AXSChat Podcast

Hosted by Antonio Santos, Debra Ruh and Neil Milliken
Mark Bullock – Inclusive Sports Development Advisor
Delivering workshops, seminars and guidance to a wide range of stakeholders in inclusive sport & physical activity utilising more than 25 years of experience in Paralympic/disability sport, sports development & the broader social impact of sport. Former Wheelchair Tennis Manager for the International Tennis Federation. Travelled to more than 80 countries developing wheelchair tennis. Attended four Paralympic Games & two Olympic Games. Extensive experience of delivering sports programmes in developing countries. Wheelchair Tennis Liaison Officer for the Championships, Wimbledon. Advisor to Choice International & International Blind Tennis Association 2017-19. Member of IPC Paralympic Games Committee 2014 – 2017. Ambassador for Parallel Global, the world’s first fully inclusive mass participation event. Disabilities Tennis Co-ordinator for Middlesex LTA. Event delivery for Panathlon. Coach Education Tutor for UK Coaching.

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Hosted by Antonio Vieira Santos, Debra Ruh and Neil Milliken
Judith Ellen Heumann "Judy" (born December 18, 1947) is an American disability rights activist. She is recognized internationally as a leader in the disability community. Heumann is a lifelong civil rights advocate for people with disabilities. Her work with governments and non-governmental organizations, non-profits, and various other disability interest groups, has produced significant contributions since the 1970s to the development of human rights legislation and policies benefiting children and adults with disabilities. Through her work in the World Bank and the State Department, Heumann led the mainstreaming of disability rights into international development. Her contributions extended the international reach of the independent living movement

Heumann's commitment to disability rights stems from her personal experiences. She had polio at the age of 18 months and has used a wheelchair for most of her life. Heumann had to fight repeatedly to be included in the educational system. The local public school refused to allow her to attend, calling her a fire hazard. Instead, for three years she was given home instruction twice a week for about an hour each visit. Heumann's mother, Ilsa Heumann, a community activist in her own right, challenged the decision. Judy was then allowed to go to a special school in the fourth grade for disabled children. Per city policy, it was understood Judy would return to home instruction for high school. Judy's mother rallied against this policy with other parents who put enough pressure on the school to reverse the policy. Judy entered high school in 1961.

She attended Camp Jened, a camp for kids with disabilities, in Hunter, New York every summer from ages 9 to 18. Heumann's experience of camp brought her a greater awareness of the connected of disabled experience "We had the same joy together, the same anger over the way we were treated and the same frustrations at opportunities we didn't have."[2] It was there that she met Bobbi Linn and Freida Tankus, who she would later work with as disability rights activists.[3][4

For more than 40 years, Judy has been involved on the international front working with disabled people’s organizations and governments around the world to advance the human rights of disabled people. She is a frequent lecturer at universities and conferences and recently did a TED x talk in the US.

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Before starting the Runway of Dreams Foundation (RoDF) in 2014, Mindy Scheier spent 20 years working in fashion on the design team for the INC collection and as a stylist for Saks Fifth Avenue.   

Mindy was inspired to start RoDF after her son Oliver, who has Muscular Dystrophy, dreamed of wearing jeans like everyone else. After using her design skills to adapt a pair that met his needs and increased his confidence, she went on to conduct extensive research to develop modifications that would meet the needs of the largest minority in our world- people with disabilities. The clothing modifications she developed include alternate closures, adjustability and alternative ways to get in and out of the clothing. Following its launch, RoDF partnered with Tommy Hilfiger on the first mainstream adaptive clothing line for kids in 2016.   

Founded on the basis that clothing is a basic human need, RoDF develops, delivers and supports initiatives to broaden the reach of mainstream adaptive clothing and promote people with disabilities in the fashion industry. Through adaptive clothing donations, employment opportunity initiatives, adaptive design workshops, adaptive fashion shows, wardrobe grants, awareness building campaigns and scholarship programs, RoDF is empowering people with disabilities in style.  Mindy serves as a consultant for Tommy Adaptive, is a member of the Advisory Council for Zappos Adaptive and works to educate many other fashion brands on the population of people with disabilities. Envisioning a world where fashion is mainstream and accessible for all, Mindy continues to break down barriers and challenge industry norms.

