REBEKAH GREER MELOCIK is a lyricist and book-writer. Her work with composer-collaborator, Jacob Yandura, includes THE LAST QUEEN OF CANAAN (book: Harrison David Rivers), WRINGER (dir: Stephen Brackett), THE TOWER and HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO (dir: Sammi Cannold) which premiered on Broadway Dec 10, 2023. Recognitions and residencies include: SPACE on Ryder Farm residency, Jonathan Larson Grant finalists, NAMT Festival of New Musicals, Ars Nova’s UNCHARTED residency, the Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at...
Jul 15, 2024•1 hr 15 min
Nicole D’Angelo (they/she) is a music director, actor, and multi-instrumentalist in the NJ/NYC area. A recovering classical musician, they majored in piano and bass clarinet at Montclair State University before pursuing musical theater full time. Nicole recently made their Broadway debut as assistant music director and script consultant for the new musical How to Dance in Ohio, for which they won a special Drama Desk Award as a member of the show’s groundbreaking accessibility team. Other favori...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 29 min
Alaina is a Mainer who works with adults with intellectual disabilities through Community Case Management and as an Ed Technology in special education. She attended the College of Santa Fe in New Mexico where she met many inspiring and enlightening individuals. In her spare time Alaina enjoys puzzling, concerts, traveling, creating ideas for stories and long discussions about anything. Alaina currently resides with her husband in a coastal community where they are renovating their home. She talk...
Jun 04, 2024•2 hr 8 min
JACOB YANDURA makes his Broadway debut as a composer with How to Dance in Ohio. Jacob’s first musical with lyricist-collaborator Rebekah Greer Melocik, Wringer, debuted Off-Broadway at New York City Center Stage II in 2016 (directed by Stephen Brackett; based on Jerry Spinelli’s novel). His other projects include The Last Queen of Canaan (book by Harrison David Rivers) and The Tower. Jacob holds a B.A. in Music Composition from Kenyon College and an M.F.A from New York University’s Graduate Musi...
May 13, 2024•50 min
Tobias Forrest is a performer with a disability with a background in accessible consulting and MS in psychology. He won the Christopher Reeve Acting Award for the film ”Daruma” and has credits including “The Academy Awards”, “Media Access Awards”, ”Law & Order: Organized Crime”, “How To Get Away With Murder”, “Queen Sugar” and many others. He has also done voiceover for animation as well as audio description for TV, narration for audiobooks and been the MC for nonprofit events. Disability Em...
Apr 28, 2024•58 min
Seattle singer-songwriter Halley Greg first rose to acclaim during the blind auditions on Season 20 of The Voice. John Legend called her slowed-down, piano ballad version of Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird” “poetic” and “beautifully crafted,” and the performance earned her a spot on Team Kelly. Her appearance on the show coincided with the release of her debut album, American Harlot, a feminist rebranding of the pop/rock albums of the early 2000s. Filled with distorted guitar solos and pithy po...
Apr 14, 2024•1 hr 24 min
Jordan is a BAFTA & RTS winning drama director from Yorkshire with a disability (cerebral palsy); he has over 70 hours of broadcast TV credits and first trained through the Channel 4’s 4Talent scheme & won BAFTA Breakthrough 2020. Jordan directed BBC1’s groundbreaking drama, multi RTS winning, Ralph & Katie – the first drama to feature 2 learning disabled lead actors, a project seen as pioneering for inclusive TV. He previously directed Channel 4 prison-drama series Screw & both ...
Apr 08, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Kat Stratford and Heath Butrum are two sickeningly cute political activists who have made careers out of trying to create a better world through politics. Kat, who is Deaf but uses hearing aids, is a former candidate for state house, and currently works for the City of Tucson in addressing the emergency of houselessness and housing insecurity. Heath is the Campaigns Director for Rural Arizona Engagement (RAZE). S3 Ep26 Find the transcript here. Disability Empowerment Now is produced by Pascal Al...
Apr 03, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Steve Way is a 33-year-old actor, comedian, writer, and speaker. He was born with Muscular Dystrophy and is an activist for disability rights and universal healthcare. Steve can be seen in the Hulu show Ramy and the HBO stand up special Ramy Youssef: More Feelings. Disability Empowerment Now is produced by Pascal Albright. Find the transcript here.
