52  How many cities are we going to?Brad Crowell 8:53  13 or 14Lesley Logan 8:54  It's the reason we're recording prior to the announcement, so we don't know, but what I can say is it's probably mostly sold out, so you want to go to OPC. I can confidently say that.Brad Crowell 9:04  Yeah, I mean, we're getting close to.Lesley Logan 9:07  Well, because these are not conventions, these are literal pop-ups. These are small studios, we're talking small classes and workshops, and we do that so instead of having 50 people in a workshop, there's 25 and you can actually get to talk to me, and we get to take pictures, and we get to nerd out on Pilates. And the workshops are only 90 minutes. You don't have to take a whole day off, you can just take a part of a day off, and you get to be with other people. And Balanced Body is sponsoring our tour again, and so we'll have the Contrology equipment with us, plus some really fun prizes. So, opc.me/tour.Brad Crowell 9:41  opc.me/tour come join us.Lesley Logan 9:43  If you're new here.Brad Crowell 9:45  If you're new here.Lesley Logan 9:46  I make flashcards with Pilates exercises, and they have QR codes that take you to videos, and they have the setup and action on the back, and they have really cool tips that I gave you that are my words based on these things. If you like the way that I talk about Pilates, they're right there. And they've been edited by a contemporary trained teacher with contemporary women, and they've been edited by someone who's never done any of the stuff before. Shout out to the spine corrector, because after that, she wanted to buy one. So that's how good that deck is. So, go to opc.me/flashcards.Brad Crowell 10:12  Yeah, opc.me/flashcardsLesley Logan 10:15  And if you have the flashcards, do you know that we have posters, and you can get our posters at opc.me/posters? And you want to know something fun about the posters: we make no money on them. However, the shipping, because they're printed on demand, the shipping is cheaper because it's usually shipping to near you versus the flashcards, which come from us. By the way, my Aussies and my Canadians, we have distributors on the flashcards, so just reach out to us if shipping shocked the hell out of you. We have distributors in Australia and Canada.Brad Crowell 10:44  Yeah, awesome. Well, we used to do a question answer session here, but we're going to skip that. We've moved all the live Q&As over to YouTube for Sunday morning at 9 a.m. Pacific, and we shifted our focus here because we really like celebrating good works that other people are doing, and sharing about it with you all. Lesley Logan 11:06  Being more aware about things, just the different things that exist out there, and the different ways we can support things that might be of interest. And so July is actually an awareness month of a lot of awarenesses. So when I looked up July month.Brad Crowell 11:22  It's a month of awarenesses.Lesley Logan 11:23  Yeah, one of the things that July is an awareness month about is the ADA laws, and it's like a Disability Pride Awareness Month. It's also an awareness month of mental health awareness for minority communities.Brad Crowell 11:36  ADA for non-Americans, it's the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA. So, yeah, and that was a big fight that started in California many years back.Lesley Logan 11:45  Yes, I learned a lot about it. It's very impressive. Yeah, and so anyways, I wanted to highlight the mental health awareness for minority communities on today's episode, because last time we did a recap, we actually did talk about mental health, and I just thought it would be a perfect time to bring that up. This charity is Mental Health America, and they actually have a lot of information and support for BIPOC mental health specifically. And if you go to mhanational.org, they actually have a whole section, because they do have a lot of support for the BIPOC community. Culture, ethnicity, and race all play a large role in the way that each person experiences the world and the types of mental health support that they may need. MHA's online BIPOC Mental Health Resource Center offers a wealth of information and tools to bring light to the unique experiences of Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities and empower and uplift BIPOC individuals on their mental health journeys. And I just thought that this is a really cool resource in case you need it, or there's someone that you know who needs it. Because the reality is, is that if you have had a different experience in this world, having a therapist or someone who can understand that is important, and it's key. And I just think that, how cool that there are people who are making sure that resource is easy to find. They'll have blog posts, but they actually have a whole resource page where you can find someone and find some help near you, especially with the shit going on in the world right now. Specifically in the US, I know we have a lot of international listeners, but they just fucked with the Voting Rights Act one more time.Brad Crowell 13:15  Yeah.Lesley Logan 13:16  And we are back to Jim Crow era shit, and it sucks, because the answer to all this is that we all have to vote in November in a way that tells them to fuck off, but also, people of color have been trying to do that for a really long time. You and I were listening to what's his name, that amazing senator from Georgia, who's a reverend, and he's like, "I lived my whole life under that act, and now my children have to fight..."Brad Crowell 13:44  Raphael WarnockLesley Logan 13:45  Raphael Warnock. "My children have to fight for their rights," and I just...Brad Crowell 13:50  Yeah, I mean, it's.Lesley Logan 13:51  Top of life.Brad Crowell 13:52  It's fascinating to hear him talk about that, where he's like, you know, I don't know how old he is, but he's an adult, he's a senator, he's been a pastor for a long time. He has two kids who are younger than 10 years old, and he said, "For me, because of the changes that happened in the '60s, I actually grew up in a more equitable time that allowed me to become a senator as a person of color," and he said, "Unfortunately, my kids are not going to have that."Lesley Logan 14:23  And what they're doing in Tennessee, where they just literally got rid of the one Black Congress person, just terrible stuff. And that's all just... even if you're like, "Well, that's politics," well, politics affects life, and on top of that, if your job and all these different things just becomes really heavy, we need to make mental health support seem like the same thing as you're gonna go get new toothpaste, or you get your things done, like you go to the dentist for cleaning twice a year, we go three. Mental health support needs to be as routine and normal as all of that, and also if you're BIPOC community, I think it's important that you have people who understand what you're going through, because it is different.Brad Crowell 15:05  Yeah.Lesley Logan 15:05  And you're not alone. So, hopefully, mhanational.org resource helps you. If not, and there are other ones out there that you want us to highlight, please send it in. We would love to do that. We'd love to use the platform to do that to help people who need that.Brad Crowell 15:19  Yeah, so leave us a voicemail, 310-905-5534, or you can also share your wins for our Friday pod at beitpod.com/questions. Brad Crowell 15:31  Let's talk about Julian Barnes. Julian is the co-founder and CEO of the BFS Network, the company behind the most comprehensive market research in the boutique fitness industry. He spent 20-plus years helping fitness and wellness businesses build the structure and strategy they need to grow, and he works directly with CEOs and founders of multi-location studios across the country. He brings a data-driven, numbers-first perspective to the work of building a profitable studio.Lesley Logan 15:59  Yeah.Brad Crowell 16:00  And it's really interesting too, because I mean, his background is law, and then he... I don't remember exactly how he got into fitness, but. Lesley Logan 16:07  He told the whole story. It's very weird how he got into it, but. Brad Crowell 16:10  He told us his story, but it wasn't, it was when we were.. we were talking about.Lesley Logan 16:15  Oh, sorry guys, it was definitely at dinner, but it was like, "Oh, he was helping this out, then he did this thing, there was his trainer." It's really kind of cool. Too bad that that's not on the pod, because it doesn't matter, because that was not what he wanted to talk about. But it really went along with Adrian Starks's finding your purpose kind of a thing. So, at any rate, just know that Julian is the evidence of doing that. If you listened two weeks ago, you know, it's interesting, because a lot of people think that studios are only studios if they have multiple teachers and group classes and things like that, and I think.Brad Crowell 16:47  Maybe the word "legitimate studio," right? Because they are still obviously a studio, a real studio, or whatever.Lesley Logan 16:55  But you and I see a studio as anything where a teacher is teaching in, and that studio could be a one-person show.Brad Crowell 17:03  Yeah.Lesley Logan 17:04  And that person can teach small groups and groups and things like that. And so it was interesting to hear the different ways that, in air quotes, legitimate studios are doing things, the numbers they have. But on the non-data side, one of the things I love that he said was there's no transformation without the transaction, and this is really important, because for any business owner who is listening to this, people don't buy your process. I'll just be really honest with you, please don't tell them your process, no one cares. But they cannot get the transformation they want to have, the goal they want to achieve, without paying you the investment of what that is, that's just part of the deal. If they want to have better posture.Brad Crowell 17:45  There's no transformation without the transaction, yes, but let's, before we go further on that, can we take a step back? What do you mean specifically? What's an example of "don't sell the process"? Because how are people actually making a mistake with that? Lesley Logan 18:02  What does thatlook like? They're saying, "We have classes on three days a week at 10 a.m. and your package of six sessions allows you to come two times a week." That's selling the process, right? "You come three days a week at 10 a.m." or "Mat classes are at 6 o'clock" or "At our studio, we have mat, semi-private, and private sessions on the Cadillac Tower." All of that's process. It's overwhelming information. It's words that they don't want to hear.Brad Crowell 18:30  It doesn't even mean anything to them.Lesley Logan 18:31  Even if they know what most of that stuff is. That's not what they actually care about. They care that you understand the problem that they have and where they want to grow, and that you are excited and a trustworthy person for that, and I think where a lot of people. Brad Crowell 18:50  And that's what they will pay for.Lesley Logan 18:51  Yeah, as well. Yoga Works doesn't exist anymore, it's a perfect example. Their entire advertising model was "first two weeks free, your first two weeks are free." That's a process, right? They were not selling "get meditated in 14 days or less" or "de-stress from traffic," right? They weren't selling what you were gonna gain from doing the yoga for two weeks, whereas if they had actually talked more about how you would feel when you left the yoga class.Brad Crowell 19:29  Sure.Lesley Logan 19:30  I think more people would take them up on that for two weeks free, because it's like, "Wow, two weeks free, this class must be full." No, they weren't, and they're not in business. But I see this all the time in people posting about their Pilates stuff: "Hey, I've got, I'm opening up two spots on Mondays and Wednesdays." Unless someone already trusts you, that's unhelpful. Launa Jae, who's been on our show, has done this really well: "Hey, I'm opening in two weeks, I'm moving four spots for women over 40 who are tired of yo-yo dieting, and they want to actually make a change that lasts a lifetime."Brad Crowell 20:03  Right.Lesley Logan 20:03  You can hear the difference, right? "I'm accepting four new clients," or "In two weeks I will have four spots available for this type of person."Brad Crowell 20:11  Yeah.Lesley Logan 20:12  That is listing the transformation someone's gonna have. She doesn't say, "And when you sign up, you'll have to do eight weeks of macro counting." No, she's not saying that, because no one wants to do that. That's too much information. Yeah, and then