Adventures in Accessibility

Transcript: https://bit.ly/AIAe023

Content warning: this episode contains brief mentions of sexual assault and suicide. There are no graphic descriptions.

Today’s guest is Tim Gore. Tim is a U.S. Army Veteran who experienced homelessness and abuse when he was young. He recently came to understand that his experiences as a youth and a soldier contributed to his development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

Tim is an accomplished ultrarunner and is gearing up for a 150 mile trail run through the majestic North Dakota badlands. The run will raise awareness for veterans experiencing PTSD, and increase funding for veterans services.

Connect with Tim:
https://www.facebook.com/coloradorunner67
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/mt-carmel-veterans-service-center/the-buck-50-challenge-to-end-veteran-suicide

Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at https://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: https://bit.ly/AIAe022

Today’s guest is Judy Heumann. Judy, who contracted polio in 1949 and uses a wheelchair for her mobility, is a lifelong advocate for the rights of disabled people.

She has played a role in the development and implementation of major legislation including
the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act,
the Americans with Disability Act and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Judy is an internationally recognized leader in the disability rights community. She served in the Clinton and Obama Administrations and was a Senior Fellow at the Ford Foundation.

Her recently released memoir called “Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist,” was audio recorded by Ali Stroker who is the first wheelchair actor to perform on Broadway. Judy is also featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary film Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.

These days, among other things, Judy is the producer of The Heumann Perspective, a podcast and YouTube channel that aims to share the beauty of the disability community.

Connect with Judy:
Judy's Website: https://judithheumann.com/
Judy's Memoir: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/621090/being-heumann-by-judith-heumann/9780807002803/
Judy's Young Adult Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670588/rolling-warrior-by-judith-heumann/
Crip Camp: https://cripcamp.com/
Judy's Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0CYpP8LB2wZ8vUM93DnINF
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/judithheumann
https://www.instagram.com/theheumannperspective/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-heumann-71b026122/
https://www.youtube.com/c/JudyHeumannTHP/videos

Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at https://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: https://bit.ly/AIAe021

Today’s guest is Chris Brock. Chris is the Managing Attorney of Colorado Cross Disability Coalition’s Probate Power. Before that, Chris worked as a law clerk in Denver District Court and as a Dean's Fellow at the University of Colorado Law School.

He is admitted to the Colorado Bar and is a member of the Colorado and Arapahoe County Bar Associations, where he belongs to the Trust and Estate and Elder Law Sections. Chris focuses his practice in the areas of special needs planning, estate planning, and probate administration.

A paraplegic since college, Chris understands firsthand the issues that come with living with a disability. He now devotes his legal practice to ensuring families and individuals with disabilities carefully plan for the future.

Connect with Chris:
https://www.ccdcprobatepower.com/

Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at https://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: https://bit.ly/AIAe020

Today’s guest is Caitlin Goerlich. Caitlin is a contemporary romance writer whose debut novel, The Silent Summer, was published in May of 2021. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a focus on Creative Writing from Kean University.

At a young age, Caitlin was diagnosed with kyphoscoliosis, which is an abnormal curvature in the spine. Complications in surgery caused her to have a spinal cord injury and she became paraplegic.

When Caitlin is not writing, she is enjoying life by competing in adaptive sports, spending time with friends & family, recording videos for her YouTube channel. She is a motivational speaker and chairperson & board member of the Tri-State Wheelchair Athletic Association.

Connect with Caitlin:
www.caitlingoerlich.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheCGoerlich
Twitter: @CGoerlich
Instagram: @CGoerlich
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriterCaitlinGoerlich
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/caitlingoerlich
TikTok: CGoerlich

Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at https://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: https://bit.ly/AIAe019

Today’s guest is Keri Grey. As a child, Keri was diagnosed with bone cancer which resulted in an amputated leg.

Keri is the CEO and Founder of the Keri Gray Group, which centers on exploring the intersections of race, gender, and disability across the workplace. As a consultant, speaker, and facilitator, she works with companies and organizations, so they are prepared to leverage intersectionality as an organizational practice.

Keri is also the Founder and Executive Director of the National Alliance of Multicultural Disabled Advocates, which is a network of organizers across the country who invest in the livelihood and leadership of Black and Brown people with disabilities.