Mar 24, 2024•45 min
Christina Trivigno is the Director of Digital Strategy at TDF, a New York City based not-for-profit service organization dedicated to breaking down barriers to the arts. She has over 10 years of experience working in the digital space and a lifetime of experience as a disability advocate. She has spoken and written about accessibility at organizations around the country including topics of transportation, reasonable accommodation, digital accessibility and access at the theatre. She was proud to...
Mar 18, 2024•57 min
Anita Hollander has performed throughout Europe, Asia & US, at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, London’s West End, NY Shakespeare Festival, Goodman Theatre & White House. A Helen Hayes Award nominee, her solo musicals Still Standing and Spectacular Falls, have played Off-Broadway, nationally & internationally. Other Theatre work includes Ragtime, CATS (Grizabella). On TV she’s Guest Starred on Welcome To Flatch & FBI: Most Wanted. Film work includes Handsome Harry, Musical Chairs. ...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 38 min
Ann Marie has had a diverse and accomplished career in acting, with a range of roles spanning classical works like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Measure for Measure” to contemporary plays such as “The Unexpected Guest” and “The Fourth Wall.” Her versatility is evident in her ability to portray characters with different emotions and backgrounds. Her educational background is impressive, having graduated from Marywood College with a BA in acting. Additionally, attending the Royal National Theat...
Mar 03, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Erin Noon Kay is the CEO & Founder of Claiming Disability LLC. She talks to Keith about her podcast journey, Disability Pride, all the partnerships her podcast works with and her advising work. She talks about the importance of Disability Pride and celebrating disabilities in the everyday. Keith and Erin talk about their struggles and their achievements, and how she has paved her future to be so different from her past. “We need to make space for all people to talk about their struggles and ...
Feb 26, 2024•1 hr 18 min
S3 Episode 20: Keith and Margaux talk about TRAP, Therapeutic Riding of Tucson, which has been around since 1974 and is one of the first facilities to innovate the use of horses as treatment. They discuss her work with horses, how that impacts her and the community and how the therapy impacts patients. “Everything we do is evidence based”, Margaux said. She talks about her involvement and history with TRAP. She started as a volunteer and transitioned into her passion. “Horses are magnificent ani...
Feb 11, 2024•50 min
S3 Episode 19: Erica Mones and Keith talk about how Mones got into film, her work on the Disney movie “Wish” and how Mones navigates that world. They discuss Mones other interests including vlogs and the YouTube landscape. Mones talks about running and her routine. They talk about the importance of writing and using blogs to share experiences. Mones talks about her journey and advocacy and shines a light on navigating the film industry and overcoming challenges along the way. Find the transcript...
Feb 04, 2024•1 hr 11 min
S3 Ep 18: Rachel and Keith talk about stage life, starting with how they met on a musical theater production. Rachel talks about her experience on stage as a performer, how her career has taken off and the ups and downs of the musical theater industry. They recount memories of performances as well as stories of everyday life including relationships. Rachel talks about her passions about being on stage and how her career has taken her to some amazing places. Find the transcript here. Disability E...
Jan 28, 2024•58 min
This podcast episode contains explicit language, mature themes, and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast platform. We recommend that you use headphones and ensure your environment is appropriate for the content discussed. By continuing to listen, you acknowledge and accept the explicit nature of this episode. Nina G is a ver...
Jan 21, 2024•1 hr 15 min
S3 Ep 16: Shari Bookstaff had fulfilled her lifelong childhood dreams and was a tenured marine biology professor near San Francisco. She was thriving in her career and her personal life when sporadic dizzy spells and nausea led to a diagnosed benign brain tumor. Even though this was a large tumor that had to be removed immediately, it would be an “easy, routine surgery.” Then, the unthinkable happened. A 9-day hospital stay turned into 9 months of grueling rehabilitation. A stroke following the ...
Jan 14, 2024•54 min
Andrew J. “Andy” Imparato began work in February of 2020 as the Executive Director of Disability Rights California (DRC) after a high-impact 26-year career in Washington, DC in disability advocacy and policy. DRC is a $44 million legal services agency with more than 320 staff and 26 offices that serve Californians with all types of disabilities across the age spectrum. Since joining DRC, Imparato has led advocacy efforts to protect the California disability community from health and economic imp...
Jan 07, 2024•55 min
Richard has a diverse background as an actor, director, musician, and in education. He has worked in Regional and New York theater, showcasing his skills in both administratively and creatively — from Neil Simon to Shakespeare. In addition to his artistic pursuits. Richard serves on the Board of Directors for Theater Breaking Through Barriers, the only off-broadway professional theatre organization dedicated to advancing artists and developing audiences of people with disabilities and altering t...
