Podcasts about Sign language

The Power of Rivers: Ecology, Culture, and Reimagining Nature with Robert MacFarlane This discussion was a dream come true! Have you ever wondered what rivers can teach us about life, culture, and sustainability? If so, you're not alone. In his captivating book Is a River Alive?, Robert MacFarlane explores the profound relationships between humans and rivers across the globe, revealing how these waterways are vital to ecological health, cultural identity, and future conservation efforts. This podcast delves into MacFarlane's insights, shared stories from his travels, and practical ways you can foster guardianship of our rivers. Whether you're a nature lover, a concerned citizen, or simply curious about the natural world, this journey into the heart of rivers will inspire you to see these vital waters in a new light. You'll also want to consider the ways rivers have been your guardian all along. Why Rivers Matter: The Ecological and Cultural Crisis MacFarlane's exploration begins in England, where the health of rivers has dramatically declined due to pollution, agricultural runoff, and climate change. Only 14% of English rivers are in good ecological health, a stark figure illustrating the severity of the crisis. MacFarlane compares this decline to Rachel Carson's opening scene in Silent Spring, where poison falls from the skies, harming wildlife and communities. Yet, the crisis in England isn't solely chemical; it's also cultural. Our disconnection from rivers has led to a loss of identity and stewardship.  MacFarlane's travels take him across four continents, revealing inspiring examples of rivers that are thriving and being reimagined as beings with rights. For instance, in Ecuador, the river Rio Los Cedros is protected by groundbreaking legal rights enshrined in the constitution. Similarly, in India's Tamil Nadu region, local activists combat drought and pollution, asserting their guardianship over their waterways. In North America, the Innu community in Canada's northeast has recognized river rights in regional declarations, illustrating a radical shift in environmental law.  The Rebirth of River Rights What makes these stories compelling is the idea that rivers are more than just resourceful water courses—they are living entities deserving legal protection. MacFarlane's journey shows that citizen guardianship can lead to tangible change, like the Ecuadorian court ruling that protected Los Cedros' forest and river ecosystem, forcing mining companies to leave within ten days. These acts of guardianship, rooted in love and respect, demonstrate how reimagining rivers as rights-bearing beings can foster ecological healing. Stories from the Water: Encounters with Place One of MacFarlane's gifts is his ability to connect readers with the people he meets on his journeys. From the mushroom girl Juliana, who hears fungi as a language, to the indigenous communities whose rivers are sacred, these stories highlight the importance of listening, naming, and understanding our environment. Recognizing the Sign Language of Nature MacFarlane discusses Juliana's remarkable ability to sense fungi before seeing them—an almost magical skill that speaks to a deeper, intuitive understanding of ecosystems. She perceives the fungi's "voices," not through scientific rigor alone but through felt intuition. It's a reminder that humans can develop a kind of water literacy, learning to listen to the signals of rivers and oceans. These encounters illustrate that a polyphonic world exists, filled with language and meaning beyond human speech, waiting for us to perceive if we only listen. The Gift of Naming and Connection Naming, MacFarlane suggests, is a powerful act. It's a way of establishing relationship and recognition with the environment. Ann Marie talks about her experience of discovering tiny beach seedlings in Virginia, which led to a panoramic "cathedral" of beeches. Her experience exemplifies how awareness and naming deepen our connection to place. This act of naming transforms our perception, shifting us from mere observers to guardians who recognize their role in the web of life. Environmental Loss and Hope Throughout his travels, MacFarlane reflects on the disappearance of many natural places and the cultural erosion accompanying environmental decline. Yet, he emphasizes hope rooted in grassroots guardianship and legal advances. Movements in Wales, for example, have led to formal protections for rivers like the Wye, demonstrating that small steps can have ripple effects across landscapes and communities. How You Can Be a River Guardian Inspired by these stories? MacFarlane offers practical ways to foster a guardianship mindset, emphasizing collective action, local involvement, and legal advocacy. Get Involved Locally Join your community's river guardianship group or conservation organization. Guardianship isn't just about big legal battles—it starts with everyday actions like cleaning up trash, reporting pollution, or advocating for river-friendly policies. Support local initiatives such as American Rivers or Riverkeeper groups that work to protect and restore waterways. Participate in or organize community clean-up events—these tactile acts foster a sense of ownership and responsibility. Advocate for Legal Rights MacFarlane highlights Ecuador's pioneering legal framework recognizing the rights of nature which is an inspiring model worldwide. Encourage your local or national governments to adopt similar laws that extend personhood and legal protections to rivers and ecosystems. Final Thoughts: Rivers as Life's Arteries and Guardians In Is a River Alive?, MacFarlane reminds us that rivers are more than water—they are vital to life, culture, and the planet's health. Reimagining rivers as beings with rights, listening to their signals, and taking guardianship seriously offers a path to ecological renewal and cultural resilience. As citizens, learners, and guardians, we each have a role in supporting these life-giving arteries. https://www.americanrivers.org/ https://www.rightsofrivers.org/ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/35084/robert-macfarlane/

The positive feedback to the project from the Deaf community in the United States has reached Australia, with advocates here hoping that it represents a positive step toward inclusion. - Il riscontro positivo che il progetto ha ricevuto dalla comunità dei non udenti negli Stati Uniti è giunto anche in Australia, dove gli attivisti sperano che questo rappresenti un passo avanti verso l'inclusione.

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor return with a packed episode that jumps from a galaxy far, far away to the runways of a surprise box office hit. They break down the evolving strategy behind Disney's theatrical releases, spotlight a full-circle Star Wars character comeback, and dig into the unexpected success of a long-awaited sequel. Along the way, they explore new animation experiments, streaming debuts, and what's next for both studios and theaters as summer heats up. HIGHLIGHTS • “The Devil Wore Prada 2” stuns with a $236 million global opening weekend, far exceeding expectations • Strong ongoing demand suggests the sequel has real staying power beyond its debut • Disney's $80 million marketing push helps turn the film into a true theatrical event • “The Mandalorian & Grogu” positions itself as a lower-risk, high-upside Star Wars release • Rotta the Hutt returns in a full-circle moment from Dave Filoni's earliest Star Wars work • “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord” continues expanding the Disney+ storytelling universe • Disney experiments with ASL storytelling via “Songs in Sign Language” featuring Encanto, Frozen 2, and Moana 2 • Pixar's “Hoppers” crosses $375 million globally and shows strong post-theatrical life on digital • Annecy 2026 lineup teases the next wave of global animation talent and projects HOSTS • Jim Hill (@JimHillMedia) – jimhillmedia.com • Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) – drewtaylor.work FOLLOW • Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews • YouTube: @jimhillmedia • TikTok: @jimhillmedia • Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com SPONSOR This episode is brought to you by UnlockedMagic.com – your go-to source for great deals on Disney and Universal theme park tickets. Whether you're planning ahead or finally ready to book that 2026 trip, their team helps you save money and skip the stress so you can focus on the fun. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Hill and Drew Taylor return with a packed episode that jumps from a galaxy far, far away to the runways of a surprise box office hit. They break down the evolving strategy behind Disney's theatrical releases, spotlight a full-circle Star Wars character comeback, and dig into the unexpected success of a long-awaited sequel. Along the way, they explore new animation experiments, streaming debuts, and what's next for both studios and theaters as summer heats up. HIGHLIGHTS • “The Devil Wore Prada 2” stuns with a $236 million global opening weekend, far exceeding expectations • Strong ongoing demand suggests the sequel has real staying power beyond its debut • Disney's $80 million marketing push helps turn the film into a true theatrical event • “The Mandalorian & Grogu” positions itself as a lower-risk, high-upside Star Wars release • Rotta the Hutt returns in a full-circle moment from Dave Filoni's earliest Star Wars work • “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord” continues expanding the Disney+ storytelling universe • Disney experiments with ASL storytelling via “Songs in Sign Language” featuring Encanto, Frozen 2, and Moana 2 • Pixar's “Hoppers” crosses $375 million globally and shows strong post-theatrical life on digital • Annecy 2026 lineup teases the next wave of global animation talent and projects HOSTS • Jim Hill (@JimHillMedia) – jimhillmedia.com • Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) – drewtaylor.work FOLLOW • Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews • YouTube: @jimhillmedia • TikTok: @jimhillmedia • Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com SPONSOR This episode is brought to you by UnlockedMagic.com – your go-to source for great deals on Disney and Universal theme park tickets. Whether you're planning ahead or finally ready to book that 2026 trip, their team helps you save money and skip the stress so you can focus on the fun. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disney Plus has released Disney Animation's Songs in Sign Language, which reimagines three animated musical sequences from recent feature films. The positive feedback to the project from the Deaf community in the United States has reached Australia, with advocates here hoping that it represents a positive step toward inclusion.