we get this a lot, because people will say, "Pilates is too expensive." People have been saying Pilates is too expensive since it was fucking cheap. People have been saying Pilates is too expensive since I started teaching, and people weren't even charging $1 a minute, right, for a private session. But you have to understand that if people are making decisions based on cost, they will always do that. You have to bring it back to the investment of the transformation they want to have, and how badly do they want to have that? Brad Crowell 20:51  Yeah, that's the shift.Lesley Logan 20:52  Some people don't actually want to pay the investment that the transformation would cost, so those people will always be looking for a deal, constantly frustrated. They're the ones who are buying this silly tool this week, and the next thing over here, they're bouncing around. But there are people when, if you reframe it to the investment for what you want to achieve, as Julian said, the investment you want to achieve for your desired goal is going to be one of time and money, right? So you change the word to investment, and then in doing that, you're going to shift the mindset from cost to investment, right? Which is a really good shift you want to make in someone's brain, because they invest in things all day long. They invest time in scrolling on their Instagram, they invest time in being in traffic, they invest time on a lot of different things. So, how can we shift the investment of time and money to something that actually works for them? When I was teaching mat classes only, and I was trying to get people in them, I would say, "Stop spending time in traffic, spend that hour in Pilates and get home in 20 minutes after,"Brad Crowell 21:54  Right.Lesley Logan 21:54  So I had people literally come to my mat class two nights a week that I had it, and they loved it, because instead of sitting in traffic for 90 minutes, they did an hour of Pilates, and then it takes them 25 minutes to get home, same amount of time, but they actually got a transformation to go with it. So really shifting that mindset. And then when people do ask for discounts, you have to have some confidence in the product that you have. I keep telling our agency members, "You need to have courage and conviction in what you do," and that also means telling people how they have to be to be a client of yours. My trainer has so much courage and conviction, she is like, "You cannot be a client of mine if you can't commit to this many times." Yeah, and I really do think that if a lot more Pilates instructors said that, yes, they might have fewer clients in the beginning, but I actually think they would have more later, because the transformation of their clients that they're getting would get them more clients.Brad Crowell 22:44  Yeah, I think this is a perfect transition into what I was hoping to talk about, which is... there was a moment where he was talking about Steve Jobs and the iPhone, right? And he's like, he wasn't like, "Hey, do you think it'd be cool if maybe you guys might want..." none of that. It was like, "Hey, check out this amazing tool that we built that's gonna change your lifeLesley Logan 23:07  Yeah.Brad Crowell 23:07  radically," right? And he said, so he was talking about confidence, right? And there's a difference between polling your audience and getting feedback, and how do you present the thing that you sell or do, right?Lesley Logan 23:21  Absolutely certain that there were NDAs signed of people who were looking at the iPhone before we got it. Brad Crowell 23:27  Yeah, but Julian pointed out that you have to be confident enough that the universe will present you what you need when you need it, riht? Lesley Logan 23:35  Yeah.Brad Crowell 23:36  And that is a scary thing. That is the "leap and the net will appear" kind of approach, right? And obviously, that's definitely something that gets severely tested, and Julian acknowledged that, for sure, especially when you have financial needs, and the wrong clients are coming through your door, but saying... y'all were talking about clients, and the clients that will stay with you for the long haul or not, right? And it's always a scramble at first, like we'll take anybody who comes in the door, but what if our messaging, like we were just talking about, was attracting the correct person who we want to serve and is excited to get the transformation? Yeah, they're going to stay with you way, way longer. And I am... I don't know if you picked up on it if you listened to the interview, but I was so proud because we had a bunch of agency members fill out his big questionnaire, and he compared agency members' stats against the industry stats. And what he said was that agency members retain their clients longer. Yeah, and I was really, really excited to hear that.Lesley Logan 24:49  Yeah and it's because our Agency members, even their process to become a client of theirs sets them up so that they're not getting these crazy wackos that just want to bounce from place to place. They are actually set up to make sure that they are the right client, they're advertised in the right place. One of our members is actually changing her website to being specifically their Pilates studio for women over 40.Brad Crowell 25:15  Cool.Lesley Logan 25:15  Right? Because she's like, "I'm tired of getting calls from 20-year-olds who are comparing me to this other studio over here. That's not what we offer. And even if they can't afford my intro offer, they don't like the classes because they're not for Pilates princesses." And it's like, right. So, there are women who are fucking tired, like, "I want to go to Pilates, but all these Pilates princesses are pictured." And so this client of ours has women over 40 pictured. That's going to matter so much to them, right. And so I am so proud of our agency members. They have solid businesses, and you have a business you can depend on, you're not going off what the trends are. And I really think that right now the Pilates bubble is bursting in several ways. One, Hailey Bieber just announced that too many studios are out there, and they're crappy teachers. Hailey Bieber wrote this. And then The Guardian did an entire article about how people are getting hurt all the time doing Pilates. And here's the thing: if you were doing real Pilates, you could not get hurt if you were actually ready for the exercise that you're doing. Most of the time, people are getting injuries because they're in large group classes that are not on real reformers, and or their teacher was not trained thoroughly enough, and so the teacher's boss is all about how fun the class is and how entertained and how packed the classes are versus the results that they're getting. And I think Julian would back me up on this. Going back to the transformation you want to have and the investment you have to have: I have to get you that transformation, which means you have to show up, but I have to have the teachers that are quality. And so I actually think between the recession that we are all expecting to show up and the fact that people are not going to see the results they want by studios where the people aren't trained fully.Brad Crowell 27:04  Yeah.Lesley Logan 27:05  I do see the pendulum swinging now. How far is it? It's not going to swing that far if you are a solid studio that truly knows what you're doing and why you do it, and you're not begging people to take class for you by offering it for free, but instead you're like, "If you want to participate here, here's how often you have to come, here's the transformation we can provide you, and here's how we do that." You come every other week, I can't get you shit.Brad Crowell 27:26  Yeah, and being real with them. That's where that confidence comes into play, having the confidence to know that the universe will present you what you need when you need it. I remember trying to convince clients, I remember how much time I spent trying to convince clients that we were the right agency for them, or coaching group for them, or web development company for them, or whatever. And it always felt like I'm really good at that, but then we would land a client and they were just the fucking worst client. They never delivered the photos that they said that they had, or they never gave me copy, and so ultimately I'd start this project, we would take a deposit, start the project, and then get stuck, right? Or we would have clients come in, they'd pay us one time for coaching, and then they would never participate, and then they would disappear. And that just felt like such a waste of effort on both our time and theirs.Lesley Logan 28:25  Totally.Brad Crowell 28:26  That time payment didn't feel worth it. It certainly wasn't satisfying. We didn't help them, right? And so.Lesley Logan 28:31  It's also why we've even changed how agency operates now, because it definitely is only attractive to people who are willing to actually do the work.Brad Crowell 28:39  Yeah.Lesley Logan 28:39  You have to do the work. You can't just do calls with me or Brad every quarter and whine and whatever, and then go, "Well, I got this action, I can go make a checklist, and I can feel like I did something new." No, Agency now requires you to ask a lot of questions, put your problem in there, go watch a course, come to an office hour, ask which course to watch, ask what next steps to take, like, you actually have to do the action. And the reason I love that more, even though it's definitely not a sexier sell, is that what we do actually fucking works. I know that, and the people who've listened to us have been with us for years, and when they do the work, it works. Period, end of story. And we recently were at an event, and I saw one of our ex-Agency members who paid because they wanted the transformation, but didn't want to do the work. And then this person would also do the things I said not to do all the time, and then they would come back with a problem. And it's like, "Okay, with the contract you've already signed, there's not a lot I can do, because you made a contract without asking our opinions, and then you signed it." And that person is like, "Yeah, I've just been so overwhelmed, and I'm closing these two studios, I'm doing this, I'm just downsizing a lot." And I just wanted to go, "I fucking told you." Yeah, but here's the thing: I have courage and conviction in how we coach and who we are for, and I know what we can do with people who will do the work. And that means, though, you have to also have courage and conviction in what you offer as a studio. And if that means telling someone, "I actually don't work with clients who are in and out every single week, unless they're gonna do homework, and if you're gonna do homework, it means you have to do it three to four days a week." You have to tell people, "I just don't work with those people, because I don't want to take your money, that's dirty money." Any studio that takes your money and tells you that they can get you what you want, and you're only going to come in once a week or every couple of weeks, is lying to you. If you educate people on that, I'm telling you, you will get a great client. And here's why I can tell you this with my own courage and conviction, with another story: I used to sell a teacher training program for Equinox, and I would always ask people, "Where are you in your research process? Oh, I'm the first person you're talking to? Great, let me explain to you how training programs are not apples to apples. Let me explain to you what it is that you need to be looking for, what questions to be asking." By the way, these are all in my book. "What questions to be asking, what you need to be experiencing, what these things are. When you go and look to other places, I want you asking these questions, because if they don't have answers that work with your life, it does not matter the price, you will be stuck. So I can tell you right now, based on the local programs that I know that exist, we are more expensive on paper, but here's where we solve a lot of those problems. Why don't you go back, do your research, call me back, let's do another thing." I could follow up with them, and there'd be people who say, "You're too expensive, that's too much time, I can't make blah blah blah." And then they would come back and they'd sign up, because they would go do the research, and they would realize that on paper, while we're more expensive, we actually have more things. So you have to have that with people, because if someone's gonna price shop, they're gonna price shop, but I can tell you why. "Oh, well, we're more expensive than them because we're three people, not 12." Hello, educate them. They