Episodes

This episode of National Disability Radio highlights a recent disability rights victory in Colorado, where advocates successfully worked to repeal a law that permitted the forced sterilization of people with disabilities. One of our very own P&As, Disability Justice in Colorado, was instrumental in making this happen! Hear from policy leaders and self-advocates behind the effort as they discuss coalition-building, and why disability rights progress depends on keeping people with disabilities at ...

Video Version: What does it actually mean when disability advocacy is “level funded”? What are federal appropriations, and why are they such a big deal for disability rights? On this episode of National Disability Radio, Alden Blevins (Communications Manager), Stephanie Flynt McEben (Public Policy Analyst), and Eric Buehlmann (Deputy Director for Public Policy) pull back the curtain on the federal funding process and what it means for the Protection and Advocacy (P&A) network. They discuss the...

On this episode of National Disability Radio, we sit down with award-winning recording artist, advocate, and author Lachi for a powerful conversation about disability pride, music, and unmasking. Lachi shares her journey, from navigating the music industry as a blind artist, to founding RAMPD, a coalition amplifying disability culture across the industry. We talk about what it means to say “I identify as blind,” move beyond the medical and social models of disability into a cultural model roote...

On this episode of National Disability Radio, we sit down with award-winning recording artist, advocate, and author Lachi for a powerful conversation about disability pride, music, and unmasking. Lachi shares her journey, from navigating the music industry as a blind artist, to founding RAMPD, a coalition amplifying disability culture across the industry. We talk about what it means to say “I identify as blind,” move beyond the medical and social models of disability into a cultural model roote...

Alden Blevins, the newest host of National Disability Radio, has a personal journey with autism and ADHD that has shaped her perspective on disability rights and advocacy. Alden was misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression as a child, and did not receive the correct diagnosis of autism and ADHD until her late 20s. Alden describes her experience navigating the workplace and healthcare systems as an autistic individual, emphasizing the challenges of "passing" as neurotypical and the importance of ...

Jack is going off to law school. So the gang sits down to reminisce on his time at NDRN, share a few stories from behind the scenes, and hear a joke from Stephanie that gets a good laugh out of us. Full transcript available at: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-august25/ Jack Rosen: Like we have any sort of agenda for today, so just sort of going to get what I get. Turn that into a podcast, I guess. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Sure. Michelle Bishop: And that’s different from any other episode ...

We wrap up our series on the battle for the passage of the ADA with none other than Senator Tom Harkin. Senator Harkin was the lead sponsor of the ADA in the Senate and has spent his career being a steadfast ally to the disability community. In this interview we talk to him about what that was like, where we need to go from here, and he even stumps us with a bit of disability rights trivia. Full transcript available at: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-harkin/ Michelle Bishop: Welcome back t...

On part two of our series commemorating the fight for the passage of the ADA, we have on long time activist Jim Dickson. Jim talks with us about the challenges they faced in getting the ADA passed, what changes he’d still like to see, and surprises us with a fun story about a former guest and friend of the podcast. Full transcript available at: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-jim-dickson/ Jack Rosen: You know, Michelle, we feel like this part of your life is more mysterious. What was living ...

To kick off our series highlighting the fight for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act we have on NDRN’s founder and former Executive Director Curt Decker. Curt tells us about how the disability community came together to make sure no one was left out of the protections of the ADA and warns us about the downsides of helping getting major legislation passed in summertime in DC. Full Transcript available at: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-curt-decker/ Jack Rosen: I don’t know. I...

After three years, Jack has finally gotten Stephanie and Michelle to do an episode about sports. And not just any sport, but golf. In this episode we sit down with Josh Basile, Andrew Mitchell, and Kate Strickland to talk about AdapTee Golf, what it means to reclaim sports as a person with a disability, and how to play the ninth hole at Sligo Creek Golf Course. Learn more about AdapTee Golf at: https://adapteegolf.com/ Learn more about Determined2Heal, Josh’s foundation focused on people with s...

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. Full Transcript Available at: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-may25/ Tell Congress to Protect our Programs: https://secure.everyaction.com/I6avR5LSvUamWdNZNIgMew2 Jack Rosen: And Mic...

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. Link to full transcript: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-mar25 Michelle Bishop: I’m not usually the recorder, so God knows. We’ll just start having a conversation and nothing will be recording. Jack, do not put this in the episode. That’s going to be in the episode. All right. Stephanie, do you want to ge...

Friend of the pod and NDRN colleague Monica Wiley joins us to talk about the role models that inspired her own activism. Full Transcript Available at: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-feb25/ Stephanie Flynt McEben: All righty, folks, so we have the pleasure and privilege to sit down with one of our lovely colleagues, Monica Wiley who is going to, talk about Fannie Lou Hamer and the contributions and how she paved the way, for individuals when it came to various advocacy within the disability ...

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. Full Transcript available at: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-jan25/ Jack Rosen: Yeah, I guess we’re just doing this. We don’t know where Michelle is. She has abandoned us. Stephanie Flynt McEben: That’s fine. I feel very abandoned right now. Jack Rosen: If she’s too cool for us, if this is...

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. Link to our Bonfire shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/national-disability-rights-network/ Stephanie Flynt McEben: Well, hello, podcast listeners of the universe. We are doing a different episode this month, which is why I chimed in before Michelle could to introduce the fun episode. So I’m Stephanie Flynt ...

Coming to you live tomorrow on YouTube, we’re doing a live Election Day special! Transcript: [Heavy rock music plays in background] Coming live this Election Day. It’s the National Disability Radio live election special! Featuring Michelle Bishop, Stephanie Flynt, guide dog Nala, Jake Rosen, maybe Stephanie’s wife, Quinn if Stephanie’s working from home that day. She probably will, traffic’s bad in D.C. during the election. [Car horn sound effects] Also potentially featuring Maria Town, Cl...

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 D...

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. Regi...

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. You can find Sandy at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandy-hanebrink-otr-l-24432029 To find out more about the Carvan for Disability Justice and Freedom: https://thedisabilitycaravan.com Full transcript available ...

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. Check out Amy’s coverage at: https://www.intlgymnast.com/ Full transcript available at: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-july24/ Stephanie Flynt: Do I just start? Jack Rosen: Yeah. Stephanie Flynt: Yeah. Well, we’ve got to be up. Hold on, well. Aghhhhhhh. I almost fe...

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. To learn more about the work the European Disability Forum does visit h...

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. Full transcript available at: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-may24/ Jack Rosen: Can we talk for a minute about how we got on some sort of press release mailing list, and now people keep pitching us on podcast ideas? Michelle Bishop: I mean I just think that mea...

In what is (potentially*) the start of an ongoing series, this month we’re joined by our own Rebecca Shaeffer for a discussion of what people with disabilities experience in the carceral system, how they disproportionately end up there, and what we can do to support returning citizens. *This is contingent on us being organized enough to do that. Full transcript available at https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-april24/ Jack Rosen: All right. Michelle, you want to kick us off? Michelle Bishop: ...

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. Full Transcript at: https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-march24/ Raquel Rosa: Give me the signal. Michelle Bishop: Get us started. That would be s...