May 2025: Spilling the Tea on All Things
Congress? The budget? What’s the whole deal there? You asked, we brought someone on who answered! NDRN’s Deputy Executive Director for Public Policy Eric Buehlmann came on the podcast to explain what’s going on with the budget and how it impacts the funding NDRN and the Protection and Advocacy network receives.
March 2025: Should Stephanie Get a Cat?
This episode we had on Taylor Easley for Social Work Month. Taylor talks about her experiences earning a social work degree and how social work overlaps with the disability rights movement.
February 2025: Monica on her Heroes
Friend of the pod and NDRN colleague Monica Wiley joins us to talk about the role models that inspired her own activism.
January 2025: Advocacy Horse
Friend of the pod and NDRN alumni Ian Watlington get’s back on his advocacy horse to talk to us about the impact sudden weather events like the recent DC blizzard can have on folks with disabilities.
December 2024: Happy NalaDays
The gang celebrates the holidays with a slightly disorganized episode talking about our holiday traditions and how we’re celebrating this year. Sort of featuring special guest Quinn McEben.
October 2024: The Pro Host with the Most
On this episode celebrating National Disability Employment Month we have a double header! First up we interview the team managing the Financial Access, Inclusion & Resources (FAIR) Program at Disability Rights Louisiana. Members of the team include Carolyn LeBrane Tilton, MPH, MDiv, who serves as Program Manager, and Case Managers Alexander Andréson and Lauren Sanchez. They together to support returning citizens efforts to become financially stable. Then for our spotlight story we’re joined by Dr. Josie Badger, of J. Badger Consulting and Peacock Consulting, to discuss the barriers to employment for people with disabilities and how the government could do more to remove those barriers.
September 2024: We’ve Gone Hollywood
Things are a bit upside down on this episode. Our producer, Jack Rosen, is one of the guests this time, so David Card is a guest host (he’s guesting as a host, Jack is guesting as a guest). They are joined by Monica Wiley (also a guest) and Michelle Bishop (still a host) to discuss “Accessing Democracy” a documentary short directed by Jack and staring Monica focused on voters with disabilities. The documentary was produced by NDRN and created in partnership with Disability Rights New York.
August 2024: Hooping, Swimming, and Discussing
Paralympic medalist and World Games record holder Sandy Hanebrink joins us to talk about her journey from St. Louis to the 1996 games in Atlanta. We discuss how the treatment of Paralympic athletes has progressed and where more investment needs to be made in athletes with disabilities.
July 2024: Four Timers Club
Amy Scherer joins us for her fourth appearance on the pod to discuss her work covering the US Olympic Gymnastics trials, and the accessibility challenges she’s faced both at the events themselves and while traveling for them.
June 2024: Too Hot to Pod
A summer heat wave can’t stop our intrepid podcasters. In this episode, the gang (well Michelle and Jack) goes abroad! From Brussels, Michelle interviews Alejandro Moledo, the Deputy Director and Head of Policy of the European Disability Forum. Then, Jack conducts our spotlight interview from a hotel lobby in Spain, where he speaks with Mercedes Lopez Miranda about her experiences being a person with a disability in Europe.
May 2024: Here Comes the Bride
In this (mini?) episode the gang interviews Stephanie’s wife Quinn McEben about their work as a mental health care nurse, and how mental healthcare can better serve the disability community. Also we talk a lot about their wedding.
March 2024: Women in Leadership
On this episode of National Disability Radio, we sit down with three women leaders in the disability rights movement, Marlene Sallo (NDRN), Maria Town (AAPD) and Robin Troutman (NACDD) for a discussion about the challenges of being a disabled woman in a leadership position, the challenges of balancing work and caretaking, and even the Barbie movie.
December 2023: Holiday Haiku
On this episode of National Disability Radio we sit down with author Jules Sherred, who wrote the cookbook “Crip Up the Kitchen” about how he rediscovered his love of cooking after finding a way to make it accessible. Then we are joined by Natalie Alden from Disability Rights Florida, who speaks about her experiences traveling as a person with a disability. Finally, Stephanie tries a new joke format.
November 2023: New Podcast Who Dis?
