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OneLegUpAlex Celebrates ADA35 With Leaders In the Disabled Community 7-26-25 · OneLegUpAlex Media

0:02
Speaker 1: Here's your host to Alex Jarrett.
0:06
Speaker 2: All right, we're here at Long Island Duck Stadium, Fairfield
0:10
Speaker 2: Bank Properties on Ada Day, helping out our friend and
0:16
Speaker 2: honored to be helping out our friend Jimmy Rose at
0:19
Speaker 2: the annual Long Island same usual All Star Game weekend.
0:23
Speaker 2: But I could not let today go by without recognizing
0:28
Speaker 2: the thirty fifth anniversary of the Americans Disabilities Act. And
0:32
Speaker 2: right now I want to bring you to many voices
0:36
Speaker 2: from Viscardi and beyond who have made an impact in
0:41
Speaker 2: the accessibility, in the fight for accessibility and continue to
0:48
Speaker 2: to this day, the thirty fifth anniversary of the Americans
0:52
Speaker 2: with Disabilities Act. Let's start with our founder, doctor Hernan Viscardi.
0:57
Speaker 3: Let me remind our listeners today's special guests is mister
1:00
Speaker 3: Henry Biscardi, Junior President of Abilities Incorporated, an organizer of
1:05
Speaker 3: the Human Resources Research and Training Institute, Hank. I want
1:09
Speaker 3: to find out something concerning Abilities Incorporated. How did you
1:13
Speaker 3: go about organizing such an organization and what does it
1:17
Speaker 3: consist of?
1:18
Speaker 4: In nineteen fifty two, I had made a decision that
1:21
Speaker 4: what we needed in the metropolitan New York area was
1:25
Speaker 4: a dramatic demonstration that disabled people could support themselves if
1:29
Speaker 4: they had an opportunity to do so, that they could
1:32
Speaker 4: work and produce products, earn a living wage, become independent,
1:37
Speaker 4: productive citizens. So we've decided to found Abilities Incorporated. We
1:41
Speaker 4: sought a tax exemption, which we still have a need
1:44
Speaker 4: to do a great deal of our rehabilitation work. But
1:47
Speaker 4: we borred eight thousand dollars from local citizens and went
1:51
Speaker 4: to manufacturers in the area and started in a vacant
1:54
Speaker 4: garage with four employees. Now among the four we had
1:58
Speaker 4: but four yusersuple arms and one usable leg really because
2:03
Speaker 4: the whole gang was in wheelchairs. Now that has grown
2:07
Speaker 4: today to a point where we now have approximately five
2:10
Speaker 4: hundred workers. Our gross sales climbed from the first year
2:14
Speaker 4: of one hundred and ninety one thousand dollars to this
2:16
Speaker 4: year there'll be in excess of three and a half
2:18
Speaker 4: million dollars. Many have left to go into the community
2:22
Speaker 4: and from it has sprang the other involvements of Human
2:26
Speaker 4: Resources Center. But this is how Abilities began, as a
2:30
Speaker 4: work center for disabled people in a community that was interested,
2:34
Speaker 4: to whom we went to seek advice and who helped
2:37
Speaker 4: us with the early financing, the training and the work
2:41
Speaker 4: which we were to do.
2:42
Speaker 3: Hank, what were you producing and what are you producing today?
2:45
Speaker 3: What were you originally involved with and how has this
2:48
Speaker 3: turned itself around or how has this proceeded.
2:51
Speaker 4: In nineteen fifty two, you will recall we were at
2:54
Speaker 4: the height of the Korean conflict, so our primary product
2:58
Speaker 4: was electronic components for military since that was the leading
3:03
Speaker 4: economy in the Long Island area. But we've grown so
3:06
Speaker 4: since then. In my latest book, which has just been published,
3:10
Speaker 4: I've described this. It's called the Ability Story, and I
3:14
Speaker 4: told how we as we grew, we attempted to convert
3:17
Speaker 4: from the military economy. If you were to come to
3:20
Speaker 4: our installation now on Long Island, you'd find our people
3:23
Speaker 4: producing highly sophisticated components for computers, navigational systems for aircraft
3:30
Speaker 4: flight control instrumentation. But in addition, you'd find us with
3:34
Speaker 4: our own computer capacity, running a service bureau with data
3:38
Speaker 4: processing operations and keypunch operations, staff by mentally retarded as
3:43
Speaker 4: well as disabled. And you'd find us operating a complete
3:46
Speaker 4: banking setup, handling an excess of four million in deposits
3:51
Speaker 4: in school savings, processing cancel checks, handling IBM and computer
3:57
Speaker 4: in disha on deposit slips and mortgage coupon. It find
4:01
Speaker 4: the excess of a half million dollars of our billing
4:03
Speaker 4: now devoted to banking services and computer services, as well
4:08
Speaker 4: as to a complete turnover in the electronics field. You'd
4:12
Speaker 4: find us doing exquisite glass engraving under a special process
4:16
Speaker 4: which we develop and which is becoming a large component
4:19
Speaker 4: of our business. And you'd find us involved in packaging operations.
4:23
Speaker 3: From what you were saying, there's one thing that I
4:25
Speaker 3: want to mention. This is a traditional breakaway from that
4:29
Speaker 3: which the handicapped person had been involved with caning chairs.
4:32
Speaker 3: I can think of as sort of a home industry
4:34
Speaker 3: type of thing, a homespun involvement. Here you've gone to
4:37
Speaker 3: something which is highly technical along the way.
4:40
Speaker 4: Well, I felt that we didn't have to weave rugs
4:43
Speaker 4: and make baskets, that we could do highly sophisticated work.
4:47
Speaker 4: And I still believe that. I believe that are disabled
4:50
Speaker 4: and ar mentally retarded, and are emotionally disturbed and armantally restored,
4:55
Speaker 4: with the proper techniques of management work, simplification studies of
5:00
Speaker 4: their physical and emotional capacities and relating it to the job,
5:04
Speaker 4: can do highly important work and make a real contribution
5:08
Speaker 4: to the economy in this great country of ours, where
5:11
Speaker 4: we have great, highly developed techniques. You know, norm I'm
5:14
Speaker 4: a firm believer and change. None of us as individuals
5:19
Speaker 4: are the same people we were ten years ago. Now
5:22
Speaker 4: that this doesn't matter whether we've had an emotional problem
5:27
Speaker 4: or a physical problem. Just people change and technology changes.
5:32
Speaker 4: We don't do the same things in your industry, in
5:34
Speaker 4: the radio business that we did ten years ago, and
5:37
Speaker 4: I knew.
