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Patricia O’Connell interviews Joe Strechay, an entertainment media consultant for blindness and disability employment initiatives. They discuss Joe’s childhood, his interest in representation and inclusivity for persons with blindness, low vision, and disabilities, his career, and the opportunities in entertainment today for persons with low vision, blindness, or disabilities. The door is open but we have further to go.   Listen in to learn what your company can do to foster representation and inclusivity in your hiring practices and your products and services. Remember all your audience. Key Takeaways: [:21] Patricia O’Connell welcomes Joe Strechay to CEO Stories on This is Capitalism. [:50] Joe is in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in quarantine, preparing to get back to Season 2 of Apple TV+’s See. Joe was an associate producer on Season 1. He was in-charge of the blindness-related aspects of the show. He has been promoted to Producer. [1:15] See is a science fiction show set hundreds of years in the future, in a world with a small population and universal blindness caused by a viral apocalypse. It tells the story of a family with a set of twin children born with vision. [2:51] Joe grew up in New Jersey. Joe and his mother were both diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye condition. At 19, Joe was legally blind. Joe did not have the services that most people have in preparation for school, education, and life.[3:27] On leaving college, Joe sought help and was taught orientation and mobility (O&M), which is traveling with a white cane or with a guide dog, daily living skills, technology, and all the things that help you become a successful and independent individual who is blind. [4:13] As a child, Joe had an IEP for school, but his vision deteriorated gradually from the outer edge, eventually narrowing to a small spot, but within that spot, he could see clearly. By his first semester in college, he had lost most of his vision. He tried to get help, but no one was available to help him. [5:29] Joe did get some assistance from the Disability Student Services at East Carolina University where he was a college student. [6:10] At age 19, Joe had low vision, and was legally blind. It was like looking through a straw. When he was 18, a doctor told him off-handedly at the end of an appointment, “Yeah, you’ll probably be totally blind by the time you’re 25. Pay at the front. Have a good day.” [7:56] Joe’s career plan was to go into public relations and professional sports marketing. He had played a lot of sports growing up. Joe got involved in public relations with the East Carolina communications organization doing PR and marketing work for nonprofits in North Carolina. He enjoyed it. He sought internships and jobs. [8:35] Joe went to New Jersey and New York City to intern and finish his degree. He interviewed with pro hockey and basketball teams. He interned for a marketing firm that worked with the NFL, racing, pro golf, and more. Then, there was 9/11 and the economy dropped into a recession. There was no opportunity to be hired by the company. [9:27] Joe started to face the fact that he was visually impaired as he went on interviews. He was still learning the skills to become independent. He searched for any job to pay the bills. [9:44] He went in for a substitute teaching job at the Calais School. They offered him a teacher’s assistant position in physical education. Joe did that for two years. There were two students with visual impairments. Joe started working with them, which started him thinking about working with visually impaired individuals. [10:08] Joe was already getting services from the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. They talked to Joe about fields in education and rehabilitation of disabilities. Joe wanted to give people the opportunity for services that he hadn’t had. [10:29] Joe went to Florida State University in Tallahassee and studied visual disabilities and teaching people who are blind or low-vision how to travel, how to access their education, and to transition from school to employment. He wanted to make an impact for individuals. Employment became a passion for him.[11:14] With his media background, he started looking at portrayals of minority characters and blindness and disability in movies and on television. He did a study about minority and gender portrayals on the Disney Channel. Joe had always been obsessed with movies and television but hadn’t imagined working in the industry. [13:23] Joe found a job working in the U.S. and abroad advising around employment and services for people who are blind. As a hobby, Joe started writing about the portrayal of blindness and critiquing it in blog posts and articles. [13:55] Some media companies started contacting Joe’s employer for casting assistance for commercials and documentaries. Joe helped the writers’ room for three episodes of the USANetwork show Royal Pains, regarding a character who was blind. [14:35] Next, Netflix called about an anonymous project, Marvel’s Daredevil, for consulting around the main character. Most consultants around blindness issues for television or film are people who are sighted. Netflix interviewed and hired him for Season 1 as a show advisor. He advised on scripts and props and helped actors. [16:44] Joe teaches people on a show how to identify individuals. The first method is to put the person before the disability: a person who is blind (or low-vision) or a person who has a disability. The second method is for someone who chooses to identify as a blind person or a disabled person. Allow them to say how they choose to be presented. [17:55] Joe is a person who is blind. He is more than just his blindness. It just means he does things in a different way. He is not offended if you call him a blind person. [18:58] Joe found working on Daredevil very enlightening. After Season 1, he continued on his work with professionals serving the blind community. He became Director of the Bureau of Blindness & Vision Services