don't know.Brad Crowell 31:53  Yeah, they don't know. Lesley Logan 31:55  So you're getting resentful of them, but they don't know what they don't know. You have to say.Brad Crowell 31:58  Yeah can also say something like, "Our teachers have 600 hours of certifications under their belt," or something like that.Lesley Logan 32:04  Yeah, when people would do that when we were at the studios, like, "Oh, well, this is more expensive than the Pilates across the street." "Yeah, well, those teachers can only teach on one item, they can only teach on a Reformer, and that's all they're trained on. These are comprehensively trained teachers. These people did at least nine months to a year of training, they spent $8,000-plus, and they have access to all this equipment to get you the goals you want. But if you have to go off of that investment, I get it, go do it over there." Anyways, well, I could keep talking for hours, but we should get to the Be It Action Items, because clearly, I love Julian's data, and I love that we can help people. Knowing what the data is really helps us understand where they are in their business and what they have to focus on. Because you're not going to focus on new clients and retention at the same time. If you have great retention, you don't need new clients.Brad Crowell 32:51  Right.Lesley Logan 32:52  You know, you don't need as many anyways. Okay.Brad Crowell 32:54  Yeah. Well, stick around, we'll be right back. All right. So, finally, let's talk about those Be It Action Items: what bold, executable, intrinsic, or targeted action items can we take away from your conversation with Julian Barnes? He said on client commitment and transformation, Julian said that the first step in the transformation is transforming your daily routine. He emphasized that people need to adopt a new routine, one that says, "I'm coming on Tuesday morning, Thursday after work, and Saturday morning. I'm committed to this change," right? For studio owners, you are more likely to be successful if you present a prescription that gives your client the opportunity to adopt a new routine from day one.Lesley Logan 33:41  Yeah.Brad Crowell 33:41  Right? Like, think about it, if you've got a person coming in the door and you try to get them to make a change, let's say you've had a client for a really long time, and then you try to get them to make a change, do they make the change? Very rarely, right? People get annoyed at change, they get frustrated at change, they like what they like, they like what they have. But if you set that precedent right out of the gate, this is how people get change here.Lesley Logan 34:08  Yes, right, I love that. Well, also, I had a client who was always late, and they'd always apologize, and I had a client before them and after them, and I never gave them more time, and they weren't asking. I said, "Hey, don't apologize to me. This is on you. If you only want a 45-minute session, I have no problem with that. But if you want the full session, you have to ask yourself why you don't feel worthy enough to have a full session so that you can figure out how you have to leave work early. But that's the change you have to make. It has to be based on what you want, it can't be on me." And you know what? She was never late again.Brad Crowell 34:41  Yeah, it's a great example, because what Julian said, which I thought was kind of snuck in there again, he said, "Keep your power."Lesley Logan 34:52  Yeah.Brad Crowell 34:53  Right? We have power. The power is that we are the authority figure, right? And I mean, not in a tyrant kind of a way, but you can say to someone, "This is how it works here, this is how we see people have success here, and this is what we recommend for you."Lesley Logan 35:10  I think we'll just go into my action takeaway, which is like, if you're actively listening to what they have to say, you literally hear what they are, and you use those words, and you connect them to how your services are offered, then you have to step into the authority, because they came to your house.Brad Crowell 35:26  Yeah.Lesley Logan 35:26  If this person came to your house, and you are a "no shoes in the house" person, would you just go, "I guess I'll let them wear shoes"? No, this is a no-shoes house, right? It's a no-shoes house. So, if you are like... I always tell people, take my shoes off, we don't, but you're the person who does, how come you can't be that at the business where you actually are an authority? This is where, I think a lot of people have doubt about the benefits that they can have, because they themselves have forgotten their own practice.Brad Crowell 35:53  Sure.Lesley Logan 35:54  And they themselves have not made any clients actually have consistency, and so they're not actually having the benefits to back up their power. But you have 100 years of Joe Pilates's work working to go off of. So if you are a new teacher, you have 100 years, literally 100 years. This is the year, this year is 100 years that he came to the United States to go off of this, and then you go... I'll give you the advice that I was given, and we'll wrap this up. My first week as a teacher at a studio at Equinox, this teacher said to me, "The best advice they can give you is to get one client and make them your own, like, make them obsessed with you, and you'll have all the clients." And I made those clients obsessed with me, and they did start getting results, results that they weren't getting with their other Pilates instructor, because I got them from... right, because that other Pilates instructor let them come and go. So, please, I was like, "Nope, you have to make up that session you're about to miss next Sunday. I'll see you on Friday. Let's do it. Let's go. I'll make the time." And it's because, one, I need the money, but two, I listened to that advice, and that advice gave me conviction and authority to sit here today and tell you, if you make people be consistent, they get results.Brad Crowell 37:05  Yeah.Lesley Logan 37:06  So be the boss. They came to you.Brad Crowell 37:08  Yeah, they came to you. Don't give away your power.Lesley Logan 37:11  If you need help with that, if you need these pep talks, you should just go to agency.Brad Crowell 37:15  Yeah, this couldn't be an easier segue here. Lesley Logan 37:19  I mean, so profitablepilates.com/agency go there. We have for sure, at the time that we're recording this, one amazing way to work with us. It's quite possible the second way, which is a secret, is available. I'm not sure.Brad Crowell 37:31  It's possible.Lesley Logan 37:32  possible. And if you don't see it, then you book a call with Brad, and you ask him which one is best for you and what's going on there. But we can help you. We can help you.Brad Crowell 37:40  We can certainly support you with these things.Lesley Logan 37:42  Yep.Brad Crowell 37:42  And you can keep your clients longer, too.Lesley Logan 37:44  Yeah, you get all the benefits that our clients get.Brad Crowell 37:47  Yeah.Lesley Logan 37:47  And also, guess what? You get a predictable, boring business, which is so nice. Go be entertained by your streamers, not by your business. Okay, life's stressful enough. I don't need an up and down on my business to be what's going on, what I'm going my vibes off of. Okay, I'm Lesley Logan.Brad Crowell 38:04  And I'm Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 38:05  Thank you so much. I hope this was fun. It was an interesting deep dive into the industry, and Julian, his company does some really great work that is on the data. So, BFS is the company. We'll put the links in the show notes. Share this with a Pilates instructor friend who needs to hear it.Brad Crowell 38:21  Yeah.Lesley Logan 38:22  And until next time, Be It Till You See It.Brad Crowell 38:24  Bye for now.Lesley Logan 38:26  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 39:08  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 39:13  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 39:17  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 39:25  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 39:28  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This month on Laura Flanders & Friends we're lifting up the people, the stories, and the ideas driving disability justice forward.  This week, a candid conversation with two leading disability rights organizers on the ongoing fight for recognition, respect, and full inclusion for the largest minority in the country—these stories push us to rethink what justice really looks like. This show is made possible by you!  To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate  Thank you for your continued support! Description:  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, a significant milestone in the fight for civil rights, with a vision of inclusion and respect for people with disabilities. But ableism, or discrimination in favor of able-bodied people, persists, affecting the one in four Americans with a disability. What does ableism mean and why is it still a prominent problem? Anita Cameron and Keith Jones, leaders in the disability rights and disability justice movements, have answers. Cameron, who has been arrested nearly 150 times, participated in the "Capitol Crawl" for the passage of the ADA in 1990 and, later in 2017, she was part of the widely-publicized Rotunda Takeover with the disability advocacy group, ADAPT, to protest proposed Medicaid cuts. Her influential writings shed light on topics like ableism in media and the intersection of ableism and mental health. She currently heads the Minority Outreach at "Not Dead Yet", an organization committed to fighting ableism, or discrimination veiled as physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia of persons with disabilities. As an African-American activist, entrepreneur, and father living with cerebral palsy, Keith Jones advocates for quality independent living for persons with disabilities. He also strives for equal access to housing, education, and voting rights - for all. In addition to his human rights work, Jones is the founder of SoulTouchin' Experiences and has earned an Emmy award for his song "Rising Phoenix," a documentary about the Paralympic Games. This far-ranging feature, timed to coincide with the signing of the ADA on July 25, 1990, concludes with a commentary by Flanders. “The lives of people with disabilities are so regulated, we don't have true autonomy. I can guarantee you that the access to healthcare, reproductive rights and all of that, we disabled women have to fight for that access anyway.” - Anita Cameron “They like to either say, you're disabled or you're a woman, you're disabled or you're queer, you're disabled or you're Black. That's not the case. We are an intricate mosaic of identities.” - Keith Jones Guests: Keith Jones, Human Rights & Disability Justice Activist, President, Soul Touchin' Experiences Anita Cameron,  Disability Justice Activist, Director of Minority Outreach, Not Dead Yet   Watch the episode released on YouTube; PBS World Channel 11:30am ET Sundays and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast. Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation.  Full Episode Notes are located HERE.  They include related episodes, articles, and more. Music In the Middle:   “So Hip Hop” by Fezo de Mad One featuring Toni Kickman courtesy of the artist and Soul Touchin' Experiences.  And additional music included- "In and Out" and "Steppin" by Podington Bear ACCESSIBILITY - This episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel   RESOURCES: *Recommended books: “Voices of a People's History of the United States in the 21st Century: Documents of Hope and Resistance,  Learn more here (*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)   Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: •  Did a Summer Camp Help Spark a Disability Revolution?  Watch / Listen-Download Podcast •  Ableism Out, Independent Living Now!  Watch  /  Listen-Download Podcast •  The Future is Disabled”: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha  Watch / Listen-Download Podcast •  Laura's Commentary aka The F-Word:  The Disability Revolution Listen-Download Podcast •  Playlist of LFShow Disability Justice Episodes - Watch Here Related Articles and Resources: •  Highlighting Disability / Poverty Connection, NCD Urges Congress to Alter Federal Policies that Disadvantage People with Disabilities  Read Here •  Dobbs Is a Disaster for Disability Justice (from the series After Roe) by Liz Bowen, Society for Cultural Anthropology  Read Here •  EndAssistedSuicide.org •  State laws legalizing assisted suicide violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, by Matt Valliére, Opinion Contributor, The Hill,  Read Here Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel

OA1276 - Who could have predicted this? Us! The Trump administration has made their complete disdain for people with disabilities clear since day one. We've called it out before, and the natural progression of those efforts came to a head mid-June when they announced their intention to turn over governance of special education to RFK Jr in HHS (least trusted man in America when it comes to the needs of your child with a disability), continue dismantling the Department of Education overall, further reduce their investigations of educational discrimination, and, just two days later, their commitment to overturning major protections against forced institutionalization. What's happening, how did we get here, why does it matter, and what can anyone do about it? Tune in to find out. OA episode callbacks: 1238 Deep dive on Olmstead 1180 the history of forced institutionalization and “ugly laws”, and the executive order “Ending crime and disorder on America's streets” 1141 The Section 504 protests 1171 A.J.T. v Osseo area schools (rights to accommodations for students with disabilities) Part 1; attempted dismantling of Olmstead: Olmstead v. L.C. ex rel. Zimring, 527 U.S. 581 (1999) 28 C.F.R. § 35.130(d) Exec. Order No. 14321, 90 Fed. Reg. 35817 (Jul 24, 2025) Application of the Rehabilitation Act and Americans with Disabilities Act to State Institutionalization of Patients with Severe Mental Illness or Disabilities, 50 Op. O.L.C. __ (June 18, 2026) Part 2; the dismantling of the Department of Education: Exec. Order No. 14242, 90 Fed. Reg. 13679 (Mar. 20, 2025) Compl., State of New York v. McMahon, No. 1:25-cv-10601 (D. Mass. amended 01/09/2026) McMahon v. New York, 606 U.S. ___ (2025) Interagency Agreement Between the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor Relating to the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) (plus addendums) Christy Wolfe (Dec. 16, 2025), Transferring K-12 Programs to Labor: Why Costs and Logistics Could Be a Problem for States and Schools, Bipartisan Policy Center Jennifer Smith Richards & Jodi S. Cohen (Mar. 2, 2026), ProPublica Sues Education Department for Withholding Records About Discrimination in Schools, ProPublica. U.S. Government Accountability Office (Feb. 2, 2026), Department of Education: Full Costs and Savings Estimate Needed for Reduction-in-Force and Restructuring of the Office for Civil Rights. U.S. Dept. of Education (June 16, 2026). U.S. Department of Education Announces Additional Partnerships to Strengthen Coordination for Individuals with Disabilities Programs, Bolster Civil Rights Enforcement. A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools, Independent School Dist. No. 279, 605 U.S. 335 (2025) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: 29 U.S.C. § 794 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: 20 U.S.C. § 1400-1409 Check out the OA Linktree for all the places to go and things to do!

This month on Laura Flanders & Friends we're lifting up the people, the stories, and the ideas driving disability justice forward.  This week, a candid conversation with two leading disability rights organizers on the ongoing fight for recognition, respect, and full inclusion for the largest minority in the country—these stories push us to rethink what justice really looks like. This show is made possible by you!  To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate  Thank you for your continued support! Description:  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, a significant milestone in the fight for civil rights, with a vision of inclusion and respect for people with disabilities. But ableism, or discrimination in favor of able-bodied people, persists, affecting the one in four Americans with a disability. What does ableism mean and why is it still a prominent problem? Anita Cameron and Keith Jones, leaders in the disability rights and disability justice movements, have answers. Cameron, who has been arrested nearly 150 times, participated in the "Capitol Crawl" for the passage of the ADA in 1990 and, later in 2017, she was part of the widely-publicized Rotunda Takeover with the disability advocacy group, ADAPT, to protest proposed Medicaid cuts. Her influential writings shed light on topics like ableism in media and the intersection of ableism and mental health. She currently heads the Minority Outreach at "Not Dead Yet", an organization committed to fighting ableism, or discrimination veiled as physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia of persons with disabilities. As an African-American activist, entrepreneur, and father living with cerebral palsy, Keith Jones advocates for quality independent living for persons with disabilities. He also strives for equal access to housing, education, and voting rights - for all. In addition to his human rights work, Jones is the founder of SoulTouchin' Experiences and has earned an Emmy award for his song "Rising Phoenix," a documentary about the Paralympic Games. This far-ranging feature, timed to coincide with the signing of the ADA on July 25, 1990, concludes with a commentary by Flanders. Guests: Keith Jones, Human Rights & Disability Justice Activist, President, Soul Touchin' Experiences Anita Cameron,  Disability Justice Activist, Director of Minority Outreach, Not Dead Yet   Full Episode Notes are located HERE.  They include related episodes, articles, and more. Music In the Middle:   “So Hip Hop” by Fezo de Mad One featuring Toni Kickman courtesy of the artist and Soul Touchin' Experiences.  And additional music included- "In and Out" and "Steppin" by Podington Bear ACCESSIBILITY - This episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel   RESOURCES: *Recommended books: “Voices of a People's History of the United States in the 21st Century: Documents of Hope and Resistance,  Learn more here (*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)   Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: •  Did a Summer Camp Help Spark a Disability Revolution?  Watch / Listen-Download Podcast •  Ableism Out, Independent Living Now!  Watch  /  Listen-Download Podcast •  The Future is Disabled”: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha  Watch / Listen-Download Podcast •  Laura's Commentary aka The F-Word:  The Disability Revolution Listen-Download Podcast •  Playlist of LFShow Disability Justice Episodes - Watch Here Related Articles and Resources: •  Highlighting Disability / Poverty Connection, NCD Urges Congress to Alter Federal Policies that Disadvantage People with Disabilities  Read Here •  Dobbs Is a Disaster for Disability Justice (from the series After Roe) by Liz Bowen, Society for Cultural Anthropology  Read Here •  EndAssistedSuicide.org •  State laws legalizing assisted suicide violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, by Matt Valliére, Opinion Contributor, The Hill,  Read Here   Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel

The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures that people living with disabilities receive reasonable accommodations at work. That law also applies to students attending most colleges and universities. And the ADA doesn't limit itself to physical disabilities. It's often applied to invisible disabilities, as well. This week, Britt Neff, the Access Specialist at the University of Washington School of Law, joins me to explain all the ways the accommodation process can work for college students living with MS.   We'll also tell you about PTD802, an oral remyelination therapy that's just been given a green light from the FDA to begin human clinical trials We're sharing evidence from an important study that should make you feel more confident about getting those MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and chickenpox vaccines. You'll learn what researchers at the Cleveland Clinic discovered when they asked the question, "Can someone living with MS over the age of 60 discontinue their disease-modifying therapy?" And we're sharing the details about an AI application that can predict -- with 90% accuracy -- whether someone with MS is at risk of experiencing cognitive decline over the next few years.  We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: Understanding "reasonable accommodation" at college  :22 FDA approves oral remyelination therapy PTD802 for Phase 1 clinical trial  1:07 Study results: MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and chickenpox vaccines are shown to be safe for people with MS  4:52 Study results: Is it safe for someone living with MS over 60 to discontinue their DMT?   7:34 Study results: AI predicts future cognitive changes among people with MS with 90% accuracy   10:45 Britt Neff explains the many types of accommodation available to college students with MS  15:01 Share this episode  28:24 Next week  28:44 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/462 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com Pheno Therapeutics https://phenotherapeutics.com STUDY: Live Attenuated MMR and Varicella Vaccinations and Multiple Sclerosis Activity https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2849165 STUDY: Long-Term Follow-Up of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Over Age 60: Comparing Clinical and Radiological Outcomes in Disease-Modifying Therapy Continuers and Discontinuers https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20552173261448005 STUDY: Explainable Artificial Intelligence to Predict Neurocognitive Disorder Progression in Multiple Sclerosis Using MRI and Clinical Data https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ene.70568 JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 462 Guest: Britt Neff Privacy Policy

Send us Fan MailOn this month's episode, Beth, Brittany, and Stephanie discuss the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act becoming law by sharing their favorite Disability Pride Month reads. They also showcase their graphic novel recommendations in celebration of Graphic Novels in Libraries Month. We want to hear from our listeners! Email us at checked.in@davenportlibrary.comTo find out what books were mentioned in this episode, visit our Checked In LibGuide!Upcoming programs:Adults: Artifacts and Archives Live! - Thursday, July 23rd @ 5pm | Putnam Museum and Science Center Tweens/Teens: Teen DIY: Seed Paper – Saturday, July 18th @ 2pm | FairmountKids: Nahant Marsh Presents Snake Science – Thursday, July 16th @ 11am | EasternHelpful links from our discussion:Summer Reading ChallengeFreegal MusicLibrary Links:Calendar of Events - Learn more about the events discussed in this episode and about what is coming up at the Library!Library Catalog - Place holds on all of the books discussed today!Info Cafe: The Library's Reference BlogBeanstack - Sign up to participate in our reading challenges!2026 Online Reading Challenge: Know Your History

Will we return to the bad old days of existence in substandard hospitals and nursing homes?  Or will we fight to preserve our lives in the community? Sadly, this is not a rhetorical question.   In 1999, the United States Supreme Court passed the Olmstead decision determining that people with disabilities should not be forced into institutions when they can be safely and appropriately supported in community settings. Or, in other words, people with mental and other disabilities no longer had to be incarcerated in oppressive institutions when they could reside in whatever type of community living was most appropriate to the individual.  But in a memo issued in June, the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel upended that guidance. It argued that neither the Americans with Disabilities Act, nor Section 504, two major disability rights laws, requires states to provide services in the most mainstream setting.   Pushing Limits on Friday, July 3 interviews Eric Harris, Associate Executive Director of External Affairs for Disability Rights California, to discuss Olmstead and the threat against it.  This Program is hosted and produced by Eddie Ytuarte.  Click here for a relevant article. For more info on our guest click here or read below:  Eric Harris is DRC's Associate Executive Director of External Affairs with an extensive career working closely with disability leaders, community members, and elected officials throughout the country to progress change for the disability community. Eric Harris Harris brings significant local, state and federal policy experience, having worked for Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the Democratic National Committee and the California and Hawaii State NAACP.  Mr. Harris has led discussions on disability pride, inclusion and access on platforms throughout the country. He has spoken at Harvard Law School, the University of California at Berkeley School of Medicine and at the White House.   Harris started his time at DRC in 2019 working in the legislation and estrategic partnerships and community engagement units. He served on the State Independent Living Council as a Governor Newsom appointee and as a board member for the Resources for Independent Living in Sacramento. He grew up in Sacramento, California and was an elite wheelchair basketball player.  “Creating public policy that improves the lives of disabled people has been my life's mission. I look forward to working closely with intersectional disability leaders throughout the state to improve the lives of all people with disabilities.”  For a full program transcription, click here The post Olmstead Under Threat – Pushing Limits – July 3, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

