Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe087

This week's guests are Alma and Mike Loveland. Alma and Mike are the co-founders of Your Very Favorite, a creative educational publishing company based in Utah. Together, they design and produce engaging coloring and activity books that help kids and families learn about important topics from community services and public health, to science and environmental stewardship. Their work combines humor, clever puzzles, and thoughtful storytelling to turn complex subjects into experiences that are fun, memorable, and genuinely educational. Mike, who grew up in Orem, Utah, has had a lifelong passion for children's books and illustration. Known for his love of fascinating trivia and random facts, he brings a playful curiosity to every project. Becoming a children's book illustrator has always been his dream, but just as that dream was becoming a reality, Mike lost function in his dominant hand. His determination to continue creating has become an important part of his story and his work.

Alma grew up in Northern Ontario, Canada, and has spent her life working across writing, design, and teaching. She brings energy, human, and big picture creative vision to their projects. Together, Alma and Mike draw constant inspiration from their three kids, now tweens and teenagers, whose personalities and interests helped shape the unique format of their books. In fact, since their own kids never liked traditional coloring books, they set out to create activity books that would still capture the attention of curious kids who want something more engaging. When they're not working, Alma and Mike enjoy creative hobbies like sewing, gardening, collecting, tinkering, and making art, along with keeping up with their busy family life in what they jokingly call the taxi stage of parenting.

Connect with the Lovelands:

Your Very Favorite | Discover Custom Activity Books!
Your Very Favorite (@yourveryfavorite) | TikTok
Your Very Favorite (Books!) (@your.very.favorite) • Instagram photos and videos


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Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe086

This week's guest is Gail Nehls. Gail is a nonprofit executive and social entrepreneur with over a decade of leadership advancing accessibility and inclusive service delivery. As CEO of Envida, she has led significant organizational growth while expanding transportation, healthcare access, and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities across Colorado. Gail brings deep experience in public administration, policy advocacy, and cross-sector collaboration, and is a frequent national speaker and board member focused on equitable access and community impact.

Connect with Gail:

Mobile: 719-660-2806
Transportation Line: 719-633-4677
Envida Cares – Colorado Springs - envida

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Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe085

This week's podcast guest is Sheridan Powell. Sheridan works as the communications manager at Visit Colorado Springs. She leads the organization's accessibility efforts, including an accessibility task force, a partnership with accessible travel company Wheel the World, and more. She graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and strategic communications in 2020, and shortly thereafter relocated to Colorado Springs where she's lived ever since.

Connect with Sheridan: 

Colorado Springs Official Vacation Guide - Visit Colorado Springs
Visit Colorado Springs (@visitcos) • Instagram photos and videos
Visit Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs CO | Facebook
Visit Colorado Springs - YouTube
TikTok - Make Your Day
[email protected]

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Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe084

This week's podcast guest is Kaeia Perez. Kaeia writes dark witchy, young adult horror about eerie towns, haunting rituals, and girls who refuse to burn quietly. Author of Emberwomb, she blends lyrical prose with unsettling truths and just a touch of magic. She resides in New York state with her husband and two little support cats.

Connect with Kaeia: 

Magickalgirloccult • Instagram
KJ Tarot | FacebookMagickalGirl (@kjtarot) | TikTok
Amazon.com: Emberwomb: 9798292775638: Perez, Kaeia: Books

Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!

Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe083

This week's podcast guest is Kat Macfarlane. Professor Macfarlane serves as professor of law and director of the Disability Law and Policy Program at Syracuse University College of Law. She teaches and writes about disability law, civil rights litigation, and constitutional law. Her scholarship has been published in the Georgetown Law Journal, Fordham Law Review, Washington Law Review, North Carolina Law Review, Alabama Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal Forum, among others.

Professor Macfarlane recently served as special counsel to the US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. Prior to joining academia, Kat practiced law in Los Angeles and New York-based law firms and clerked for the District of Arizona and the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She received her BA, magna cum laude, from Northwestern University and her JD cum laude from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.

Connect with Kat: 

Kat Macfarlane (@katmacfarlane.bsky.social) — Bluesky
SSRN Home Page

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Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe082

This week's podcast guest is Annie Heathcote. Annie is a multi-business owner, social media influencer, author, Christian and lifelong disability advocate whose life and work embody the belief that disability does not mean inability. Diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at just 13 months old, Annie has spent her life breaking barriers, championing accessibility, and inspiring others with her message of resilience and faith. She was crowned Miss Wheelchair Wisconsin in 2023. Using her platform, Caring is Caregiving to reach more than 100,000 people through schools, conferences, organizations, and media appearances across the state.