Dec 17, 2023•1 hr 24 min
Mr. Peter Hughes has a long career in athletics as a coach and administrator, as well as nonprofit, sales, and fund development. Since 2017, he has served as Director of Adaptive Athletics at the University of Arizona. UArizona’s Adaptive Athletics program is the largest program of its kind and has produced 40+ Paralympians. As director, he supervises a large professional staff and cultivates relationships with donors who support program operations, as well as other community contacts to increas...
Dec 10, 2023•52 min
Rio Finnegan graduated in Film from Santa Fe University of Art & Design, to which he was awarded the Robert Redford Milagro Initiative Scholarship. In his time there he worked on many projects under many titles. Making films such as Hello World and 1-900 in his time there. 1-900 had the pleasure to be accepted into The El Paso Media Fest and The National Film Festival For Talented Youth and is still being considered for a few other festivals. He has worked on a bunch of films as an Assistant...
Dec 03, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Aubrie Therrien is the Executive Artistic Director of The EPIC Players, dedicated to creating neuro-diverse opportunities and communities through the arts. She has been an actress regionally and in New York City for 20 years and holds a BFA in Theater from Longwood University and a Masters of Public Health from New York University. She has worked with the neuro-diverse community through theater for several years and is a passionate advocate for inclusion in the arts. She was recognized as New Yo...
Nov 26, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Andrew Marcum, Ph.D., brings an unparalleled passion for Disability Studies to his role as the Academic Director and Distinguished Lecturer at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. A trailblazer in the field, Dr. Marcum served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at SPS from 2016 to 2022, concurrently acting as the dynamic Program Coordinator for the Center for Self-Advocacy in Buffalo, NY. Venturing beyond traditional academia, Dr. Marcum’s expertise earned him a prestigious dissertation resear...
Nov 19, 2023•1 hr 4 min
After a B.A. in English from American University in Washington D.C. and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Instituto Allende, University of Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Scott taught literature and composition at Baruch College for fifteen years in New York City, while freelancing as a photographer (scottseldinphotography.com). In 1982, Scott wrote Yes, Boss, published by Blythe-Pennington, LTD. After moving to Santa Fe, he worked as director of Mountain View School on the Adole...
Nov 12, 2023•1 hr 3 min
After a B.A. in English from American University in Washington D.C. and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Instituto Allende, University of Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Scott taught literature and composition at Baruch College for fifteen years in New York City, while freelancing as a photographer (scottseldinphotography.com). In 1982, Scott wrote Yes, Boss, published by Blythe-Pennington, LTD. After moving to Santa Fe, he worked as director of Mountain View School on the Adole...
Nov 05, 2023•1 hr 1 min
S3 Episode 8: Kurt Yaeger is an American actor and disability advocate known for his inspiring story of resilience and determination. He was born on January 3, 1977, in San Francisco, California. However, in 2006, his life took a dramatic turn when he was involved in a motorcycle accident that resulted in the amputation of his left leg. Despite this life-altering event, Kurt Yaeger continued to pursue his passion for acting and quickly established himself as a talented actor in the entertainment...
Oct 29, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Cary Goldberg began his 20+ year career as a performing artist on a one night whim. At the age of 14, he wrote a stand up comedy act and opened for a comedy troupe at the local rock club, what was supposed to be one night, ended up spanning 6 years. Cary always stuck to rock clubs rather than comedy clubs, because as a comedy promoter once eloquently told him “People come to comedy clubs to drink, not to think.” Cary has always believed that if his art wasn’t making people think, he was doing a ...
Oct 22, 2023•1 hr 13 min
S3 Episode 6: Daniel Woodburn is an American actor, comedian, and activist for the disability rights movement linked to his dwarfism. He is most known for his work on Seinfeld in the 90s but has worked on films like Jingle All the Way, Watchmen, and Mirror Mirror. He is a graduate of Philadelphia’s Temple University’s School of Film and Theater and recipient of their Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award of 2001. He is a well-known, long-time advocate for performers with disabilities in film, tel...
Oct 15, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Ron Barber was an American politician who dedicated his life to advocacy on various critical issues. Throughout his career, Ron Barber was a tireless champion of civil rights, advocating for equality and justice for all Americans. He understood the importance of inclusivity and worked to ensure that every citizen’s rights were protected and upheld. Ron Barber was also a staunch supporter of Medicare, recognizing the significance of accessible healthcare for all Americans, especially the elderly ...
Oct 08, 2023•1 hr 4 min
