Xceptional Leaders with Mai Ling Chan & James Berges Xceptional Podcast Network

In the introduction to this episode’s interview, Mai Ling shares an exciting announcement about an upcoming project that she’ll be working on. Then we jump into a conversation between Mai Ling and Dr. Li-Rong “Lilly” Cheng, who is the Director of the Chinese Cultural Center at San Diego State University. Dr. Cheng was the founder of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus of ASHA and she talks about her early days as a diversity advocate and the unique perspectives of Asian culture on discussing diversity, inclusion, and sensitive matters. They also discuss the progress that has been made on these issues and what still needs to be accomplished.

Comedian and screenwriter Greg Roque joins the show today for an insightful conversation with James. As a teen, Greg had a spinal injury which paralyzed him and he brings his unique perspective on life as a disabled person to his comedy. He shares with us a little about his approach to comedy, where the line is for comedy about disability, and the accessibility challenges he’s faced as a comic in a wheelchair.

Before we introduce our guest in this episode, Mai Ling shares a major update about a new venture that she is embarking on that has a connection to our guest. And that guest is technology explorer, evaluator, and reviewer, Yonah Welker, who has a mission to reshape how nations, cities and ecosystems embrace human-centered algorithms, environments, policy and emerging technology – specifically addressing human capability, wellbeing, experiences and beyond. Yonah and Mai Ling chat about the role of technology in the disability space with an emphasis on artificial intelligence.

Our guest today is UK-based, Disability Inclusion Specialist Michael Grimmett. Michael talks with James about an inaccessibility incident at his local pizza restaurant that he was able to use to shine light on accessibility issues. As a wheelchair user and disability advocate, Michael’s personal experiences have given him a platform to talk about the terminology and language around disability and those who have disabilities and he shares those perspectives in this conversation. In addition, he shares his thoughts on the difference between accessibility and inclusion.

Our hosts, Mai Ling and James, share some important updates on what is going on in their respective careers before we dive into a discussion with our guest. Sawsan Zakaria chats with Mai Ling about her participation in the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge on multiple occasions. As an actress and model with a neuromuscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy, Sawsan talks about her experiences as an actress with a disability in LA, recounting some of the highs and lows. She also shares her thoughts on how the collective preconceptions about disability are slowly shifting in the industry.

Today, we welcome to the show Vanessa Castañeda Gill, the Co-Founder and CEO of Social Cipher, a game-based, social-emotional learning platform for neurodiverse youth. Social Cipher launched their first game called Ava, and Vanessa shares the story of its development and the impact it’s made on the target audience. She also talks about growing up with ADHD and Autism, how that has affected who she is today, and exactly why she chose a video game as the vehicle to make a difference in the lives of neurodiverse young people.