This week, technology may improve attraction loading, more Bluey Merch arrives at the resort, Hints for this year's Boogie Bash, we go into the Jungle, and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. Check out all of our current partners and exclusive discounts at https://www.dlweekly.net/promos. News: The line “please pull on the yellow tab” may be headed to Yesterland. Disney has filed a new patent for a system that could help improve ride load and dispatch times. The new system uses cameras and various sensors to verify that ride restraints are properly secured. – https://www.laughingplace.com/disney-parks/new-disney-safety-check-patent/ The Disney Animation team has been hard at work on some new things coming to Disney+. “Songs in Sign Language” is a collection of reanimated songs into American Sign Language Versions. Director Hyrum Osmond along with more than 20 animators worked with Catalene Sacchetti and performers form Deaf West Theater to reimagine the lyrics for “The Next Right Thing” from Frozen 2, “Beyond” from Moana 2, and “We Don't Talk About Bruno” from Encanto. – https://www.micechat.com/434901-disneyland-update-main-street-honors-disney-store-dreams-toy-story-things/ To help celebrate “Bluey's Best Day Ever” new merchandise will be coming to the resort. Item include character headbands, friendship bracelets, clothing items, key chain, and pins. These items can be found at the Fantasyland Therare, Emporium, Fantasy Faire Gifts, Elias & Co, and the World of Disney. – https://disneyparksblog.com/disney-experiences/new-bluey-merchandise-coming-soon-to-disney-parks-and-disney-store/ The Jungle Cruise is back from its most recent refurbishment! From what we can see, the Jungle is looking tip top with some of the local residents looking extra refreshed. The most noticable change is over in the elephant bathing pool. Everyone's favorite bathing elephant, Bertha appears to be a bit more animated than before and is clearly excited to have guests able to visit her again. – https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXj6XY9AMU-/?igsh=MXJxNTJ1OXJudGE5cQ== It's halfway to Halloween and to celebrate Disney has posted some clues for us to decipher. The hints will unlock some ghoulish surprises of what we can expect for both Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party in WDW and Oogie Boogie Bash at the Disneyland Resort. – https://www.instagram.com/p/DXo0VLFAHMi/?igsh=MWRnejVkemFpa21rNg== SnackChat: Star Wars Nite Foods – https://www.laughingplace.com/disney-parks/disneyland-after-dark-star-wars-nite-2026-food-items/ Discussion Topic: Alex's Disney Story Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, fencing with a lightsaber-like twist, lightsaber duels at your wedding reception, we take a look at the latest  Mando and Grogu trailers, original trilogy characters are coming at Galaxy's Edge, Porsche and Pixar drop a mysterious social post, Songs in Sign Language is coming to Disney+,  plus, Kim Irvine and her mother Leota Toombs are honored with a Main Street Window! Listen now at: https://www.podketeers.com/618 or watch this episode at: YouTube.com/Podketeers   Our most frequently requested links can be found at: https://www.podketeers.com/links/   Help us make a difference!  Teamboat Willie is the official charity team of the Podketeers Podcast. For more information on the charity that we're currently supporting, head to: http://www.teamboatwillie.com   Check out our series of Armchair Imagineering episodes here:  https://www.podketeers.com/armchair-imagineering/ --- Join the FGP Squad Family! Support for Podkeeters is provided by listeners and viewers like you! We like to call our supporters our Fairy Godparents (they call themselves the FGP Squad). You can find more info on how to become part of the FGP Squad family by going to:  https://www.podketeers.com/fgp --- We're on Discord! Join other members of our community and us on our Discord server! Use the invite link below to join us: https://discord.gg/gG8kJ2a ---  

Lopez brings a wild scenario that gets everyone thinking.

Myles Toe and Derick Gonzalez join Derek and Geo for one of the most vulnerable episodes of On The Gate yet. We kick things off with a breakdown of the Gucci Mane and Pooh Shiesty case before spiraling into a series of wild hypotheticals involving kidnapping celebrities, the "black market" value of humans, and surviving the end of the world.Myles shares a legendary story about a homeless survival tactic, while Derick clears up some misconceptions about his heritage and demonstrates his sign language skills. We also dive into the Black Sox scandal, why Derek is upset with the state of the podcast.ON THE GATE! ENJOY!Original air date: 4/13/26Join the live chat Wednesday nights at 11pm EST. Uncensored versions of the show streamed Monday and Thursday at 2pm EST on GaSDigital.com. Signup with code OTG for the archive of the show and others like Legion of Skanks, In Godfrey We Trust, and Story Warz. FOLLOWGeo PerezInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/geoperez86/Derek DrescherInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/derekdrescher/On The Gate! A podcast hosted by two jailbird/recovering drug addicts and active comedians Geo Perez and Derek Drescher, who talk each week about their times in jail, what they learned, what you should know, and how they are improving their life or slipping into recidivism each day!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

DEIAB and Educational Interpreting with Christina StevensChristine interviews Christina Stevens, a nationally certified sign language interpreter working mainly in Connecticut public schools for nine years, with degrees in American Sign Language and Theater and leadership roles in state and national interpreter organizations. She shares how she discovered interpreting in college through theater performances, later attending Columbia College Chicago, and ultimately becoming an educational interpreter despite initially thinking she would not. Stevens discusses boundaries and the central role interpreters play for students, noting that about 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents and about 50% of those parents learn sign language, affecting home communication. Stevens advocates expanding DEI to “DEIAB” (Accessibility and Belonging), emphasizing early budgeting, bringing Deaf people to planning tables, and recognizing different interpreting approaches. She encourages learning ASL from Deaf or native users through community involvement.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:01 How Christina Found ASL01:56 Training and Career Path02:57 Why School Interpreting Is Hard03:58 Classroom Visit and Book Talk04:49 Day to Day Interpreter Role06:42 DEIAB Accessibility and Belonging09:00 Deaf Awareness and Learning ASL10:35 Final Thoughts and Thanks

From streaming royalties to AI tools: how musicians are navigating a rapidly changing industryArtificial intelligence is reshaping the music industry, but not always in the ways people expect. Researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute have been speaking with musicians across several countries about life in the streaming era and how AI fits into their creative work. Many artists say they are using AI as a practical tool, for example to overcome writer's block or experiment with new ideas, while still believing that human emotion and authenticity remain central to music. Using artificial intelligence to break communication barriers for deaf communitiesAI is also being used to tackle accessibility challenges. At Web Summit Qatar, the Polish company Migam showcased technology designed to translate spoken language into sign language in real time. The aim is to make digital platforms - from streaming services to video calls - more accessible for millions of deaf users around the world, demonstrating how AI could expand communication as well as creativity.The programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast--6924871/support.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz  Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We're a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We're all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.

