The Landscape

RJ Nealon is a Special Olympics North American Fellow and Athlete Reporter. RJ also won three medals at the Special Olympics National Games, as well as a state championship in unified basketball with Special Olympics Maryland. RJ is working to be a sports reporter, has graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in journalism, and was also chosen to be an intern with ESPN. If you listened to the previous episode with ESPN they mentioned him, and at the time, they were unaware that I even knew who he was. RJ is a passionate advocate for unified sports, the Special Olympics, and inclusion in all settings - which are all topics he covers in this episode.

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This episode explores the partnership between ESPN and the Special Olympics, including broadcasting the games, creating year-round content and Inclusive Sports. We also have an in-depth conversation on the importance of Diversity and Inclusion at ESPN as a company.

Guests Include:

Kate Jackson - Emmy Award Winning Coordinating Producer, Special Events. Her primary responsibilities include oversight of the ESPYs, NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, The Heisman Trophy Presentation, Sports Humanitarian Awards and other special events, Special Olympics and Formula 1 Racing.

John Papa - VP, Programming & Acquisitions, overseeing the cross-platform business strategies and partnerships for numerous sport categories, including the NBA, tennis (including the Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open and the ATP), golf (including the Masters), motorsports (including IndyCar, the Indianapolis 500 and Formula One), boxing (including Top Rank) and the Special Olympics.

Wokie Daboh - Director of Diversity & Inclusion

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Gary Pate is a retired divorce judge from Birmingham, Alabama, who discovered and fell in love with wheelchair rugby, which was originally called Murderball. Gary is a staff member with the Paralympic team, and has also been an NBC Paralympic color commentator, wheelchair rugby official, and President of the U.S. Wheelchair Rugby Association. He's witty, knowledgeable and passionate about the sport, which makes for one entertaining episode! Hear him speak about the only full contact wheelchair sport out there, from how practices are run, to how teams are picked, to why there are specialized chairs that can be quite pricey.

For those interested in the the Angel City Games to participate or hear from professional and Paralympic Athletes, please visit: https://www.angelcitygames.org/Virtual/

Next episode will be with leadership from ESPN on their relationship with the Special Olympics, disabled athletes and their dedication to being an inclusive employer. 

Oz Sanchez is a six-time medal winning Paralympic hand cyclist; Marine Veteran; Motivational Speaker; Life Coach and much more. In this episode, Oz pulls back the curtain on his physical and mental rehabilitation journey, which was far from smooth and easy. Oz has put in a tremendous amount of work on his body and mind to elevate himself to be one the most elite athletes in the world, as well as to find happiness and peace. Listen to his story, and find out why his mental rehabilitation took far longer than his physical rehabilitation. Oz is inspirational and a role model for people around the world, and in areas far beyond sports.

President of the Arc of the United States, Fred Misilo, Jr., speaks about the mission of The Arc and its roots as a civil rights organization fighting for the rights and inclusion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We discuss several initiatives such as: Criminal Justice, Health, Employment, and Travel. Learn how The Arc made national news just days before the recording by joining other advocacy groups in obtaining a resolution from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) around COVID-19 treatment policies for individuals with disabilities. It was a resolution that resonated across the country as other states have similar complaints filed against them. Link to The Arc website: https://thearc.org/

This episode speaks candidly about sexuality and has quotes that can be graphic in nature. Therefore, it is only recommended for a mature audience.

MTSU professor, Gerald Christian, speaks about his published research Quadriplegic Sexuality; Demystifying Misconceptions, where he hopes to educate and clarify frequent misconceptions on leisurely sex in the disability community. Gerald also speaks about his personal story of obtaining a spinal cord injury and how he overcame obstacles along his journey. Make sure to stick around to hear about his brush with stardom by becoming a "rock star" and landing on national television. 

Normally to read and download the full article of his research, it would cost $44, however, the first 50 people using the provided link will be able to access and download the full manuscript for free. That link can be found here: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/KYDYXCXIVYV779SF5GME/full?target=10.1080/01490400.2020.1712281 

Fourteen year old Josiah Evans speaks about his published children's book, Beth's Umbrella: Loving My Sister with Special Needs, a book that can help families have important conversations with their own children. Beth's Umbrella can be found on Amazon in paperback, or as a Kindle download, so don't miss out! 

Sr. Accessibility Technical Evangelist at Microsoft, Megan Lawrence, PhD, speaks not only about the accessible tools in Microsoft, but also how products are tested, the cutting edge of technology and even how Microsoft has changed its recruitment methods to be more inclusive of individuals with a disability. Learn how Microsoft is not just focused on customers, but on being a disability inclusive employer. We speak about Microsoft's Disability Answer Desk during the webinar, and that can be found here: Microsoft Disability Answer Desk. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast and you are encouraged to leave a review.

Listen to David Quilleon, the Sr. Vice President of Global Mission, State Development and Operations speak about the four pillars of Best Buddies International, which are: One-to-One Friendships; Integrated Employment; Leadership Development; and Inclusive Living. Learn how this organization went from a single chapter, to having 2,976 Chapters, and 130,678 Participants across 50 U.S. states and 56 countries. 

Dr. Sheryl Fleisch of Vanderbilt Medical Center has established her third Street Psychiatry Program in the country; this time in partnership with Park Center, a Nashville mental health, nonprofit organization with one of the best homeless outreach programs in the nation, headed by director, Ashley Blum. The two trailblazers call in to debunk myths, explain about the program, discuss adjustments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more. You will leave inspired and impressed with these amazing women who bring humanity and care to a population that is far too often overlooked.