What if VR looked beyond traditional employment pathways? In this episode of Manager Minute, Carol Pankow sits down with Kristy Schenderlein, Vice President of Operations at the Blind Institute of Technology (BIT), to discuss how an RSA Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) demonstration grant is redefining career opportunities for people with disabilities. Learn how BIT combines accessible technical training, industry-recognized certifications, registered apprenticeships, and employer partnerships to prepare participants for careers in Salesforce, digital accessibility, AI, and project management. With participants earning family-sustaining wages and advancing into six-figure careers, this conversation challenges VR professionals to think differently about workforce development and the future of competitive integrated employment. Listen Here   Full Transcript: {Music} Kristy: Organizations are unfortunately trying to fit our community into a little box. What they think we can do, not what we know that we're capable of. You guys are really forging ahead with something that's never been done before. And so how do we get the VR groups, the VR counselors and teams to break out of what their traditional mold has been? Our participants earn an average of 75,000, and within three years of employment, the majority have been promoted and are making over six figures. Intro voice: Manager minute, brought to you by the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center. Conversations powered by VR. One manager at a time, one minute at a time. Here is your host, Carol Pankow. Carol: Welcome to the Manager Minute. Joining me in the studio today is Kristy Schenderlein, VP of operations at the Blind Institute of Technology. So Kristy, how are things going for you? Kristy: Very good. Ready for summer to start. Carol: Yes. It's starting here in a big way, let me tell you. We've got heat wave going on in Minnesota. So today we're going to talk about a Disability Innovation Fund project focused on expanding access to careers and technology for individuals with disabilities. And this is a space getting a lot of attention right now. But what does it actually look like to build something that works in practice? So let's dig in. So Kristy, let's start with your journey. How did you get connected to this work and to BIT? Kristy: Yeah, absolutely. So I myself am a member of the Blind and visually impaired community. I have Stargardt's disease, which is a juvenile form of macular degeneration. So I navigated through the education space as a visually impaired student, got my degree from University of Wyoming and Communications a long time ago. We don't want to talk about how long ago that was, but then I moved into a career as a litigation paralegal for about 15 years. And my husband and I opened our own hardware store, where, in addition to being a small business owner and doing whatever was needed of me that day, I also oversaw all of the operations there as well. And when we closed our store, I kind of was at a crossroads. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do, except for the fact that I really wanted to look into the potential of working with employment in my community. Through my years, I had met with apprehension. Can I do the job? Shock? You know, some people would see, you know, especially when we were at the hardware store and I began using a cane in the middle of us owning the store. So, you know, people would walk in and I'd be standing there with my cane. And if I asked them, you know what I can help them with? Or if they'd see me, you know, talking to employees found out I was one of the owners. You know, I was just met with disbelief that I could actually be doing this job. You know, sometimes it was just blatant. No, you can't met with a I don't see how this can be done. So I'm not going to open my mind to even consider this. So I know that navigating those waters of employment for not only people within the blind and visually impaired community, but pan disability community as well, is difficult. And I know that it is not the lack of ability, it's the lack of opportunity. And so what could I do to help my community? And an acquaintance introduced me to Mike Hess, our executive director. Mike and I met. He told me about BIT, BIT's mission, his vision, and I jumped on board seven years ago. When I jumped on the ride, there was five of us, now there's almost over 50 of us, the majority of which identify with some form of disability, including in leadership. So we're really proud of that. It's been a wild ride for sure. Carol: I think it's really cool. I was looking a lot. I was looking you up. Of course, you know, I got to check out your story on LinkedIn and all the things as well. And then just perusing the BIT website and such. And I just think you have a really amazing cast of folks that are working there. Kristy: We do. Carol: And I really like what you're doing. Kristy: Thank you. Carol: And I could not believe, actually, since I found out about you, I had contacted like my folks back at State services for the Blind in Minnesota. I'm like, do you guys know about them? Like, because I sure didn't know about you when I was there. And I just think getting the word out more is super important. So I know you and I had spoken earlier and we were talking about your DEF grant application and that you guys actually had a model that you had built. And so you were basing this application on that. Can you talk a little bit about the different process and what problem you were trying to solve with your application for the project? Kristy: Yeah, absolutely. We know the numbers and how ugly they are that, you know, 70% of people with disabilities are either un or underemployed for the BVI community. It's even higher. It's at 80. I think those numbers have changed a little bit, but unfortunately that needle hasn't moved much in years. There's a lot of organizations out there that are saying that they're focusing on employment. But unfortunately, I mean, the numbers don't lie. You know, we're still where we're at. And what we found is no one is focusing on workforce development for higher level professional careers. And no one's really focusing, again on the professional or corporate America. Organizations are unfortunately, trying to fit our community into a little box, what they think we can do, not what we know that we're capable of. And so we really, truly believe that the answer to this, and I'm going to call it, you know, an epidemic, if you will, the unemployment of people with disabilities really has to do with workforce development and making sure that those people who, again, have the ability to do the job also have the opportunity. So we actually began offering Salesforce administration courses, gosh, back o late 2000 teens, we successfully put through eight blind or visually impaired professionals through a Salesforce Administration Certification prep course, and we choose Salesforce specifically because of the accessibility of their platform. And not that it is a B2C accessibility, but it's a B2B. So people within my community and those of us in the Blind and visually impaired community who are the hardest to serve because of the fact that we have to use assistive technology in order to do our jobs. It's allowing that community to get these certifications, get good, long lasting, sustainable careers. You know that they can actually be, you know, climbing up that corporate ladder, not being stuck down at the bottom. So we began our courses in 2020. We actually became the only training provider approved by Salesforce for people with disabilities globally. And that really came about because of our focus on two things. Number one, our courses being virtual, we are meeting. This was even before the pandemic, even before, you know, virtual courses were the thing. We were doing it virtually. We were meeting our community where they were at. We were also focused on employment. Our end goal at BIT is always employment. That's always where we keep our eye on employment. So, you know, we'd already started these courses. We began a Salesforce system integration service within BIT. We also began an accessibility consulting service and began using our students as at that time, interns, we met up with an intermediary, an apprenticeship intermediary called Safal Partners, who looked at our program and said, gosh, you guys already have an apprenticeship program. Kristy: What would be considered a wrap or a registered apprenticeship program through the Department of Labor? So they helped us get registered with the Department of Labor, and we became and still are the only organization, the only registered apprenticeships to include the Pan disability community to include the BVI community. And we're proud of that. And we're also saddened by that because we are the only ones that are doing it this way. The problem was we were only able to do it more of in a project based format, you know? So whenever we had projects, the apprentices worked well. Our apprenticeship program is a competency based program. There have been which now have been lifted, but requirements of 2000 hours really difficult to get those 2000 hours in a reasonable amount of time when it's just ebbs and flows of projects. So we really need to find a way to move into a more structured apprenticeship program. We added a, you know, the digital accessibility space a couple of years after we did the Salesforce admin apprenticeship and fortunately found the DIF grant to help us expand on what we already had running. Carol: So what did this when you get the DIF grant, what it allow you to do differently, moving from that more kind of pilot project kind of format into this structured model? Kristy: Mhm. Well, it allowed us to do essentially that. Number one is add structure. So as I mentioned, for our apprenticeship program, first we were able to add an apprenticeship program manager, which is huge for somebody to actually be able to focus all of their time on overseeing the program. We were able to move it into a more structured program. So we're not only looking now at project based. Our apprentices, you know, are working on regular schedules. Most are completing their apprenticeships between 1 and 2 years. They're able to not only work on those projects and gain competencies through projects, but also work on hypothetical situations we created for those competencies they need to accomplish without the projects we're working on professional development. So it was able to really add, again that structure to make it just a more robust program. In addition to that, we were able to expand on the academy courses that we were able to offer. So what we're learning with the Salesforce ecosystem is essentially the sweet spot is five certifications. It's not enough just to have that foundational cert. So with the DIF grant, we were able to say, okay, we want to get our team to that five certs. Any student that goes through our course, they have the option of getting to those five certifications. You earn two. Just in our foundational course alone. And then we added three higher level courses. In addition to that, we're also able to add a third track. So we have our Salesforce Administration track. We have our digital accessibility track, and now we're going to be able to add an Agile Scrum Master certification or project management track. So it pairs really nicely with the other two tracks in that, you know, all of these projects, they need scrum masters or project managers to run these projects. So now we're able to kind of create that full loop where we're able to have our admins working on their projects. Same with digital