Grassroots Advocacy Network Live Streams
The United Spinal Association Advocacy Network Facebook page now includes monthly live streams that bring in guest advocates from all over the United States to cover various topics on the Grassroots Advocacy Network. The goals of these live streams are to increase engagement, collaboration, and communication throughout the Advocacy Network, while also keeping advocates informed of available resources and toolkits, upcoming events, registrations, state rolls, action alerts, and district mobilization. To take part in the live streams where you have the opportunity to ask questions and contribute to the conversation, please follow the Advocacy Network on Facebook. If you haven’t already, please join our Grassroots Advocacy Network.
Advocacy Network Video Archives
Spencer Blomquist | March 25, 2026
Spencer Blomquist is a disability advocate, entrepreneur, and champion for independence. He has been a C4 quadriplegic for 17 years, and has turned adversity into action. As a travel agent specializing in accessible cruising at Expedia Cruises - Air, Land & Sea Vacations, he’s helped hundreds of wheelchair users explore the world and take the vacations they once thought were out of reach. Beyond his business, Spencer serves on multiple nonprofit boards including the Center for Independent Living of Northwest Florida, the Northwest Florida Rehabilitation Foundation, and The Seven Project - Adaptive Fitness, while also working as a brand ambassador for ABLE United and supporting numerous advocacy efforts both locally and nationally.
Allaina Humphreys | February 25, 2026
Allaina is a disability rights advocate, designer, and civic leader who has spent more than 30 years transforming lived experience as a quadriplegic into meaningful policy and systems change. Based in Bolingbrook, Illinois, her work focuses on accessible housing, inclusive public spaces, and elevating disabled voices in leadership. Through local and state advocacy roles and her mission-driven design studio, Free Wheelin' Design, Allaina brings a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach rooted in the belief that accessibility benefits everyone. Listen in on this informative advocacy conversation on what effective advocacy looks like—and how lived experience drives real change.
Monica Quimby | January 28, 2026
After sustaining a spinal cord injury in 2006, Monica Quimby transitioned from competitive skiing to becoming a multi-gold medalist and co-captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning Sled Hockey Team, helping lead Team USA to victories at international competitions, including the inaugural Women’s World Championship in 2025. Beyond athletics, Monica is the Leaders Program Coordinator at BACKBONES, a former biological sciences professor, a two-time Forty Under 40 award recipient, and an advocate whose work includes national speaking engagements, mentorship with the Kelly Brush Foundation, and founding Wheel Sister Retreats to foster connection among women with disabilities.
Latavia Sturdivant | November 26, 2025
Latavia is a powerhouse in the disability advocacy community. She earned her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Columbia University in 2016 and is licensed in both New York and Maine. With 8 years of experience working with students from preschool through high school, she brings deep expertise from her work in school settings. Beyond her clinical role, Latavia is an adjunct professor at Lehman College, a content creator, an editor, and the host of the Queens On A Roll Podcast. She also serves as a Certified Lead Advocate for the Amputee Coalition and proudly holds the title of Ms. Wheelchair America 2026. As a dedicated advocate for people with disabilities, Latavia is committed to breaking down barriers through education and leadership—challenging misconceptions and dismantling systemic obstacles that limit access to learning and leadership.
Melinda Simms | October 29, 2025
Melinda, a U.S. Air Force Veteran, was one of the two recipients of the 2025 United Spinal Association’s Finn Bullers Advocate of the Year Award. She serves as the United Spinal Association New Hampshire State Advocacy Coordinator, and her advocacy extends far beyond her work with United Spinal Association. She is an active member of Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), the Governors Committee on Architectural Barrier-Free Design, and Consultant for the Hampton Beach Accessibility Project, and a fierce opponent of physician-assisted suicide. As a proud member of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki People, Melinda is also a dedicated advocate for local Indigenous communities, and with a remarkable 40-year career in the medical field, she has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by disabled people in the healthcare system.
Natalie Barnhard-Castrogiovanni | Sept. 24, 2025
Natalie is the Founder and President of Motion Project Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of those with spinal cord injuries and paralysis. After her own injury in 2004, she became a leading disability advocate, serving as Regional Champion with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and leading the Buffalo Chapter of United Spinal Association. In 2021, she fulfilled her dream by opening The Natalie Barnhard Center for Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation and Recovery in Buffalo, NY—the first of its kind in Western New York. That same year, Natalie was selected as United Spinal Association’s Finn Bullers Advocate of the Year. As a best-selling author, award-winning advocate, and keynote speaker, Natalie continues to prove that life with a disability can still be purposeful, fulfilling, and thriving. We hope you can join us as Natalie updates us on being a featured author in the book Faith Unchained: Climbing to Freedom by God’s Grace, her upcoming Dominican Republic Missions Trip, Say Yes to the Dress, and so much more!
