No Barriers

“You can’t make dreams come true if the only thing you’re doing is dreaming.”  This is from a guy who was counted out on Day 1. What does that mean? It means not being included in an activity. In this case, that activity was life itself. The doctors told his parents he would’t live more than a few months. He was born without arms, almost no legs, and given up for adoption.  Now, decades later, he’s an accomplished musician and world traveller.

Growing up in Nashville was part of his musical trajectory… eventually leading to a moment in front of 20,000 people, performing his soulful style of music where Jeffrey Marshall, that’s our guest today, became known as “the guy who plays bass guitar with his feet."

• LISTEN & WATCH. 3 minute video. Solo performance singing, playing bass guitar, and harmonica. 
• Jeffrey's Website
• Jeffrey on Instagram

Jenna's Website: https://www.jennabainbridge.com/

Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bainbridgejenna/

Episode Highlights

🔸 A Blank Slate for Auditions
Jenna shares her unique approach to auditions, using a nondescript wheelchair to present herself as a "blank slate" for casting directors, allowing her talent to shine first and foremost.

🔸 Fashion Forward Mobility
She’s on the hunt for a vibrant new wheelchair! Jenna gets candid about how wheelchairs can be more than just functional, discussing exciting customization options like light-up wheels and personalized patches that make powerful statements—both fashion and functional.

🔸 Overcoming Barriers in Theater
Jenna recounts her journey facing discrimination in both sports and theater due to her disability. With the unwavering support of her parents and sheer determination, she found her place in theater companies that celebrated disability and diversity, leading her to a historic role on Broadway.

🔸 A Voice for Change
Her consulting business, Consultability, champions the mantra that access needs are human needs. Jenna is pioneering a shift in the theater world by advocating for more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone.

🔸 Representation Matters
From her major break at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to performing on Broadway, Jenna underscores the importance of casting actors with disabilities in diverse roles—more than checkbox diversity but genuine inclusion based on talent and capability.

🔸 The Power of Community Support
Erik and Jenna reflect on the crucial role of community and support systems in their respective journeys, highlighting how encouragement and advocacy from loved ones and mentors open doors and create lasting impacts.

Shawn reached out to the pod recently looking for a little insight from Erik on a project. It’s called the Shine Music festival. She founded it in 2019, formed a non-profit, assembled a team, and next month will be their 4th annual event.

With that in mind, we put Erik in the hot seat for a bit, and Shawn asks some pressing questions about his experience growing the No Barriers organization. You’ll hear his ideas and advice on running a nonprofit, leadership, and sustaining a mission-driven organization.

So what is this music festival all about? It’s a visionary project that will make you rethink how we approach inclusivity in our communities.  Every sensory experience is accessible to all. From colorblind glasses and braille t-shirts to acoustic performances and adaptive technologies, Shawn is revolutionizing how we experience and connect through music.

Shine Music Festival promo video

Shine Music Website

Shawn Satterfield LinkedIn

Episode Rundown

• 00:00 Navy choice surprising, personal agency, self-assessment.
• 10:07 Routine of deployment, planning missions, intense focus.
• 15:36 Be vigilant for potential IED hazards.
• 16:35 Struggle to stay focused in combat heat.
• 25:33 Grateful for life after near-death experience.
• 29:57 Realized blindness after combat, surgery wasn't successful.
• 34:45 Frustration over unique challenges and solutions.
• 41:27 Supporting network enabled veteran to succeed athletically.
• 43:21 Fear turned to opportunity, life changed completely.
• 51:46 Doubt about value of congratulations for disability.
• 53:33 Paralympics transformed mindset, athletes are incredibly inspirational.
• 01:00:30 Passionate about academia and influencing others positively.
• 01:04:44 Sharing combat and sports experiences to inspire.

Brad's Website: https://www.bradsnyder.us/

Brad on Instgram. https://www.instagram.com/bradsnyderusa/

Ben's Website: www.jetbutterflies.com

Ben's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jetbutterflies/

This duo took the Grand Canyon head-on, from one side to the other and back again, with nothing but their grit and trusty hand cycles — or "trikes" as they like to call them. Why trikes? Because they are both paralyzed from the waist down. Jason was injured in a rollover vehicle crash. Quinn, from a fall while climbing a giant wall of granite, the famed El Capitan in California.

Their journey, marked by both physical, mental, and bureaucratic challenges, sheds light on wider issues faced by individuals with disabilities, offering insights that are as instructive as they are inspiring.

00:25 Adventures and Challenges: Rim to Rim Grand Canyon Experience

02:17 Meeting at Craig Hospital: A Bond Formed Through Rehabilitation

02:26 Exploring the Differences in Spinal Cord Injuries and Mobility

05:25 The Technicalities and Thrills of Hand Cycling and Trikes

11:19 The Grand Canyon Adventure: Planning, Teamwork, and Execution

17:12 Navigating the Technical Challenges of the Grand Canyon Trails

24:14 The Technicalities and Public Reactions to Adaptive Mobility Devices

24:46 Understanding and Educating on Accessibility in Nature

28:04 The Complexities of Adaptive Equipment and Accessibility Rights

33:02 Reflecting on Past Adventures and the Impact of Injuries

35:24 The Journey of Recovery and Advocacy for Spinal Cord Injuries

43:24 The Role of Unite to Fight Paralysis in Advancing Research and Advocacy

Tanja, a four-time Paralympic gold medalist, shares her personal journey as an athlete, the changing significance of her victories, and her involvement advancing adaptive sports. Her dedication to the community and the memories she's cherished are an integral part of this conversation.

Ross, an engineer, takes us through the technical strides and the human stories behind the development of the Tetraski. It’s possibly the most advanced ski we’ve ever seen for sure. Is designed for people with complex physical injuries or illness. Don’t have use of your hands or legs? You can control this through your breath, independently. Whatever you’re doing, the ski is responding, you are in command, you’re shredding again or maybe for the first time.

TRAILS adaptive

TetraSki website (Tetradapt)

Gabriel Rodreick website: https://gabrielrodreick.com/

LISTEN: Freaque https://open.spotify.com/artist/6xmxsU99bvYcGrvdsw3pFk

WATCH: 16 min interview covering the basics of his story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7lH6xeWghs

You've arrived at the intersection of human willpower and biomechanics. After this episode you’ll be wondering, “is the term ‘disability’ about to be dismantled and  and reshaped by pioneers using the power of technology?”  Our guests are Keenon Werling and Russel Martin, two pHd students from the Stanford Biomechatronics lab. The topic. Wearable Robots. Exoskeletons.

Maybe the first image that comes to mind are futuristic versions of these creations. They are all over Hollywood in blockbuster movies like Avatar, Black Panther, Spider man, Iron Man.  But here in the real world, innovations in exoskeletons have the potential to truly change lives. Can they give someone confined to a wheelchair the option of walking down the street? ….or what about an exoskeleton that gives them the freedom to go for a run…garage along the beach.

One thing about Keenon. He can’t go for that run on the beach, give his wife a piggy back, or hike with his dog…   Why? He has an incurable degenerative neuropathy, which has been slowly paralyzing him from the feet up. Life in a wheelchair could be right around the corner for him.  Is restoring mobility for people with disabilities like Keenon’s really possible? Stick around and find out. 

The Lab: https://biomechatronics.stanford.edu/

Keenon Werling: https://keenon.github.io/

Russell Martin https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-m-martin/

Lab overview video. https://youtu.be/SiHyoOhCnag?si=3L1FYjWpvh0RlDM0