We’ve got a new name, National Disability Radio! But the hosting team is still here, and we aren’t giving up on the puns. And of course since it’s November we are talking all things voting. NDRN’s Voter Engagement Specialist Monica Wiley joins us on this.
October 2023: NDEAM Remix
We open up the vault to revisit guest host Amy Scherer’s previous interview with Liz Weintraub, where Liz discussed her journey from a sheltered workshop to a Senior Advocacy Specialist on the Public Policy team at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. Then, we go back to the future, as Stephanie tells Jack and Michelle about White Cane Awareness Day.
September 2023: Beef is Brewing: Back to School Edition
On this episode, the gang sits down with Julie Salih-Worth to talk about her experiences as a teacher with disabilities and how the education system could do more to meet the needs of students and educators with disabilities alike. Then we’re joined by Allyson Matthews, a student who is advocating for herself in the IEP process, and her mother Melisa.
August 2023: Now with More Interviews
In an episode inspired by the pending SCOTUS case Acheson v Laufer, Michelle, Stephanie and Raquel sit down with Julia Métraux, a journalism fellow at Mother Jones, NDRN’s own Amy Scherer to discuss her lived experiences navigating lodgings as a person with a disability, and finally we talk with Michelle Uzeta Deputy Legal Director at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund to dispel some of the myths put forward by the hotel lobby.
July 2023: The Least Organized Episode Ever
Michelle, Stephanie and Raquel sit down with NDRN’s own Claire Stanley to discuss autonomous vehicles. Then we share a spotlight story recorded in the field, when Jack, Raquel and our colleague Marcia Baldwin took a Waymo in Phoenix, Arizona. Listen all the way through for a surprise guest appearance!
June 2023: Collective Liberation and 90s Trivia
Michelle, Raquel, and Stephanie talk with Mia-Ives Rublee about the Disability Justice Movement. Then Stephanie sits down with Maddie Crowley from Disability Rights Florida, for a discussion about what it means to be LGBTQIA+ and a person with a disability.
May 2023: Still No Jingles
Michelle, Raquel, and Stephanie talk with Terry Ao Minnis about what Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month means to her and her work at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC. Then Mia Ives-Rublee joins us for the spotlight story as she shares her experiences as an Asian American adoptee with a disability.
April 2023: Tribute to Judy Heumann
Michelle, Raquel, Stephanie, and Jack speak with people who knew Judy Heumann about her love of life, her sense of humor, and what it was like when you disagreed with the mother of the disability rights movement. Guests in order of appearance: David Hutt, Diego Mariscal, Kelila Weiner and Kylie Miller, and Maria Town.
March 2023: Is There a Doctor in the Pod?
Raquel Rosa joins us on this one, as we sit down with some of our friends from the Arc of Massachusetts to talk about Operation House Call. Maura Sullivan and Jonathan Gardner explain how the program teaches medical and nursing students about treating patients with I/DD with respect and sensitivity to improve outcomes for all involved. Then med student and future pediatrician Naaz Daneshvar talks about getting her university to adopt Operation House Call as part of their curriculum.
February 2023: Activism and Education
Guest host Renaldo Fowler joins us this episode, as we talk with Keri Gray, founder of National Alliance of Melanin Disabled Advocates, about her activism. Then, we turn the focus to Renaldo to talk about the African American Conference on Disabilities.
January 2023: New Year, Same Pod
Justice Shorter returns as a guest-host for this episode, where we interview anti-human trafficking activists Ali Chiu and Susan Kahan. Then NDRN alumnus Ian Watlington joins us to discuss his experiences with inaccessible taxi cabs in DC.
December 2022: Meet Marlene, Also Should We Have More Sound Effects
Michelle, Stephanie, and guest host LaToya Blizzard talk about what’s in the news. New NDRN Executive Director Marlene Sallo joins us to talk about her background and her vision for the network. Then Elizabeth Priaulx joins us to talk about the legacy of Lois Curtis. Should we have more sound effects? Let us know at [email protected]
November 2022: Highway to the Election-zone
In this episode guest host Erin Haire joins us as we sit down with Marcia Johnson-Blanco. Then we are revisited by a friend of the pod.