5:37
Speaker 1: It rather well.
5:39
Speaker 4: So I believe that as we adopt a change, we
5:42
Speaker 4: can modify our concept of who's disabled and who isn't
5:46
Speaker 4: and can take far more people than we ever dreamed
5:48
Speaker 4: of into the productive stream of life.
5:51
Speaker 2: That was doctor Henry Viscardi in nineteen sixty seven, and
5:57
Speaker 2: he had such a forward thinking back in the day,
6:00
Speaker 2: of course, to create the center known as the Viscari
6:03
Speaker 2: Center in nineteen fifty two and talk about producing a
6:07
Speaker 2: lot of you know, people that want to work hard.
6:11
Speaker 2: And I'm proud to say that my classic O nine
6:14
Speaker 2: and so many others before and after us are out
6:18
Speaker 2: there in the world thanks to doctor Viscarti, the staff
6:22
Speaker 2: of the Viscarti School, and of course our families. And
6:26
Speaker 2: now I want to have you listen to the current president,
6:29
Speaker 2: doctor Chris Rosa.
6:30
Speaker 5: To put it in perspective. As you know, Alex, doctor
6:35
Speaker 5: Viscarti was really a precursor to the modern disability rights movement.
6:41
Speaker 5: He was born at a time, you know, during the
6:44
Speaker 5: Great Depression, when access and opportunity were not realistic for
6:51
Speaker 5: most Americans with disabilities.
6:54
Speaker 6: And after.
6:58
Speaker 5: Persevering and and actually making it in business and industry,
7:04
Speaker 5: he realized that he had a higher purpose and a
7:06
Speaker 5: higher calling and he puts the He put those lessons
7:11
Speaker 5: to work to create something new and different, a social
7:17
Speaker 5: for profit enterprise, where he pitched this idea to prospective investors.
7:27
Speaker 5: He pulled the resources of investors and he was able
7:32
Speaker 5: to buy a garage in West Hempstead. He outfitted it
7:37
Speaker 5: through those investors to make it into a shop floor,
7:41
Speaker 5: and then he went out and he recruited thirty people
7:44
Speaker 5: with disabilities who were previously regarded as unemployable, and he
7:49
Speaker 5: put them to work in contracts with leading Long Island employers,
7:54
Speaker 5: General Electric, Grumman.
7:57
Speaker 7: And others.
7:58
Speaker 5: And in that first year he was able to turn
8:03
Speaker 5: a forty eight thousand dollars profit. After paying off all
8:07
Speaker 5: of the creditors, and within five years he expanded that
8:12
Speaker 5: workforce to three hundred people with disabilities and they had
8:16
Speaker 5: an annual profit of more than a million dollars. And
8:19
Speaker 5: that's that kind of entrepreneurial spirit, that ethic of inclusion
8:26
Speaker 5: and that commitment to empowering people with disabilities through the
8:30
Speaker 5: promise of work is at the heart of our mission
8:35
Speaker 5: and it's very alive and well here at the Viscardi
8:37
Speaker 5: Center today. Every year we worked with more than three
8:44
Speaker 5: hundred leading employers from around the nation to put New
8:49
Speaker 5: Yorkers with disabilities to work. And in terms of the
8:53
Speaker 5: entrepreneurial spirit, Alex, we're proud that Viscardi is the home
8:58
Speaker 5: of the National Institute for Disability Entrepreneurship, where we work
9:07
Speaker 5: with enterprising entrepreneurs with disabilities to take their concept and
9:13
Speaker 5: to bring their idea to fruition to market.
9:16
Speaker 2: By the way, shout out to Optimum for donating twenty
9:20
Speaker 2: five hundred dollars to the Henry Viscardi School. In the
9:24
Speaker 2: spirit I believe of a d a week and the
9:28
Speaker 2: thirty fourth anniversary of the ADA, I of course want
9:32
Speaker 2: to bring on Joe Salonica, who is an integral part
9:36
Speaker 2: of the Viscardi School.
9:37
Speaker 8: Doctor v had the idea that not only will you
9:40
Speaker 8: have an education, but you'll have the opportunity to have
9:44
Speaker 8: therapies there, whether it's physical therapy, occupational therapy, things like that.
9:50
Speaker 8: We at VISCARTI wanted to and he wanted to make
9:55
Speaker 8: it as real a school as.
10:00
Speaker 9: You know.
10:00
Speaker 8: So anything that the quote unquote able body world does
10:05
Speaker 8: in school, we do, whether it's playing basketball, going to prom,
10:10
Speaker 8: senior class trips, student council sports.
10:14
Speaker 2: For you, and even the kids at HVS they get
10:17
Speaker 2: doors open when they join the sports program something.
10:20
Speaker 8: Yes, yeah, absolutely, because wheelchair athletics is not very well
10:25
Speaker 8: known and if you're good at it right and in
10:29
Speaker 8: today's world especially, you know, I like the idea that
10:33
Speaker 8: you know, the corporate world, the media is looking at
10:37
Speaker 8: a person with a disability and not feeling sorry for them,
10:42
Speaker 8: but encouraging them and congratulating them because whatever obstacles they face,
10:50
Speaker 8: they're overcoming by doing something athletically.
10:55
Speaker 2: Joe, are you saying that there's an actually uptick in
10:59
Speaker 2: hirings of people disabilities in today's world?
11:02
Speaker 10: There, Yes, there are.
11:04
Speaker 8: I do see a lot more opportunities for people with
11:08
Speaker 8: disabilities in the corporate world. I do see a lot
11:12
Speaker 8: of opportunities, you know, in the media world where you know,
11:18
Speaker 8: back in the day they would put an able body
11:21
Speaker 8: actor in a wheelchair and that's like portray somebody as
11:26
Speaker 8: a disability.
11:27
Speaker 10: In today's world, you know, they're using the real thing.
11:30
Speaker 2: And then to alumni, let's start out with Kate wegg Lekowski,
11:33
Speaker 2: shall we.
11:34
Speaker 11: Be Henry rich starting school and the Center. It's unlike
11:38
Speaker 11: any place out that I'm I'm extremely West. I consider
11:41
Speaker 11: myself West every day to have be be chosen to
11:46
Speaker 11: head up that the wonderful organization has given me and
11:51
Speaker 11: you and so many others so much, and there's no
11:55
Speaker 11: place other like place right that and the sense of
11:59
Speaker 11: community mean, sense of camaraderie and family, it's just absolutely
12:04
Speaker 11: amazing to see. And we all would all to our founder,
12:07
Speaker 11: doctor Henry Muscardi Junior, but we have an amazing president
12:12
Speaker 11: and yeah, well, it's just amazing to be working at
12:15
Speaker 11: a plate that's so accepting and everything they can to
12:20
Speaker 11: put their employees well.