Ryann (Ry) Mason | August 27, 2025
Ry Mason, BS RN (she/they) is a seasoned disability advocate, multi-specialty registered nurse, proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, keynote speaker, model, professional dancer, and self-proclaimed loudmouth southern belle who was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome as a teenager. With over 17 years of experience in the field of healthcare and over 33 as a patient, Ry has worked tirelessly to end the stigma against disabled healthcare providers and has been sharing her story on social media for nearly a decade on her platform, Chronically Ry. Ry’s no-nonsense, wide-open attitude toward life makes her content not only educational, but approachable for those from all walks of life. Whether working in the hospital setting as a nurse on wheels; speaking, dancing, or otherwise performing on a stage somewhere; or exploring the deserts of SoCal with her family, there’s never a dull moment (or lack of color) if Ry’s around.
Jenny Smith | July 30, 2025
Since sustaining a C6-7 spinal cord injury (SCI) at the age of 16, Jenny Smith has accomplished so much to give back to helping others in the disability community. She received her master’s degree in counseling psychology and has over twenty years in support-based ministry. Jenny now helps others navigate the emotional and spiritual impact of disability. She serves as a peer mentor, advocate, and educator of all things SCI-related. Jenny is the author of Live the Impossible and The Journey: Discovering Emotional and Spiritual Health after Disability. On her website JennySmithRollsOn.com, she provides education, practical solutions, resources, and hope so people can live full and productive lives. Jenny stays physically active by rowing on the Ohio River with Louisville Adaptive Rowing.
Daniela Castagnino | May 28, 2025
Daniela works on United Spinal Association’s Resource Center Team as an Information Specialist. She has been living with quadriplegia due to C4/5 SCI for over 28 years and resides in Washington DC. Being a native of Argentina, she speaks fluent Spanish and passable French and enjoys traveling and going out to see live music. Tune in live to hear more about the Resource Center and how Daniela and the rest of the Resource Center Team help so many people in the disability community.
Lori Ollendick | April 30, 2025
Lori sustained her spinal cord injury (SCI) as the result of a surgery in 2018 and found United Spinal Association through the advice of staff at the Mayo Clinic where she was going for rehabilitation. After attending various United Spinal Support Groups, she met advocates and members of the disability community from all over the country. Now, Lori is the United Spinal Association of Iowa Board Member, Chapter Advocacy Coordinator, Peer Support Mentor, and Social Media Committee Member. Along with her extensive involvement with United Spinal, Lori has been advocating for people with mental health challenges as a Mental Health Therapist and passionately advocates for people with physical disabilities as well.
Shanta Favors | February 19, 2025
Shanta Favors was Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2024, Ms. Wheelchair America 2025 first runner-up and the People’s Choice Award recipient. As a former director at a long-term care facility, she has been an advocate for healthcare providers and the disability community even before her injury. Shanta used her platform and unique perspective of directing care for others to needing total care herself after her spinal cord injury (SCI). Listen in to hear how being crowned Ms. Wheelchair Michigan 2024 helped her to bring more awareness to the care support crisis across the United States.
Barb Zablotney | January 22, 2025
Barb Zablotney is the United Spinal Association of South Central Pennsylvania Chapter President, the 2022 Lifetime Presidential Volunteer Service Award recipient signed by President Biden for all of her community service hours of serving several disability non-profits, and former Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania. New Mobility published an article titled Taking Action Against a Hospital which shares Barb's experience of taking action against her local hospital to secure ADA compliance. Listen in as we discuss what caused Barb to take action, the litigation process, and the outcome of her efforts. Barb also shares her experience with depression and mental health in order to help others who may be experiencing the same thing.
Kristina Ericson | November 27, 2024
Kristina serves as the Director of Policy and Outreach for the State of Colorado's Developmental Disabilities Council. A disability social worker and accessibility specialist by training, her work centers around knocking down macro-level accessibility barriers through policy and systems change. Kristina holds a B.A. from Long Island University’s Global College, and a Masters in Social Work and Policy from Washington University in St. Louis. She proudly works on a variety of local, state, and national accessibility-focused boards and working groups, and is a former United Spinal Association Intern. Kristina has lived in more than a dozen countries, is an NYC AmeriCorps alum, and the Director of Operations and Co-Founder of the Adaptive Climbers Festival – an annual, non-profit, rock climbing event for the paraclimbing community.