October 2022: The Return
The podcast is back! And we have a new co-host, a new producer, and some fantastic guests. In this episode, NDRN’s Amy Scherer joins us we sit down with Senator Steve Daines of Montana to discuss competitive, integrated employment.
August 2021: The Dignity of Work
Let’s discuss Competitive Integrative Employment! In this episode of the PandA Pod, Cheryl Bates-Harris, NDRN’s Senior Disability Advocacy Specialist, provides recommendations and actionable steps for employers to transition from a segregated model to a competitive model for workers with disabilities.
July 2021: The Worst Episode Ever
We’re doing it for the gram… Erika’s Grandma, that is. Join as we sing goodbye, crown a new reigning queen of bad puns, and send Erika off to Sweden.
October 2020 (NDEAM Series): Aaron Kaufman on Playing to Your Strengths
Aaron Kaufman currently serves as the Senior Legislative Associate at the Jewish Federations of North America. In this final podcast episode celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Aaron shares his employment journey, including how the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program played a positive role as he worked toward his employment outcome. Aaron offers tips to people with disabilities about everything from navigating the VR system to things to avoid doing during job interviews.
October 2020 (NDEAM Series): Liz Weintraub on What it Takes
Liz Weintraub shares her unique employment story – her journey from a sheltered workshop to a Senior Advocacy Specialist on the Public Policy team at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. In this episode, created in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Liz candidly shares the ups and downs of her journey and emphasizes the importance of good employee/employer communication and the use of plain language documents. Be sure to check out Tuesdays with Liz, a weekly video series hosted by Liz and produced by AUCD that highlights current issues in disability policy.
October 2020: Ghostbusters, Oreos, Hot Nuggets… Oh, and Elections
In this special edition of the PandA Pod, we explore what to expect during the 2020 General Election process given the current public health crisis. Learn from NDRN’s voting rights experts about the rights of voters with disabilities, resources available to ensure the rights of voters are protected, and why every vote matters every election.
October 2020 (NDEAM Series): Assistant Secretary Mark Schultz on High Expectations
Mark Schultz, the current Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), discusses the tremendous potential of people with disabilities to successfully obtain jobs in the community. Commissioner Schultz stresses the importance of high expectations – that all people with disabilities can and should work and be able to pursue their dreams. He identifies some of the key issues that should be considered and programs/initiatives that may be helpful throughout an individual’s employment journey, even in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 2020 (NDEAM Series): Senator Casey on Economic Self-Sufficiency
This is the first podcast episode of a series celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Each part will focus on different aspects of the legal framework of employment and the barriers to economic self-sufficiency. For this first one, we had the pleasure of speaking with U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) who explains some of the legislation Congress is considering to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
April 2020: Stories of Democracy when Disaster Strikes
In this third episode of the PandA Pod NDRN hears the stories of the P&As who are out on the front lines every day ensuring that the rights of people with disabilities are not dismissed when disaster strikes. First, we hear from Zachary Borodkin of Disability Rights New York who shares his experiences during Super Storm Sandy in 2012. Then we hear from Stephanie Duke of Disability Rights Texas who explains why census participation before and after emergencies is so important for people with disabilities. Lastly, we hear from Carol Starchuski of Disability Rights Florida who explains her experiences following Hurricane Michael in 2018.
March 2020: U.S. Disaster Funding & Assistance Counts on an Accurate Census
In the second episode of the PandA Pod NDRN chats with Denice Ross, a Fellow-in-Residence at the Georgetown Beeck Center, who explains how census data impacts emergency preparedness and disaster assistance along with why households need to respond to the 2020 Census.
February 2020: Power at the Polls: Voting Rights When Disasters Strikes
PandA Pod kicks off with a three-part series called Disaster, Disability & Democracy! This series focuses on voting rights and census participation of people with disabilities, and how these areas of democracy relate to disasters and emergencies.
In our inaugural episode NDRN chats with Mary Ciccone of Disability Rights New Jersey who explains the state’s efforts to get ballots to all voters immediately following Super Storm Sandy, with some important lessons learned. Following Mary’s interview, we check in with Neal Kelley of Orange County Elections in California about elections under the threat of wildfires, and some best practices for advance preparation.
