In this episode of "Enable: The Disability Podcast," Spann shares how his service dog Finn helped him with everything from opening doors to doing laundry, as well as a very good reason why others shouldn't pet service dogs.

For more about Spann and his public speaking, visit https://www.spannsworld.com/ 

“Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more.

Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local.

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Stephens and the AFB are producers for "Possibilities," a new documentary celebrating the legacy of Keller. It's the first feature length film created by blind and low-vision filmmakers and the first to fully integrate open audio description.

For more information about the movie and streaming options, visit https://afb.org/possibilities 

“Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more.

Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local.

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What do employers and others get wrong about neurodivergent people? Laura McAnulty, executive director of the Neurodiversity Employment Network of Philadelphia, spoke with "Enable: The Disability Podcast" about being diagnosed as neurodivergent later in life, tips for job interviews, disclosure options, and social anxiety."I think that that's a big misnomer with autistic people or neurodivergent people: They don't like being social. There's a lot of social anxiety that comes up from struggling to understand the expectations in a social situation. And so it becomes overwhelming," McAnulty explains. "And people read this as 'Oh, they don't like social stuff. They don't want to be around people. They're antisocial.' And that's just not true."For more information, visit https://neurodiversityemploymentnetwork.org/

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How does caregiving begin for people with disabilities? What kind of jobs are available? Jessica Hulter, whose daughter had Rett Syndrome, and Lamarque Polvado, whose CareStarter project was inspired by his daughter's autism journey, spoke with "Enable: The Disability Podcast" about health care services for families with disabilities, the U.S. military's Exceptional Family Member Program and TRICARE, benefits of employing people with disabilities, "the art of possible," and the hardest part of a diagnosis and finding resources.

"We gathered data from (250) families... we had a broad range of diagnoses, and what we learned was 85% of that group described Day 1 of diagnosis as the least helpful event on their care journey," Lamarque said. "I'm like, OK, this isn't something that just happened to me. This is a systematic problem."

Hulter also encouraged others to look past disabilities and treat everyone equally. "I wish it was information and not an identity necessarily," she said. "I wish they could get past staring at things that are weird or being uncomfortable around things that are different... We don't arrive here good advocates. We're a hot mess and we learn through grit and coming every single day and failing and getting better."

CareStarter and Feedback are part of Professional Contract Services, Inc. (PCSI), which seeks to enhance the lives of people with disabilities through employment, advocacy, partnerships and innovation. For more information, visit https://www.pcsi.org/ 

“Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more.

Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local.

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"He is the nicest boy you'd ever meet," she said of Alex. "I think that extra chromosome is in kindness."

For more information or to get involved, visit https://www.specialolympics-ny.org/ and https://www.specialolympics.org/.

“Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more.

Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local.

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What should parents expect when their child is diagnosed with Down syndrome? And what kind of resources and support are available? Anna Bruce, board president of GiGi’s Playhouse in New York’s Southern Tier, spoke with "Enable: The Disability Podcast" about her son Camden, virtual and in-person programs for the Down syndrome community, and why people should raise, not lower, their expectations.

"He's really helped to realign what happiness and success look like," Anna said.

GiGi's Playhouse is a nonprofit organization that provides free educational, therapeutic, and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community, using a replicable playhouse model.

For more information about GiGi’s Playhouse and a list of locations, visit https://gigisplayhouse.org/

“Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more.

Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local.

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"You have to understand there's so much behind the scenes that they go through emotionally," Matt said.

Iron Leg Corp. will host a charity football game June 20, 2026, at Biemesderfer Stadium at Millersville University in Millersville, PA. To donate or buy tickets, visit https://ironleg.org/donate/.

“Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more.

Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local.

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Pennsylvania announced a new Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities in April, aiming to gather information regarding the experiences and needs of people with disabilities, assess support programs, and provide information about services for the disability community, families, and caregivers.

Sherri Landis, executive director of The Arc of Pennsylvania, spoke with "Enable: The Disability Podcast" about the commission, how it can help with gaps in services or accessibility, and how others can become involved as advocates or supporters. She also spoke about The Arc's mission, which began with a group of parents who dreamed of more for their children.  

For more information on the Pennsylvania Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities, visit https://www.pa.gov/governor/administration/advisory-commissions.

For The Arc of PA, visit https://thearcpa.org.

“Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more.

Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local.

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What is the Blue Envelope Program? The New York State Sheriffs' Association has established a free public service program that provides blue envelopes for drivers with autism and neurodivergence, helping them in interactions with law enforcement.

Onondaga County Sheriff's Deputy Danielle Podejko spoke with "Enable: The Disability Podcast" about the program and other tips for people with disabilities in police interactions. The envelopes include information for drivers about what to expect if they get pulled over or are in an emergency situation to help reduce anxiety and encourage preparedness. Telling a deputy or police officer that you have a "blue envelope" will also inform them about how to better respond to the driver and situation.

You can contact your local sheriff's office or other law enforcement agencies about getting a blue envelope, or request one from the NYS Sheriff's Association at https://nysheriffs.org/blue-envelope/.

Syracuse and Central New York residents can also contact Danielle Podejko in the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office Community Relations Unit at 315-435-3006 or email [email protected].

“Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more.

Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local.

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How should you plan for a vacation with a disability? What kind of accessibility resources and options are available for travel?

"Blindish Latina" and disability advocate Catarina Rivera talks with "Enable: The Disability Podcast" about her experiences growing up with hearing loss, trying to hide a progressive vision disability, accessibility tools for the deaf-blind such as a white cane and live captioning, and the importance of image descriptions for low vision audiences. She also shares some of her favorite places she's visited and meals she's enjoyed, plus provides insight on the four stages of her disability journey from denial to acceptance to self-advocacy to public advocacy.

For more information about Catarina's public speaking and consulting services, visit https://www.catarinarivera.com.

You can also watch Catarina's videos on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@CatarinaRivera/ 

And follow her on social media @blindishlatina: 

https://www.instagram.com/blindishlatina 

https://www.tiktok.com/@blindishlatina 

“Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more.

Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local.

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