Tamara Blackwell | October 23, 2024
Tamara Blackwell was crowned Miss Wheelchair America 2025. Tamara was born visually impaired, and for or over a decade, she tirelessly advocated for herself, which lead to her diagnosis of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. As an Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, business owner, mother, and wife, her platform focuses on navigating accessibility through personal experiences. Listen in to hear Tamara share her journey and hear how she is using the national stage to continue her efforts to knock down barriers and raise awareness to the culture of inclusivity by encouraging others to, "Live out loud!"
Richard Skaff | August 28, 2024
Richard is the Executive Director of Designing Accessible Communities and has years of experience advocating and working for the disability community after he sustained a T12/L1 SCI from a 35-foot fall when a branch broke while he was trimming a tree. He has been fighting to improve access since 1981. He was the first Board President and the first Executive Director of the Marin Center for Independent Living (CIL), worked as ADA Coordinator for the Department of Public Works, and then worked as Deputy Director of the San Francisco Mayor’s Office on Disability. While at the Department of Public Works, Richard crested the City's first formal curb ramp installation program, he worked with the French Company, Decaux, to assure that all of the sidewalk toilets being installed in San Francisco by that company were accessible, and he oversaw the design and construction of the new baseball park, at the time, for the San Francisco Giants, which made it the most accessible ballpark in the country.
Robby Barbieri | July 24, 2024
Robby Barbieri was recognized as United Spinal Association’s 2024 Finn Bullers Advocate of the Year, which was awarded to him at United Spinal's Roll on Capitol Hill in June. Robby is Treasurer at United Spinal Association of Tennessee, Founder of Music City Wheels, and over the past year he has dedicated his time to working together with fellow advocates, politicians, United Spinal Association, and the Tennessee Disability Coalition in order to create a model of lasting Medicaid reform that can replicated nationwide, known as TennCare for Working Adults with Disabilities. This is a huge win that is going to impact people with disabilities in Tennessee forever. You can listen to this conversation to learn more about Robby’s advocacy efforts and the motivation behind TennCare for Working Adults with Disabilities.
Annie Tulkin | May 22, 2024
Annie Tulkin is the Founder and Director of Accessible College as well as an author and public speaker. Annie is an expert when it comes to the realm of college transition for students with physical disabilities and health conditions. The various services provided by Accessible College help to empower students and their families to work together in order to create a positive educational experience in a world of colleges and universities that offer different levels of support and accommodations for the disability community. Annie has worked in the disability field for her entire professional career, and she shares numerous valuable resources.
Michael Kiel | May 3, 2024 (Rescheduled Date)
Michael Kiel is an author, advocate, and rehabilitation specialist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation at the Hiram G. Andrews Center (HGAC) in Johnstown, PA. After sustaining a spinal cord injury at the age of 19 from a gunshot, he acquired a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling. He has been working in the vocational rehabilitation field at HGAC in Johnstown, PA, for over 20 years, where he has spent the bulk of his time working with young adults with disabilities. Michael published his memoir, “Challenge the Moment,” in 2019 where he shares his experiences pre and post injury and offers a broader perspective on life and encourages the readers to enjoy the journey along the way.
Felecia Woolens | March 27, 2024
In 2003, Felecia severed her spine in a car accident which left her paralyzed from the neck down. She continued on with her schooling and graduated law school and passed the bar exam. Felecia is now a Disability Rights Attorney, and a Board Member for United Spinal Association. As an attorney, she has experience in criminal defense, corporate/contract law, and disability rights. We discuss her advocacy work for improving access to healthcare, independent living for people in the disability community, and her main focus and efforts directed towards changing the way Louisiana and other states structure healthcare laws and expanding Medicaid to address many of the barriers that employees with disability face.
Bill Bogdan | February 21, 2024
Bill Bogdan is the United Spinal Association Illinois Chapter Advocacy Coordinator and the Disability Liaison for the Illinois Secretary of State. As Disability Liaison, Bill is responsible for the coordination, development, and implementation of programs and services for persons with disabilities. Since the age of 8, Bill has been a wheelchair user, and his sense of adventure and love of the outdoors has never wavered. Listen to this advocacy conversation about his role as Disability Liaison, his involvement in adaptive sports and recreation, including his involvement with Diveheart, and how through advocacy efforts was able to get a BoardSafe adaptive kayak launch installed at Lake Chaminwood Preserve.