Tokyo's Toshima Ward announced on the 10th that it has revoked the designation of the childcare support service “Aton Juku – Child Development Support and After-School Day Service for Children Living with Sign Language,” after it was found to have fraudulently received approximately 58.3 million yen in benefits by concealing a staff shortage. The revocation will take effect from July 1. Episode notes: ‘Tokyo's Toshima Ward Revokes Designation of Deaf Child Daycare Centre Over 58.3 Million Yen Fraud, Falsified Staff Reports': https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/04/11/tokyos-toshima-ward-revokes-designation-of-deaf-child-daycare-centre-over-58-3-million-yen-fraud-falsified-staff-reports/

It's our weekly (court-ordered) positive segment!

From 'Al & Jerry's Postgame Podcast' (subscribe here): Iconic rock band logos and going to concerts. Also, DTF St Louis on HBO and sign language To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al & Jerry: Iconic rock band logos and going to concerts. Also, DTF St Louis on HBO and sign language--plus warm up To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Al & Jerry: Iconic rock band logos and going to concerts. Also, DTF St Louis on HBO and sign language To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A caller brought up the sign language interpreters at sporting events and how TV always takes the camera off them.

Mike Malone takes the UNC job, leading Gio to wonder about Jordon Hudson's contact with Malone's wife. A caller notes the lack of TV coverage for sign language interpreters before Jerry recaps the Knicks' win and Malone's daughter's volleyball connection, plus an Anthony Davis prank on Draymond green. Finally, we revisit Boomer's sun-deprived bum, preview the WFAN NFL Draft livestream, and ask if some dogs are considered gay.

Today: We went to a Blazer game and it was really fun, being on the jumbotron and making new friends, stolen kit kats and wait gate, updates on the insanity of the month before April, and more - have a great day friends! 