Through her various roles, Keri has recruited approximately 4,000 professionals for over 100 organizations and Fortune 500 companies. She has also designed and managed programs for over 1,000 professionals that has helped participants secure competitive employment, identify transferable skills, build an influential network, and gain notable opportunities.

Connect with Keri:
The Keri Grey Group: https://withkeri.com/
NAMD Advocates: https://withkeri.com/category/namd-advocates/
Keri's Email List: https://withkeri.com/email-list/
Social Media:
https://twitter.com/keri_gray
https://www.linkedin.com/in/keri-gray-7a33582b/
https://www.instagram.com/kerigray90/

Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at https://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: http://bit.ly/AIAe018

Today's guests are Scott Applebaum and Connor O'Meara. Together, they host Conor's Corner, a radio show out of St. Paul, Minnesota, where they talk about sports, music, life, and whatever's on their minds. As an autistic person, it was Conor's dream to have his own radio show and he did it. Conor's joy for life has inspired many others to embrace their dreams and take a chance.

Connect with Conor:
https://twitter.com/conorscornerfr
https://www.facebook.com/ConorsCornerWFNU

Listen to Conor's Corner
https://www.frogtowntunedin.org/conors-corner
https://www.mixcloud.com/conorscorner/

Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at https://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: http://bit.ly/AIAe017

In this episode, we talk with Oscar "Oz" Sanchez. Sanchez grew up in Los Angeles and spent six years as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. He became a part of the Special Forces unit, deploying twice to the Middle East. In 2001, while in the process of transferring to the Navy to become a Navy SEAL, Sanchez was involved in a motorcycle accident that injured his spinal cord. He started handcycling competitively five years after the accident. Today, he is one of the top handcyclists in the world.

Oz's website: https://www.knownolimits.com/index.html
Follow Oz on social media:
https://twitter.com/Oz_Sanchez
https://www.facebook.com/Sanchez.Oz
https://www.instagram.com/knlnation/

Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at https://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: http://bit.ly/AIAe016

In this episode, we talk with Jim Abbott.

Jim Abbott was born September 19, 1967, in Flint, Michigan without a right hand. He was an All-America hurler at Michigan; won the Sullivan Award in 1987; was the pitcher for the Gold Medal Olympic Team in 1988; and threw a 4-0 no-hitter for the New York Yankees versus Cleveland (September 4, 1993). Jim played for 10 seasons on 4 different teams and ended his big league playing career in 1999.

Abbott has worked with The Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) on several initiatives encouraging businesses to hire people with disabilities.

Today, in addition to often being a Guest Pitching Instructor during Spring Training for the Los Angeles Angels, Jim Abbott is a motivational speaker.

Jim's website: http://jimabbott.net/
Follow Jim on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jabbottum3

Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at https://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: http://bit.ly/AIAe015

In this episode, we talk with Marla Runyan, who tells us about how she takes in the world by moving through it. Marla is an American track and field athlete, road runner and marathon runner who is legally blind.

In 2000, Marla Runyan became the first legally blind American track & field athlete to qualify and compete for the United States Olympic Team. A 5-time Paralympic Gold Medalist and holder of numerous world records among visually impaired athletes, Marla earned her status as one of America's top middle and long distance runners by winning three consecutive USATF National Championship titles at 5000 meters, and seven USATF Road Championship titles. Marla made her second Olympic Team in 2004, and was the USATF National Marathon Champion in 2006. To date, Marla remains the only visually impaired U.S. athlete to qualify and compete in both the Paralympic and Olympic Games.

Marla's website: https://www.marlarunyan.net/

Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at https://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: http://bit.ly/AIAe014

In this episode, we talk with Gail Hamilton. Gail Hamilton is a highly acclaimed professional speaker, singer, musician, and author. She shares her message of bravery, empowerment, gratitude, and
positivity to audiences nationwide. Born ten weeks premature and weighing a mere 2.5 pounds, Gail Hamilton and her twin brother lived in separate incubators for six weeks with continual 100% pure oxygen. Though her twin was not affected, this high oxygen level damaged Gail’s eyes and left her with partial vision. It was during elementary school that her eyes developed cataracts; decreasing sight to total blindness. Becoming totally blind is when Gail’s imagination and inner vision took flight.

Gail's website: https://soaringintogreatness.com/
Connect with Gail on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/gail.hamilton.9231
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaillhamilton/

Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at https://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!