Jason Stoffer | January 31, 2024
Jason Stoffer is an advocate from Northwest Montana. After sustaining an SCI from a car accident in 2017, Jason continues pushing forward with his love for music, family, adventure, and advocating for a cure for SCI. Jason is the Cure Advocacy Network (CAN) Manager and CureCast Host at Unite 2 Fight Paralysis (U2FP). This organization has had an enormous impact on the spinal cord injury (SCI) community through their commitment to achieving a cure for SCI.
Jessica Gardner | December 20, 2023
Jessica Gardner is the South Central Pennsylvania Chapter of United Spinal Association Chapter Advocacy Coordinator (CAC), and she was crowned 2021 Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania. Jessica discusses her platform on service dog fraud, her service dog, Ford, who graduated from Canine Companions, her advocacy experiences and the issues where she wants to create more change and awareness which include Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) and access to medical appointments and diagnostic medical equipment. You can also hear about the recent Roll on Harrisburg that all four Pennsylvania chapters took part in.
Jared Quinteros | November 29, 2023
Jared’s spinal cord injury (SCI) journey is one of heartbreak that led him back to his roots as an artist. A tragic hiking accident led to Jared’s SCI and the loss of his beloved wife, Kara Leo. Join this live conversation to hear about his volunteer work in Art Therapy, his involvement with United Spinal's Pittsburgh Chapter, Art for Change, Rebuild Better Together, and how this single father of two is determined on setting an example for his children and helping others in the disability community. You can learn more about Jared and his art on his website.
Rob Corbett | October 25, 2023
Rob Corbett is a Product Specialist at DroneDeploy. Rob served close to 11 years in the United States Air Force, and after a snowboarding accident that caused his spinal cord injury (SCI), Rob wanted to figure out a way to fly again. That is exactly what he did, and he now is a quadriplegic drone pilot and instructor, and he has trained people of all “abilities” in assistive technology, vocational skills, and adapted small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). Rob shares how DroneDeploy can be utilized to help with various issues related to accessible parking and access for the disability community.
Kim Harrison | September 20, 2023
Kim Harrison is United Spinal’s State Advocacy Coordinator for Northern Florida. Listen in to hear Kim discuss her air travel experience on her flight to the 2023 Roll on Capitol Hill (ROCH) where her wheelchair was damaged, which unfortunately was not the first time (or second... or third...) that her equipment has been broken by airlines. Kim has been to every ROCH, so she shares how much it has grown through the years, and she also gives some advice if you are a wheelchair user and are thinking about air travel.
Erik Kondo | August 23, 2023
Erik Kondo, from Massachusetts, is a long-time wheelchair user who is an entrepreneur, innovator, networker, and advocate for people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Along with being the owner of Adaptive Community Consulting and Red Pill Innovations, LLC, he is involved in multiple initiatives helping people with SCI in low resource countries, including Dubel Disability Foundation, Spinal Cord Injury Africa Association Network, and Special Welfare Organization of Pakistan. Erik is also an active member of SCI Boston, and United Spinal’s Outdoor Access and Emergency Prepared Working Groups. One of the topics we discuss is his homemade wooden wheelchair design that you can view at Open Source Wheelchairs. You can also follow Erik on Instagram @Wheelchairboarding, or YouTube @Erik_Kondo and @RedPillInnovations to learn more about his different types of adaptive mobility devices.
Laura Burdick | July 26, 2023
In May of 2020, Laura was hit by a drunk driver and sustained a C4 spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. Prior to her accident, she graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in Biology and a Master's in Public Health from St. Louis University. She then used her skills to start her own health coaching business, Stride10 Coaching, and also managed a hot yoga and Pilates studio in Indianapolis, IN. Since her accident, Laura has participated in speaking engagements, and she has returned to teaching yoga classes and hosting nutrition programs. We also discuss the caregiving crisis, accessible travel, and the importance of exercise and therapy for wheelchair users.
Jennifer Kumiyama | June 28, 2023
Jennifer Kumiyama was the recipient of the 2023 Finn Bullers Advocate of the Year Award at United Spinal Association's Roll on Capitol Hill event in Washington, DC.