In the latest episode of Manager Minute, host Carol Pankow sits down with Michael Mackillop, Executive Director of the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind, to explore how one agency is rethinking how VR services are delivered—and the powerful results that follow. From dramatically shortening the time to services to introducing milestone planning that keeps customers moving forward, Washington DSB is demonstrating what can happen when agencies streamline processes and keep the focus on people. The conversation highlights real outcomes, including customers achieving meaningful careers with wages averaging over $39 per hour, and the cultural and programmatic shifts helping individuals rediscover confidence, expand their goals, and pursue careers they once thought were out of reach. This episode offers an honest, practical, and inspiring look at how VR leaders can rethink processes, strengthen partnerships, and build systems that help people move toward what's possible. Listen Here Full Transcript: {Music} Michael: A lot of customers. The feedback is it's great and a lot of counselors. The feedback is it's great. Carol: It makes brilliant sense because I think people spend so much time. You're letting perfect get in the way of the good. Michael: Learning as an adult is not easy. Learning to do new things, and the frustrations and the anger that can come from having to adapt to the environment that doesn't adapt to you. I think that now is the time, if any time is to show the power and the impact of vocational rehabilitation for the economy and for our communities. 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: Well, welcome to the manager minute. Joining me in the studio today is Michael Mackillop, Washington Blind Executive Director. So how are things in Washington, Michael? Michael: Things are doing good. There's a little bit of Seattle Seahawks fever. Carol: Uh, yes, Seattle, Wahoo, Go Seahawks! Michael: And there's probably some growing excitement for hosting matches of the World Cup. So there's that whole sports thing. And today we're back to rain, which makes us feel it's just this nice gentle drip. It's not an atmospheric river where it's monsoon rain and all the snow from the mountains. It's just a nice, gentle rain. So things are decently good here in Seattle. Carol: Oh, good for you. Well, I have an affinity for the whole Seattle area. I have two brothers out there and lots of nieces and nephews and yeah, all the people I love to come. And I remember, gosh, Michael, I remember meeting you. I feel like it was like 13 years ago or something. Michael: At least, yeah. Carol: At least! (Michael laughs) Carol: You were friends with Jon Benson, my deputy, when I was at SSB. And so we got hooked together. And then I remember I would always tell Jon I'd be like, Call Michael, what are they doing at Washington Blind? Because, you know, you want to see what's going on? And in fact, I remember you guys calling us because we went on an Order of Selection, which is not common for a blind agency. And I remember when Lou Olma was still there, she had called. She's like, oh, you know, asking some questions about that. So I felt like we had some shared experiences together. Michael: Yeah. And we connected, I think, through CSAVR and NCSAB conferences and I mean plug out to them. It's just such an incredible place to really meet people from around the country and become long term supports. Carol: Right. It takes a village to do this job. So the more people you can meet, good shout out for like connecting with other people and just trying to build those relationships, because then you have them way over a decade later, you know, going on two decades later. Michael: And you don't have to go it alone. Right? I mean, to try to go through something like Order of selection, say, alone that... Carol: Yeah. Michael: But when you know, you got people or community of practices that are helping you through it. So it's  my plug to be connected to the national scene because you can't do it alone. Carol: 100%. I'm putting an exclamation point behind that one. Well, I happen to be perusing because I had my knee replaced last month. So as I'm laying and putting my leg up and icing and all the things, I was reading lots of the social media because I kind of was behind a little bit. So I'm in LinkedIn and, you know, accepting requests and connecting with other people. And I read, you're awesome, Michaels posting on LinkedIn, and you posted something and I just went, oh my gosh, it made me then go into your website. And then I'm like, all over your website and I'm watching your YouTube videos. It was super fun. So for our listeners, what caught me was Michael was reporting on this annual report they had done, and he was talking about the North Region team supporting 51 customers to attain their career goals, three of whom were able to retain their established small businesses. And then all the cool kinds of work people were in with STEM careers and education and finance and administrative and human services. And then it really hooked me with the average wage of 39.30 per hour. And then he does this nice Congratulations out to his folks. I'm like, what is happening there? Because that's what we want in VR. You want those family sustaining wages and all the good stuff. So long story short, listeners, I had to get Michael on and go, what is the secret sauce happening in Washington? What are they doing there? Because I thought this was super cool. So, Michael, before we launch into kind of what you're doing, I just want to get a little caught up on how did you start in VR? How'd you get there and how did you come into a blindness agency. Michael: Sometimes accidentally? Uh, perhaps a little bit reluctantly. I've been with this agency for 25 years, and I started as an AT specialist. I had experience in adult education in computers. And then I got a job, actually, at the lighthouse for the blind, Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind as an instructor. Where the supervisor, because I had studied American Sign Language, is a long story about why I did that and got connected in with Seattle's deaf community in the 90s and the Deaf Blind community as well. We have a very robust and vibrant deaf blind community in the Puget Sound area, and there were a number of individuals who were Deaf, Blind that were working at the Seattle Lighthouse that really needed computer skills. And so I didn't know anything about adaptive technologies, but I knew about Sign Language, I knew about computers, and I knew about adult education. And so that supervisor gave me six months. And to figure out the screen readers and screen magnifiers and braille displays and to start training. And so it was lovely to be able to, you know, directly communicate with students that, you know, hadn't touched a computer in their lives. That got me, you know, into the Blindness and Vocational Rehabilitation is a big part of, you know, people at the Lighthouse wanting to promote or work elsewhere. Uh, work out into the integrated community. And so there was experience with DSB. I was reluctant to be a state employee. I promise you that once I gave that up and got hired on a DSB, just the passion for the customer, the mission, the initiative, it kind of dispelled my notions of what a state agency is and who works at a state agency. So obviously I've loved it so much. I've been there for 25 years plus, so. Carol: That is crazy. I had no idea. You're I think you're my first guest, that's come on. That's come from this AT background. Good for you. Very cool. I love it because it's always fun to see people's paths in. We all take a different way, but you come in, and then you stick with it because you love it. Like you just love it. Michael: Exactly. Carol: Well, in your December's report. Oh my gosh, what really stood out I was I love the customer voices. You know, you had somebody on there, I think. I don't know if it's Francis working into her 70s, people that were earning promotions and discovering entirely new career paths. And when you look at all those stories, I just wonder from your perspective, what does success actually mean to you as a VR director? Michael: Yeah, I mean, I really love that the breadth and the depth of those career choices that people find through our services, their personal journey of discovery, finding the strengths that didn't know they had and that that's what excites me. And that's what I hear again and again and again. People not believing in themselves until they get some of those adaptive skills. It's so often the key to expanding their own self-assessment, their self-expectations. Losing your vision is traumatic, there's no question. And acquiring a disability as an adult. And that can really impact your belief in yourself and what you believe you can do. And for me, all those career achievements, they represent that journey of that person who I've heard the story so many times that they sat on a sofa thinking there is no future for them. There is no way to get into work. Their self-value had diminished so much because of the change in vision, and then something sparking that bravery of calling the agency. Whether they hear about the agency the first time or they've heard about it, and they get that courage up to call us, and it's a lot. I mean, to honor that connection, to say, I need to change. I need to get off the sofa. I need to do the work to be who I want to be. It takes a lot. And so honoring that those successes that we hear about the just a ray of education or healthcare or last year we had two physicians. We had two people that were physicians. And there's no career that's not possible for that individual, whatever that individual's aptitude and abilities are. It just takes the adaptations and the adaptive technologies and those the belief in themselves to do it. It's a lot of hard work. I mean, once people make the brave call and get into the work, it's hard. And so keeping people motivated through all the challenges and learning as an adult is not easy. Learning to do new things, and the frustrations and the anger that can come from having to adapt to the environment that doesn't adapt to you and those daily frustrations. Hopefully the agency is helping that individual through and to keep and progress. So those stories all just tell me about the work that that individual has done to get where they're at and knowing what a lot of challenge and determination and grit it took to get there. Carol: 100%! Preach Michael! That was good. That was really good. I know I always have that, I just have that place in my heart from my time at SSB, because I felt like the work we did was so profoundly, not that all the work isn't, but it was so profoundly life changing for these folks because so many of them, you know, came to us later in life. They were losing vision, either something medically was wrong, whatever was going on. But, you know, they had these careers and then they go from this place of utter devastation to absolute, like, you have completely changed someone's life. You just man, you could feel it in you like it was such an incredible deal living through that with our folks and what an impact that VR had. Otherwise they would still be sitting on that sofa, you know. Michael: Yeah. And then the work that they did, they were they're changing their lives and they're taking that direction and they're keeping up with it. We're supporting that... Carol: Yeah. Michael: But they're moving forward. Carol: It's on them. Michael: Yeah. Carol:  But we give them that glimmer like we're able to help point them in the right way. Like, here's some stuff and we can help you do the thing. Well, I know these outcomes your folks are having didn't happen by accident. And of course, people had come from different backgrounds and different careers. Or maybe they were in a business and didn't think they were going to get to keep it, but I feel like there's something going on in your agency as well. Knowing you guys and knowing you at the helm, what do you think are some things maybe you are doing differently, whether it's culturally or programmatically, that are really contributing to this level of your customer success? Michael: Yeah, there's been a lot of restructuring and change in our agency, and I would say that we are looking at that customer experience more closely and trying to really support the customer experience and not necessarily have the system support how we manage the work, but how the customer is making success. There's been a lot of discussion in the national VR community around time to services and the timelines that the federal regulations allow. When you look at that, when you look, when you think about it in your own life, would I be willing to wait 60 days before I know if I'm eligible, would I be willing to wait 90 days after that to start services? I mean, those timelines don't meet our modern needs, and maybe in the past it made sense to go slow. It doesn't. These days, people are brave enough to make that call after three years on the sofa. We need to get them into services so they start believing in themselves and are working. Excited about that path and just don't get frustrated by the process. So really our first thing is time to services. We created internal systems where we've got intake specialists, centralized intake specialists that are really shrinking the time to determine eligibility and to gather the information to convey to our counselors, our local counselors. So there's preparation there. And that's really shrunk the time. I think it was like 28 days on average and now it's 14 days. We'd like it to be a little bit shorter. Uh, even still, we know that observation for 85% of our counselor observation, we can determine that there's a disabling condition and then through that counseling conversation, can understand what those functional limitations are and what services might be useful in determining that eligibility. So our timeline lag used to be waiting for eye reports from eye doctors who it was never a priority when we knew that there was a visual disability. Carol: You can see they clearly don't have eye sockets or something is like clearly, clearly gone, we don't need an eye doctor report to tell you that. Michael: But letting counselors know and the intake specialists know that observation is valued, take it, justify it, document it, but let's move people through. Let's not keep people waiting for no reason. We've also restructured the way that we do our planning and the assessments towards the planning. We created something called Milestone Planning and that is really shrinking down the goals we're working on towards that long term goal of career path that we've got and we keep that in our heads. But what are the things that the customer is able to commit to doing now in the next three months, four months, up to six months? Let's focus on those. Let's shrink that down and let's have our assessment focus on, you know, be included folded into that and our services folded into that. It used to be our old system was we would do all these complete comprehensive assessments, and it would take months to get people in the eight specialists, and they'd write six page reports of all the things that would be useful. And the O&M specialists and rehab specialists would, you know, do the home assessments. And that's months of assessment. And people are like, what am I doing? This doesn't make sense. They're not getting the services. We're creating this five year plan with very detailed services for the entire time of the plan. And then the customer gets one service, they learn to do something and their whole universe expands suddenly. I thought it could only be a customer service, but oh my gosh, I can do this. Let's rethink it. We were doing a lot of work upfront for something that changes almost, almost instantly once we get people services. Well, let's get people services now. Let's have them experience, you know, learning how to use a computer, learning that they can manage their home or learning that focus small. And then the conversations about that long term goal can change. And when we created that really formal long term plan and did all the work, our customers were nervous about saying that they wanted to change. And so they either got stuck and continued that or they just disappeared. The other piece that customers have told us is they didn't know where they were going. They didn't have clarity on what they were doing, what, you know, it's just too vague, that five year plan. So getting more frequent and meaningful engagement between the counselor and the customer has been a goal of ours, and that has required us to shift some of the work and shift some of the administrative work. We took a lot of that upfront work and provided that to the intake specialists. So there's more time for the counselor. And then also talking about how we shrink what we've known as counseling and guidance, where we don't have to schedule an hour, hour and a half for these long term counseling and guidance sessions. But let's understand what our goal is, what we're trying to achieve, and check in at least once a month is our goal now. And to do counseling and guidance. And it may be a ten minute conversation about, you know, what are the obstacles, what's challenging you? What are your frustrations? What supports can we get? How's it going? That's all counseling and guidance that keeps people moving forward. And people often fell out because they didn't know to ask for support. Counselor contact once every 90 days. I mean, there's no relationship built there. Carol: No. They forget who you are. Like they, you know, they totally forget. Like, who are you again? And what are you with? Oh, yeah. That. Michael: And then the, the check in is how are things going? And the person says good, I guess. And the counselor writes, oh everything's great, but is it, right? So