accessibility. And then we're able to add, again, these scrum masters and project managers to work on those same projects to build up and gain their experience. So able to expand the Academy. We were also able to add an academy director and an administrative assistant, you know. So again, providing more structure and guidance there. And then additionally, one of the things that we focused on, one of our goals with the grant was to be placed on 30 state eligible training provider lists. And what this allows us to do is really get a lot of that exposure that you were talking about before. Any person who wanted to participate in the program can go to these ETPLs, is what they're called. See if we're on in their state, get the information. You know, if they are workforce boards, VR counselors. Again, just the average Joe that wants to look into some opportunities for training also gives employers the opportunities to come in and see what we're doing, learn about us, you know, get that more exposure. And I think actually now we're on 35 ETPLs. Again, our friends at Safal Partners helped us within the first year achieve that KPI for our DIF grant. Carol: That is amazing. That is really great. I was gonna ask how many you were on and 35 sounds... Kristy: Mhm. And growing and growing. You know, we're we're we're not stopping. Right. We want to be on all of them. Carol: I'm like, you're going to conquer the world. So walk us  through how it works today. You know, you're talking about the academy. You've got the certification, the apprenticeships, kind of how does the whole flow? Somebody comes in, they're like, I want to do the thing. What happens? Kristy: Absolutely. We have a couple of different options to start. So what we decided to do was add two self-guided courses for our two current tracks, Digital Accessibility and Salesforce Admin. So they're intro courses, they're self-guided. And essentially it's just that giving you an introduction to what Salesforce is. A lot of people have no idea what Salesforce is, even though they're one of the largest tech companies in the world. They're in every industry, all the different fields, you know, they're this humongous organization, but a lot of people just don't know what it is. So it gives people the opportunity to get in there, see what Salesforce is. Is this an interest to me? Same with digital accessibility also gives them an understanding of if you're using assistive technology, what is your level of proficiency need to be? Can you be a beginner? And I'll tell you right now, the answer is no. You can't be a beginner if you're using. You know what? I use a screen reader. You know, you have to be a little more proficient than that. So you get through those courses and you decide, yeah, I really liked this. I completed the course. You sit for a technical assessment, you have to do a hands on assessment and then a technical interview. Kristy: And the reasoning for that is to really, number one, ensure that that person who is taking the course is committed, understands the content was doing it themselves, you know, making sure nobody was, you know, helping them out before they can move into the instructor led courses. So once they pass that you can move into the instructor led either, again, digital accessibility or Salesforce, when we add our agile scrum probably won't have an intro to start, but that'll be getting added the later part of this year. And that'll again be instructor led courses, but pretty much the same format. So once you get into the instructor led courses, digital accessibility I believe is 14 weeks. I think admin is now 17 weeks. Again, with admin, you earn two certifications, multiple hours a week in class and then also in lab. In addition to that, there is a lot of homework. There's a lot of work outside these courses. I never sugarcoat these courses. They are not easy. We're talking high level tech careers. So these are high level courses. There's a lot of work, there's a lot of commitment, but there's a lot of support. All of our classes are taught by a person with a disability. Our TAs are people with disabilities. We have focus on those people that need to use screen readers. You know, we have screen reader instructors. So we're really, you know, meeting every person with a disability, regardless of what that is, understanding what accommodations they may need, working with them on that so that they can feel comfortable and actually concentrate on the content and the subject matter and not, am I going to be able to do this course or not? So they get through the instructor led courses leads to sitting for the certification exams. And, and I want to point out to all of the courses that we offer in our academy all lead to industry recognized certifications. These aren't certifications. We make up and say, well, we'll see if it works for you. These are the same certifications that anyone would be sitting for if they were taking any of these Salesforce courses or the digital accessibility, the Agile Scrum Master, you're going to be sitting for the actual Scrum Master certification. So they sit for the exams, you know, hopefully pass it. We've got really good certification pass rates, so hopefully they'll pass it again. They're difficult, they're not easy, but we provide you with what you need in the courses to pass those certs. Carol: What does your pass rate look like. Kristy: So oh boy you just threw that threw that at me. What's the data I believe I think it varies based on the course. But for example, I know our past cohort for digital accessibility, ten out of 12 have sat for the course. And I think all of them have passed. So 100% there. I think most of our cert rates run as a collective whole, 75 to 95%. Carol: Okay. Kristy: Yeah, really good cert rates. And again, it's really because of the fact that these are intense courses, but we work with you. Carol: When you're wrapping service around all these people. Kristy: Exactly. Carol: Talk about the technical kind of support that the students can get. Kristy: You're exactly right. Yeah. You know, and again, a lot of group sessions, you have a lot of support. Carol: Yeah. Kristy: So yeah. So once you get past those certifications, you then become eligible to interview for an apprenticeship. Not everyone qualifies for an apprenticeship. It really depends how well you do in the class. You know, obviously you need to have your certification to get into their apprenticeship. So if you don't get your cert, there's an issue. What was your professionalism like? You know, our instructors provide our apprenticeship manager with notes and sometimes it's, hey, they just need a little more professional development. They need a little work on this. They need to work on that, which is stuff we can provide. One of the things that came with the different is we added in a professional employment coach. So she works with people, you know, maybe you have ADHD and you're looking for tools to help you get organized and to stay focused. And so we bring her in and have sessions together. Sometimes just professional development. There's a lot of people in our community that need a little bit of that. Unfortunately for some of us, when we get on these Zoom calls, we can't see the social cues. We can't tell if somebody is, you know, getting ready to speak or wrapping up what they're speaking, you know, so how do you handle all that? So we do all of that, you know, we provide all of that. But once the instructors say, yep, I think that they should interview for an apprenticeship program, they have to go through an interview with our apprenticeship program manager and another member of BIT. And then if we have openings, which we do, and we will continue to have them through the different, then they become a part of our apprenticeship. And again, those are all apprenticeships or they're competency based used to be 2000 hours. The Department of Labor has lifted that restriction. But we still feel that that 2000 hours is a good number for our participants to really get a good, strong understanding of what they will be doing in this role in mastering these competencies, Professional development. It gives you that 1 to 2 years experience that, you know, whenever you're looking for an entry level job, what do you see? You need 1 to 2 years' experience. Well, how do you get that if you're entry level? And so we're providing that opportunity to do so. Our apprenticeship program has additional trainings that are offered. You're working right alongside with our sales force professionals, our accessibility professionals who all have experience in the field. And again, I will point out to these are teams that are all disabilities working together. So completely deaf admins working with completely blind admins, just killing it, doing an excellent job. So really a lot of exposure in that apprenticeship program. One of the things the DIF grant also allowed us to do is incorporate employer partners. So if you have an apprenticeship with an employer partner still meeting with our apprenticeship program manager. You're still getting all of the support from BIT we're meeting with the project leads at those employers to make sure that we're supporting them in anything they need. So really, like I said, a well-rounded program. Once you complete those competencies, we do self-evaluations. I mean, we're, you know, where you stand in our apprenticeship and what you need to work on. And, you know, we're selling, obviously, the further you get into the apprenticeship program, the more projects you're handed, the more responsibility. So really just gaining your confidence in the field, and then you're ready to go into the world and work in an organization or a corporation out there. Carol: Are you seeing any impact with AI? You know, people talk about AI usage now, and, you know, the increase of that and how it's changing the landscape of corporate America. Are you seeing any impact from that? Kristy: So you've heard of that little thing called AI? Carol: Yeah. Kristy: The answer is an overwhelming yes. So one of the things that we've done in our courses is try to, we try to make them future proof. You know, we don't want to send our students or our apprentices out into the world behind the eight ball, you know, oh gosh, this is a saturated market. I don't have any of the skills. So one of those higher level Salesforce certifications I told you about is agent for specialist, which is Salesforce AI. And Salesforce has gone all in on agent force and their AI. So our apprentices have the opportunity to become certified in agent force. And then, you know, different projects we're working on. We're now talking to a lot of clients that are looking into how can I incorporate AI into my Salesforce environment? So, you know, giving them people then that opportunity to get those skills so that they can make an immediate impact. Additionally, in the Scrum Master or the project management track scrum Master has just added the AI Scrum Master certification course. So we will be actually including that in our course. So again, you'll come out of that track with if you're looking at Scrum Master, you're looking at two shirts, one of which is AI. We're also adding a higher level AI course, that's AI governance. Most of these companies are looking at this going, okay, we have AI, but when should we be using it? How should we be using it? What is ethical? What is not? What is going overboard with AI, you know? So we're actually going to provide a course. So again, our participants can come out able to make immediate impact on organizations. And the way to do that right now is AI. So we absolutely are incorporating AI. People with disabilities to, you know, again, we say at BIT Technology is the greatest equalizer. It truly is. And people with disabilities are actually leading the charge in AI. In fact, that agent for specialist course I mentioned, out of all of the workforce development orgs within Salesforce, we were the first one to offer that course. So disability community leading the way in AI. So it's exciting. Carol: I love it. Well, you're ahead of the curve, which is super good. And people come in with that. They'll definitely. I mean, you're creating a good niche there with your apprentices being able to do that. Kristy: That's our goal. Carol: That's awesome. So what are you seeing as a career pathways like what's proving to be the most impactful right now? Kristy: So you know, again, Salesforce is just huge. So of course that is, you know, continuing on and that is definitely making a big impact. Digital accessibility is a very hot topic right now. Gosh, a couple years ago, I can't remember what year it was actually implemented. But the Department of Justice has now mandated that title two of the Americans with Disabilities Act incorporate digital accessibility. And they actually laid out deadlines. They just pushed the first deadline. It was supposed to be April of 2026, that all municipalities with over 50,000 individuals had to be digitally accessible. Everything within your state needs to be accessible for people within our community to access. 