Adventures in Accessibility

Ep. 91 - Lawrence Carter-Long

Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe091 [https://rmad.ac/AIAe091] This week's guest is Lawrence Carter-Long. Lawrence is Director of Engagement for ReelAbilities International, where he works at the intersection of disability, media, culture, and access. A longtime advocate, curator, commentator, and creator. He has worked with the National Council on Disability, Turner Classic Movies, Sundance, PBS, NPR, the BBC, and other organizations to expand how disability is represented, understood, and experienced. He also originated the Disabled #SayTheWord campaign, which helped reclaim disability as a term of identity, power, and pride. Connect with Lawrence: ReelAbilities International [https://reelabilities.org/] Lawrence Carter-Long (@lcarterlong) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/lcarterlong/] Lawrence Carter-Long - ReelAbilities Film Festival | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lcarterlong] Email: lawrence@reelabilities.org. Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org [https://rockymountainada.org/] or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!

Ep. 90 - Sam Schmidt

Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe090 [https://rmad.ac/AIAe090] This week's guest is Sam Schmidt. Sam is a former IndyCar driver, championship team owner, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. A Pepperdine University graduate, he built successful businesses before launching a professional racing career, earning his first IndyCar victory in 1999 after competing in three Indianapolis 500s. In the year 2000, a testing crash left him a quadriplegic. Determined to keep racing, he founded Sam Schmidt Motorsports, as well as his foundation driven, formerly Conquer Paralysis Now, which funds research and operates rehabilitation centers that provide physical and emotional support. Sam and his wife, Sheila, live in Las Vegas. They have two children, Savannah and Spencer, and two grandchildren. Connect with Sam: Sam Schmidt — Racer. Entrepreneur. Champion of the Possible. [https://www.samschmidt.com/] Sam Schmidt – Driven Neurorecovery Center [https://www.drivenlv.org/team/sam-schmidt/] Sam Schmidt (@sam.schmidt_) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/sam.schmidt_/] No Finish Line by Sam Schmidt – Porchlight Book Company [https://www.porchlightbooks.com/products/no-finish-line-sam-schmidt-9798895151617] No Finish Line: A Racer's Journey of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose: Schmidt, Sam, Yaeger, Don: 9798895151617: Amazon.com: Books [https://www.amazon.com/No-Finish-Line-Journey-Perseverance/dp/B0GG7C6SDL] Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org [https://rockymountainada.org/] or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!

Ep. 89 - Dr. Kassy Lopez

Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe089 [https://rmad.ac/AIAe089] Today's guest is Dr. Kassy Lopez. Dr. Lopez is the program director of ASPIRE Scholars at Pikes Peak State College, an inclusive higher education program designed to expand access for students with intellectual disabilities. She leads innovative efforts to create meaningful college experiences through academic access, peer mentorship, and career exploration, while also building partnerships with school districts to support concurrent enrollment opportunities. With over 20 years of experience across early childhood education, mental health, and higher education, Kassy brings a systems level perspective to inclusion, focusing on removing barriers, rethinking traditional pathways, and creating spaces where all students belong. Her work is grounded in the belief that inclusive higher education is not a separate pathway, but a necessary evolution of college systems. Connect with Dr. Lopez: ASPIRE | Pikes Peak State College [https://www.pikespeak.edu/landing-pages/aspire.php] Email: Kassy.Lopez@pikespeak.edu  Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org [https://rockymountainada.org/] or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!

Ep. 88 - Bella Mohn

Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe088 [https://rmad.ac/AIAe088] This week's guest is Bella Mohn. Bella is a 22-year-old disability advocate and content creator from Seattle, Washington. At just 18 years old, Bella's life changed overnight after emergency surgery for a heart condition led to paralysis from the waist down. Soon after, she began sharing her recovery journey and spreading awareness about disability on social media. Her hope has always been to share her raw, and hopefully inspirational experience of navigating wheelchair life, while never giving up on her dream of walking again. Today, Bella is a full-time college student studying marketing and communications while living fully independently despite ongoing health challenges. She's also an athlete who plays on the Seattle Kraken Sled Hockey team, and loves to work out, swim, travel, and spend time outdoors, especially with her little rescue dog, Sugar, who is also partially disabled. Bella's journey is one of recovery, resilience, and redefining independence. Through her platforms, she shares the realities of her day-to-day life with paralysis in an effort to educate, uplift, and challenge perceptions around disability, while at the same time encouraging others that no matter the circumstances, it's still possible to find the light and keep moving forward. Connect with the Bella: Bellawillwalkagain - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@bellawillwalkagain] Bella (@bellawillwalkagain) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/bellawillwalkagain/] bella (@bellawillwalkagain) | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@bellawillwalkagain] Bellawillwalkagain | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/people/Bellawillwalkagain/61572515370095/] Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org [https://rockymountainada.org/] or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!

Ep. 87 - Alma and Mike Loveland

Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe087 [https://rmad.ac/AIAe087] This week's guests are Alma and Mike Loveland. Alma and Mike are the co-founders of Your Very Favorite, a creative educational publishing company based in Utah. Together, they design and produce engaging coloring and activity books that help kids and families learn about important topics from community services and public health, to science and environmental stewardship. Their work combines humor, clever puzzles, and thoughtful storytelling to turn complex subjects into experiences that are fun, memorable, and genuinely educational. Mike, who grew up in Orem, Utah, has had a lifelong passion for children's books and illustration. Known for his love of fascinating trivia and random facts, he brings a playful curiosity to every project. Becoming a children's book illustrator has always been his dream, but just as that dream was becoming a reality, Mike lost function in his dominant hand. His determination to continue creating has become an important part of his story and his work. Alma grew up in Northern Ontario, Canada, and has spent her life working across writing, design, and teaching. She brings energy, human, and big picture creative vision to their projects. Together, Alma and Mike draw constant inspiration from their three kids, now tweens and teenagers, whose personalities and interests helped shape the unique format of their books. In fact, since their own kids never liked traditional coloring books, they set out to create activity books that would still capture the attention of curious kids who want something more engaging. When they're not working, Alma and Mike enjoy creative hobbies like sewing, gardening, collecting, tinkering, and making art, along with keeping up with their busy family life in what they jokingly call the taxi stage of parenting. Connect with the Lovelands: Your Very Favorite | Discover Custom Activity Books! [https://yourveryfavorite.com/] Your Very Favorite (@yourveryfavorite) | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@yourveryfavorite] Your Very Favorite (Books!) (@your.very.favorite) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/your.very.favorite] Connect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org [https://rockymountainada.org/] or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!