getting that more frequent and meaningful connection and conversation, knowing what the next steps are, keeping those goals small so we achieve them within three months from there and we build another goal from there has really been successful for I mean, it's new, mind you, it's new. A lot of customers. The feedback is it's great and a lot of counselors. The feedback is it's great, but it's really hard to change that mindset of the old way of doing everything all at once. Carol: I loved, I was so intrigued because when I, you know, of course, I went down the rabbit hole of your website. So I come in through the link you had on LinkedIn. I'm looking at the report and then I see, oh, what are these Milestone Plans, you know, and then I'm like, what is this? And then I watched the YouTube video and then I'm like, oh, well, this is going really well. It makes brilliant sense because I think people spend so much time, you're letting perfect get in the way of the good, because you're gonna have this beautiful plan and we're going to have it for five years and all these things. And then, quite frankly, I think you get probably a little annoyed because customers go along the way and then they're like, well, I don't really want to do that anymore. I want to pivot. I need to do this because as they're getting their skills of blindness, the world opens up and often they're like, yeah, I don't want to be the customer service person. I want to move now. Well, now you're annoyed. Oh, we're gonna amend the plan, you know, so when you make that kind of the process, things irritating to you that you're going to have to amend and do the things it'll make you crabby instead of just baking this in that we're not going to get so hung up. And we are creating the plan. We've got a goal, but we know these goals change and we're going to do an amendment and the persons involved and they're super engaged. Like it just seems so much more interactive. I'm like, Holy cow, that was you know, how many years has this taken for somebody to think of this, Michael? Michael: Goal and change is slow. But with this change, we are not leaving this. We're not just saying this is the change and then we're on to the next one. Carol: Yeah. Michael:  We are really sitting with this and you said bake it in. That is our mantra for this year is we're baking it in. We've made these changes last year. Now we've got to be sure that we're actually doing them. In the essence, it's not in name only. You know your Milestone Plan, you've got five years worth of services. Let's look at that and let's make sure that it's working. I had a really good conversation with a counselor yesterday who is super excited. And certainly what's helpful is, is getting some examples of how to shrink this down, how to shrink the thinking and how to shrink the, you know, down to something that's manageable and doable for that customer. So they know where they're going, they know what they're doing, and they know what the next step is after that. So yeah. Carol: It kind of leads me to my next thinking, because, you know, again, going back to your report and reading it, and I was so intrigued by people that also came in with kind of one goal. But as they get, you know, you get your skills of blindness, your world opens up and they left with something so much bigger. A big promotion, a new career or something that they had been dreaming about actually happened. How do you guys go about, because I know you're talking about, like, active engagement. You're doing this regularly, you're keeping in touch, but how do you really also create that space for them? So it isn't oh, we did our plan and here's your goal. And we're sticking to that like so that they can pursue the path that's right for them. Even though you might have set out on one way rather than that whole predefined outcome, that it's okay to pivot you're okay. Michael: Yeah. I mean, that is the key that people try things out and then it can change. And that's a value. It's not a negative that when someone tried this and then it they're like oh that's not for me. Well that's exactly what we want. We want that exploration. We want it in short bursts, so we're not investing in something and you realize five years later, oh, it's not for me. We want to know now. Let's figure that out now and let's find out if that's not it. What are some other things? We've had a lot of turnover. I think VR agencies have had a lot of turnover. And you know, since the pandemic, a lot of retirements, huge wave of retirements. And so the past year we've been stable in terms of not adding a whole lot of new people. And our focus is really building those skills and building that awareness and building those high expectations of our customers and not letting our own biases kind of drive where we want to guide the customer, but to be open to that customer and help instill the belief that self-belief for the customer and believe for the customer, because sometimes they come in and they do not believe in themselves. We've got to hold that, right? Carol: Right. Michael: We've got to hold that and then bring that customer up to it. And that's been a lot of our discussion and training for new staff. We also have real strong connections with our consumer organizations that help with that as well, and bring that connection to the blindness community. Even if our, you know, staff are not from that community, to make sure that we're understanding the community and expectations and what's happening. Being connected to the community we serve is critical. And through that, even if people have come from the general agency or come from outside blindness, really building that belief that Blind people can do whatever they're capable of. Right. Whatever that person can do, they can do it. Carol: I love it, I love it. Well, it kind of leads to my whole thoughts about you with collaboration because your report also highlighted, you guys talked about your partnerships, whether it's with employers or the tribal VR WorkSource and others. How do those relationships that you all have been cultivating translate into real opportunities for your customers? And how are you sustaining that, like really nurturing those relationships? Michael: You bet. It takes work and past history. I've been 25 years with a blind agency. We used to keep our heads low, keep under the radar, do everything in isolation. We had this weird notion that we could do it all. We're the only ones who know about blindness and rehab, and we'll do it all, whatever. And that's not true, because reality is. Blindness intersects all communities, and we need to find the ways to support people in where they're at, in their cultural expectations. And individualized services also means that any industry is a goal, is a potential career goal, and we need to keep ourselves on the cutting edge and understanding how to support people in any type of industry, understanding what opportunities exist so we can't do it all by ourselves. And there's the other notion that budgets are really tight. And even though other outside resources are shrinking, we need to do more to get our customers into those generalized programs that are out there for everyone and benefit everyone, and to have other parts of the workforce system be footing the bill, basically, so we can keep our dollars for the things that are unique to us, right? And tribal partners. You know, we've got an amazing relationship in Washington state region. We have ten tribal VR, AIvRS, American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation agencies here and then 29 recognized federal tribes. And we do have government to government relations and train our staff who interact with the tribal VR about government to government expectations and cultural expectations, but also understanding and helping our staff understand the value and the services that tribal VR can provide our customers with tribal affiliation that we're not able to. Those cultural healing practices are so critical for individuals. Tribal affiliations may also be pathways to careers that are on tribal lands or tribal businesses that we would not have access to if we didn't actively partner with our tribal VR partners. There's also, tribal VR does not get a whole lot of money. And so understanding too, that we're here to support tribal VR in all those visual disability sorts of things. We've got the expertise we can partner and provide those needs. So it's maximizing each of our budgets for that customer to have the maximum success. I think as well, the WorkSource, the American Job Center, the WIOA partners, I mean, all that as a blindness agency. We were left out of that for so long. And 2016, where we're part of that through the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act. I for three, four years and still even today, I'm like, I'm from GSB, a title four WIOA partner with rehabilitation. Every time I introduce myself, I had to do that because they're like, who are you? What do you do? Why are you. Why are you. Carol: Why are you here? Yeah. Michael: So we have, particularly through our business relations team, and we just expanded that in the past two years, really have created some strong connections with our Workforce partners and with the American Job Centers and those opportunities that exist we don't have to pay for, there's a six week job readiness workshop that is put on. And the challenge has always been for our customers going to the WorkSource centers and the American Job Centers, we call them WorkSource here in Washington state. And just having no access, having no accommodations that people are clueless about, people with visual disabilities and how to make that accessible. So we've done a lot of work. Our business relations staff did a lot of work with this particular workshop and made it fully accessible, totally integrated. It's not just blind, only, it's all individuals that are eligible for those services. Our customers have been so thrilled with that experience, and even to the point where in front of the consumer organization conventions, they're taking the mic and just crowing about the experience in these job readiness workshops to the Workforce. So we're expanding that. But there are also other opportunities. There are pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship opportunities, work experience, work based experience opportunities through the American Job Centers that we just never had access to, that we're starting to have access to. And it's getting our customers closer to their career goal through the partnership. Carol: I love it because you're really living into WIOA. You know, it's taken a long time across the country. It gets passed in 2014, but you're like, okay, what does that mean? And how is this really going to work and how are we really going to partner together? It's taken a long time for everybody across the country, but you start to see these pearls that are coming out of it, like you're talking about with the WorkSource and that training class, and now it's fully integrated like that is amazing because we still have places where it isn't happening. You know, people will tell you if a person who's blind or visually impaired shows up for a class, they're like, no, you got to go to Blind services. They do stuff over there. They can't come here. But the whole intent of Congress was to leverage all the partners together, because we each have our buckets of money, but we're better together if we can leverage those funds. Michael: Agreed. Carol:  100%. And you are living right into all of that. You need to do a presentation, my friend, at CSAVR or NCSAB, with all the cool stuff you guys are doing, I just think it's really awesome. Michael: It's taken a long time and it's been a lot of work. It's been a lot of effort, but I'm feeling like we're making progress now. Carol: That is so good to hear. So if you could offer a lesson, maybe a lesson you learned or something to other VR agencies, especially people that may be feeling overwhelmed or stuck. And I'll tell you, you have a lot of colleagues out there right now. Stuff's been tough. Based on the experiences you have, what would you want them to take away or what's something you'd just like to share? Michael: The easy one, a lot of things are coming to mind, but an easy one is to be brave. Examine. Really step back. Examine what is and isn't working. Don't. Don't hold on to how we've always been done it. And don't accept that or really shift your mindset to identify what you're really saying internally, as we've always done it that way it doesn't have to be. And so really understand what are your processes are working really well and let's find ways to expand those. But let's also look at the customer experience. And let's be honest about where our processes don't meet that customer need and meeting them where they're at. That's one of our values empathy, meeting people where they're at. Are we doing that? And let's be honest and let's be brave and make the changes. Sometimes you have to fight them. I mean, the whole counselor observation, RSA had some initial concerns, even though it's written into the law, had some initial concerns about what that means for determining eligibility, but it's written into the law, and counselors document that observation. And but sometimes you have to fight a little bit, push back a little bit where it makes sense. Change also is not easy. I mean, there's just been so much change externally, internally, and it's exhausting. But you also need to determine where you want to go and take the time to really mature that and facilitate that change. And we're talking about baking it in. Don't just be kind of shoop shoop, shoop shoop. Figure out what is the big change, what is the change you want to make. And it's going to involve lots of little changes. And people are going to feel like it's still this massive, you know, change after change after change as you tweak things. But let's really focus on that, get it through and then see it through. Do a pilot, get data, get input, analyze it, revise it, implement it more broadly, get data, analyze it, revise it, tweak it, get input from customers, get input from, you know, people. And then as a director, you've got to champion the change and you've got to talk about it. And Carol, I don't know about you or I hate repeating myself. It is a personal thing. I hate repeating myself. But that is the job, right? That is the job to say things and say them again and say them again and find different ways to say them. I mean, you caught some of my videos and that was my goal last year, was my emails that are very detailed and very interesting to me, are not super interesting for all my staff, but they really connect to video sometimes, or they connect to, you know, audios, or they connect to the in person fireside chats where they can come with any question. And we, you know, the executive leadership will discuss what's on their minds. There are different forms and formats for getting our story out and communicating, and we need to really do all those. And it doesn't have to be, I mean, you saw some of my videos in the newsletters and the reports. They're pretty amateur right there. Carol: It was all good. I liked it, though. I liked it because it was authentic. Michael: Yeah. You know, it's taking that TikTok mentality where it doesn't have to be, it's here and it's gone. But it gets the message out and it's supporting the change that you want to make. And it's not me as director talking it, but it's finding other people that are experiencing it and their experience and people connect in different ways. So that whole communication part of telling the story, I'm no social influencer. You found my story on social media, and I know it's important, and I'm doing the work now because it is critically important. we're also, those reports, those monthly reports, were highlighting different programs, and we're sending them out to stakeholders. We're sending out to the congressional representation representatives and their staffers, and we're getting notes back saying thank you for that. And I'm like, it felt very amateur, but I'm glad you appreciated the story and information. Carol: Well, I learned in communications class long ago, seven times seven ways, like for communications, because people all learn differently. Like you said, audio, video, you know, doing more like almost like the TikTok reel. We've got to get way better, snappier, shorter. I mean, we can thank Jeff Bezos for that with Amazon. Like people don't want to read a long thing. They want it quick. We want to get stuff. Now give me the little snapshot about this thing. And really our social media leads to all of that. Because look at you drew me in. I've known you, but you drew me in with your little short clip on LinkedIn. You had the really catchy part. I'm like reading that and I see $39.30 an hour people are making on average. I'm like, I gotta go see what's going on in this report. And I click your link and next thing you know, I'm in your website, I'm looking at your stuff, I'm in your videos and doing all the things. That's how people like think, now they got to get drawn in. What's your quick soundbite, your little piece that gets you hooked in. And we all have to get way better at explaining what is happening in the VR program because we just, I don't think have been very good about telling our message and our story. Michael: Agreed. And I think that now is the time, if any time is to show the power and the impact of Vocational rehabilitation for the economy and for our communities. So, yeah. Carol: Oh thank you, fine, sir. Well, I love talking with you today. I wish you every success in your agency, and I look forward to hearing more fun things and reading more things on LinkedIn. So thanks for joining me. Michael: I enjoyed it. Thanks so much, Carol. Take care.   {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.

