Life’s a Road Trip

This week's guests are Carla Birnberg and Catherine Njeri. They did it! Carla was on the show a year ago as we discussed the concept of the Upili project. Well, like the famous words of Wilbur Wright to his brother, "The damn thing really does fly, Orville!" Okay, maybe that wasn't said. But Upili has taxied the runway and is in the air. Visit https://www.upili.org and book a flight.

This week's guest is Gina Martin. The name of her company, Diverse Abilities, made me pause and read more. Short. Sweet. and to the point. Diverse Abilities fit perfectly into the theme: "Diverse Abilities recognizes that no two people have the same skills, resources, opportunities or support systems." Our discussion followed that same straight path. Okay, we ventured off the trail more than a few times. But we always followed the breadcrumbs back. Check out what Gina is doing. Visit https://diverseabilities.ca

This week's guest is Lynne "L.K." Bowen. An author has only a moment to grab the attention of an agent or publisher. What is said or written is called the elevator pitch. After a book is finally produced and placed on the open market, it boils down to the cover art to attract readers to crack the spine and become immersed in the storyline. In that same manner, I've titled this episode from a little piece of the cover of L.K. Bowen's debut novel, For Worse. It wasn't just the fact that her "pitch" and cover grabbed me, but Lynne has something to say about Retinitis Pigmentosa in this gripping thriller. You see, like her protagonist, Ellie, she too has RP and her loss of sight is slowly closing in from all sides. I'm tempted to dig into the storyline, but take a listen to our discussion then sit back with For Worse while the story pulls you in. What's Lynne up to next? That's the next elevator pitch. For Worse is available wherever good books are sold. You can learn more about Lynne at her website https://www.authorlkbowen.com/ To learn more about Retinitis Pigmentosa and other degenerative retinal diseases, visit www.fightingblindness.org

