"Talk About It!" with Greg Grunberg

The Americans with Disabilities Act is unquestionably in the premiere class of landmark legislation in American History. On this episode, Greg sits down with the original author and co-sponsor of the ADA -- avid disability rights advocate, the Honourable Tony Coelho, former Representative from California. Tony first introduced the ADA alongside Senator Lowell Weicker in the 100th Congress in 1988 and battled the red tape, opposition and criticism to finally get the bill passed and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990.

Greg is joined by his Talk About It partner Ken Lowenberg to talk with Tony about his personal history with epilepsy, how the bill came into existence, the importance of enforcing the ADA by presidential administrations, and the dangers of stigma.

This episode is so important to listen to, because it's easy to overlook how widespread the impact of the ADA is, touching every American in ways that might be subtle or even hidden. Don't miss it!

The Talk About It podcast is excited to be sponsored in part by Neurelis.

The Talk About It podcast is excited to sponsored in part by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Everybody needs a Jonathan Shapiro in their life. In this special season premiere of Talk About It, Greg sits down with his closest mensch and the other half of his party of two at the deli, Jonathan Shapiro. When life gets hard, Greg turns to him for sage advice and a nice bowl of matzoh ball soup. As you'll find out in this episode, Jonathan has quite a personal history, beginning his career as a federal prosecutor and eventually becoming... you guessed it... a television show writer and showrunner. (BOSTON LEGAL, THE PRACTICE, GOLIATH, THE BLACKLIST, among many others.)

Not only that, Jonathan has a deep personal connection to Greg because he is also the father of a son with epilepsy, the incredible Zeke Shapiro. The two mensches talk about Zeke's journey with his condition, and his abject bravery to perform stand up comedy and become a news anchor. They have always - and will continue to - lean on each other when times are really hard, or celebrate together when times are really great, and everything in between. All over a tuna melt on rye heels, of course. You don't want to miss this episode!

The Talk About It podcast is excited to be sponsored in part by Neurelis.

The Talk About It podcast is excited to sponsored in part by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Happy Holidays from the Talk About It Family! Let's take a trip down memory lane... on the very first episode of Talk About It, Greg sat down with filmmaker and epilepsy advocate Miles Levin to talk about a short film that he created called Under The Lights. That's why we are so excited about this month's episode, where we check back up on that short film because it is now in the process of being a full-blown, big time FEATURE, with a full-blown, big time cast! Greg sits down with actor Pearce Joza who you would recognize as being the lead in the short film, and now is the lead of the upcoming feature alongside a deep bench of great actors including Nick Offerman, Tanzyn Crawford, Randall Park, and Lake Bell. They talk about how this project grew into what it is now, tell some stories from set, and tease an upcoming documentary that Pearce and Greg are producing together. You don't want to miss this episode!

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Wicked, Wicked, WICKED! Everyone is talking about Wicked! Well, do we here at Talk About It have news for you... there is a brand new musical playing in Los Angeles that is all the rage in the epilepsy community, and it will make you forget all about good witches or bad witches. That musical is "It's All Your Fault, Tyler Price" and it tells the story of a middle school boy whose younger sister has epilepsy and is being bullied, shining a light on the high and low moments of a family dealing with epilepsy, how it affects the parent, and the challenges they are forced to overcome. It's a fresh, honest perspective and a wonderful opportunity to highlight epilepsy awareness on the stage! Greg sits down with the show's creators, Emmy award-winning composer and songwriter Ben Decter and Tony-nominated director Kristin Hanggi, to tell the story of what inspired Ben to start writing this show, how he and Kristin developed the final iteration of the musical, and so, SO much more! Plus! You'll get a sneak peek of one of the numbers that they shot a music video for. This episode is so much fun, you do NOT want to miss it!

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals

This month, a very special guest with a very special mission joins Greg on the podcast from New York City, and we are going to get REAL. Anjalee began having seizures when she was growing up in Sri Lanka, and they discuss how a lack of awareness or education about epilepsy leads to people not doing the first thing to bring this condition into the light… talk about it. She is now living in New York City, and attempting to get a bunch of landmark buildings including the Empire State Building to light up for Purple Day on March 26. She has had some luck with World Trade Center and Bryant Park, but with more awareness there is certainly a way! Finally, they talk about a very serious subject that is often times not talked about openly due to its severity, and that is suicide. Anjalee had an episode this past year, but thankfully survived. She talks about how epilepsy and her medication side effects had an impact, and how people treated her after that event. If you or someone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, talk to somebody. Dial 988, or visit 988lifeline.org. The world is so much better with you here.