Jennifer is the Citywide Accessibility Coordinator in the City of Long Beach and elected Assembly District 69 Delegate in the California Democratic Party. She has worked with United Spinal on advocacy for accessible transportation, air travel, and accessible fueling solutions, and she has been a committed leader for the Coalition for Accessible Transportation. Jennifer also was crowned Ms. Wheelchair California 2010 and her platform focused on empowering youth with disabilities. We also discussed access to durable medical equipment, better pay for in-home care workers, and her experience as the first wheelchair user performing on the Disney stage!
How to Do a Hill Visit | May 17, 2023
This live stream features United Spinal’s Advocacy and Policy Team and Government Relations Team. The topic of discussion is centered around United Spinal’s upcoming Roll on Capitol Hill (ROCH) that is taking place in Washington, D.C. on June 18-21. The teams covered how to do a Hill visit (in-person or virtual), with some great tips and resources, a brief overview of the three issues that we will be discussing with our Members of Congress, and how you can take part through our Action Alerts even if you are not attending ROCH.
Brooke Ellison | April 19, 2023
Brooke Ellison is United Spinal’s VP, Technology and Innovation. She also is an Associate Professor at Stony Brook University, with a focus in Applied Medical Ethics, Health Policy, and Disability, with a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and PhD from Stony Brook University in Sociology. Brooke has written two memoirs, Miracles Happen (2002), which was made into a movie titled, The Brooke Ellison Story, and Look Both Ways (2021), which was written almost two decades after her first memoir. To add on to all of that, Brooke is the President and Founder of Brooke Ellison Leadership and Inclusion Strategies, LLC, where she works with innovators, organizations, and corporations to optimize their inclusion of people with disabilities. Tune in to hear about Brooke’s journey since the onset of her spinal cord injury at the age of 11 and her work with United Spinal’s Tech Access Initiative.
Ryan Gebauer | March 29, 2023
Ryan Gebauer is the United Spinal Association South Florida Chapter Leader, and along with his time dedicated to advocacy, Ryan earned his real estate license, and he is a broker who specializes in accessible housing at Ryan Realty Group Brokerage in Coral Springs, Florida. As one of the few realtors in Florida with a disability, Ryan has some great input and experience when it comes to purchasing an accessible home. We also discuss the current caregiving crisis, and his experience with home health care support in his state of Florida.
Dani Izzie | February 15, 2023
You may know Dani Izzie from her award-winning documentary film, Dani's Twins. As one of the very few quadriplegic women who gave birth to twins, the film covers the topics of disability, pregnancy, adaptive parenthood, and normalizing disability. Dani is also the United Spinal Association of Virginia Chapter Advocacy Coordinator, Founder of Access Social, a Disability Lifestyle and Culture Blogger, and creator of Quad Squad, which is a private Facebook support group for quadriplegic women. Watch to hear about Dani’s experiences as a mother, as an advocate, and as a disabled female entrepreneur on a mission to normalize disability.
Michele Lee | January 18, 2023
Senior Public Affairs Manager on Accessibility at Cruise, Michele Lee, shares her insight and experience with leading the accessibility efforts at this autonomous vehicle (AV) company that is "building the world's most advanced self-driving vehicles." Michele talks about how these AVs can improve accessible transportation. Along with her work involving universal access to transportation, Michele is passionate about employment and healthcare for the disability community.
Wendy Elliott-Vandivier | December 14, 2022
Wendy Elliott-Vandivier has been advocating since the young age of five-years-old. Along with taking on the role of Co-President and Chapter Advocacy Coordinator for the United Spinal Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter, Wendy is also an artist and author. Listen in as Wendy discusses her lifetime of advocacy experience, her desire to create more change and awareness with access to air travel, employment for the disability community, home and community based services (HCBS), and how she melds her art and autobiographical cartoons with her advocacy efforts.
Tiffiny Carlson | November 16, 2022
Tiffiny is the Executive Director of SPINALpedia, which is an online resource for living an active life with a disability. Listen in to learn more about SPINALpedia and other resource pages that Tiffiny helps to run on Facebook, which are Spinal Cord Injury Newly Injured and Disability Employment Resources. Tiffiny has years of experience as a blogger and columnist for the disability community, and she will be sharing her spinal cord injury journey that started at a young age. This is a great opportunity to hear about resources and support that are available for the disability community.