for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Thursday before he started he got a call to help with Netflix’s The OA. Because of his new job, he commuted to work every weekend with them. [21:02] Joe enjoyed consulting but he had a full-time job. He kept getting offers that he turned down because they weren’t the right opportunity for him. He wasn’t looking for another job. [21:17] Joe got calls from the executives, directors, and creators of Peaky Blinders, Hunger Games, and other shows, about an opportunity they were developing with Apple. Joe started consulting and eventually chose to leave his employment running services for Pennsylvania and moved to British Columbia to start working and prepping. [22:15] The opportunity was for See. Joe started as a blindness consultant and the role grew. The executives believed in Joe and the work he did. He advised choreographers and actors. He had an assistant who audio-described for him what was going on. That is a personal assistant who helps with the organization, and describes the sets for Joe. [23:40] By Episode 3, Joe stood near the director. For Episodes 4 and 5, there was a new director, who told Joe to be next to him for every shot. He helped block every scene, figuring out what the actors might be paying attention to in the environment and thinking about things that should be included. [24:20] From the beginning, Apple was committed to hiring people who were blind or low-vision as actors and background performers. Joe became responsible for accessibility and assistive technology, including Braille labeling and signage for the employment office and accessible scripts. [25:42] Actors who are blind or low-vision bring authenticity. They have to be authentic to the world of See. A civilization built without vision for hundreds of years does not have eye contact. Personal space is different. There was a team of people working together to develop this world. [27:06] Apple is committed to making sure that persons who are blind are represented responsibly. Blindness is not all one flavor. It comes in shades and sizes. [28:37] There is a process from representation to inclusion. Joe studied that in his undergraduate work at ECU with Dr. Linda Kean in the communications department. First, Persons with blindness, low vision, or disabilities are presented as characters in the show. Then, they are provided professions of legitimacy and authority. Then they move into general character roles. [29:40] Joe would see himself represented in the media most often as a person with blindness lying in a bed in a hospital or walking by on the street. He wondered when he would be represented as a character. Apple TV+’s See is a story of a world almost entirely of people with blindness, as villains, heroes, warriors, lovers, parents, etc. [30:30] People with blindness are in the world doing great things. Joe’s friend, Erik Weihenmayer, summited Mount Everest, climbed an ice peak, and kayaked the Colorado River — totally blind. Joe has friends who are blind who work as mechanics, carpenters, and in all kinds of professions. [31:47] There are more portrayals of blindness and visual impairment and other disabilities in the media now than there used to be. Actors who are blind or low-vision are getting opportunities, and they are now being cast for their talents as well as their physical traits. [32:40] People who work on See move on to other shows and give more opportunities to persons with disabilities. Joe gives an example.[34:09] Allie Strucker played Ado Annie in a wheelchair in Oklahoma on Broadway and won a Tony Award for it. [36:29] Persons with disabilities are still under-represented in television and movies. Joe says “We don’t see ourselves as often, getting those opportunities within those portrayals.” The numbers are growing thanks to the work of a lot of people. [37:45] Meaningful representation in media matters, such as showing people who are blind or low-vision doing different types of professions, not just lying in a bed or walking by. There is a lot of disbelief and misconception about what persons with disabilities can do. Media changes perceptions.[38:48] The production of See has zero tolerance for disrespect for persons with blindness or disability. They have built an inclusive environment to make sure all cast members can get to difficult locations with the accommodations they need. [41:22] If you have a business, you want to have a company environment where people are comfortable to disclose their disabilities because they might need accommodations and tools to do their job successfully. 20% or more of your customers are persons with disabilities. Consider the whole population with your products or services. [44:53] If you’re not sure if your website is accessible, it’s probably not. You need testers who are blind or low-vision. Joe recommends working with Disability:IN and the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation. [47:28] When you hire a person with disabilities, accommodations are not a huge cost. Persons with disabilities stay longer in a job and get there on time. They put in the work. They make sure the quality of the work is up to specifications. They appreciate the opportunity. [48:19] Disability touches everyone in the world. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). [50:59] Patricia thanks Joe Strechay for being on the podcast, This Is Capitalism.   Mentioned in This Episode: Joe Strechay See Retinitis Pigmentosa Orientation and Mobility SkillsWhite CaneGuide Dogs IEP East Carolina University The Calais School New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired Florida State University Disney Channel Royal Pains USANetwork Marvel’s Daredevil The OA Apple TV+ Peaky Blinders Hunger Games Movies Dr. Linda Kean, East Carolina University Erik Weihenmayer mountain climber This is Us The Politician Away Fox Corporation Netflix The Old Man Ali Stroker Oklahoma! Revival Glee Paralympics Disability:IN Disability Equality Index Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) American Printing House for the Blind

