In this episode of Season 3 of the Demystifying Diversity Podcast, host Daralyse Lyons explores visible and invisible disabilities, and the ways in which individuals with disabilities contribute to society. By shining a light on a wide range of physical, mental, emotional, and sensory disabilities, this episode highlights the importance of creating workplaces that are accessible and disability-ready.
In this episode, you will learn about:
* Neurodiversity and other often invisible disabilities.
* The ways in which non-typical ways of thinking can, and often does, lead to innovation.
* The prevalence of disabilities within society, and within the workplace.
* The discrimination and rejection that people with invisible and visible disabilities face at work, and elsewhere.
* How representation is key to supporting those whose bodies and brains function in ways that are not considered “typical.
* The not-so-obvious advantages and disadvantages that people can experience when their disabilities are not readily visible to others.
* How working with people with disabilities creates opportunities for understanding and allyship.
Our guest experts this episode include:
Bev Weinberg - Bev is the Founder and Executive Director of Integrate for Good is an Occupational Therapist with a passion for enhancing community engagement with a special focus on partnering with individuals with developmental disabilities.
Tom Edwards - Tom is an Associate Professor of Instruction in Engineering Management and Director of the Department of Engineering, Technology and Management at Temple University. And he's an organizational expert who utilizes research, practical application and teaching to drive innovation in the pursuit of organizational missions.
Slobodon Vucetic - Director of the Center for Hybrid Intelligence and a professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at Temple University. Slobodon is spearheading a multidisciplinary team at Temple. And his team at Temple was awarded $2.3 million from the National Science Foundation to develop software that will provide job assistance for those with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Uma Srivastava - Uma is the COO of KultureCity, an organization that is dedicated to making the nevers possible by creating sensory accessibility and inclusion for those with invisible disabilities. Uma is passionate about eradicating stigma and expanding opportunities for inclusion through awareness and intervention. She is also co-chair for the 2022 World Games Disability Inclusion and Access Committee and co-chair for the backpacks project at Rotary Nashville.
Elizabeth Smith - Elizabeth is a graduate of Rollins College who double-majored in Music and Communications and is currently participating in the Accelerate Graduate Studies Program to obtain a Master of Public Health degree by 2024. She is a disability advocate and researcher who spoke about her experiences with remote work, and what her research showed about how remote work has enabled many individuals with disabilities to attend to their needs while optimizing their contributions and feeling connected in situations where they might have previously been excluded, either due to inaccessibility, or to identity-based discrimination.
Alida Miranda Wolf - Alida is the author of Cultures of Belonging: Building Inclusive Organizations that Last and CEO and Founder of Ethos, a diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging firm dedicated to closing the opportunity gap for underrepresented and underserved groups.
Tanner Gers - Tanner is the President and Founder of AccessAbility Officer, a data-driven disability inclusion firm who helps companies “Drive Ability D&I and Maximize ROI”. Tanner also serves as a board member for Menus4All, and recently co-authored Foresight Augmented Reality's solution proposal for the US Department of Transportation's Inclusive Design Challenge. Tanner is a US Paralympian, World Championship team member as well.
Steve Bollar - Steve, aka Stand Tall Steve, is an educational thought-leader author and motivational speaker, the author of the book Ideas, Ideas, Ideas, and creator of the podcast The Stand Tall Leadership Show.
Marta Rusek - Marta is a digital storyteller with a passion for helping mission-driven organizations tell their stories. She works full-time as a social media strategist for a nonpartisan, pro-democracy, legal nonprofit in Washington, DC and she maintains a freelance client roster as a storyteller-for-hire who uses vulnerability and versatility to amplify important narratives.
Sabrina Volpone - Sabrina is an Associate Professor in the Organizational Leadership Division at the University of Colorado's Leeds School of Business, and a diversity researcher. She uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to understand how organizations manage their diverse workforces and how diverse individuals flourish through the management of their identities at work. Sabrina spoke about there being a variety of experiences for those working remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Will Bubenik - Will is the Founder and CEO of Nebula Media Group, whose mission it is to ensure that websites are accessible so that people with disabilities can access them. From audits and fixes to training and coaching, Nebula Media Group provides customized accessibility solutions so companies can attain, maintain, and sustain a true accessibility and compliance program at their organizations.
Cameron Footman - Cameron is the first voice of Indigipedia.ca, a lifelong entrepreneur and technology advocate and the founder of Woodcrest Construction – a contracting company which specializes in welding & steel fabrication with a focus on heated furniture & art metalworks.
Sharrona Pearl - Sharrona is an Associate Professor of Bioethics and History at Drexel University is a historian theorist of the face and body, who has authored numerous books, scholarly essays, and freelance articles.
Click here for a full transcript of this episode.
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