In 2019, Mindy created Gamut Talent Management to represent people with disabilities and create a marketplace where businesses and industries can connect to this target audience.  Gamut is rebranding the way PWDs are viewed, marketed to and represented in the mainstream world. The continued support of the mission of Runway of Dreams will always be a component of Gamut, as the company’s 501c3 partner. 

Mindy has been featured in Newsweek’s  “The Creative Class of 2019: Innovators,” People magazine’s “Heroes Among Us,” and Pix 11’s “Changemaker: Making the Fashion Industry More Inclusive.”  She has also been featured in USA Today, Parents, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vogue Business, WWD, NBC’s Today, ABC’s Good Morning America, Access, CNBC, Fox News Channel and more. 

An inspiring TED speaker, Mindy has received numerous awards including the Catalyst Award for “Marketing Influencer of the Year,” Citrin Cooperman’s “Women at the Wheel Leadership Excellence Award, the Association of Image Consultants International Bravo Award and Enable Inc.’s Michael Graves Award for Creativity and Persistence.  Mindy studied Fashion Design with a dual program at the University of Vermont and Fashion Institute of Technology.  

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A podcast hosted by Antonio Santos, Neil Milliken and Debra Ruh.

Martyn Sibley 

Envisioning an inclusive world through digital influence, Martyn leverages his unique story of disability along with the Disability Horizons community he Co-founded, all to support brands with inclusive influencer marketing campaigns.

He's also been voted Britain’s third most influential disabled person, authoring the travel memoir Everything is Possible, and co-founding an accessible travel business which sold to Airbnb.

Martyn manages daily life with a severe physical disability, living with his fiance and Golden Retriever, and enjoying soccer and music festivals when work allows him to.

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Hosted by Antonio Santos, Debra Ruh and Neil Milliken.

David Bara has a degree in BA Business Technology and a Master’s in Education. He is a former special needs teacher and is currently a Senior Lecturer in Special Education. David has spoken at international conferences, published articles and written recommendations for the Secretary of State for Communities for the UK Government on issues surrounding childhood and adolescent health care issues. His work has been aimed at improving the life chances for the children with cancer and special needs, their siblings and families.

David has personal experience of the issues and the challenges facing individuals and their families who have visible and hidden disabilities, chronic illnesses or other access needs.

In 2012, his daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 2 ½. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy saved her life but she has been left with life-changing disabilities and the late effects of the treatments will continue as she grows up. His son has been diagnosed with dyslexia and is also dealing with the emotional impact of what has happened.

In response to his professional and personal experiences, David, together with his wife, Emma, founded WeCanAccess Ltd and developed WeCanAccess.com. WeCanAccess is a new online platform which has two core aims: 1) To create a social shift in attitudes by demonstrating that accessibility and inclusivity is vital for a more economically and socially sustainable future, and 2) to Improve the life chances, health and wellbeing of people with access needs and their families.   The platform is already recognised as a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 champion and was presented at the UN Sustainable Cities event in Espoo in June 2019, where David sat on the Health and Wellbeing Panel.

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Joseph was born Deaf and is a native of Glasgow.
He is one of the most widely-recognisable faces within the Deaf community for the work he has done, as a BSL presenter, on flagship television programmes like Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
Joseph is currently the Head of ITV SignPost, Scotland.
Joseph has worked for ITV for the past 19 years; he’s a highly experienced performer /presenter and has mentored Deaf people looking to pursue a career in Media both in front of and behind the camera.
Joseph is passionate about promoting BSL in the wider community so that the richness of BSL as a visual language can be enjoyed by all.

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Hosted by António Vieira Santos, Debra Ruh and Neil Milliken.

The Ramble Tag was invented and designed by two friends and neighbours – Laura 39yrs and Tom 65 yrs, Tom himself is blind.

Both Laura and Tom have creative backgrounds and a love for dogs.

Tom lost his sight gradually over a period of 20 years through Type 1 diabetes, so Laura would help walk him walk his dog when needed, acting as his guide when his partner wasn’t around.  They soon became great friends, shared laughs, ideas and inspired each other to go into business after their best spark of an idea, a loop on the arm to give more space and to be more secure… (their dogs pulling them apart gave them the idea)

A year from start-up, which was Kickstarted (crowdfunded), the Ramble Tag became a finalist in the RNIB Innovation of the Year awards 2019 and is also being sold by the RNIB shop.  It was snapped up by Glasgow airport promptly and then other UK airports followed.

