In this Quest Podcast episode, we chat with a distinguished business leader from the St. Louis area, who lives with physical disabilities. Lori Becker, CEO of Starkloff Disability Institute, has devoted her career to promoting diversity and inclusion both in the workplace and in the community. She joins us to share her experiences, expertise, and advice in recognition of National Disability Employment Month. 

If you would like to get involved in advocating for policy issues related to employment for individuals with disabilities, please go to https://www.mda.org/get-involved/advocacy for information about the MDA Grassroots Advocacy Team.

Lori Becker joined the Starkloff Disability Institute in 2013 as Director of Development and Communications.  With her influence, the Institute has grown by leaps and bounds. Lori was named to the 2020 class of Diverse Business Leaders by the St. Louis Business Journal.  One of 20 leaders selected from a pool of more than 90 nominees, she was featured in a September issue of the Business Journal where she was recognized for her efforts to promote diversity and inclusion both in the workplace and in the community. The Board of Directors named LoriCEO in 2023.  Like many Starkloff employees, Lori has a disability.She is legally blind due to a genetic disorder called Stargardt’s Disease. 

Connect with Lori: 

Mindy Henderson is the Senior Director & Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, and the host of this podcast.  She was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 2 when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA.  Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, and author of the book, The Truth About Things That Suck.

Connect with Mindy: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendersonmindy/     

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindyhendersonspeaks/

In this Quest Podcast episode, we chat with a renowned journalist, model and disability rights activist, who lives with physical disabilities. Madison Lawson, who has been featured in publications including Vogue, Glamour, Teen Vogue, Allure and brands like Sephora, PrettyLittle Thing, and Olay, joins us to share her experiences, expertise, and advice when it comes to navigating life.

Madison Lawson is a journalist, model and disability rights activist. Her written works have been featured in publications including Vogue, Glamour, Teen Vogue, Allure and more. Lawson’s advocacy work has gotten her featured in campaigns with brands like Sephora, PrettyLittle Thing, and Olay. Her greatest inspiration is the work and legacy of her late friend and the mother of the disability rights movement Judy Heumann who laid the groundwork for disabled people around the world to be better integrated into society. Heumann’s work included organizing and carrying out the longest non-violent occupation of a federal building to get legislation like 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, igniting the disability pride movement that has empowered generations of disabled people around the world. Lawson hopes to give representation to her younger self who never saw people who looked like her shown in a positive light in media, and to be one of the many voices pushing the needle of inclusion forward for people with disabilities.

Mindy Henderson is the Senior Director & Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, and the host of this podcast. She was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 2 when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA. Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, and author of the book, The Truth About Things That Suck.

In this Quest Podcast episode, we chat with Mark Fisher, MDA’s Director of Advocacy Engagement and Michael Lewis, MDA’s Director of Disability Policy, an advocate who lives with physical disabilities. They join us to share the most recent air travel updates, advocacy information, and expertise and advise about MDA's grassroots program and advocacy volunteer efforts. Please join us and make your voices heard about making air travel accessible at mda.org/airtravel.

Mark Fisher is the Director of Advocacy Engagement at the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In this role, Mark leads MDA’s grassroots program and advocacy volunteer efforts. He works to empower advocates and connect them with key decisionmakers in order to advance public policies that improve the lives of the neuromuscular disease community. He previously served as the Digital Grassroots Manager at the American Heart Association and was also a field organizer on a U.S. Senate campaign. Mark earned his Master of Public Policy from American University and is originally from Pittsburgh, PA.

Michael Lewis has spent over a decade working in disability rights for various organizations. His passion for disability policy advocacy stems from his experience as an individual with cerebral palsy. As Director, Disability Policy at MDA, Michael leads MDA’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with federal agencies to defend and expand access to civil rights, education, economic independence and employment, and accessible recreation and travel for people with neuromuscular diseases and other disabilities. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Regent University, Michael resides in northern Virginia with his wife and four children.

Mindy Henderson is the Senior Director & Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, and the host of this podcast. She was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 2 when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA. Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, and author of the book, The Truth About Things That Suck.

In this Quest Podcast episode, we chat with Brooke Eby, who was diagnosed with ALS in March 2022. Brooke Eby was recently featured on the Today Show, and with almost 70,000 followers on Instagram alone hopes to spread awareness of ALS to as many people as possible.