For Episodes 11 and 12 (Hair Colour Parts 1 and 2),  our thanks go out to guest contributor, Courtenay St. John of Studio St. John in Massachusetts.  In this Part 1 episode, we discuss what looks good when it comes to hair colour on any Season and how at-home hair colour might make it happen. The conversation is divided this way: 3 criteria for choosing hair colour(begins at 8,13) Common hair colour mistakes of the under and over 35's (at 10.20) When PCA clients know hair colour needs a fix. (at 11.55) Who would colour their hair at home? (at 13.00) Who wouldn't colour their hair at home? (at 14.47) What is rarely flattering on any age or Season? (at 18.35) Duration total: 32.11 minutes   Photo credit: Honey Yanibel Minaya Cruz on Unsplash   Courtenay St. John of Studio St. John is here on Chrysalis Colour.   Courtenay posts on Chrysalis, about hair colour without the salon, Light Summer, and Dark Winter (and Dark Autumn).   12 BLUEPRINTS Pinterest boards for the 12 Seasons.    

The amazing story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde continues with Episode 25 "John Wants Marriage" and Episode 26 - Hyde Interrupts edited back-to-back into one audio file. For Episodes 1 through 24 (edited in pairs) go to the Jekyll and Hyde Playlist on Heirloom Radio... more episodes to come. Thanks for listening.

For Episodes #2-3 I will be playing a conversation I recently had with Rev. Rob McCurley (Greenville Presbyterian Church, Taylors, SC). While we initially discussed the topic of adoption in the Bible, our conversation touched on many topics including the role of the church in adoption throughout history, the recent shift from the church to the state in caring for the fatherless, and the need for more Christian families to get involved in adoption in their local churches.

For Episodes #2-3 I will be playing a conversation I recently had with Rev. Rob McCurley (Greenville Presbyterian Church, Taylors, SC). While we initially discussed the topic of adoption in the Bible, our conversation touched on many topics including the role of the church in adoption throughout history, the recent shift from the church to the state in caring for the fatherless, and the need for more Christian families to get involved in adoption in their local churches.

For Episodes 3 & 4, the Parent Talks Podcast dives into the emotional and confusing issue of finding out your child has a life-long medical diagnosis like Autism, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. As you heard in Episode 3, coming to terms with a diagnosis is just the first step of a very long, and often confusing, journey of being a parent to a child with special needs. In Episode 4, we hear from our parent panel how they made it through the first few years and get more insights from Early Intervention Specialist Sally Rasmussen.

For Episodes 3 & 4, the Parent Talks Podcast dives into the emotional and confusing issue of finding out your child has a life-long medical diagnosis like Autism, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Some parents are expecting to hear a diagnosis for their child, some are surprised and some not ready to accept a diagnosis at all. In Episode 3, we talk with a group of parents about the varying responses their family members had to receiving a diagnosis. And, we get some helpful advice from Sally Rasmussen, a Special Educator of 28 years and an Early Intervention Specialist at Encompass.