Ali Ingersoll | October 12, 2022
Ali is the first returning guest on the Meet an Advocate Live Stream. She was recently crowned 2023 Miss Wheelchair America and she talks about her journey to this achievement. We also discuss National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and her new role at Open Inclusion as the Global Community Development Lead. Ali shares her experience at United Spinal's 2022 Roll on Capitol Hill, and her continued advocacy efforts for the SCI/D and wheelchair user community.
Jeff Pagels | September 21, 2022
Jeff Pagels is a United Spinal advocate from Wisconsin, a medal winning U.S. Paralympian, a published author, and a record setting mountain climber. As a former employee at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and an avid outdoorsman, Jeff knows his way around accessible outdoor recreation and has a wealth of information on this topic. Tune in to hear about Jeff’s experiences and learn how you can become more involved in outdoor access and making outdoor recreation accessible to all! You can also read about Jeff's life in his book, Always Climb Higher!
Brandon Winfield | August 17, 2022
Brandon Winfield, CEO/Founder of iAccess Life and Board Member for Wheels of Happiness, talks about his journey after sustaining a spinal cord injury at the age of 14, from a motocross accident. Listen to Brandon's experience and advice about advocacy and becoming a successful entrepreneur. His iAccess Life app allows users with disabilities and their friends and family to rate, review and research places based on their accessibility. Brandon also shares how he still fulfills that need for speed and competition!
Richard Bagby | July 27, 2022
Richard Bagby, United Spinal's 2022 Finn Bullers Advocate of the Year award recipient and the Executive Director of United Spinal Association of Virginia, talks about his experience at the Roll on Capitol Hill. We also discuss his leadership role in helping to establish the Sheltering Arms Institute (SAI) as well as organizing a coalition of advocates and stakeholders to establish state legislation (H.B.241) which will allow for the provision of complex rehab technology (CRT) manual and power wheelchairs for Virginians residing in nursing facilities.
Monica Wiley | June 22, 2022
Monica is from Maryland and serves as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Project Manager for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). She also is the Vice Chair and Chapter Advocacy Coordinator for the D.C. Chapter of United Spinal. Monica shares her experiences at the 2022 Roll on Capitol Hill, what her responsibilities are as a DEI Project Manager, her view on employment, healthcare, and accessibility related to access to resources that will provide opportunities for professional development and success, and the impact that the advocacy network has had on her personally and professionally.
Rose Shrader | May 18, 2022
Rose Shrader is a United Spinal advocate from Indiana. Rose shares her experiences of working with a disability as a lecturer at Indiana State University, air travel as a quadriplegic, traveling to Costa Rica for a stem cell procedure, and the top issues where she wants to create more change and awareness.
David McCauley | April 13, 2022
David is an award winning mixed media artist living with paralysis based in St. Petersburg, FL. He is the founder of the Rise Up Gallery and The Little Haiti Laundromat Art Space. Listen to how and why he left Wall Street to begin his extremely successful career as an artist. David talks about his advocacy efforts and how he approaches inclusivity, universal design, accessibility, and the physical state of the human body through his adaptive mark making techniques. He is also on the Board of Directors and a crew member for the Impossible Dream Catamaran, which is a universally accessible 60' catamaran that can be fully operated by a person in a wheelchair. You can read more about David on his website https://www.davidmccauleyart.com/.
Tina Pedersen | March 9, 2022
Rhode Island resident and disability advocate, Tina Pedersen, is the President/CEO/Founder of RAMP - Real Access Motivates Progress and she also serves as Vice Chair on the Governor's Commission on Disability. We discuss her advocacy work with issues such as accessible affordable housing, ADA compliancy with businesses, parking enforcement, and her weekly RAMP Podcast. Tina also talks about her role as USA Ambassador Mrs. Southern New England 2022!
Michele Lee | February 15, 2022
In this Meet an Advocate Live Stream, Michele Lee, Program Director for United Spinal's Ready to Roll Emergency Preparedness, Pathways to Employment, and VetsFirst Programs, talks about her role as Program Director, and her involvement with the Tech Access Initiative. We discuss disability employment and the resources that are available, including the Pathways to Employment JobPath. As a disability advocate, Michele, also shares her experiences with the lack of accessible and equitable transportation in Chicago.
Rick Hayden | January 12, 2022
In this live stream, Rick Hayden, Executive Director of the Spinal Network and the Western Regional Chapter Coordinator, shares his advocacy experiences and discusses topics surrounding inclusion and equality in the workplace, ableism, harassment and bullying, peer mentoring, and why joining the advocacy network is so important. Rick shares some great information and the impact that the advocacy network has had on him personally and professionally.