12:23
Speaker 2: And I actually now they bring up doctor Viscardi, I'm
12:25
Speaker 2: just thinking, I mean, he would get us through this
12:28
Speaker 2: so well. If you were here today, I'm sure he's
12:30
Speaker 2: looking down at all of us through this, and we
12:32
Speaker 2: are eternally grateful for him and know he's with us
12:35
Speaker 2: to this day, Katie.
12:37
Speaker 11: Absolutely, And my class, my class was the last class
12:42
Speaker 11: that actually got the the the senior speech as you
12:47
Speaker 11: well to talk and his his his speeches. And I
12:51
Speaker 11: won't go on now, and I'll get too mushy and
12:54
Speaker 11: well up, but I'll.
12:56
Speaker 9: Go for it.
12:57
Speaker 2: I think people would love to hear what your experiences.
13:00
Speaker 11: There's no price, there's nobody unlike him. And his wife
13:04
Speaker 11: was amazing in the family. And this guy was an
13:10
Speaker 11: inspiration and a power of strength for all of us.
13:13
Speaker 11: And and you have to write, I know him shining
13:16
Speaker 11: down and looking at us and and praying for us.
13:19
Speaker 11: And that's what we need. We need to remember the
13:21
Speaker 11: good times. And and you know, we've build food so
13:25
Speaker 11: much in the country and we are the very resoliant people.
13:29
Speaker 11: And I think that that's the people with disabilities are.
13:33
Speaker 11: You know, people underestimate us, and I think that the
13:36
Speaker 11: thing we are redoing and now the time to show
13:39
Speaker 11: people that we are RESI.
13:41
Speaker 2: Well, Katie, I'll have to ask you next time what
13:43
Speaker 2: that message was, because I'm now wanting to know what
13:46
Speaker 2: his message was to your class. But if you don't,
13:49
Speaker 2: if you are going to get if you don't feel
13:52
Speaker 2: comfortable with that, now that's fine. We'll have you on
13:53
Speaker 2: for another time.
13:55
Speaker 11: No, I can't remember exactly the word, and I would
13:59
Speaker 11: probably do him not justice to it, beautiful poet, but
14:03
Speaker 11: something like believe in yourself and you know, and shoot
14:08
Speaker 11: of the stars kind of thing, and and don't let
14:11
Speaker 11: any limitations disability stop you. That was the That was
14:16
Speaker 11: the sort of essence of his methods. There was more
14:19
Speaker 11: eloquently spoken than what I'm saying right now. But he
14:23
Speaker 11: is he is one of my heels for sure, and
14:27
Speaker 11: and I am forever wayful for him and what he's
14:32
Speaker 11: done through for people with distability and starting up for
14:36
Speaker 11: the ability and Helen rich Gotti School, and there's no place,
14:40
Speaker 11: no place like that, and no place nobody else like him.
14:44
Speaker 11: So he is an exceptional human beings.
14:48
Speaker 2: And then of course Jessica Tambour in the mix, she's
14:51
Speaker 2: a hard working uh personal disabilities and uh she told
14:56
Speaker 2: her story to this podcast nearly a year ago. Just
15:00
Speaker 2: think what's it mean to be a Viscardi alumnus?
15:03
Speaker 10: Meaning what's that mean?
15:05
Speaker 2: What's it mean to be affiliated with Henry Viscarti, who
15:08
Speaker 2: was like a pioneer in the disabled community, wasn't not well.
15:12
Speaker 12: I had a great experience at the Henry Viiscarti School.
15:16
Speaker 12: I mean I learned like all my subjects like everyone else.
15:21
Speaker 12: I was able to get a education that let me
15:24
Speaker 12: go to college and get a Region's diploma like all
15:30
Speaker 12: all my parents without disabilities would in public school back then,
15:36
Speaker 12: I probably wouldn't have had the same experience that I
15:40
Speaker 12: did at Viscardi Like I was able to play basketball
15:43
Speaker 12: my whole time there and do gym and sports and
15:48
Speaker 12: stuff that I can do in public public school. And
15:51
Speaker 12: I also had all the medical Like the medical at
15:55
Speaker 12: Theiscarti's huge stuff. I had all that support. That's different.
16:02
Speaker 2: Jessica Tambors, who were talking to of the miscar the
16:06
Speaker 2: alumnus and the Games.
16:08
Speaker 10: Family as well.
16:10
Speaker 2: And when I start on the cover of Able knut
16:12
Speaker 2: I said, Hey, this is a great story, so and
16:15
Speaker 2: great to finally catch up with you. We've seen each
16:17
Speaker 2: other for years all over the place, but finally it
16:20
Speaker 2: is great. Just though it is disability prime. Mom, So
16:25
Speaker 2: what does that mean to you and why are you proud.
16:30
Speaker 2: Are you proud to be disabled?
16:31
Speaker 10: Firstly? And why?
16:32
Speaker 2: And what is what do you look forward to now
16:35
Speaker 2: as we hit thirty three years?
16:38
Speaker 10: Where can we go?
16:39
Speaker 2: There's a lot of questions there, So let's start with
16:42
Speaker 2: what does disability prime mom mean to you?
16:45
Speaker 12: It means showing the world that we are capable of
16:50
Speaker 12: doing everything and they can. As long as things are
16:54
Speaker 12: accessible and by open to us, you can still do it.
17:01
Speaker 12: And having cried, even though you have disability, you still
17:06
Speaker 12: have pride and what you can do or what you're
17:11
Speaker 12: able to do, and that you're still taking kind of
17:14
Speaker 12: like even as an adult, is still going and able
17:18
Speaker 12: to do whatever you want to do.
17:20
Speaker 2: In my own class, I've had the pleasure of talking
17:23
Speaker 2: with Keenan Gandhi. You and I have been.
17:27
Speaker 13: Part of the community and a school for what twenty
17:32
Speaker 13: something years, and like I said, you said, we've adapted.
