Navigating Life as we Know It Steven Johnson

When you first discover you'll be parenting a child with disabilities, the road ahead can seem daunting and lonely. Kris Burbank and Linda Hoopes join me to shed light on this path, offering wisdom from their book "Embracing Another Normal." Together, we unpack the resilience necessary for such a journey, sharing personal stories and strategies that resonate not just with parents, but anyone facing adversity.The podcast unfolds the reality of raising children with unique needs, unwrapping the...

Ever wondered how one's mindset shapes their success? Join us as we explore this theme with the remarkable Dr. Temple Grandin, an autism advocate who turned her diagnosis into a testament of resilience. She shares her journey from a non-verbal childhood to becoming a professor at Colorado State University and a celebrated author. Listen in to this riveting conversation and learn about her fervent advocacy for people with disabilities, her views on the value of different thinking styles, and h...

Navigating the world with a disability can often feel like an uphill battle, especially when it comes to travel. We've experienced it firsthand as we journey with our son Lliam. Our struggles sparked a conversation and led us on a journey to understand more about accessibility. We found ourselves crossing paths with the passionate advocates behind AccessibleGo – a leading accessible travel website in the US that's revolutionizing the game for travelers with disabilities. Today, we're thrilled...

When we first spoke with Tiffany Dill several months ago it was about her Universal Design Consulting firm, Blue Day 2. As of July 1, 2023, she has combined her talents and passion for accessible design with Gretchen Kingma, who, like Tiffany, has experience as an Occupational Therapist. Gretchen is also a top producing realtor in the St. Louis area who founded Empowered Homes to fill the gap in real estate services for people with disabilities and adults who wish to age in place. Together Ti...

Moving out of a family home is one of life's "exciting, sad, happy, and scary" events. There are so many changes that come with having a place of your own. But...there is also growth and independence. There are new things to discover and experience - for parent care providers and for the young adult who is spreading their wings. Todays story is about Will McAllister and his transition to his own apartment and a new independent life! It is also a story about parental faith and steadfast love i...

We all have two basic needs as human beings. One is to be authentic, to live our lives in a manner that reflects our true selves. The other human need is to be accepted within a community. When these two need conflict, when the community to which we belong does not accept our authentic self, the most common reaction is to "mask" that part of our identity that puts us at risk of being excluded from our association with other community members. The MDRC mission is to "....