This week's guest is Krystian Shaw. Krystian reached out to me about coming on the show so, of course, I had to check him out. Each and every time I opened a link to an article after Googling him, there was nothing but a positive attitude that came across. This made me pause and think how, during these times filled with so much negativity, I have become more cynical about the world than I may have been at any time in my life. Go ahead, listen to this episode, and try not to come away at least a bit less cynical yourself. That's the power of Krystian's message. His attitude makes me think of the song "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFarren. Of course, I'll be head-bopping to that tune inside my head all day. May Krystian's positive attitude rub off on all of us! Check out Krystian's "Kamloops Self Advocate Newsletter" HERE Watch a video to learn more about Krystian's positive approach to life HERE Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This week's guest is Jeremy Andrew Davis. I found Jeremy to be as diverse as the multiple characters that he plays in his cameos. The description “I help people laugh at themselves and cry for others, cast off their troubles and find their joy, see the invisible and hear silence." that Jeremy uses hits home and provides viewers with enough of a tease to learn more. I'll stop taking up your time... Have a listen to this episode then check out Jeremy's work. Be ready to laugh and be ready to think. https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyandrewdavis https://www.instagram.com/jeremyandrewdavis/ https://www.facebook.com/thejeremyandrewdavis https://www.youtube.com/@jeremyandrewdavis Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This week's guest is Debrah Ruh. The episode opens with "When told by ‘experts’ that her daughter, Sara, who was born with Down’s Syndrome, would be lucky to push shopping carts at the local grocery store, Debra..." Listen to the show then circle back to finish the intro with more force. Perhaps only the term "force" would suffice as the title. Debra Ruh is certainly a force -- a force the disability community needs. The more I do Life's a Road Trip the deeper my own interest grows because with every guest, the more I get behind this movement. As Debra states more than once, we are in the midst of change. Yes, we are. Do you want to learn more? Check these sites: Ruh Global Billion Strong The Valuable 500 Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This week's guest is Justin Jesudas. As a good host should, I arrive at the online studio well in advance of my guests. It has nothing to do with tidying things but more to do with allowing my PC to get rolling. And as luck has it, I always have time to turn on some tunes courtesy of Pandora. On the day of my recording with Justin, the first song that started pouring through my headphones was Time to Move On by Tom Petty on the Wildflowers album. The opening stanza goes like this: It's time to move on, it's time to get going What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing But under my feet, baby, grass is growing It's time to move on, time to get going As I was reviewing my notes for Justin's show, it struck me that Petty's words fit the interview that I imagined. As you'll find in our discussion, Justin doesn't let grass grow under his feet or the wheels of his wheelchair. With him, it's always time to move on, time to get going. Okay, Justin's always on the move. So what? First, consider that he has won 18 gold medals in swimming. Next, consider his work with the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras (LINK). Then there's his crowning achievement: His two little kids. Oh, did I mention that Justin is a quadriplegic? Keep on keepin' on, Justin! Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This week's guest is Meryl Evans. It was the statement "Progress Over Perfection" that she proudly wears that made me pause. It didn't take long before I opened another window or two on my PC to start digging into Meryl and what she does on behalf of those who are deaf or hard of hearing. As the show moves forward, we're more focused on guests who aren't afraid to stand up and speak out when it comes to shining a positive light on the disability community. Meryl definitely fits that mold. Want to see an example of Meryl's message? Click HERE to watch her TEDx presentation. I promise that she'll make you think. You need to watch her talk on automated captions with Thomas Logan HERE. Interested in having Meryl speak to your company? Go HERE. Progress over perfection... Listen to Meryl and come away with a better understanding of how important and simple that statement is. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This week's guest is Steve Wright. Steve is a respected city planner who isn't afraid to speak his mind when it comes to designing or retrofitting cities so they are welcoming to all -- including members of the disabled community. When I first came across Steve, it was easy to see that he is eagerly searching for the 'Inclusive City'. Yes, he realizes there is no Yellow Brick Road to guide him. But when it comes to shining a light on what is missing, he takes a step back and ponders, and then recommends new ways to make our cities more functional. Below are just a few of Steve's articles. They're an interesting read. Everyone Benefits From Inclusion HERE When Inclusive...Isn't HERE Why Universal Design is critical to CNU HERE Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I shift gears from my teaching and soccer to my book and soccer. New episodes will be recorded during the summer months. This week's guests are Carla Birnberg & Mariam Ndegwa. Baron Von Raschke, Dusty Rhodes, Andre the Giant, and The Crusher. Those were some of the wrestling characters that we watched on Sunday mornings before church when I was a kid. But they have nothing on the tag team of Carla and Mariam. First in the ring is Carla who goes by the nickname of Chief Storyteller. It's her job to make the initial contact with possible donors before she tags off to Mariam who closes the account and the match. Of course, I'm making light of what Carla and Mariam do within the Next Step Foundation (HERE), which leverages the power of technology to train and upskill people from marginalized African communities, especially Persons with Disabilities The current task that these two mighty women are wrestling with is the Upili Project. Click HERE to learn more. Go ahead, roll up your sleeves, and jump in the ring as part of their team. Check out Carla's website 'Unapologetically Myself' HERE and her book What You Can When You Can: Healthy Living on Your Terms HERE. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Mindy Sheier. I titled the show "Life's a Road Trip" because as I've matured and dealt with suddenly becoming a quad amputee, that's how I see life. For Mindy, designing clothing for such movers and shakers as INC and Saks Fifth Avenue had her on cruise control. And it just so happened that her son, Oliver, who is on his own Muscular Dystrophy road trip, wanted to wear jeans like everyone else but nothing on the market met his needs. It didn't take much for Mindy to shift gears into the adaptive clothing market. Yes, Oliver got his jeans and the disability community received a fashion advocate who is blowing the doors off the clothing industry with her company, the Runway of Dreams Foundation (Link). Mindy isn't afraid to rev the engines of society either. Check out "Time to Adapt" HERE. She also hits high gear with "Getting Intimate with Disability" HERE. Oh, yeah, Mindy has another means for moving the speedometer, visit GAMUT Management HERE. That "Whoosh!" that just passed you was Mindy Scheier. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is John Griffin. This was one of those shows that veered in an unexpected direction -- for the better! As we settled into our seats some 1,000 miles apart for the interview, I dropped the first topic on John and we were off with no holds barred. A quote "Disability isn't about pity, it's about paychecks" from one of his podcasts got us going on what could have been two guys literally on a road trip or sitting in a pub. This was a two-pint discussion that would have called for at least a third as we continued our discussion after the recording ended. After listening to the show, take a gander at the episodes of John's Accessibility Interview Series HERE. During our discussion, we looked at one of John's shows that features the future of wheelchairs, the Revolve Air Wheelchair. You really should take a look HERE. Digging into John's background, I came across a book that he wrote titled This'll Be The Day That I Die which is a Sci-Fi straight from the early 1960s black & white television show, The Twilight Zone, or the 1950s radio classic X Minus One. Interested? Pick it up on Amazon HERE. Perhaps one day John and I will have another discussion -- this time in a pub! Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Jordan Roman. So, answer the question: 'Raise your hand if you need a hug!' Okay, you're at work and you're afraid a colleague may think you're weird. Or you're listening in your car and sitting at a light that just turned green. There! In your head, you raised your hand. Who doesn't need a hug, right? Jordan is the writer, director, producer, and chief bottle washer of the short film, Cuddle Buddies. As I state more than once during the show, take 15 minutes for yourself and click HERE to watch for free. Interesting stuff, huh? Want to learn more about cuddle therapy? Click HERE to check it out. Need more information? Click HERE for a report from Newsweek. Are you ready to possibly book a cuddle session? Go to CuddleList.com HERE. [No, they're not paying me -- but they can!] Cuddle Buddies is what drew my interest in having Jordan on the show. But I don't want it lost that Jordan is a fantastic director and screenwriter who's at the front end of his film career. More of his work can be found HERE and HERE. Remember the name: Jordan Roman. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's Guest is Meg O'Connell. The title for this episode was obvious. They're Meg's words. In fact, the statement is what spurred me to invite Meg to record an episode. Originally, the title was going to include the term "Common sense" because that term kept coming up in our discussion, but I chose the more impactful road. So let's talk about common sense for a moment... The disability community has been screaming for common sense. The ability to have access for those in wheelchairs makes common sense. Braille on paper money so the blind can better determine the denomination of each bill should be common sense. For those with hearing loss to be included through proper captioning makes common sense. Boy, we got into some topics. Here's a quote from Meg: ”I say it all the time! Disability Inclusion is NOT just a diversity issue, it is big business. Are you tapping into the $13 Trillion market?” I know what you're thinking: That should be common sense! Need more common sense? Visit the Global Disability Inclusion website (Link). Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. Today's guest is Isaac Harvey. My first encounter with Isaac was via a few casual posts that he made on LinkedIn as he shared his encounters. Then I noticed his posts change, both in tone (slightly) and topic (more pointed). It was here that I contacted him to be on Life's a Road Trip. With every new show and every guest, I find that my direction has changed to that of joining the call for the disability community to shake things up. To do this, leaders must rise to lead the way. I view Isaac as being on the tip of the spear. And though he shares his fatigue at times, he seems to gain strength and is more and more ready to embrace his forward position. Listen to what he has to say. Read what he shares. He is an unabashed voice that is needed. Check out Wheels and Wheelchairs HERE. Watch the YouTube video "Now I'm using my hours to help someone else"HERE. Yes... that is Isaac with King Charles! Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Kale Sudhoff. It took just a few episodes for me to notice that almost every guest has a thread that runs through their early life right up to where they are now. The exception with Kale is that he is still a teenager -- a high school senior! But as you listen to our discussion, you too will see the thread that runs through him: That of a caring and empathetic person well beyond his years. Kale uses his talent for drawing and storytelling to pull you in as a reader. More than likely, it would be as a reader of bedtime stories to your young children. Go ahead and take a look at his most recent book, Danny and Kevin Conquer Camping HERE. And be sure to scan his first book in the series, Danny the Duck Heads South HERE. I think Kale is going to take that thread and run with it! Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Chris Ruden. I was drawn to Chris as a guest because I knew that we would get along well. You see, we both understand the male ego, we draw from our time as athletes (his being current and mine from my past), and we both accept failing but not failure. Take a look at THIS video; it's the one that I refer to in the opening. This is a great example of accepting failing but not failure. It's a human condition that truly is within all of us. If you want more detail, pick up Chris' book, The Upper Hand, HERE. Chris is considered a 'Motivational Speaker'. But that's just a categorization in order to set us up for what's to come. I found him to be open and honest and with no labels attached. While listening to our discussion, take special note of Chris' greatest fear then bop over to his WEBSITE and check out the photo of Chris in the header to witness what may be his greatest accomplishment by openly exposing what he hid for so many years. A 600-pound deadlift was nothing compared to this. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Nate Methot May is National ALS Awareness Month (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease) so we're ahead of the calendar, but I couldn't wait to drop this episode any longer. You see, Nate is now in his second decade of dealing with this debilitating disease and his message is too important to hold. As you'll hear in this episode, we read parts of his book, A Life Derailed: My Journey with ALS (Link), Nate's speech has been affected -- something he unnecessarily apologizes for -- but we wanted him to read certain passages so you know it comes from his heart. I want you, the listener, to get the full scope of Nate's travel from bouncing quarters before his diagnosis (Video -- Nate's in there!) to Nate getting out of bed as the disease progressed (Video). Even as he has been weakened by ALS, Nate has become stronger. Few of us have the strength to share so much with others. It's a human condition that we so often overlook. I was honored to be a part of this recording. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Jackie Schuld. Jackie was gracious to do the interview while she was in the process of moving from the Southwest to the Northeast. No, it wasn't while she was driving a U-Haul truck along an interstate highway. Jackie is our third guest to discuss autism. Her view is a bit different as she uses art to work with newly identified autistics and those who suspect they might be autistic. Her objective is to help autistics who felt broken their entire lives, who experienced a lifetime of feeling too much and yet not enough, or who couldn't learn to trust themselves, because they believed something was wrong with them. To learn more about Jackie's methods, visit her website HERE. Many of her clients live around the country and work remotely with her. Jackie is also an author. Check out Grief is a Mess. By the way, the photo is of Jackie standing in front of my favorite work of her art. Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com

This is an encore episode while I focus on my teaching. This week's guest is Cam Beaudoin. After I read Cam's post and image of what I call the "Gap Kid", I immediately went into research mode, and within a few minutes, I messaged him to request an interview. But that post only scratched the surface of Cam's work. Like many entrepreneurs, it was an unintended adventure while at corporate giant IBM that led him to his company, Accelerated Accessibility (check it out HERE) where his mission is to make technology more accessible for all users. The following quote from Cam should give you a good idea of what he's all about: “Together, we can drive the Disability Inclusion Revolution” Oh... In case you're wondering what a11y means: Count the number of letters between the A and Y in the word 'accessibility. Cam wears his sense of purpose on his head. The Gap Kid Note: Oftentimes, links are not available on platforms such as Apple, iHeart, etc.. They are available within this episode on our website at https://lifesaroadtrip.podbean.com