17:35
Speaker 13: And as long as you keep doing what you can
17:38
Speaker 13: do and try your best no matter what your situation is,
17:42
Speaker 13: whether it's fairly independence or not, as long as you
17:47
Speaker 13: buy your best in that regard, you should be able
17:52
Speaker 13: to do it. I mean you will be able to
17:54
Speaker 13: do it as long as you keep trying and doing
17:58
Speaker 13: your best and don't situations get you down and just
18:04
Speaker 13: keep going. That's my best at best, I mean, because
18:09
Speaker 13: have you done. I can't really give a big main
18:14
Speaker 13: point because every person is different, every disabled person is different,
18:18
Speaker 13: So there's no concrete answer because everyone deals with things
18:24
Speaker 13: a different way or handfle and you know, different disabilities
18:26
Speaker 13: different so varias of the disability. So there's no clear answer.
18:31
Speaker 13: It's just for your situation. As long as you do
18:36
Speaker 13: your best and do the best you can, you'll you'll
18:40
Speaker 13: get through whatever hardships you have.
18:43
Speaker 2: One thousand person Keenan Gandhi is his name. He's my
18:49
Speaker 2: longtime pal from HBS and Queen's College. Did you find
18:54
Speaker 2: Queen's College was accessible? Did you like that accessibility they
18:58
Speaker 2: had there?
18:59
Speaker 14: Yeah?
18:59
Speaker 13: I mean yeah, I mean that's why it was part
19:03
Speaker 13: of the uh what was that really part of the
19:08
Speaker 13: disability office?
19:09
Speaker 15: Now?
19:10
Speaker 13: It's just actually it was because of you, because remember
19:13
Speaker 13: when I first got my list of classes, I showed
19:17
Speaker 13: you my schedule and you helped me figure out where all.
19:20
Speaker 9: My classes were and that was fun. And then we
19:23
Speaker 9: dormed together for a year, which was also an experience
19:28
Speaker 9: and a half.
19:30
Speaker 13: August pointing out to May thirteen, and then you graduated,
19:34
Speaker 13: and then I dormed with Vishaal, our roommate, and then Liam,
19:40
Speaker 13: who was interesting, let's just leave it that, and then
19:44
Speaker 13: I and then I graduated like literally a year after you,
19:49
Speaker 13: but it was literally a year after you.
19:53
Speaker 9: And I know you're working at the museum, and I
19:57
Speaker 9: know that you get a lot of the letters from
20:00
Speaker 9: people saying how you've been able to help them, and
20:03
Speaker 9: I know those letters make you feel good, But what
20:06
Speaker 9: what's your goal at that at the Aviah Media? What
20:09
Speaker 9: do you want to do?
20:10
Speaker 13: Then there's there's the reasons I started in the museum
20:15
Speaker 13: in the first place, because you know as well as
20:19
Speaker 13: I do that there was no chance for me to teach.
20:21
Speaker 13: Did not want to become professor professor, didn't want to
20:24
Speaker 13: go from my master's because I didn't want to teach,
20:26
Speaker 13: not that I have anything against going Brodasters. I spent
20:29
Speaker 13: five years in school, three years at NASA, and then
20:33
Speaker 13: two years year and a half at Queens. So by
20:36
Speaker 13: the time I was done, I was done. So the museum,
20:41
Speaker 13: because of my background being history more specifically American industry,
20:48
Speaker 13: actually a good experience go for my resume, and I
20:53
Speaker 13: learned more historical things along with the aviation sides, because
20:57
Speaker 13: and this is my volunteered four guys coming out and
21:00
Speaker 13: I can do that before it. But when you when
21:05
Speaker 13: I started with the museum, yes there was a history
21:09
Speaker 13: part of it, but I had no idea that the
21:12
Speaker 13: aviation side of Long Island was huge, and I mean huge.
21:18
Speaker 13: There was Mitchell Field, Rosevelt Field, there was something else
21:22
Speaker 13: that I don't remember which is really said, but Long
21:27
Speaker 13: Island was huge when it comes to history, and the
21:30
Speaker 13: Wright brothers started here, you know what you know Mitchell
21:34
Speaker 13: food was a big thing, the Golden Age was and
21:38
Speaker 13: flight was a huge and when you start volunteering there
21:41
Speaker 13: you learn that things you had no idea. I mean,
21:45
Speaker 13: look at this. White people who live all of Long
21:47
Speaker 13: Islands comes to that museum all the time and they
21:53
Speaker 13: meet the dolphins, including me depending on who it is.
21:59
Speaker 16: Uh there.
22:01
Speaker 13: Even though they lived on Long Island for god knows
22:04
Speaker 13: how long, they still have no idea. They still have
22:08
Speaker 13: no idea that aviation on Long Island was massive, that
22:15
Speaker 13: it was a lot of things happened. But that's when
22:18
Speaker 13: they come to us and we have to explain to them.
22:21
Speaker 13: They're like, oh wow, really, I'm like yep. So, I
22:26
Speaker 13: mean it was like it was like that for me
22:28
Speaker 13: when I first started the mixigan what twenty fourteen and
22:33
Speaker 13: twenty or six years, so twenty twenty one or seven
22:37
Speaker 13: years now now I know I've done. I've been there
22:41
Speaker 13: for seven years.
22:42
Speaker 2: Kudos to Keenan for celebrating ten years at Cradle of Aviation.
22:46
Speaker 2: He just celebrated that yesterday as well. Class of nine
22:50
Speaker 2: represented right there. How about someone who is connected to
22:56
Speaker 2: Viscardi School because he helps get kids into college and
23:00
Speaker 2: actually signs them onto the Qunity Adaptive wheel your basketball team,
23:04
Speaker 2: Ryan Martin and the impact Viscardi and Quney Adaptive had
23:07
Speaker 2: had and empowering kids with disabilities and high school graduates
23:12
Speaker 2: with disabilities growing up around coaches like Chris Bacon and
23:16
Speaker 2: Joe Salonica. I mean, I've seen them really support this program.
23:20
Speaker 2: What's I mean to have the coaches, you know, your
23:23
Speaker 2: peers support and actually sort of become a pipeline for
23:26
Speaker 2: kids that may be leaving you know, maybe graduate high
23:29
Speaker 2: school one springing into the college scene.
23:32
Speaker 10: In the fall. I mean, what's that like to be
23:33
Speaker 10: a pipeline.
23:34
Speaker 2: For these coaches and for these kids that want to
23:36
Speaker 2: have a career wacher basketball after high school.
23:39
Speaker 7: You know, it's great.
23:41
Speaker 17: I think everybody understands, you know, that the larger picture
23:45
Speaker 17: that's you know, this opportunity provides individuals with disabilities as
23:50
Speaker 17: far as you know, being able to use basketball to
23:54
Speaker 17: get their education and all of those sort of things.
23:57
Speaker 7: So I think it's really critical to.