They soon recognized its potential as more than just a daily guiding tool to be used with a friend, it could be used by various assistance staff while respecting physical boundaries, alleviate repetitive strain, improve comfort, give more independence to the likes of teenagers with their parents and many other practicalities.

They daydream the day that the Ramble Tag is as known as well as the white cane.  It’s another option, a choice, and choice equals inclusion.

#axschat Twitter Chat - March 3rd

9 pm Berlin

8 pm London

3 pm NYC

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AXSChat is hosted by Antonio Santos, Neil Milliken and Debra Ruh.

Al Etmanski is an author, community organizer, social entrepreneur, and parent activist in the disability world. He is an Ashoka fellow which is a global network of social entrepreneurs and a member of John McKnight’s Asset Based Community Development Institute (ABCD). He conceived and lobbied into existence the world’s first savings plan for people with disabilities, the Registered Disability Savings Plan. Collective RDSP deposits total more than $4 billion benefitting close to 200,000 disabled Canadians.

He is the best selling author of three books. His fourth book The Power of Disability: 10 Lessons for Surviving, Thriving and Changing the World has just been published.

Al believes that extraordinary acts are not reserved for the special few. And that the vast majority of people are making the world a better place, even though their contributions are ignored, dismissed or forgotten. He wrote his new book to awaken the world to the collective and powerful achievements of people with disabilities. He is optimistic about what we can do when everyone’s gifts and talents are welcomed and enabled. Al blogs at aletmanski.com

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Hosts. Antonio Santos, Neil Milliken and Debra Ruh
Rick Williams is the CEO of Freeney Williams Ltd, one of Europe’s leading specialist disability consultancies which provides strategic advice and guidance on employing disabled people and ensuring their access to goods and services. He has a strong and proven combination of skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, an Associate of both the Business Disability International and the Business Disability Forum as well as being a non-executive Director of Ofcom. Before setting up the company in 2002 Rick spent over 30 years in the Public Sector working in a range of high profile posts in HR and senior management. He is a highly effective consultant who has worked in many high profile organisations both in Europe and the UK.

Some of the UK organisations for which Rick has worked include the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Department of Work and Pensions, JobCentre Plus, KPMG, PWC, Virgin Media, BT, Centrica, Accor Hotels, Barclays and the Houses of Parliament.

His international work has included working with the ILO in Geneva and Turin, acting as a special adviser to the Bermudan Government and advising NGOs in Moscow and Vienna.

Rick is blind and the combination of being a disabled person and experienced as a consultant, HR professional and senior manager, gives him a high level of expertise in organisational policies and attitudes towards disabled people and how they can be shaped.

For further information about Freeney Williams Ltd go to http://www.freeneywilliams.com

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Sarah Lewthwaite (PhD, FRSA) is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southampton’s Centre for Research in Inclusion where she leads a major new UK Research and Innovation study ‘Teaching Accessibility’ as Future Leaders Fellow and Principal Investigator. Sarah and her team are researching the teaching and learning of digital accessibility in universities and the workplace, to build an evidence-based understanding of how accessibility can be taught more effectively. The 4-year study received over £650,000 from UKRI, and seeks to forge new collaborations and dialogue between universities and industry. Sarah has a background in inclusive education, a PhD in disability and social media, and 15 years of research experience spanning HCI, accessibility, education and disability studies.

Angharad Butler-Rees is a Senior Research Assistant at the University of Southampton and is a co-investigator on the ‘Teaching Accessibility’ study. Angharad has a longstanding interest in disability issues, having worked for Leonard Cheshire Disability and UCAN Productions ( a creative arts co-operative for blind and partially sighted young people). Angharad’s interest in digital accessibility has been driven in part by her personal experiences of encountering barriers to technology as someone with a visual impairment, and further fuelled through her previous research in developing accessible Apps for blind and visually impaired people.

Angharad is also in the final stages of completing her PhD, which explores the lives of individuals involved in disability activism at a time of austerity.

by Antonio Vieira Santos

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