Communication isn't owned by one profession, it's something we all share and protect together.I'm joined by Dr. Lilith Reuter-Yuill "Dr. RY" for a thoughtful conversation about what it really takes to ensure communication access for every learner. We talk about her journey from sign language interpreter to dually certified SLP and BCBA, and how that shaped her passion for collaboration and innovation.We dig into some of the biggest friction points between disciplines, especially when it comes to AAC. One of the biggest takeaways is this, there is no one right tool or pathway. We have to start with the learner, the context, and the full communication repertoire. I also loved our conversation about moving away from quick fixes and toward meaningful, individualized support that actually generalizes.We also share a preview of her upcoming course inside the ABA Speech Connection, where we'll explore sign language, AAC, and how to thoughtfully select communication modalities that truly fit each learner.#autism #speechtherapyWhat's Inside:Why communication access must be individualized and context-drivenCommon misconceptions about AAC and over-reliance on high-tech solutionsHow collaboration between SLPs and BCBAs improves real-world outcomesMentioned In This Episode:BridgifyBridgify's CommunityIdaho ABA Conference 2026Earn CEUs with a community of peers. Join the ABA Speech ConnectionABA Speech: Home

In this episode we hear a fascinating conversation between Marilyn and her ministry partner Tracy about how they work together when one is deaf and the other is blind. Author Emily Owen also talks about why she chose to learn sign language when she became deaf.

A Health Policy piece in our April issue by Tasdik Hasan and co-authors titled:  Co-designing a Bangla Mental Health Sign Language Bank in Bangladeshhttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(25)00334-7/fulltextContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://thelancet.bsky.social/https://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

This week we're replaying some of our favorite episodes about signs, captions and other adaptations. In this episode from July 2020, the story of the time several decades ago that Deaf students at a school in Nicaragua created their own language. Plus: in 2017, two divers off the coast of Mexico found a flooded cave that research concludes was a mine for ochre pigment thousands and thousands of years ago. The Amazing Story of Deaf Children in 1980s Nicaragua Inventing a Brand New Language (Twisted Sifter)Canadian scuba diver in Mexico accidentally discovers vast, prehistoric industrial complex (National Post)Discover the joys of being of a Cool Weird Awesome backer on Patreon

There's been plenty of commentary around a Bill that's before Parliament which seeks to make English an official language of New Zealand. It's part of a coalition deal with National and New Zealand First, putting English alongside Maori and Sign Language. That got us thinking about "official" languages and how they get such status, for more on this Dr Andreea Calude joins Jesse.

"Songs In Sign Language" Coming Soon To Disney+ https://whatsondisneyplus.com/songs-in-sign-language-coming-soon-to-disney/   #DisneyPlus  VISIT ONLINE -  http://www.WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting it via our Patreon or as a YouTube Channel Membership from as little as $2 a month and get access to exclusive content and much more.

"Songs In Sign Language" Coming Soon To Disney+ https://whatsondisneyplus.com/songs-in-sign-language-coming-soon-to-disney/   #DisneyPlus  VISIT ONLINE -  http://www.WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting it via our Patreon or as a YouTube Channel Membership from as little as $2 a month and get access to exclusive content and much more.

"Songs In Sign Language" Coming Soon To Disney+ https://whatsondisneyplus.com/songs-in-sign-language-coming-soon-to-disney/   #DisneyPlus  VISIT ONLINE -  http://www.WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting it via our Patreon or as a YouTube Channel Membership from as little as $2 a month and get access to exclusive content and much more.

