Assembling Edu

In this episode, we talk to Shell Mendelson, career counselor and author of the book A Course for ADHD Adults and Teens: Unlock Your Career Path. Shell discusses her educational journey, and the factors that led her work in career counseling, including her current work with adults and young adults with ADHD. Shell emphasizes that there are no specific jobs that people with ADHD should do, and they should have the same opportunities to explore their interests and identify what fulfills them, which can lead to a meaningful career. During our conversation, Shell shares how the ideas in the book were developed and tested, and why the book is an excellent resource for secondary classrooms, university career centers, and more. This episode is filled with takeaways and ideas for avoiding the status quo and helping people with ADHD find fulfillment in their work. (Episode Transcript)

Show Notes

In this episode, we interviewed Allis Kensing, the Enabling Technology Coordinator at Penn-Mar Human Services. Penn-Mar has a new initiative to empower people with disabilities through the use of assistive technology. The initiative includes an assistive technology lending library, which allows people to try out different technologies to see how it can fit into their daily life. Penn-Mar is also working to train the staff on how to use assistive technology to better support their clients and individuals in the community. Allis breaks down assistive technology and its capabilities for us, including how it can be used in communication, mobility, and daily living skills, and shares some of the lending library options, from low-tech devices, like adaptive cutting boards, to high-tech devices like smart speakers. She also shares some of the biggest challenges when it comes to learning about new assistive technologies. (Episode Transcript)

In this episode, we talk to Matt Tilford from Active Project and the Kelly Brush Foundation. Active Project offers a way for athletes to learn about adaptive sports by creating a community of adaptive sports organizations and athletes. Within the platform, athletes can discover new adaptive sports, find local adaptive sports organizations and programs, and talk to people with spinal cord injuries who are also interested in living an active lifestyle. We talk about how Active Project has grown and changed, as well as its future goals and aspirations. We also discuss the grants and initiatives offered through Kelly Brush Foundation (Episode Transcript)

Show Notes

In this episode, we talked to Krista Weltner, author of Everyday Adventures with Molly and Dyslexia, a three book children’s book series about dyslexia. During our conversation, we discuss Krista’s decision to represent dyslexia through the personified character of Lexi. The series overall aims to empower children with dyslexia by showcasing their strengths and positive aspects of having dyslexia. Each book centers on a different topic, including asking for help, self-advocacy, and self-confidence. Krista’s series shows that dyslexia can appear differently in individuals, and these unique strengths and attributes are highlighted through the supporting characters across the books. Finally, we dive into how Everyday Adventures with Molly and Dyslexia can be a valuable tool for both children with dyslexia and educators. It allows the children to see themselves represented in the texts they read and gain confidence, while educators can use this as a teaching tool and way to help their students feel seen and empowered in the classroom. (Episode Transcript)

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Coral Hoh, a linguistic expert and the co-founder of Dysolve. Dysolve is an artificial intelligence powered solution for evaluating and addressing dyslexia. During our conversation, Dr. Hoh addresses the problems with the traditional approach to dyslexia evaluations, including scattered assessments and data points that often don’t give a clear roadmap for intervention. Using over thirty years of research, Dysolve provides an individualized evaluation through a gamified platform that allows the root causes of dyslexia to be pinpointed for each student. Dr. Hoh explains the evidence surrounding the effectiveness of Dysolve’s AI in providing intervention and remediation for students experiencing language processing related issues. Finally, we discuss how Dysolve can significantly improve learning outcomes for students, allowing students to overcome challenges with reading more quickly than other approaches. (Episode Transcript)

Show Notes

In this episode, we interviewed Joe Jamison, founder and CEO of VisitAble. VisitAble is dedicated to accessibility awareness and inclusion training for businesses, addressing the gap these organizations often have in the disability space. The self-paced eLearning courses emphasize the importance of storytelling, focusing on industry best practices, and sharing strategies and ideas actually provided by members of the disability community. VisitAble has had a positive impact on businesses in terms of both clients and current employees. (Episode Transcript)

In this episode, we talked to Gregory Liakos, the Director of Gateway Arts, an organization dedicated to providing individualized arts-based services for adults with disabilities, which allow them to find meaningful careers within the art world. Founded in 1973, Gateway Arts is one of the longest-running programs of its kind in the United States, offering a variety of studio art classes, gallery exhibitions, and a retail store featuring artists’ creations in painting, sculpture, fabric arts, and more. We discuss the recent 50th anniversary celebration of Gateway Arts, the revitalization of the community engagement program, and the mentorship and support from other artists. We also discuss how Gateway Arts fosters a supportive environment, where artists with disabilities can develop their skills, express themselves creatively, and gain recognition for their work and talents (Episode Transcript)

In this episode, we focus on accessibility and disability inclusion within music festivals. Live music can bring people together but, unfortunately, most venues and events are not inclusive for all music fans. In this episode, we talked to Shawn Satterfield, founder of Shine Music and the Shine Music Festival, an accessible music festival in Colorado. After noticing the barriers and separation people with disabilities face when attending live music events, Shawn was inspired to create a festival with all needs in mind. We discussed how Shine Music Festival works to eliminate barriers and create a space where everyone feels comfortable and welcome. The festival, which is the world’s largest universally-designed music festival, incorporates emerging technologies, sensory spaces, and other accessibility elements to create an experience that everyone can enjoy together. (Episode Transcript)

In this episode, Lorraine Woodward, founder of Becoming rentABLE, discusses the challenges and importance of making short-term rentals accessible. She highlights that only 0.01% of short-term rentals in the U.S. are considered accessible and that there is a need for a wider range of accessibility features. Becoming rentABLE provides a platform for listing and certifying accessible short-term rentals using 43 different accessibility filters and features. Woodward also discusses the importance of considering all disabilities, including cognitive and hearing impairments, when considering accessibility. We also discuss the impact that these accessibility changes can benefit all travelers. (Episode Transcript)

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Introduction and conclusion music: "You Can Do More" by lemonmusicstudio