This episode of the BeardTalkSports Podcast previews the FIFA World Cup group stage. We look at who will advance and run down the rosters of some of the best teams in the tournament. Group A (2:05-7:00) Group B (7:00-13:02) Group C (13:03-17:10) Group D (17:17-21:20) Group E (21:30-28:20) Group F (28:23-35:25) Group G (35:30-42:30) Group H (42:38-51:25) (For Episodes 3 and 4, please visit our YouTube page by YouTube searching 'BeardTalkSports' all one word)

For Episodes 36 & 37 of the Outstanding Ohioans show, I had the pleasure of interviewing Matt Mayer, President of Opportunity Ohio.  Opportunity Ohio (O2) is dedicated to enhancing prosperity for Ohioans through educating policymakers and citizens. We pay particular attention to the impact of state and local government decisions and how they foster or hinder job creation and economic growth. Our strategic aim is to provide our leaders with sound policies for a better tomorrow. To listen to the show, click on one of the following: Itunes Stitcher Like Outstanding Ohioans on Facebook Matt A. Mayer serves as President of Opportunity Ohio. Previously, Mayer wrote and spoke on national security and federalism issues as a Visiting Fellow with The Heritage Foundation. His Heritage federalism work earned the runner-up prize in the 2012 Better Government Competition. Mayer has been a national policy leader for more than a decade. Mayer is the author of three books.  Mayer’s first book, Homeland Security and Federalism: Protecting America from Outside the Beltway (with Foreward by the Honorable Edwin Meese III), argued for reversing the nationalization of homeland security by returning power to states and localities. His second book, Taxpayers Don’t Stand a Chance: Why Battleground Ohio Loses No Matter Who Wins (And What To Do About It), exposes systemic problems that have made Ohio fall from a national leader to a laggard. His third book, The Founding Debate: Where Should the Power Over Our Lives Reside?, highlights to top five arguments from the Federalist and Anti-Federalist, as well as excerpts from ten key Supreme Court cases, to help readers decide where they think the power should be. Prior to his public policy work, Mayer was a senior official at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the leadership of Secretaries Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff where he provided DHS leaders with policy and operational advice as the Counselor to the Deputy Secretary and where he headed the $3.5 billion terrorism preparedness office charged with developing initiatives to transform America to meet the demands of a post-9/11 environment. Mayer came to DHS from Colorado where he served Governor Bill Owens as the Deputy Director for the Department of Regulatory Agencies. Mayer co-developed Colorado’s Regulatory Notice system that utilizes electronic mail to notify stakeholders of all proposed regulations before those regulations become final. The Regulatory Notice system earned the Denver Business Journal’s 2003 “Innovative Product/Service Award” for making government more transparent and accountable. Prior to joining Governor Owens’ team, Mayer served as a deputy in Colorado Senator Wayne Allard’s reelection effort in 2002, and ran a widely hailed congressional campaign for a first-time candidate. As a result of his campaign work, the Colorado Statesman selected Mayer for its 2002 “Rising Star Award.” Mayer was a 2007 Lincoln Fellow with The Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy and a 2006 American Marshall Memorial Fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States. In September 2005, The Ohio State University Alumni Association awarded Mayer the William Thompson Oxley Award for early career achievement. At the age of 29, the Denver Business Journal recognized Mayer as one of Colorado’s young leaders by naming him to its “Forty Under 40” list. In 1997, Mayer was the recipient of the ABA-BNA Excellence in Labor & Employment Law Award and was recognized as a Public Service Fellow. Mayer graduated cum laude from the University of Dayton, with a double major in Philosophy and Psychology and received his law degree from The Ohio State University College of Law where he was the Editor in Chief of the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution. Here were the topics we discussed: what it is like being on the John Stossel show thoughts on the job Governor John Kasich has done thoughts on freedom and competitiveness job creation and entrepreneurship ideas to reduce the size of government and reform right to work debate what are some best practices other states are using what are some benefits Ohio has to offer to bring in new opportunities one of his favorite books by Charles Murray By The People:  Rebuilding Liberty Without Permission Matt wants to leave behind a legacy of:  a principled life; determination; hard work; and belief that he is making a difference I am inspired by the action Matt has taken to make a positive difference in Ohio. The audience can connect with Matt in the following ways: Opportunity Ohio website Twitter Facebook email at contact@opportunityohio.org

