When you work for the 24th largest school district in the United States, you have a lot of ground to cover. This inevitably means I spend much of my time driving.
One way that I have found to maximize my time is to listen to podcasts, especially ones that are related to education and disability.
This week, I am highlighting three of my favorites, All Inclusive by Jay Ruderman, Advocate like a Mother by Michelle Sullivan & Ashley Montano, and Ask Science Mike by Mike McHargue.
All Inclusive
On this episode of All Inclusive, Jay Ruderman discussed how the disability community can move forward with Andy Imparato, executive director of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.
This was one of my favorite exchanges between Jay and Andy:
Jay Ruderman: There’s a lot of talk about intersectionality in our society. How does the disability rights movement fit into intersectionality? Are we an effective part of the conversation?
Andy Imparato: Well, as I understand that term, it was originally developed by an African American woman who was talking about being a woman, and a racial minority, and some of the unique challenges that come from those two marginalized, or discriminated against groups. As a white male with a disability, I don’t know that I’m an expert on intersectionality, but the way that I think of it, in terms of our modern disability movement is there are more activists of color with disabilities who have a stronger voice, in part because of social media. People like Alice Wong, or Valisa Thompson, or other folks that have used these platforms to really shine a spotlight on issues that weren’t getting the level of attention without social media.
Andy Imparato: Like one area where I see it playing out is in the autism community. There are a lot of autistic activists who are also transgender, or members of the LGBT community. I’m seeing a stronger alliance between our movement and the LGBT movement in part because there are so many autistic people who are engaged actively in both movements. That to me feels healthy. I think there’s still room for improvement in terms of civil rights groups affirmatively recruiting people with disabilities who are part of their group to work for their organizations, and reflect that perspective. I feel like there’s an opportunity in the broader civil rights community to embrace disability, and there’s an opportunity for the disability community to be more intentional about embracing people from diverse backgrounds.
Source: Episode 6: Andy Imparato: How Can the Disability Community Become More Impactful?
Make sure you subscribe to All Inclusive to catch their latest episode on the mental health of first responders (another great one).
Advocate like a Mother
When I saw that the latest episode of Advocate like a Mother was about inclusive playgrounds, I was all in. Michelle and Ashley spoke with Rebecca Kuntz, whose daughter has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and microcephaly.
They talked about how parks in the U.S. are typically not specifically designed for children with disabilities. They also had a discussion about the benefits of creating play environments that allow all children and their families to play together.
At the end of the podcast, Rebecca gave some examples of how you can advocate for an inclusive playground in your neck of the woods.
Subscribe to the podcast. Then go forth and advocate (like a mother)!
Ask Science Mike
Mike McHargue (A.K.A. Science Mike) is an author, podcaster, and speaker who travels the world helping people understand the science of life’s most profound experiences. His bestselling debut book, Finding God in the Waves, has helped thousands understand faith in the 21st century. (Source: LinkedIn)
In a recent episode, Mike discussed his revelation that he is on the autism spectrum. He talks about how discovering this about himself has brought new freedom and helps to reframe his thinking about his behavior.
I reached out to Mike and asked him to be a guest on the Think Inclusive Podcast to talk about this experience and his thoughts on inclusion. Look for that conversation in the Spring of 2019.
Even if you are not a person who ascribes to any “faith,” you will find some of the most fascinating discussions in this podcast.
That’s all for now. If you have time, check out the Think Inclusive Podcast on Anchor.fm as well as the podcasts featured above.
Have a great week and happy listening! 😎