2027 was supposed to be for those municipalities, less than 50,000. I imagine that'll get pushed back as well. But the bottom line is if your organization, your front facing organization is not accessible, you're going to encounter some issues. And so all of a sudden then all of these corporations and organizations and government and they're going, okay, what is this? What is digital accessibility and how do we get there? So we're really starting to see a lot of impact, a lot of clients coming to us asking, okay, what is digital accessibility? How can you help me? One of the members of Office of Accessibility for Salesforce is actually said that there's two experts in Salesforce accessibility, and one is Salesforce and one is bit. We work very closely with them on accessibility and their accessibility. I think really that impact digital accessibility. We're going to see it more and more and more. Unfortunately, a lot of lawsuits are being filed. And when I say unfortunately, it's that's what's being the precursor for companies to become digitally accessible. You know, I wish they would just because it's better for everyone. An accessible product is just a better product. It's more well thought out, it's more intentional. It's just better presented. I wish that it wasn't that they're being forced to because of litigation. I wish that it was just because that is again, the right thing to do. Plus, this disability community is large across the world. I think it's 1 in 5 now, and more and more people are aging. More and more people are being diagnosed with disabilities. Where before in tech, people were just considered eccentric. When I think a lot of them were actually, you know, on the autism spectrum or neurodiverse, so that, you know, a lot of invisible disabilities, mental health disabilities are now become not so taboo to hide and to talk about. So it's something that, you know, the world's just going to see more and more of, and the demand for making things more accessible to reach your customers, to reach that community is going to become more and more. So I really think that digital accessibility track is getting a lot of focus. Carol: That is very cool. I know employer engagement also is a big piece of all this, and how are you partnering with companies and what are they seeing as value from what you offer? Kristy: So apprenticeships is huge right now. Apprenticeships really provide employers the opportunity to get kind of a jump on the talent pipeline, both this current administration and the former administration, very pro apprenticeship. You know, they have apprenticeship mandates out. I believe it's a million apprentices is what they want to attain. And then there's proven statistics. I'll give you some data here, Carol, for companies that have an apprenticeship program, typically for every dollar that's invested in that apprentice, the company is seeing an ROI of $1.44. So immediately getting impact with having an apprentice, 94% of the apprentices stay where they're at when they become an apprentice within a company. So turnover is really expensive for companies, incredibly expensive. And so not only if you have an apprenticeship, you're looking at a 94% retention rate. But then to add to that, the people with disabilities community, our turnover rate is incredibly low because it has been difficult to find employment. If the person with a disability finds a place where they can be successful and thrive, they're not going anywhere. So you kind of get a double whammy on that. Apprentices typically come out earning 84,000 a year, and they're saying 49% of HR managers are saying that skill based is really kind of the new and compelling look at talent management. One of the things that, again, as I mentioned before, the DIF grant allowed us to do is start reaching out to employer partners, having them bring on apprenticeships, not necessarily being trained within BIT, but actually going into their organizations, working with their Salesforce teams, working with their digital accessibility teams and again, creating this talent pipeline I mentioned earlier, it's not the lack of ability, it's the lack of opportunity. Again, these apprenticeship programs are really providing people within our community the opportunity to go in there and prove themselves, to show these companies. You know, unfortunately for the people with disabilities community, that really is we call it that legal, nebulous bell that we have to ring is the reasonable accommodations. Most people don't understand them. If you get an apprenticeship in there, you're working alongside that apprentice to really determine, okay, how is this person going to be most successful and really getting over that fear of what the reasonable accommodation is. So our impact with employers has been fabulous. It's been phenomenal. A lot of interest, again, in bringing on these apprentices to work on their teams, give them again that opportunity to kind of dip their toe into that pool. I want to mention, too, that we really believe that the disabilities community is the greatest untapped talent in the planet. You have this whole group of resources that are so talented and nobody's touching and working with organizations like BIT. Working with these apprentices really gives you that opportunity to dip into that talent and have this just amazing pipeline, amazing resources to work with instead of going the typical talent route. And we have a tech talent shortage, we really do. So, you know, working with, again, like an apprenticeship program, working with our team really gives people the opportunity to get that jump on that talent. Carol: Well, and they get to work in that company. You know, you're in that company and the company culture. You're all part of it you've done these 2000 hours. You know, you've been there a year or more. Kristy: Exactly. Carol: And so they really get a good flavor of what you bring to the table. It's such a great way. I mean, you see that more and more kids are starting to realize like maybe the four year degree route isn't the way. Kristy: Mhm. Carol: We need to look at these other options for getting into employment and getting in more quickly, because everybody learns differently, and these jobs, I mean, when you're talking, people are coming on average $84,000. This is no joke. Kristy: No it's not. Again, it's a good way to get into, again, your feel to get your foot in the door. Give those companies the opportunity to really get that new and emerging talent, but not expecting them to just hop right in the job because, he said, we all learn differently. There's a lot of nuances to learn about different companies. You know, you're an admin at one company and you go to another. And again, you know, you've got that hill to climb of, you know, what are the nuances of that particular company. But here you built your own army, if you will. You built your own pool. Carol: Yeah. Kristy: One of our apprentices actually in a webinar we did recently, she had said, you know, one of the benefits to employers is you essentially get to mold these apprentices into what type of employees that you're looking for. And it's true, you're almost taking a blank slate and working with it for two years and building your team the way you want. And then like you said, you know, you're done with that 2000 hours. Why would you go anywhere else? You've already invested this time. Again, we've given you the statistics on the ROI in that dollar investment. You're already earning money off the apprentices, so why wouldn't you stick with them? Carol: 100%. Now, I know you had some success with the workforce boards and a few blind service agencies, but you've had less traction with VR. What's been the challenge there and what do you want, like the VR agencies to understand? Because I know we sure miss the whole boat and didn't even realize a thing about BIT and I've been telling everybody ever since I talked to you first, like, hey, you need to go look at this website and you need to talk to these people because I've just been like, wow, why is VR missing the boat on that? Kristy: Well, I think you're kind of hitting the nail on the head there, Carol, in that we are not your normal traditional organization out there. We know we are actually the only organization doing what we're doing. And we know that because not only have we looked, but Salesforce has looked. Our other partner, Ronstadt, has looked, you know, they've looked around for other organizations like us doing what we're doing, the manner in which we're doing it, and there aren't any out there. So I've been thinking about this since you and I spoke last time about, you know, really what is our problem with VR? What is the issue? And I really think it comes down to that fact that we are breaking the mold. Our friends at Safal Partner, you know, talk with us all the time about you guys are really forging ahead with something that's never been done before. And so how do we get the VR groups, the VR counselors and teams to break out of what their traditional mold has been and kind of think out of the box and look at our organization go, oh, wait, because unfortunately, the traditional is not working. I mean, the numbers say it, you know, those numbers haven't moved. And I think the VR counselors, they have to do certain things certain ways. And they have reports that they have to do and they need to meet different criteria. And, you know, our programs aren't short. You know, it's not like somebody can get in and out in a month and then they're employed. You know, we're really investing the time in training people to really be productive employees in a completely different way than ever been done before. So I think if we can get the VR groups to open up their minds to a different way of doing things and to recognize the fact that these traditional ways we've been doing things just really aren't moving the needle. And I think a lot of the, you know, VR counselors, again, they're they have cases they have to close, they have rates that they have to hit. They again, they have all this documentation they have to do. And so I think a lot of times they try to put a square peg in a round hole, and it just doesn't work for people with disabilities community. You have to understand where they're at, you know, Social Security disability, a lot of people are on it. It is not easy to get on. Our goal is to get everyone off of it, not to provide them with a supplement to their SSDI. We want everyone to become tax producers, not tax consumers. So when you get people who are capable, who are software engineers, who have these, you know, the great focuses on tech, this critical thinking mindset that can do so much more than just getting a job. Being able to think outside the box, look at other opportunities that might be out there and go for it. You know, we've been successful, we're showing that this is the way you do this with this group. So that's really the only answer I can come up with, Carol, is why we're not making more traction is just that traditional mindset of this is how we do things. And unfortunately, that traditional mindset is just not helping our community well. Carol: And hopefully we're able to get the word out now through the podcast and advertising that because it is like a no brainer to me. I mean, you're looking at your wants to get people into quality employment outcomes. And I used to always be about like family sustaining wages. And so you're talking about this investment and the people, even though it takes a longer amount of time. But if you've got folks coming out, you know, you've got a big track record, you've worked 2000 hours, you've done this apprenticeship, you've done all this coursework ahead. You have these certifications. You now are geared up for really good employment and long term employment. We're not talking, you know, you're in and out of the fast food place. You want to stay here. You're now engrained in a company. Like what a way to set folks up for success and not needing to come back to you, or to Social Security or any of those other supports. You've really got people launched in such a great way. Kristy: Right? And on that note, so our participants earn an average of, I think, 75,000. And