Her advocacy took her to the Miss Wheelchair America national competition where she placed in the top five, earning second runner up and the best speech award. She has since been recognized as a woman of the year for Dane County for her leadership and community impact beyond advocacy. Annie is the founder of Annie Designs and Annie Speaks LLC, where she works as a freelance web and graphic designer and transformational speaker. She also brings creativity and joy into her everyday life through travel, art, music, and her past achievements as an elite athlete in the adaptive sport of power soccer. Annie's mission is simple but powerful. Love, serve God and others, work hard and never give up. 

Connect with Annie: 

Annie Speaks | Disability. Dignity. Destiny.
Annie's Portfolio – Intentional. Impactful. Invigorating.
Annie Speaks | Facebook
Annie Heathcote I Disability Advocate & Speaker (@annieheathcote) • Instagram photos and videos

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Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe081

This week's podcast guest is Jordan Burk. Jordan is the author of the Kelly And Kelso Children's book series and the creator of Kelly and Friends, an animated series currently in development that's set to be the first US cartoon with a lead character who has Down syndrome. Inspired by his late Uncle Kelly, Jordan writes stories that celebrate kindness, friendship, and the value of every child. Known to students as, That Koala Guy, thanks to Professor Kelso, his six-foot plush sidekick, Jordan brings laughter and life lessons to schools, libraries, and stages across the country. He's been recognized nationally for his work, but at the heart of it all, his mission is simple to remind us that being different is something to celebrate

Connect with Jordan: 

Discover Kelly & Kelso Series - Inspiring Stories of Special Needs Advocacy by Jordan Burk
Kelly and Kelso | Facebook
Kelly & Kelso ™ (@kellyandkelso) • Instagram photos and videos

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Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe080

This episode's podcast guest is Cindy Bentley. For the last 25 years, Cindy has been Wisconsin's foremost voice for inclusion and civil rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 1999, Cindy helped found People First Wisconsin, a statewide disability advocacy organization with a mission to provide opportunities for people with disabilities in Wisconsin to speak up and be heard about healthcare, voting, employment, housing, and transportation issues. Cindy began her work at People First Wisconsin as an advocacy specialist, but was promoted to executive director and is the only person with an intellectual disability leading an advocacy organization in Wisconsin. Cindy recently received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in recognition of her many years of advocacy.

Cindy serves on several boards, including the Governor's Committee for People with Disabilities, Life Navigators Board, and the Milwaukee County Combined Community Services Board. The Wisconsin Historical Society published a biography, which Cindy co-authored called Cindy Bentley: Spirit of a Champion. Choose the Pond, a short film about Cindy's life was recently shown at the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival. Cindy is a highly decorated Special Olympics athlete and global messenger. She's currently training for the Special Olympic National Games in 2026 where she will play volleyball for Team Wisconsin.


Connect with People First Wisconsin: 

People First Wisconsin
People First Wisconsin | Facebook

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Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe079

This episode's podcast guest is Murray Siple. Murray is a multimedia artist, filmmaker, and adapted surfer from Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Trained at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, he began his career capturing the raw energy of Canadian snowboard and skateboard culture. He directed the acclaimed documentary Carts of Darkness. After his spinal cord injury left him quadriplegic, Siple turned to painting, sculpture, and murals, exploring resilience, adaptation, and the poetry in broken things.

Recently, adaptive surfing has become central to his life and work, offering a new form of movement, freedom, and expression. His upcoming feature documentary follows this journey, capturing the intersection of art, sport, and human determination. Siple's work is unflinching, electric, and demands that viewers look again and keep looking until they see what's truly there.

Connect with Murray: 

Murray Siple / WALLETMOTH STUDIOS
Murray Siple (@murraysiple) • Instagram photos and videos
Walletmoth (@walletmothstudios) • Instagram photos and videos

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Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe078

This episode's podcast guests are Kim and Penn Holderness. They are award-winning content creators known for their original music song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over 3 billion views and over 9 million followers since they first went viral in 2013. Kim and Penn are authors of the New York Times bestselling book, ADHD is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving with ADHD and their new children's book, All You Can Be with ADHD, is coming out this October.

Penn and Kim also host an award-winning weekly podcast called Laugh Lines every Tuesday, and they were winners of The Amazing Race Season 33 on CBS. Kim and Penn Live in Raleigh, North Carolina with their two kids and their dog, Sunny

Connect with the Holderness Family: 

ADHD is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD: Holderness, Penn, Holderness, Kim, Edward Hallowell: 9781400338610: Amazon.com: Books
All You Can Be With ADHD - The Holderness Family
Home - The Holderness Family
The Holderness Family (@theholdernessfamily) • Instagram photos and videos


Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!