Guests:

Brooke is a social media influencer who was recently featured on the Today Show. She was diagnosed with ALS in March 2022 after four years of confusing symptoms in her leg. She hopes to spread awareness of ALS to as many people as possible and laugh along the way.

Tiktok: @LimpBroozkit

Instagram: @LimpBroozkit

Twitter: @LimpBroozkit

Mindy Henderson is the Senior Director & Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, and the host of this podcast. She was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 2 when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA. Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, and just published her first book, The Truth About Things That Suck.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendersonmindy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindyhendersonspeaks/

In this Quest Podcast episode, we chat with a renowned comedian, writer, and advocate who lives with physical disabilities. Steve Way, actor of the Hulu Original “Ramy”, joins us to share his experiences, expertise, and advise when it comes to navigating life and Hollywood.

Guests: 

Steve is a 32-year-old actor, comedian, writer, and speaker. He was born with Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy and is an advocate for disability awareness. Steve performs stand-up comedy and motivational speeches around the country and can be seen on the Hulu show Ramy.

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesteveway/

Website - https://www.thesteveway.com/

Substack - https://thesteveway.substack.com/

Mindy Henderson is the Senior Director & Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, and the host of this podcast. She was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 2 when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA. Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, and just published her first book, The Truth About Things That Suck.

Connect with Mindy: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendersonmindy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindyhendersonspeaks/

Summer is around the corner! In this Quest Podcast episode, we chat with two renowned travel writers who live with physical disabilities. Sylvia Longmire, creator of the Spin the Globe accessible travel blog, and Cory Lee, creator of the Curb Free with Cory Lee travel blog, join us to share their experiences, expertise, and advice when it comes to accessible travel.

Guests: 

Sylvia Longmire is an award-winning accessible travel writer and photographer, a service-disabled Air Force veteran, and the former Ms. Wheelchair USA 2016. She travels around the world, usually solo, in her power wheelchair to document the accessibility of her destinations through articles, photography, and video. Sylvia is also a director, producer, voice actor, and a staunch advocate for accessibility and disability representation. She is the author of four accessible travel books and the creator of the Spin the Globe accessible travel blog.

After being diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at the age of two, Cory Lee’s thirst for adventure never ceased. He has traveled across all seven continents in his powered wheelchair while managing to run his travel blog CurbFreeWithCoryLee.com, where he shares his accessible — and sometimes not so accessible — travel adventures with others. He is a four-time Webby Award winner, has won two Lowell Thomas Awards for Best Travel Blog, and he has written for publications such as Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, and Lonely Planet. As always, his goal is to inspire other wheelchair users to roll out of their comfort zones and see all of the beauty our world has to offer.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/spintheglobeonwheels

Instagram - https://instagram.com/sylvia_longmire

Blog - https://www.spintheglobe.net

Blog - https://curbfreewithcorylee.com

Instagram - https://instagram.com/curbfreecorylee

Facebook - https://facebook.com/CurbFree

Mindy Henderson is the Senior Director & Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, and the host of this podcast. She was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 2 when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA. Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, and just published her first book, The Truth About Things That Suck.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendersonmindy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindyhendersonspeaks/

Megan DeJarnett is an author, speaker, disability DEI educator, and inclusion advocate. Megan lives with SMA and is the organizational founder of No Such Thing, a company with a mission to help others redefine purpose by removing defining labels. Author of the children's books, "No Such Thing as Normal" and "Lovely as Can Be", Megan teaches children the ways in which everyone is unique and that our differences are what make us special. She joins the Quest Podcast to talk about the importance of inclusion and to share her goal of spreading her life mission of living without limits through her books, public speaking, and writing.

Megan DeJarnett is an author, speaker, disability DEI educator, and inclusion advocate. At the age of two, she was diagnosed with SMA and has used a wheelchair ever since. Megan is determined to experience life to the fullest and choose joy over despair. She is passionate about motivating others to approach life with an ‘I can do this' attitude. Her ability to share her story and encourage others to look at life through a new lens is only one of her tremendous gifts. Megan has been placed in unique situations and has had to overcome innumerable challenges. She didn't think too much about her differences until she became the mother of a child with special needs. Megan then found herself frequently having to answer questions about her child's own differences. This spawned a passion in Megan for teaching children the ways in which everyone is unique and emphasizing the ways in which that singularity makes them special. In 2020, she self-published her first children's book, "No Such Thing as Normal". It's written to underscore the importance of inclusion and acceptance. Accompanying her book is a self-published coloring book, and her follow up, "Lovely as Can Be", which she has expanded into four volumes. Megan hopes to spread her life mission of living without limits through her books, public speaking and writing to those in the disability community and beyond!