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals

On this month's episode, Talk About It co-founder Ken Lowenberg brings along one of his good friends Jake Didinsky to talk all about autism. Jake is a proud business manager, community organizer, DJ, is LGBTQIA+ and non-binary, and is an all-around powerhouse who uses their life on the spectrum as an advantage and is proud and unapologetic about all of it. They are an inspiration to Greg and Ken, and should also be an inspiration to you and anyone you know living with autism! They discuss having episodes of being nonverbal and what to do when that happens, the unique challenges of autism, the difficulty of being diagnosed as an adult, living with depression, the importance of allyship, and how Jake advocates for local, state, and national governments to push for legislation - not just for autism, but for causes to help all kinds of marginalized communities. No matter what your condition is, don't be afraid to be proud and get involved!

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals

At Talk About It, we cover topics that need more attention and need to be talked about more.

In this special episode, Greg's close friend and fellow actor/ bandmate Sarah Wayne Callies stops by the studio to talk about safety - both on set, and at home. After a brief session talking shop, they get into the substance of a cause so near and dear to Sarah and one that can be very difficult to talk about, domestic violence.

Sarah shares a personal and painful story about a good friend of hers who became isolated from relationships, including theirs, as her husband grew increasingly violent and threatening, leading to a podcast Sarah is producing called "Bitch is a Bad Word." It is so important to talk about this subject, and if you are feeling threatened or unsafe at home, do not hesitate. Talk About It.

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals

In this month's episode of Talk About It, Greg and his guest Craig Chambliss, CEO of Neurelis Inc, explore the importance of rescue therapies – or immediate use medications – in overall seizure treatment. Talking to your health care team about whether immediate use medications is right for you is critical, even if your seizures are mostly under control.

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals

This month on Talk About It, we are cooling off the summer heat with some refreshing and delicious lemonade! Greg hosts three different interviews with people who are taking the sourest of lemons that life hands them and squeezing out incredible creative initiatives that make the world a much, MUCH better place.

Up first is Landis Wiedner who developed epilepsy after a traumatic brain surgery to remove a tumor. She was disrupted by this sudden change in her adult life and realized there weren't enough resources to help her deal with the struggles of "adulting" with epilepsy. So, she started a podcast! The "What the EF" Podcast she started has now been on for five seasons and aims to be an outlet for those everyday conversations that aren't as accessible for adults in her situation. Way to go Landis!

Then, Greg has some very special guests to the studio - his son Jake's girlfriend Morgan, and her incredible mom Karen and brother Kyle! Kyle was born with cerebral palsy, but Karen never let his condition affect his ability to play sports and enjoy recreational activities. In fact, she came on board the AYSO VIP Program for kids and helped to expand it to now host hundreds of special needs participants, from 4-year-olds to 40-year-olds! From basketball to soccer, Karen is leading the way to establish communities and provide a safe environment for individuals like Kyle to learn and grow through playing sports. Greg and Nick headed out to watch the basketball program in action, and we get a full recap of their incredible experience!

Finally, Greg talks with Sue Seserman, a writer and new author that harnesses her conditions and turns them into superpowers! Sue has epilepsy and type 1 diabetes, and has such a brilliant creative vision on how to use them for good. She has now released her new graphic novel Epilectra that centers around a woman who becomes a superhero by converting the electricity in her brain that causes seizures and uses them for super electric abilities! She is joined by a cast of characters - Team SEEZ - who all have a disability, but use them as "superabilities" to change the circumstances of their adversaries and save the day. She is a visionary, and we are so excited that this novel is finally here!

Plus, we recap Greg's trip to the Epilepsy Walk at the Rose Bowl with some familiar faces and some new friends! Don't miss this episode!

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Some topics are so heavy they are difficult to discuss, but gun violence has become such a problem in America that it is vitally important for us to talk about it in order to bring change.

In this special episode of Talk About It, Greg is joined in studio by some great new friends -- Mark Barden, founder of Sandy Hook Promise and co-founder of Artist for Action, and Matthew Reich and Neal Saini, co-founders of Artist for Action. Mark Barden experienced the unimaginable when his 7-year-old son Daniel was killed in the Sandy Hook massacre of 2012, an event that sent shockwaves throughout the country.

Mark and his family continue to go through periodic episodes of depression, anger, hopelessness, and warding off bad actors who spread conspiracies. However, he has harnessed those emotions to start Sandy Hook Promise (SandyHookPromise.org) that works to educate communities and school districts about gun violence and notify law enforcement through a tip line when a student or school is in danger. The work he is doing is literally saving lives.

Mark also co-founded Arist for Action with Matthew and Neil, an organization that platforms causes for artists to easily promote to fans. Together, they put on major events to promote gun reform and are producing a documentary feature with major musical stars attached. This episode is heavy, but this is a conversation that needs to be had.

The Talk About It podcast is sponsored by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.