24:01
Speaker 17: You know, for everybody to you know, want those same
24:04
Speaker 17: things right.
24:05
Speaker 7: And so I think the junior coaches.
24:07
Speaker 17: In the in the area, you know, ultimately want the
24:10
Speaker 17: best for their athletes long term, whether that means they
24:13
Speaker 17: come to play Acuniti or they go play at another
24:15
Speaker 17: university or just end up going to school. I think
24:18
Speaker 17: it's something we can all get back behind on. And
24:22
Speaker 17: you know, those of us who are in this community
24:24
Speaker 17: understand the value proposition of adaptive sports, you know, brings
24:29
Speaker 17: multiple facets from like a health and wellness, from an
24:32
Speaker 17: employment perspective, from a quality of life perspective, and I
24:36
Speaker 17: think anybody who works with young people, whether they're disabled
24:39
Speaker 17: or not, can support those long term notions and visions
24:43
Speaker 17: for those folks.
24:47
Speaker 18: Ran.
24:47
Speaker 2: What I honestly loved about this when I first got
24:50
Speaker 2: involved with you guys in covering your guys is that
24:53
Speaker 2: as kids, we had the we had to basketball program
24:55
Speaker 2: at Viscardi and then it was sort of the that
24:58
Speaker 2: was it. And I feel like this is opening a
25:00
Speaker 2: world that maybe kids who think of a day to
25:03
Speaker 2: day wherever they're at now don't realize we're they're in
25:06
Speaker 2: the new show up and it's got to be like wow,
25:08
Speaker 2: a doors opening here.
25:10
Speaker 7: Sure, Yeah, no, I agreed. I think it's uh, I
25:17
Speaker 7: think that's the hope, right And.
25:19
Speaker 17: I think long term, you know, I hope that we
25:22
Speaker 17: can see this program being a fixture within the you know,
25:26
Speaker 17: within the city, within the university, and then.
25:28
Speaker 7: Just the disabled community as general. You know, I think, uh.
25:34
Speaker 17: It's it's really hard to compete in today's economy, you know,
25:38
Speaker 17: without the best education and all of that sort of stuff.
25:41
Speaker 17: And I think the benefit for a individual from New
25:45
Speaker 17: York to stay and go to school at QUNI is
25:47
Speaker 17: more cost affordable, you know, and so being able to
25:50
Speaker 17: access that education, you know, at a good institution and
25:54
Speaker 17: then being able to you know, play the sport that
25:57
Speaker 17: you grew up and you love to play and you
26:00
Speaker 17: want to play your whole life is I think it's
26:02
Speaker 17: really critical and so hopefully hopefully this is a small
26:07
Speaker 17: step each day and towards that ultimate goal there.
26:10
Speaker 19: Did you feel like you had the chance to live
26:11
Speaker 19: out this dream of going from you know, playing as
26:16
Speaker 19: a kid into into college or is this something that
26:19
Speaker 19: you kind of wish you had growth you know, growing up,
26:21
Speaker 19: if you will, from teenager in the twenties and whatnot.
26:25
Speaker 17: Yeah, I mean for me, like I've I've had a
26:27
Speaker 17: really you know, awesome opportunity to you know, playing alleys,
26:32
Speaker 17: play professionally, come back and win some NWBA championships with
26:36
Speaker 17: the Knicks, and you know, as a kid, this was
26:38
Speaker 17: beyond my wildiest stream, right.
26:40
Speaker 7: Just because you know, there was very I.
26:43
Speaker 17: Think there was maybe a few schools that were doing
26:45
Speaker 17: like adaptive sports at the collegiate level at the time,
26:48
Speaker 17: and so now that that number has continued to increase,
26:51
Speaker 17: and I think you see you know, growth at the
26:54
Speaker 17: adaptive sports movement, you know, throughout the country, you know,
26:57
Speaker 17: in large part to you know, the Paralympic games and
27:00
Speaker 17: the media attention that draws and.
27:02
Speaker 7: The trickle down effect of that attention.
27:05
Speaker 17: And so I think right now, you know, a kid
27:08
Speaker 17: with the disability can see like, oh, I can go
27:10
Speaker 17: to college and play a sport and then I can
27:12
Speaker 17: go to Europe and then I can represent my country
27:15
Speaker 17: and I can win medals, and you know, I can
27:17
Speaker 17: do this and I can do that, which I think
27:19
Speaker 17: is really a powerful tool of representation that I don't
27:23
Speaker 17: think existed when I was growing up. But I really
27:27
Speaker 17: can't complain about my journey. I think the sport gave
27:29
Speaker 17: me more individually than I can ever give back to others.
27:33
Speaker 17: But hopefully I can kind of even the score at.
27:35
Speaker 7: Some point here.
27:36
Speaker 2: Two alumnus from not only Viscartny but CuNi, Malki and Destiny,
27:41
Speaker 2: also joined me during that QUNIA Adaptive Wheelchair Basketball run.
27:45
Speaker 2: Well to end this month of college basketball. I mean,
27:49
Speaker 2: we had the tournament and I kind of want to
27:51
Speaker 2: put a bow on it by bringing on the two
27:53
Speaker 2: main folks that you mentioned that you might have heard
27:56
Speaker 2: a lot about my CuNi Adaptive conversations with Ryan and
28:00
Speaker 2: Martin malket Sing and Destiny Murray, the ogs from the
28:05
Speaker 2: HVS years are on me right now to recap not
28:09
Speaker 2: only Texas but the first year of Kutie Adapters Wheelchair
28:13
Speaker 2: Basketball and h guys welcome on to my podcast.
28:18
Speaker 16: So, uh, talk to me.
28:20
Speaker 2: What was that trip to Texas like first of all,
28:24
Speaker 2: so one thing I.
28:25
Speaker 20: Could say it was a good experience to actually have
28:29
Speaker 20: the opportunity as a new program to go down to show.
28:33
Speaker 21: Up our program, to play against different teams and see
28:38
Speaker 21: the different levels.
28:39
Speaker 20: There is and what we have to do as a
28:41
Speaker 20: team to come back and be strong with so like
28:47
Speaker 20: learn new skills and you know, be ready for stronger competition.
28:54
Speaker 10: And Malki yep add on today.
28:57
Speaker 22: Actually it shows us. It give us the opportunity to
29:01
Speaker 22: show where we where we're at first year program and
29:07
Speaker 22: hopefully like we could have done better like overall given
29:11
Speaker 22: the experienced players we have, but I think we did
29:15
Speaker 22: pretty much a good actual soul of the job to
29:19
Speaker 22: show that we're a.