Our guest this week is royalty in the Belfast comedy and podcast scene. He's built a podcast kingdom in the North, he's hilarious and charming, it's the brilliant Colin Geddis! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike and Vittorio's Guide to Parenting is a weekly podcast, where two London-based Irish comedians Mike Rice and Vittorio Angelone tackle the current issues facing parents from the unique perspective of not having any children, any interest in children, or mentioning children at all.Check out Ray's stuff here: https://www.instagram.com/comedyrayGo to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/PARENTING⁠⁠⁠ or use code PARENTING at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!Sign up to the Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/parenting⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch Vittorio's Special: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/mfU3TyeEkZQ?si=7BMe5yGa_vVq-4Vh⁠⁠⁠Buy tickets for Vittorio's Tour here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.vittorioangelone.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Buy Tickets for Mike's Tour here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mikericecomedy.com⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠Watch Mike's Special here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/aWgW4LBZHz8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Sign up for Mike's mailing list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mikericecomedy.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=bb23fc6659c6ccb17551262ef&id⁠⁠⁠ =c27f2130fa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   Sign up for Vittorio's mailing list: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/60fb9a4d4173/vittorioangelone ⁠Thanks for listening! Like, subscribe, drop a comment, all the good stuff.

In this solo episode, I recap the latest good vibes in DEI. This week the stories are about Out athletes at the Olympics, Laila Edwards making history on Team USA, Super Bowl fans getting tactile access, and more! I also spoke about the New York Times article by Nikole Hannah-Jones, which gave me hope: What It Means to Be a White Race Traitor.Here are this week's good vibes:47 Out OlympiansLatino joy took center fieldAccess took the main stageFootball you can feelFire safety gets a new voiceVisibility with protection, not punishmentGood Vibes to Go: Chris Simmons, the first Black Partner elected to the US Governing Board of PwC, has a new book out: NOBODY TOLD YOU: What Blacks, Asians and Latinos Must Know to Win at Work. It's on sale on Kindle. Chris is a wise man and I'm really enjoying this book! It's a great book for everyone.Read the Stories.Subscribe to the 5 Things newsletter.Watch 5 Things Live on YouTube. Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

Babies love to communicate, but talking isn't always an option. That's how signing with your baby can help! What is the best time to start teaching your baby sign language? How does it impact their overall language development? And what are the best signs to use in the beginning? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessica Kirkness with the story of her grandparents, who both grew up profoundly deaf in a hearing world. (R)Jessica grew up in the outer suburbs with a big extended family, with her grandparents living right next door.Her grandparents, Melvyn and Phyllis, were affectionate, kind and wise and Jessica often spent more time after school in their house than her own.But their house was distinctly different.The doorbell never rang, the alarm clock never sounded, and the television was on but the audio was off.Melvyn and Phyllis were profoundly deaf, and they lived in two worlds - among the hearing, and within the deaf community which had its own language and way of doing things.Jessica grew up in that space between two worlds.She felt that her grandparents' lives were both extraordinary and ordinary, and that their deafness was so exquisitely misunderstood that every part of her felt summoned to translate.Jessica has recently written down the story of her life growing up between the two worlds of the hearing and the deaf, as a GODA, or a grandchild of deaf adults.The House with All the Lights On is published by Allen and Unwin.This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison, Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.It explores deafness, living with a disability, profound deafness, hearing loss, AUSLAN, language, sign language, CODA, grandparents, love, family, relationships, granddaughter, grandchildren, intergenerational families, mixed families, technology, deaf accent, lip reading, migrants, hearing world, accessibility, head injuries, meningitis, hospital, acquired disability, deaf gain, communication, music, translation.

You may not be surprised to learn that China has its own version of sign language, but do you know the role regional variation plays in Chinese sign language? Get a little closer to the deaf community in China by learning about the sign language situation in this lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1559

In this solo episode, I recap the latest good vibes in DEI. This week our conversation is about pickleball making access the default, autistic Barbie done with care, bonuses for the whole crew, and more!Here are this week's good vibes:Pickleball makes access the defaultAutistic Barbie, done with careBonuses for the whole crewA font that saves secondsMinecraft breaks the censorship wall Good Vibes to Go: Bernadette's GVTG: It's Girl Scout Cookie time! Here's the now-annual list of trans kids to order Girl Scount cookies from.Read the Stories.Subscribe to the 5 Things newsletter.Watch 5 Things Live on YouTube. Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

There were celebrations last year when a GCSE in British Sign Language was approved...but a few months have passed and no accredited exam board has taken it on. What now for the exam which had a strong 10-year campaign behind it?Simon Wont from the National Deaf Children's Society gives his reaction while BBC journalist Katyeryna Pavlyuk talks us through it.Cyber correspondent Joe Tidy has been in California visiting humanoid robots built to carry out domestic tasks and considers how this development might help disabled people in the future.And the BBC's Alex Taylor is Emma's studio pal this week. He spills the tea on his new romantic relationship. Not only is he smitten but it's also given him pause for thought on letting her help with his care responsibilities so they can let his careworker go out for the night and leave them to some alone time.And finally. Just a heads up, we're moving to a monthly podcast from now on. Our next episode will be 4 February. Catch you then!Presented by Emma Tracey with Alex TaylorSound mixed by Dave O'NeillProduced by Katyeryna Pavlyuk and Alex CollinsSeries producer is Beth RoseEdited by Damon Rose

Two teens, Jack Borowski and Brodie Perry, came across a young woman who simply could not make it down the mountain on her own. AND An Elementary school in New Jersey loves their deaf therapy dog so much that the whole school threw him a birthday party. To see videos and photos referenced in this episode, visit GodUpdates! https://www.godtube.com/blog/carrying-injured-hiker-to-safety.html https://www.godtube.com/blog/students-learn-sign-language-for-dog.html Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Islamists set fire to a nativity scene at a Christmas market in Scandiano, Italy as the threats against Western civilizations reach a breaking point. Trump expands a travel ban to FIVE more countries after the National Guard shooting. Brown University REMOVES the profile of the possible shooter from their school's website as speculation flies following a press conference where even more questions were raised.  An EBT recipient goes viral for asking, “what's the point of food stamps if it's just for real food?”Mark Levin calls President Trump, the “first Jewish president”. Dana recaps her speech Tuesday speaking to Dallas Jewish Conservative and explains why her speech was necessary. Dana has questions about the sign language interpreter at the Rhode Island press conference.Tim Walz absolutely LOSES IT at a press conference, completely botching statistics about crime and firearm law. Dana reacts and fact-checks. Dana previews what Trump's primetime address could be about. Dana shares staggering numbers of r*pe and sexual assault throughout Europe.https://www.spreaker.com/episode/absurd-truth-liberal-podcaster-makes-most-heinous-charlie-kirk-take-yet--69082427Subscribe today and stay in the loop on all things news with The Dana Show. Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramXMore Info

Martha's Vineyard. You know it now as a summer retreat for the wealthy, a place of pristine beaches and celebrity sightings. But between the late seventeenth century and the middle of the twentieth, something happened there that challenges everything we think we know about disability, about language, about what it means to belong. It began with a gene. Families from the Weald, a forested region in Kent, England, emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1600s. They were Puritans seeking religious freedom, and they carried with them, unknowingly, a recessive genetic trait for congenital Deafness. In 1694, a carpenter and farmer named Jonathan Lambert arrived on Martha's Vineyard with his hearing wife. Two of their seven children would be born Deaf. They were the first, but they would not be the last.

