Katie and Steven sit down with CEO Lauren Branch, as she talks about building NewView Oklahoma into the largest employer of people who are blind in the state. BIO LAUREN BRANCH has been with NewView Oklahoma, formerly the Oklahoma League for the Blind, since 1997. A native of Houston, Texas, Lauren received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration from Texas A&M University in 1986. She is also a certified public accountant. Under Lauren’s leadership, NewView O...

Today we speak to West Covina City Councilman Ollie Cantos as we recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and White Cane Day. Blind since birth and born in Los Angeles to Filipino immigrants, Ollie Cantos as a native son of West Covina was raised here since age 4. He defied conventional wisdom of what was then considered possible or practical in light of the relatively limited expectations about persons with disabilities during his formative years. The product of West ...

Our Superstar Guest Saran Tugsjargal is a student with ASD, SLD, ADHD starting her freshman year at Rice University. She is an advocate for equitable education with a goal is to prove that disabilities don't hinder leadership. Collaborating with ACLC's special education department, she amplifies disabled student experiences. Initiating the Mongolian American Disability Mentorship program in Summer 2023, she mentored over 50+ families. In October 2023, she became one of California's first stud...

A special edition of the Innovating Inclusion podcast where Civil Rights Attorneys Jessie Weber and Paul Grossman unpack the ADA and Section 504, Title II, and tell us how it all relates to Roy Payan, Portia Mason, and the National Federation of the Blind in their case against the Los Angeles Community College District. BIOS For over 30 years, PAUL GROSSMAN served as the Chief Regional Attorney for the US Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in San Francisco. In Washington, ...

Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (CMD) affected individuals, Kelly Berger and Avery Roberts are making their voices heard as they speak with Katie Corbett and Mandeep Ladhar. Together they hope to tackle misconceptions surrounding disability and give a loud voice to the, often forgotten, rare disease community. CMD is a rare genetic muscle disorder causing them to break down faster than they can repair or grow, which leaves Berger and Roberts as wheelchair users relying on them as their main so...

Diego Mariscal, Founder and CEO of 2Gether-International, discusses his trailblazing efforts to help 5000 disabled entrepreneurs by the year 2030. A compelling conversation you cannot miss. BIO DIEGO MARISCAL is Disabled and Proud! A trailblazer at the intersection of disability advocacy and entrepreneurship, Diego is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Disabled Officer of 2Gether-International, a 501c3 nonprofit and the leading startup accelerator run by and for disabled entrepreneurs. He has dedica...

Voice actor JAY MANUEL and Co-Executive Producer KRISTIN DiQULLO introduce Jeff Mouse on the PBS Kids series, Donkey Hodie. An intrepid explorer and avid nature lover, Jeff Mouse was born with congenital muscular dystrophy, which limits his physical abilities, but not his can-do attitude! He was created in honor of Jeff Erlanger, a young guest who appeared in an unforgettable episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and sang a moving duet of Fred’s song, “It’s You I Like,” with the famous...

Today, SALYNE EL SAMARANY discusses Special Olympics global mission of bringing inclusion into the classroom through micro-credentialing for educators. She talks about the importance of UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and how Special Olympics leads by example around the world. ===== SALYNE EL SAMARANY is the Vice President of the Global Center for Inclusion in Education at Special Olympics International, where she works with a global team to lead initiatives to promote inclusive edu...

KEISHA GREAVES is a motivational speaker, adaptive fashion designer, and a disability advocate. She is the Founder & CEO of the brand, Girls Chronically Rock; Founder of GCR Adaptive Solutions; Founder of Trust Your Abilities Nonprofit for People of Color; and a Board Member of the Disability Law Center. Keisha frequently speaks at conferences, for pharmaceutical companies,high schools, colleges, and universities to spread awareness about Muscular Dystrophy, work-life-chronic illnes...

The hosts talk to Blind, Not Broken author, Lucy Edwards, a UK based, RTS award-winning presenter, journalist, content creator, speaker, entrepreneur and disability activist. After losing her sight at 17 due to Incontinentia Pigmenti, Lucy committed to sharing her experiences and raising awareness about disability. Her engaging personality and open commentary have garnered her a social media following of over 2.8 million, with her content being viewed over one billion times. Lucy'...

NICOLE HOMERIN, M.Ed. (she/her) is the Director of CVI Education in The CVI Center at Perkins School for the Blind. She is excited to return to Perkins, where she began her career as a Teaching Assistant in the Deafblind Program. Nicole formerly served as a special education teacher for students with a variety of disabilities, including CVI, in both Boston and Los Angeles. Most recently, she served as the Inclusion Communities Manager at Partners for Youth with Disabilities. In this role, she...

Beth Ruffin, DEIB and Self Inclusion coach, TEDx speaker, and podcast hosts brings an important conversation to the table on belonging and making space for yourself. Join hosts Steven McCoy and Angie Castro as they speak with Beth about one of the hottest topics of today, DEIB. BETH RUFFIN BIO Known as “The Everyday Inclusionist,” Beth Ruffin is a respected DEIB expert, author, podcast host, and TEDx speaker who helps women discover doable, “everyday” steps that add up to realizing potential ...