29:22
Speaker 10: Good team that can make progress.
29:24
Speaker 2: All right, I've got to ask you this because not
29:26
Speaker 2: only did you guys make an impact at the Qunity
29:30
Speaker 2: level and the national level, but.
29:33
Speaker 10: I think it hits home with Viscardia.
29:35
Speaker 2: I'm hoping that that influences kids coming out of a
29:38
Speaker 2: Scardi to join CuNi Adaptive.
29:40
Speaker 10: Is that in the works at all?
29:42
Speaker 2: Can you guys elaborate on that at all?
29:46
Speaker 13: For me?
29:46
Speaker 21: I would say yes, because now that Viscardi has this
29:51
Speaker 21: new program.
29:53
Speaker 18: It gives more opportunity for them to see because we're
29:59
Speaker 18: being an avatar and with our coach, you know, going
30:03
Speaker 18: out talking more about the new program.
30:07
Speaker 23: It can help.
30:09
Speaker 2: Like when.
30:12
Speaker 24: Some of the kids say, oh, they want to go
30:14
Speaker 24: to school to play ball, they know exactly which schools
30:17
Speaker 24: to apply to so they could come and play for
30:20
Speaker 24: our program.
30:23
Speaker 9: But yeah, how about you monkey?
30:26
Speaker 10: What what are you hearing?
30:28
Speaker 22: Yeah, I can agree with that what Destiny said, but
30:31
Speaker 22: it can give us Like usually a lot of kids, uh,
30:36
Speaker 22: I think that just playing at viscardiover the end of
30:39
Speaker 22: it or but now they have a dictual option to
30:43
Speaker 22: take it further. And even if they don't come to CUNY,
30:47
Speaker 22: they can see like the team that we played against
30:50
Speaker 22: gives them options for colleges as well out of state.
30:53
Speaker 22: There's a lot of kids like usually I had to
30:56
Speaker 22: go out of state for school, so it gives them
30:58
Speaker 22: out of options as well.
31:00
Speaker 2: All right, this was the first year, as we've been
31:02
Speaker 2: talking about basically all the time here on this podcast,
31:04
Speaker 2: and it really isn't though, because this was formed pre pandemic.
31:08
Speaker 2: Pandemic hits. So Destiny as someone who I could say
31:12
Speaker 2: was the creator of all of this, I mean, you
31:14
Speaker 2: brought the vein of Viscardi into CuNi with this idea.
31:19
Speaker 2: Are you how impressed are you that you guys all
31:22
Speaker 2: messed at the right time just out of a pandemic.
31:25
Speaker 2: It's it's quite remarkable if you think about it.
31:28
Speaker 25: Yes, it is.
31:29
Speaker 21: To be honest, I did not think the program would
31:32
Speaker 21: have made it this far, because, like I said, it
31:36
Speaker 21: was just an idea that was on the table already.
31:40
Speaker 21: But I was basically this spoke person for it, and
31:43
Speaker 21: that was something that I enjoyed playing at Viscarti.
31:47
Speaker 24: And you know, everyone in my family.
31:50
Speaker 26: Is a ballplayer.
31:51
Speaker 21: So for me to go to college and the college
31:54
Speaker 21: that I.
31:54
Speaker 15: Was in, which is Hostals Community College, is known for
31:58
Speaker 15: their basketball team to not have.
32:03
Speaker 21: Disabled or a wheelchair basketball.
32:06
Speaker 18: Team for people with disability, I felt some.
32:10
Speaker 24: Guy away, so it's just like, you know, I want
32:12
Speaker 24: to play, and they were just like the coach.
32:14
Speaker 21: That I spoke to was like, oh, I don't want
32:17
Speaker 21: to hurt your feelings, but you know our basketball team
32:19
Speaker 21: is for ablebody and no, it's not an answer to me.
32:23
Speaker 21: So that was my opportunity to take that note and turn.
32:27
Speaker 2: Into a yes.
32:28
Speaker 15: And now we have the curunity wheelchair basketball team, and
32:31
Speaker 15: after graduating from Viscardi, I didn't think that there was
32:36
Speaker 15: going to be a program that I could continue to
32:39
Speaker 15: play ball, and I had stopped playing ball for two
32:42
Speaker 15: years and then, like I knew there were programs, but
32:46
Speaker 15: I didn't know like how to go about to tap.
32:51
Speaker 27: Into the program to join or sign up.
32:56
Speaker 2: How about you, Moki, just does it open your eyes
32:58
Speaker 2: at all? I mean, I know you went to Edinburgh.
33:00
Speaker 22: But so actually I was kind of opposite because while
33:04
Speaker 22: I was playing at the Scarty, I was actually playing
33:09
Speaker 22: for a travel team known as the Loot of Lightning
33:12
Speaker 22: currently known as the New York Own Furry. So while
33:18
Speaker 22: planning Auverstol is kind of like a recreational level for
33:20
Speaker 22: me because Fur, the Lightning Fury team, was already prepping
33:27
Speaker 22: us for college level.
33:29
Speaker 21: On a collegiate level.
33:30
Speaker 22: Basketball from playing there. Like good, I already knew about Edinburgh.
33:38
Speaker 22: I was actually trying to get to go to Illinois
33:42
Speaker 22: since the eighth grade bart. I mean, I think it
33:45
Speaker 22: was a tangive plan for me, but yeah, but I
33:47
Speaker 22: knew knowledge wise, I knew about these programs from the
33:51
Speaker 22: from them.
33:52
Speaker 2: What impact do you want to leave behind?
33:55
Speaker 20: Is you?
33:55
Speaker 2: When you do move on to to the world outside of.
33:59
Speaker 26: QUT adaptive speaking on behalf of the girls.
34:02
Speaker 21: Since we only have five girls, three of us were new.
34:06
Speaker 26: Well four of us were new to the team.
34:09
Speaker 21: I honestly feel like we are gonna make it.
34:14
Speaker 13: With this program.
34:15
Speaker 21: One thing I can say is that I would want
34:18
Speaker 21: this program to still be you know, out there for
34:22
Speaker 21: us as community students and coming students.
34:26
Speaker 27: Even for like.
34:27
Speaker 21: When we graduate, we could come back and recruit, like
34:30
Speaker 21: help with recruiting.
34:33
Speaker 10: It gives us an opportunity.
34:34
Speaker 21: To you know, speak more on our program and be
34:39
Speaker 21: advertised more.