Connect with Megan:

Instagram: @megandejarnett

Instagram: @nosuchthing.co

Website: https://megandejarnett.co/

Website: https://nosuchthing.co/

Mindy Henderson is the Editor-in-Chief of MDA's Quest family of content and the host of this podcast. She was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 2 when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA. Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, with her first book set to hit book stores in Summer of 2022.

Connect with Mindy:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendersonmindy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindyhendersonspeaks/

As new treatments, cutting edge research, and a better understanding of genetic sequencing and mutations bring innovative change to the treatment landscape for neuromusclar disease, understanding your options and accessing care is more important than ever. We sit down with Dr. Matthew Harms, a neuromuscular neurologist and neruogenetics expert, to discuss what these changes mean to our community as he shares his advice, insights, and expertise on the changing landscape of neuromuscular care.

Dr. Matthew Harms is a neuromuscular neurologist and neurogenetics expert focused on ALS and related motor neuron diseases.  Dr. Harms' lab applies cutting-edge genetic sequencing technologies to discover new genes, define the frequency and range of genetic mutations in ALS, and characterize links between specific mutations and specific types or manifestations of ALS.  He is the Director of Precision Medicine Initiatives at Columbia University, Director of the Neurogenetics Program in the Department of Neurology, and Associate Director of the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center.  Dr. Harms also serves as a Medical Advisor to the MDA.

Mindy Henderson is the Editor-in-Chief of MDA's Quest family of content and the host of this podcast.  She was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 2 when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA.  Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, with her first book set to hit book stores in Summer of 2022.

Connect with Mindy:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendersonmindy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindyhendersonspeaks/

For our February Valentine's Day Quest Podcast, we catch up with Bill Crossland, a writer, director, producer, and actor who lives with muscular dystrophy. Bill shares his insights and experiences with our live audience as we chat about dating with a disability, love, relationships, and his feature-length-film "Catching Up".

His movie is available to stream on for free on Tubi and Amazon Prime. You can watch the official trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QrNnmlVqaI. (Note: "Catching Up" is for mature audiences and contains language and some sexual content.)

Bill Crossland is a writer, director, producer, and actor. A lover of movies since childhood, Bill earned his degree in Film & Media Arts from Temple University in Philadelphia. His work has screened at the Sundance, Heartland, New Orleans, and Atlanta film festivals, and he was named one of Scriptapalooza's Top 100 screenwriters of 2022. Bill's feature directorial debut Catching Up -- an ‘80s style romantic comedy about a man with muscular dystrophy who falls in love with an able-bodied woman -- was picked up by Freestyle Digital Media for worldwide distribution and is now available on DVD and streaming from Amazon Prime, iTunes, and more.

You can check out the film's website here: catchingupmovie.com

Mindy Henderson is the Editor-in-Chief of MDA's Quest family of content and the host of this podcast. She was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 2 when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA. Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, with her first book set to hit book stores in Summer of 2022.

 We are excited to start a new year talking about new mindsets, especially when it comes to adversity. On our first episode of 2023, Mindy talks mindset with Jose Flores, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy, in front of a live audience. Jose is a professional speaker, "mindset disruptor," and #1 best-selling author of “Don't Let Your Struggle Become Your Standard." Jose speaks all over the world, sharing his experience of growing up with a physical "disability" and how you can use the power of your mind to overcome anything that life throws your way.

Jose Flores is a corporate speaker, Global Motivator, Mindset Disruptor, and #1 best-selling author. Jose speaks all over the world using his unique story of growing up with a physical "disability" and how you can use the power of your mind to overcome anything life throws your way. His main message is to never allow your struggle to become your standard and how to dominate your life and business.

Jose lives with spinal muscular atrophy.

Find Jose's book Don't Let Your Struggle Become Your Standard on Amazon

Mindy Henderson is the Editor-in-Chief of MDA's Quest family of content and the host of this podcast. She was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 2 when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA. Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, with her first book set to hit book stores in Summer of 2022.