Jason Swenk joins the program to discuss the connection between ADHD and creativity, and the mindset shift that we need to make when it comes to how schools respond to students with ADHD. He also talks about the power of social media and his journey of growing his own multi-million dollar agency, and the work his does today helping digital agency owners grow their business. 

Detective Sergeant Shelton Newsham joins the program to discuss the innovative work that they are doing in the UK around cybercrime prevention. He has over 17 Years’ experience in law enforcement and is currently a manager at the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Cyber Crime Unit.

Shelton works alongside UK Government agencies, international law enforcement and investigation teams dealing with new attack vector’s. He works at identifying new social engineering tactics and provides Cyber security advice for staff and decision makers alike. Shelton works alongside academia and the community to identify the gifted security experts of the future with a view of educating, developing, supporting them to enhance their skills.

Sarah Todd Hammer joins the program to discuss her journey, which includes becoming  paralyzed from the neck-down at age 8 due to a rare neuroimmune disorder called Transverse Myelitis that damages the spinal cord. Since that time, Sarah has recovered the ability to walk and partial use of her arms and hands, and has gone on to write 3 books and is a dancer and choreographer. 

Susan Scott-Parker, CEO and Founder of Business Disability International, joins the program to discuss the pioneering work that she has done, including the creation of a benchmark that measures corporate performance on disability as it affects an entire business. Discover the "Valuable 500", the global movement putting disability on the business leadership agenda.

This episode features an interview with Brandon Farbstein. Diagnosed with a rare form of dwarfism at the age of 2, Brandon stands at 3’9” – making his life’s journey full of adversity, strength, and impact. after feeling invisible and without a purpose for the first 15 years of his life.  He discovered his calling on the tedx stage, and suddenly realized his life’s meaning: to change the lens through which people see their world. Brandon discusses the lessons he's learned from his journey so far and his vision for the future. 

This episode features an interview with David James Boyd & Chad Kessler, co-creators of the play Stepchild, along with producer Kori Rushton and associate producer Shelly Guy.

About the play:  

Inspired by the classic tale of Cinderella, “Stepchild” tells the story of Orella, a deaf girl coming of age during the Italian Renaissance. After a mysterious fortune teller teaches her how to communicate using sign language, Orella discovers a joyous new world. Her bliss is soon shattered by the ignorant and fear-mongering King Octavio, who ruthlessly punishes anyone that dares to embrace what makes them “different.” With her kingdom rapidly succumbing to prejudicial fears, Orella must dig deep for  inner strength to combat darkness and save her people from tyranny. 

It is believed that American Sign Language (ASL) is the THIRD  most commonly used language in the United States. However, the long, grim and extraordinary path towards modern Deaf culture is hardly common knowledge.  Through the eyes of a Deaf heroine, this underrepresented historical topic is given a Gothic folktale spin in this sweeping  story of empowerment.

Rob Neuhauser, EVP and Global Head of Seimens People and Leadership, joins the program to discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with leading 5 generations in their workforce, and the work that they have done around unconscious bias. 

Kirk Adams, American Foundation for the Blind's President and CEO, joins the program to discuss how they are expanding possibilities for people with vision loss. He reveals the shift away from a medical model of serving people who are blind and vision impaired, and how their efforts fit into the larger conversation about inclusion in the workforce. Discover the benefits of developing a diverse talent pool. 

Stephane Leblois, Manager of Program Innovations at The Arc's national office and Jonathan Lucus, Managing Director of The Arc@Work at The Arc of the United States, join the program to discuss how they support disability inclusion in the workforce. They reveal both national and global efforts, and what inclusive employment looks like. 

John Macko, Director of the Center on Employment, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, joins the program to discuss the value that persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing bring to the workplace, and how the National Technical Institute prepares their students for the jobs of tomorrow, and connects students to employers. 

Ignar Rip joins the program to discuss how to help people with dementia to live their lives to the fullest. He also reveals the role that music can play in retrieving memories and why playing music is especially important with early onset dementia. 

Debra is joined by her producer, Doug Foresta, as they discuss the issue of representation- who should represent the disability community and other communities? Do you have to be a member of a community to speak for that community? And how can we lend our platform to others so that they can share their stories? Debra and Doug discuss all this and more in this episode. 

Dr. Blanck is University Professor at Syracuse University, which is the highest faculty rank granted to eight prior individuals in the history of the University. He is Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University. 

Dr. Blanck joins the program to discuss the benefits of universal design for all, the non-monolothic nature of the disability community, and the role that artificial intelligence, IOT and robotics can play in uplifting humanity. 

This episode features an interview with Kip Henderson, a 2018 VSA Emerging Young Artist, Victoria Dugger, first prize recipient for the 2016 VSA Emerging Young Artist and Betty Siegel, Director of VSA & Accessibility at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Kip and Victoria discuss how their experiences have influenced their work and their vision as artists. 

This episode features an interview with MMA Fighter Garrett Holeve and his father Mitch Holeve, as they discuss Garrett's battle to be allowed to compete as an athlete with Down Syndrome. Discover the work they are doing to help people of all abilities to be healthier and more fit. 

Brendan Roach, Senior Disability Consultant at Business Disability Forum, joins the program to discuss global disability accessibiliity and  how he is working with business and government in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to improve business disability confidence. Discover the need for creating a global framework when it comes to disability inclusion. 

In this episode, you'll hear from Minda Dentler, as she shares her inspiring story of becoming the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman World Championship. Minda shares tips for developing the proper mindset for success, and how to set goals, get past fear and conquer your own "personal Ironman." 

Judy Heumann, internationally recognized leader in the disability community, joins the program to discuss her journey of advocating for accessibility for disabled persons and the need to broaden the conversation towards a human rights model that ensures that all  people are able to access the help they need to reach their full human potential. 

Al Levin joins the program to discuss the need to have open conversations about depression, and how to overcome stigma. Al shares his own journey of recovering from major depressive disorder and how he helps others, including hosting his own podcast, The Depression Files. Discover the changes that need to happen in order to ensure that everyone has access to treatment. 

Lori Golden from Ernst & Young joins the program to discuss the importance of recognizing mental health needs in the workplace and shares takeaways from the company's initiatives. Discover what organizations and individuals can do to help all people fully participate and contribute to making our world a better place. 

Josh Blue, comedian and winner of "Last Comic Standing" joins the program to discuss how he got started in comedy, his thoughts on "inspirational porn" and advice to others with disabilities about how to live your best life. Josh shares practical tips with his trademark sense of humor- you will not want to miss this episode! 

Kate Nash, CEO and creator of PurpleSpace joins the program to discuss the #PurpleLightUp campaign in celebration of the International Day of Disabled Persons. Discover how you can participate in this unified global call to action. 

Doug Foresta, therapist and producer of Human Potential at Work, joins the program to discuss the 3 biggest obstacles that keep us from living our full potential. He also shares tips about how to tap into the power of your brain to calm anxiety and relieve stress.