34:40
Speaker 22: Yeah, being like a student with the disability as well,
34:43
Speaker 22: like in a state like New York where there's people
34:48
Speaker 22: with disabilities all over, it actually gave us the opportunity
34:54
Speaker 22: like that they show that there's a whole program that's
34:57
Speaker 22: actually supportive. Motivates us so want to be here and
35:03
Speaker 22: I actually impact the program. I have to have a
35:06
Speaker 22: solid future.
35:07
Speaker 2: Funt Well my first guest officially of the One Leg
35:20
Speaker 2: Up with Alex Garrett podcast. She has a leg up
35:23
Speaker 2: on the campus of Queen's College as the chair for
35:27
Speaker 2: now I believe the third straight year, second straight year
35:30
Speaker 2: and you might know her from the Henry Viscarti School.
35:33
Speaker 2: She's alumnus of both HBS and now Queen's College. I
35:36
Speaker 2: can't believe I'm saying that. I feel like it is yesterday.
35:39
Speaker 2: We all grew up in that school. But Jessica Delonza,
35:41
Speaker 2: Holy cow, when did time fly?
35:44
Speaker 25: Firstly, I feel like they just started HBS and now
35:49
Speaker 25: I already graduated college.
35:51
Speaker 2: But you do have a leg up on that campus
35:53
Speaker 2: as the chair, So talk to us about that firstly,
35:55
Speaker 2: because I know we're hitting the fall. So what does
35:58
Speaker 2: it mean to be the chair? And as a reminder,
36:01
Speaker 2: you're now a chair heading into your graduate program.
36:03
Speaker 10: I'm not mistake.
36:05
Speaker 25: Yes, So I've been in the chair for two years now.
36:09
Speaker 25: Since so since twenty twenty, my first year, I didn't
36:14
Speaker 25: have time to do anything on campus. You know, with
36:19
Speaker 25: COVID we're gonna have impression events. But what I did
36:24
Speaker 25: my first year was more of advocating for students, whether
36:28
Speaker 25: they needed accommodations or just anything getting around campus on
36:35
Speaker 25: nice passes. But my main job is basically advocating for
36:40
Speaker 25: disabled students on campus, hosting inclusion events on campus. So
36:47
Speaker 25: the semester, we have a lot of events coming up
36:52
Speaker 25: on campus, just highlighting different disabilities. Our first event is
37:00
Speaker 25: actually for people who are hard of hearing. Okay, very
37:06
Speaker 25: different events relating to different visibilities.
37:09
Speaker 10: Well, you know, let's talk about your story.
37:12
Speaker 2: For me, maybe those who are just joining us for
37:14
Speaker 2: the first time may not know who Jessica the.
37:16
Speaker 10: Lines of is. I'm kind of talking as if you
37:18
Speaker 10: the community already knows you.
37:19
Speaker 2: But for those who don't, talk to us about how
37:22
Speaker 2: you got to HBS and then the Queen's College and
37:25
Speaker 2: and sort of the things you had to overcome an
37:27
Speaker 2: obstacles that you've powered through.
37:29
Speaker 10: Literally you're in year out.
37:33
Speaker 25: Sure, I started HBS when I was five, so I
37:36
Speaker 25: went there from kindergartian to twelveth grade. It definitely was
37:41
Speaker 25: a great experience. You know, coming from HBS, we're kind
37:48
Speaker 25: of put in a bubble, So transitioning from HBS to
37:52
Speaker 25: college was a bit rough for me. But I definitely
37:55
Speaker 25: wouldn't want to change mine demic proth. I think going
38:01
Speaker 25: to age with was a great opportunity. I mean, so
38:04
Speaker 25: many friends, met so many amazing people. I just said,
38:10
Speaker 25: I just graduated from Queen's College. I got my bachelor's
38:15
Speaker 25: in psychology and now I'm studying grad school. Actually, next
38:19
Speaker 25: week I will be starting grad school to become an
38:23
Speaker 25: elementary school teacher.
38:25
Speaker 10: Grateful.
38:27
Speaker 2: Now, I know your parents are very close to you,
38:29
Speaker 2: So how proud of they they even got to see
38:31
Speaker 2: graduate high school in college.
38:33
Speaker 10: I mean, tell us about that for a second.
38:35
Speaker 25: Definitely really proud. I'm the only one that graduated college,
38:39
Speaker 25: so they're extremely proud that I was able to graduate
38:44
Speaker 25: and do what I wanted to do.
38:50
Speaker 2: Sure, well, you know Jess is very social, so to
38:53
Speaker 2: become the chair is not a surprise. But tell us
38:55
Speaker 2: about that integration into campus, because let's be honest, it
38:59
Speaker 2: feels like Queen's College. As much as we love it,
39:00
Speaker 2: as much as we're proud alumnus there, if you're not involved,
39:04
Speaker 2: you may not.
39:04
Speaker 10: Be able to.
39:06
Speaker 2: Be social because that's kind of like involvement or bust,
39:08
Speaker 2: you know. So how did you get integrated and involved?
39:11
Speaker 2: And of course with CDs as well.
39:14
Speaker 25: So before I joined the CDs, I was not really
39:18
Speaker 25: sociable on campus. It was still learning campus, and I
39:23
Speaker 25: was really shy at first, you know, coming from HBS,
39:26
Speaker 25: a small school that now going to such a big
39:29
Speaker 25: school and large campus. It definitely was a rough transition
39:34
Speaker 25: with them. I met someone at CDs and they were like, hey,
39:40
Speaker 25: we need a new board. Do you want to join
39:43
Speaker 25: the board? And everyone I was like, that seems like
39:47
Speaker 25: a lot. Maybe I should start, you know, maybe secretary
39:51
Speaker 25: or vice president. And they were like, no, we want
39:54
Speaker 25: to have your vice president.
39:55
Speaker 27: Wow.
39:56
Speaker 25: I was like, well, so I thought about it, and
40:03
Speaker 25: I ran an election. I think, you know, I might
40:05
Speaker 25: as well try to run for president. It's like, I'm
40:08
Speaker 25: probably not going to get it because nobody knows me
40:10
Speaker 25: on campus, you know, but I was shocked I got it.
40:16
Speaker 25: And as I said, this is my second year.
40:21
Speaker 2: Are you are you a Queen's Resident? Like have you
40:23
Speaker 2: even lived in Queen's your whole life?
40:25
Speaker 27: For?
40:25
Speaker 2: Yes, I live, and you're very You speak your mind
40:31
Speaker 2: almost like a Queen's resident does.
40:33
Speaker 10: So does that help.