within three years of employment, the majority have been promoted and are making over six figures. So as you said, their family sustaining wages with opportunities of growth. And that's really what our community needs in opportunities, is that the community does not want to be on Social Security disability. They don't they want to be able to put food on their table. You know, with employment comes a lot of dignity. It comes a lot of feeling of worth and being a productive member of society. The community wants that and they know they can do that. We're just lacking the opportunity. Again, lacking that open mindset. I know there's a lot of VR counselors that say, hey, I'm going to put you through college and I'm going to get you this bachelor's degree. And our unemployment rate is still the same, right? We need more than that. You know, you need more of an investment, not just the traditional. I am old enough to remember the days that my parents just said, oh, just get a degree, right. Doesn't matter what it's in. Just go get a degree, you'll get a job. That's not today. You know, today's the day of specialization. As we talked earlier, today is the day of certifications. You know, people want certs. They want experience. They want skills, they want proof. And they're looking at effective employees to, you know, how effective are you an employee? Are you going to be great? You've got this bachelor's degree, but can you be effective in this role? Hiring managers say they can train for those hard skills. You know, they can train somebody to, you know, code in a certain Manner or become an HR professional. You can train a lot of that, but you can't train the effectiveness. You can't train the critical thinking as much as you can when you're in the role. Our program helps to do that though. You know, it really helps people to develop those skills, to become those critical thinkers, those problem solvers that these hiring managers are looking for. Carol: It really is the full package. What you offer. I just I'm still stunned thinking about like that. We've all missed the boat for 20 years or plus you've been around. So it's not too late though for people to get on board. So looking ahead, what does success look like for your project and what should other people be paying attention to? Kristy: Mhm. Of course, the whole goal for this project is competitive integrated employment. And of course, again, that goes right along with our mission from the very beginning. It's employment. You know, that CIE number is again that family sustaining wages that you can have good strong careers in. So when we're looking at our future, the grant has provided us the opportunity to really build our programs again, provide a lot more structure. So of course, sustainability. Our goal is really to grow our own sales force system integration services, our own digital accessibility services. So that number one, we can be a huge employer of people with disabilities and really build these big sales force teams. The other thing is really finding the employers who are interested in investing in this community. You know, who again, are thinking outside that box of, you know what? I have a talent shortage and I need to find a pool that is really going to benefit my company, provide an ROI, you know, be here. So I'm not hiring somebody every six months. So really, again, you know, getting the word out, we want people, of course, to know about our program to look at our program. You know, we're focused on tech. Tech is not the only industry that could benefit with this type of program, not in any way, shape or form. So we really like people to look at our program and say, okay, you know, our focus is X, you know, maybe it's marketing, maybe it's finance, accounting, whatever it is. And really look at our program and say, I think this is the model that we need to follow. You know, it is a very collaborative organization. We are not going to get where we need to be in silos. We need the whole village to work together to provide these opportunities. Again, really trying to show that we really feel this is the path forward for many careers, for many high producing, effective, high compensation careers. We'd really like people to, again, look at our program, look what we're doing in the different, obviously different is a demonstrative grants. That's the whole thing we're doing here is demonstrating that we really feel that our model is the way to go. Really take a look at apprenticeships and apprenticeships for people with disabilities. I really feel apprenticeship just are tailor made to people with disabilities for them to really, again, get really comfortable to build their skills and show that, yeah, I've got the ability. Just give me that opportunity. I've got the ability. Carol: I can totally see why RSA selected you as a grant. Kristy: Oh thank you. We're pretty passionate here at BIT. Carol: You are and it's amazing. So folks wanted more information about BIT, what's the best way to find you or contact? Kristy: Absolutely. So of course the best way is our website. It's just easy. BlindInstituteOftechnology.org. You can also get it by blindIT.org. You'll find all the information there. Otherwise you know, reaching out. If you are interested in our Academy, Academy@blindIT.org, we have candidates@BlindIT.org or sales@blindIT.org. Any of those, if you can't remember any of them and you can only remember, oh, she said Sales@BlindIT.org, but I'm really not in sales still go to that email address. We're looking at over 50 of us. Our internal team, you know, is about 25 to 30. We're very tight knit, so it's going to get to us. So any of those email addresses work and you can find them all on our website. So again, BlindInstituteOfTechnology.org or BlindIT.org will get you there as well. Carol: So no wrong door in. Kristy: Nope, nope. We will get you to where you need to be. Just let us know what you're looking for, what you're interested in, and we will find the person for you. Carol: Well, that is awesome and I know I am going to sing your praises going forward. Like continue to like tell people about what is happening there. It's pretty amazing. I really appreciate your time. I wish you much success. Thanks for joining me. Kristy: Thank you so much, Carol. I appreciate the opportunity. {Music} Outro Voice: Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time. One minute at a time. Brought to you by the VRTAC. Catch all of our podcast episodes by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening.

On today's episode, we discuss a Louisiana “John Doe” case that tests how far state emergency powers can go in limiting medical malpractice and discrimination claims. The hosts walk through Doe's lawsuit against a physical therapy provider, explaining how the Louisiana Health Emergency Powers Act raised the burden of proof to gross negligence during the COVID-19 emergency and initially blocked his malpractice claim. When Doe's attorneys shifted to federal discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act, lower courts still dismissed the case, treating the state emergency standard as controlling. The crew then breaks down how the U.S. Supreme Court reversed and remanded, citing the Supremacy Clause and clarifying that a state emergency statute cannot override federal civil rights protections or bar federal claims from being heard. They close by reflecting on what this means for future plaintiffs, federalism, and the limits of state “emergency” shields for healthcare providers and governments. Don't miss it!

Send us Fan MailEpisode 457 – BOB DOLE: The Life That Brought Him There, Part 38The Bush Years (1989–1992) (C): The ADA, the 1990 Budget Deal, and the End of the Bush Administration (Season Finale)As the George H. W. Bush years draw to a close, Senator Bob Dole finds himself at the center of some of the most consequential legislative battles of his career.In this season finale, we examine three defining chapters of the Bush Administration and Dole's role in shaping them.First, we look at the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, landmark legislation that transformed opportunities for millions of Americans. For Bob Dole, a wounded World War II veteran who spent years overcoming the challenges of disability himself, the issue was deeply personal. We explore how Dole worked across party lines to help move the legislation through Congress and why the ADA became one of the proudest achievements of his public life.Next, we turn to the bitter struggle over the 1990 budget agreement. Facing mounting deficits and economic uncertainty, President Bush entered negotiations with congressional leaders that culminated in a controversial bipartisan deal. The agreement broke Bush's famous "Read My Lips: No New Taxes" pledge, triggering outrage among conservatives and creating divisions within the Republican Party that would linger for years. We examine Dole's difficult position as Senate Republican Leader and his efforts to navigate the competing demands of governing, party loyalty, and fiscal responsibility.Finally, we trace the final years of the Bush presidency, from the triumph of victory in the Gulf War to a slowing economy, rising political challenges, and the turbulent 1992 election. As President Bush's popularity declined and Governor Bill Clinton emerged as a formidable challenger, Bob Dole increasingly found himself looking toward the future—and toward the possibility of his own presidential campaign.This episode closes the story of Bob Dole's journey from war hero to Senate Republican Leader and one of the most influential figures in Washington during the Bush years. Along the way, we have witnessed the experiences, struggles, triumphs, and setbacks that shaped the man who would soon become the Republican Party's standard-bearer.Next season, the story continues with BOB DOLE: 1995 – Clinton's Comeback, as America enters a new political era marked by divided government, the Republican Revolution, and the opening chapters of Bob Dole's final quest for the presidency.The life that brought him there is complete. The campaign that will define his legacy is about to begin. Questions or comments at  , Randalrgw1@aol.com ,  https://twitter.com/randal_wallace   , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

JD is joined by Ben Burr from Blue Ribbon Coalition for a straight-up land access scoreboard on the fights shaping the future of motorized recreation. Ben breaks down the rescission of the BLM Public Lands Rule, the Roadless Rule fight, Moab route reassessments, the San Rafael Swell, WEMO closures in the Western Mojave Desert, and why the minimization criteria could become a serious threat to OHV access nationwide. They also talk about local advocacy groups, fieldwork, the Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act, and why off-roaders need to submit meaningful comments instead of assuming someone else has it covered. If you care about public land access, trail closures, Jeep trails, overlanding, OHV routes, or keeping backcountry roads open for people who cannot simply hike in, this episode is one to share.

This week on the Talking Headways podcast we're joined by Cardozo Law professor Michael Pollack to talk about his new book Sidewalk Nation: The Life and Law of America's Most Overlooked Resource. Michael discusses who manages, owns, and feels ownership of sidewalks and advocates for a Department dedicated to them. We also talk about the nexus between sidewalks and roads, the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Denver's successful funding and maintenance referendum. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Find out about our newsletter and archive on YouTube! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site!  And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

OA1238 - Dive in to an “old” case from the 90's that secured a critical right for people with disabilities: The right to be free from unnecessary institutionalization. Learn about some of the more obscure portions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the different ways we can define discrimination, and what happens when a majority of  judges just cannot agree to sign on to an entire opinion. Olmstead v. L.C. 527 U.S. 581 (1999) Americans with Disabilities Act - Findings and Purpose; 42 U.S.C. § 12101(a)(2, 3, & 5) Americans with Disabilities Act - Discrimination; 42 U.S.C. § 12132 28 CFR § 35.130(d) Jesse Jackson (July 18, 1989). Statement before the Committee on Education and Labor Subcommittee on Select Education (regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act). Check out the OA Linktree for all the places to go and things to do!