Today, this is what's important: Commercials, baby emergency, drunk driving, Bill Belichek, Blake's look, language, AI, Las Vegas live show, & more. Come see us LIVE on NEXT WEEK on November 20th in Las Vegas! Tickets on sale now! Click here for more information about the This Is Important Cruise Feb 22nd-26th!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How sign language came about and has evolved, how it works, and what goes into ASL/English interpretation

Parents often worry that if they introduce signs, PECS, or an AAC device, their child will “never talk.” In this episode I share Julianna's story—how she lost language, how we taught functional communication with signs, and why that actually accelerated her spoken words. I unpack what changed for her brain, her motivation, and our relationship, and I cite research showing AAC does not block speech and can increase it.Key TakeawaysAAC (signs, PECS, devices) gives a child a reliable voice now, reducing frustration and building the language foundation that supports speech later.High-quality studies show AAC does not delay speech. Many children make gains in spoken language once they can communicate successfully. PubMed+1The “unlock” isn't only mechanical. It is social and motivational. For Julianna, the first sign proved she understood us, pulled her out of her private world to find us, and created pride and belonging—fuel to work for speech.How To Start (Practical Steps For Parents)Pair a respectful AAC option (signs, PECS, or SGD) with natural routines and powerful motivators.Model language. Speak to your child as you normally would while honoring their sign/picture/button presses as real communication.Keep AAC available everywhere. Success breeds more attempts.If one system isn't a fit (e.g., card-stimming), pivot—signs or a device may reduce competing sensory pull.Involve your SLP/BCBA to individualize and to target functional requests first.Resources MentionedKasari Communication Intervention with SGDs (JAACAP RCT, 2014). PubMedSchlosser & Wendt Systematic Review (2008). PubMedMillar, Light, & Schlosser Meta-analysis (2006). PubMedFlippin, Reszka, & Watson PECS Meta-analysis (2010). PubMedGanz et al. AAC Meta-analysis (2014). PubMedAAP: “Beyond Spoken Words: AAC for Kids” (myth-busting).

Dr. Jennifer Shu joins host Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez for a special "Ask the Pediatrician" episode.  They answer questions submitted by listeners on topics including dealing with a picky eater during Thanksgiving dinner, adjusting to the end of Daylight-Saving Time, strength training for teens, the benefits of baby sign language, vaccine safety and more. For resources go to healthychildren.org/podcast.

Jizel Lazaro is Founder and Ciara May Tandih is Co-Founder of BioInnovate & VocaGlove. BioInnovate is committed to revolutionizing communication for the Filipino deaf community through innovative technology. Their VocaGlove aims to create a more inclusive and accessible society by breaking down communication barriers between those who use sign language and those who do not. This technology enables effortless interaction among all Filipinos, enhancing participation in everyday life and fostering a more inclusive community. This episode is recorded live at AdZU AZUL Hub, technology business incubator of Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City.In this episode | 01:03 Ano ang BioInnovate? | 03:45 What problem is being solved? | 07:26 What solution is being provided? | 22:42 What are stories behind the startup? | 32:18 What is the vision? | 36:29 How can listeners find more information?ADZU AZUL HUB | Facebook: https://facebook.com/dostadzu.azulhubTHIS EPISODE IS CO-PRODUCED BY:Yspaces: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://knowyourspaceph.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apeiron: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://apeirongrp.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twala: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twala.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Symph: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://symph.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Secuna: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secuna.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Red Circle Global: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://redcircleglobal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MaroonStudios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://maroonstudios.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AIMHI: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://aimhi.ai⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CHECK OUT OUR PARTNERS:Ask Lex PH Academy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://asklexph.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (5% discount on e-learning courses! Code: ALPHAXSUP)Argum AI: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://argum.ai⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PIXEL by Eplayment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixel.eplayment.co/auth/sign-up?r=PIXELXSUP1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Sign up using Code: PIXELXSUP1)School of Profits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://schoolofprofits.academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Launchpad: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://founderslaunchpad.vc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hier Business Solutions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hierpayroll.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Agile Data Solutions (Hustle PH): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://agiledatasolutions.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smile Checks: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://getsmilechecks.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CloudCFO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cloudcfo.ph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Free financial assessment, process onboarding, and 6-month QuickBooks subscription! Mention: Start Up Podcast PH)Cloverly: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cloverly.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuddyBetes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buddybetes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HKB Digital Services: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://contakt-ph.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (10% discount on RFID Business Cards! Code: CONTAKTXSUP)Hyperstacks: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hyperstacksinc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OneCFO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onecfoph.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (10% discount on CFO services! Code: ONECFOXSUP)UNAWA: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unawa.asia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SkoolTek: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://skooltek.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Better Support: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bettersupport.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Referral fee for anyone who can bring in new BPO clients!)Britana: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://britanaerp.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wunderbrand: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wunderbrand.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠EastPoint Business Outsourcing Services: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/eastpointoutsourcing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DVCode Technologies Inc: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dvcode.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NutriCoach: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://nutricoach.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Uplift Code Camp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://upliftcodecamp.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (5% discount on bootcamps and courses! Code: UPLIFTSTARTUPPH)START UP PODCAST PHYouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/6BObuPvMfoZzdlJeb1XXVa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/start-up-podcast/id1576462394⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://patreon.com/StartUpPodcastPH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PIXEL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixel.eplayment.co/dl/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://phstartup.online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This episode is edited by the team at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tasharivera.com⁠

Ben Maller talks about Jerry Jones claiming that flipping the bird was inadvertent, if Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon should have been fined for roughhousing his player, how Travis Hunter is working out for the Jags, Password: Word Game of the Stars, and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever struggled to be understood? Matt Maxey spent most of his childhood trying to fit into the hearing world. He went to speech therapy, avoided sign language, and thought leaving Deaf culture behind was the only way to succeed. But when he showed up at Gallaudet University — the country's only Deaf university — he suddenly found himself in a place where everyone expected him to use ASL, a language he didn't even know, and many labelled him as an outsider. Instead of giving up, Matt flipped that struggle into his purpose. He went from resisting sign language to becoming one of the most well-known ASL music interpreters in the world. As the founder of DEAFinitely Dope, he's brought hip-hop to Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, toured with Chance the Rapper, and even interpreted at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show with Kendrick Lamar. Matt Maxey's organization, DEAFinitely Dope - https://deafinitelydope.org/ Episode transcript - https://uncomfypodcastbyu.blogspot.com/2025/10/becoming-hip-hops-biggest-sign-language.html CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 00:40 Meet Matt Maxey: Founder of DEAFinitely Dope 01:12 Matt's Journey with Sign Language 04:14 Challenges and Acceptance at Gallaudet University 07:53 Breaking Barriers with Music Interpretation 11:41 Collaborating with Chance The Rapper 14:36 Impact and Future Goals 16:12 Conclusion

E462 Jordan Ochel was born deaf and was raised in the “oralist” tradition (without Sign Language). His recently wrote and directed Healing Hands for his graduate thesis short film. The film is based on his experiences as a binaurally deaf child, including a night in 1991 when he was taken to a Benny Hinn “Miracle Crusade” […]

Listen to this fun fact about sign language!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colorado Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen sees little value in the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' and is bracing for the impact on everything from healthcare to immigration. Plus, the "skinny' Farm Bill continues to leave farmers and ranchers in limbo. Then, a Metro State anthropologist has discovered what may be the world's oldest sign language. And finding harmony in the workplace. 

If a gorilla could understand the Gospel through sign language, could it be saved? We explore this unusual but fascinating question, plus why St. Philomena's feast was removed, the Church's view on devotionals, and how to approach celibacy in unexpected life situations. Questions Covered:  03:38 – How can I invite my college Newman Center to a seder dinner as part of an interfaith event? 08:32 – Why was St. Philomena's feast day removed from the Roman Calendar? 12:38 – If a person could evangelize via sign language to a gorilla, could the gorilla be saved? 24:33 – Does the Church have a stance on devotionals that seem to put words in God's mouth? 32:05 – How do I respond to the claim that situations like David and the bread of the temple or Jesus' disciples eating on the sabbath should be applied to same-sex relationships? 42:46 – Catechism 1658 talks about single persons — not by choice, but by life circumstance–; is God calling them to celibacy? If God is all-knowing, why would He call people to a vocation they can't fulfill? 49:00 – What is the threshold for the Church to make a public excommunication of an individual(s) spreading hatred explicitly or implicitly and claiming the Catholic faith informs their hateful worldview? 52:21 – Where does St. Veronica come from? Why are there three times Christ falls in the Stations when the Bible says he fell once?