For Episodes 36 & 37 of the Outstanding Ohioans show, I had the pleasure of interviewing Matt Mayer, President of Opportunity Ohio.  Opportunity Ohio (O2) is dedicated to enhancing prosperity for Ohioans through educating policymakers and citizens. We pay particular attention to the impact of state and local government decisions and how they foster or hinder job creation and economic growth. Our strategic aim is to provide our leaders with sound policies for a better tomorrow. To listen to the show, click on one of the following: Itunes Stitcher Like Outstanding Ohioans on Facebook Matt A. Mayer serves as President of Opportunity Ohio. Previously, Mayer wrote and spoke on national security and federalism issues as a Visiting Fellow with The Heritage Foundation. His Heritage federalism work earned the runner-up prize in the 2012 Better Government Competition. Mayer has been a national policy leader for more than a decade. Mayer is the author of three books.  Mayer’s first book, Homeland Security and Federalism: Protecting America from Outside the Beltway (with Foreward by the Honorable Edwin Meese III), argued for reversing the nationalization of homeland security by returning power to states and localities. His second book, Taxpayers Don’t Stand a Chance: Why Battleground Ohio Loses No Matter Who Wins (And What To Do About It), exposes systemic problems that have made Ohio fall from a national leader to a laggard. His third book, The Founding Debate: Where Should the Power Over Our Lives Reside?, highlights to top five arguments from the Federalist and Anti-Federalist, as well as excerpts from ten key Supreme Court cases, to help readers decide where they think the power should be. Prior to his public policy work, Mayer was a senior official at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the leadership of Secretaries Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff where he provided DHS leaders with policy and operational advice as the Counselor to the Deputy Secretary and where he headed the $3.5 billion terrorism preparedness office charged with developing initiatives to transform America to meet the demands of a post-9/11 environment. Mayer came to DHS from Colorado where he served Governor Bill Owens as the Deputy Director for the Department of Regulatory Agencies. Mayer co-developed Colorado’s Regulatory Notice system that utilizes electronic mail to notify stakeholders of all proposed regulations before those regulations become final. The Regulatory Notice system earned the Denver Business Journal’s 2003 “Innovative Product/Service Award” for making government more transparent and accountable. Prior to joining Governor Owens’ team, Mayer served as a deputy in Colorado Senator Wayne Allard’s reelection effort in 2002, and ran a widely hailed congressional campaign for a first-time candidate. As a result of his campaign work, the Colorado Statesman selected Mayer for its 2002 “Rising Star Award.” Mayer was a 2007 Lincoln Fellow with The Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy and a 2006 American Marshall Memorial Fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States. In September 2005, The Ohio State University Alumni Association awarded Mayer the William Thompson Oxley Award for early career achievement. At the age of 29, the Denver Business Journal recognized Mayer as one of Colorado’s young leaders by naming him to its “Forty Under 40” list. In 1997, Mayer was the recipient of the ABA-BNA Excellence in Labor & Employment Law Award and was recognized as a Public Service Fellow. Mayer graduated cum laude from the University of Dayton, with a double major in Philosophy and Psychology and received his law degree from The Ohio State University College of Law where he was the Editor in Chief of the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution. Here were the topics we discussed: what it is like being on the John Stossel show thoughts on the job Governor John Kasich has done thoughts on freedom and competitiveness job creation and entrepreneurship ideas to reduce the size of government and reform right to work debate what are some best practices other states are using what are some benefits Ohio has to offer to bring in new opportunities one of his favorite books by Charles Murray By The People:  Rebuilding Liberty Without Permission Matt wants to leave behind a legacy of:  a principled life; determination; hard work; and belief that he is making a difference I am inspired by the action Matt has taken to make a positive difference in Ohio. The audience can connect with Matt in the following ways: Opportunity Ohio website Twitter Facebook email at contact@opportunityohio.org