40:34
Speaker 2: You gain in that world, in the college world, Like
40:38
Speaker 2: the fact that you're able to just speak what's on
40:40
Speaker 2: your mind?
40:40
Speaker 10: Does that help you?
40:42
Speaker 25: Yes? Definitely. I mean Queen's College is great, but it
40:45
Speaker 25: definitely has its fault So I'm definitely advocating for what
40:51
Speaker 25: I need. Now I'm able to do that for other
40:54
Speaker 25: students as well.
40:56
Speaker 2: Now I think we can both say it's amazing how
40:58
Speaker 2: small the world can be from Viscardi to Queen's College,
41:02
Speaker 2: especially because that's the only one I really knew. But
41:04
Speaker 2: there it's like everybody knows each other from both campuses,
41:08
Speaker 2: don't they?
41:09
Speaker 25: Yes, pretty much. I mean you went to Queen's College.
41:13
Speaker 25: There's a couple other alumni own, but you would be
41:17
Speaker 25: surprised there's not many disabled people as I thought.
41:21
Speaker 2: You know, you know, do you have a stat on that?
41:23
Speaker 2: I mean, as president, I'm sure you have statistics and whatnot.
41:25
Speaker 10: So was there a stat that you have?
41:28
Speaker 25: I cringe your members, Well, that's mixing in with alumni,
41:33
Speaker 25: so I don't have a stat on I'm a disabled
41:36
Speaker 25: per se. And also our organization not everyone joins as well,
41:42
Speaker 25: so there are more disabled students on campus.
41:47
Speaker 2: Well, let me ask you about that, because obviously I
41:49
Speaker 2: always thought that CBS they were always out in the community.
41:52
Speaker 2: But you can take this beyond just the walls of
41:54
Speaker 2: Queen's College, and I think that's a spark that they needed.
41:57
Speaker 10: So how have you done that?
41:58
Speaker 2: Because you just said you're in a social yet I
42:02
Speaker 2: feel like you're encouraging kids who may not want to
42:04
Speaker 2: be involved to get involved.
42:07
Speaker 25: I think it's definitely hard, Like I said, I started
42:10
Speaker 25: once COVID hit, but it's definitely hard to get people
42:14
Speaker 25: to be involved. We just hide a barbecue event where
42:19
Speaker 25: we brought all the campuses involved, and that seems to
42:24
Speaker 25: be a good kickoff for the semester. So I'm hoping
42:27
Speaker 25: everyone said that it was one of the best barbecues
42:30
Speaker 25: in a while, so I'm hoping that really brings all
42:33
Speaker 25: the campuses together, you know, even in the chair of
42:38
Speaker 25: Queen's College. But I still work with you know, other campuses,
42:42
Speaker 25: and well they run things to see how.
42:44
Speaker 2: We can, so you take trips over to different campuses
42:48
Speaker 2: to see no.
42:52
Speaker 25: Unfortunately no, like I said, I started with COVID, So.
42:56
Speaker 10: Yeah, well, I guess we're raising back into it all right.
42:59
Speaker 2: I also know that Viscardi gave you a lot over
43:02
Speaker 2: the years, so touch on that as a Viscardi illness
43:05
Speaker 2: as well.
43:09
Speaker 25: Coming from Riscardi, you know, they teach us how to
43:11
Speaker 25: advocate for ourselves, which has helped me in Queen's College.
43:17
Speaker 25: But I think it was a lot harder than I
43:21
Speaker 25: thought to transition from Viscardi, just because everything was handed
43:26
Speaker 25: to us. You know.
43:28
Speaker 2: Well, I remember the first week of college alone, it
43:31
Speaker 2: was like whoa I'm kind of by myself now, or
43:33
Speaker 2: like your parents are out working and you just gotta
43:36
Speaker 2: take care of shait yourself, if I may say, Yeah,
43:40
Speaker 2: So did you get overwhelmed right away? Did you kind
43:43
Speaker 2: of ease into what was the adapting like?
43:47
Speaker 25: First day? I was definitely overwhelmed. I remember looking since
43:52
Speaker 25: you go to Queen's College, you would know, but between
43:54
Speaker 25: Kylie and powder Maker Hall, I remember sitting in the
43:57
Speaker 25: middle of those two buildings and I was looking out
44:00
Speaker 25: at the quad, which is the main part of the campus,
44:05
Speaker 25: and I was trying to find as many wheelchairs as
44:07
Speaker 25: I could because I remember going in and I was
44:10
Speaker 25: saying to myself, I don't see any wheelchairs.
44:14
Speaker 10: All was so.
44:15
Speaker 25: Weird, you know, coming from Viscarti, you see so many
44:19
Speaker 25: wheelchairs every day you feel like you belong. And I
44:22
Speaker 25: remember just not really fitting in at first. You know,
44:27
Speaker 25: I didn't have many friends my first year at all.
44:31
Speaker 25: It's really hard. But now I definitely have friends. You know,
44:35
Speaker 25: I made friends. I tried to push myself to join clubs,
44:39
Speaker 25: you know, my friends and CDs has helped me as well,
44:43
Speaker 25: because you know, now I'm forced to talk to people
44:46
Speaker 25: and talk to other clubs.
44:48
Speaker 2: And maybe well one of your favorite clubs on campus.
44:51
Speaker 2: I mean, I don't know what's been there since I left.
44:53
Speaker 2: I graduated nine years ago. Jeez, I can't even say it.
44:58
Speaker 2: But since I graduate, I don't know what's changed club
45:02
Speaker 2: life wise. I mean, I think they still have some
45:04
Speaker 2: kind of radio there, but I could be wrong. But
45:06
Speaker 2: what clubs have you been immersed in in addition to CDs.
45:09
Speaker 25: I really work closely with the Student Association. Okay, so
45:14
Speaker 25: I made a lot of friends to.
45:16
Speaker 2: There, so you know, like it's that con and those
45:19
Speaker 2: folks even though they kind of graduated, but they were
45:23
Speaker 2: they sort of went into essay my last year, and
45:26
Speaker 2: you know, it was kind of a whole political thing.
45:28
Speaker 2: It is amazing that Queen's clubs can get political. So
45:31
Speaker 2: do you try and say out of that side of things?
45:33
Speaker 6: There was.
45:35
Speaker 25: Yeah, I try to not get involved. I do some
45:40
Speaker 25: of the budgeting too for the organization, so that gets
45:44
Speaker 25: a little political. But I mean, I'm trying to stay
45:47
Speaker 25: out of it. I'm not really into that.
45:49
Speaker 2: So sure, Yeah, I know it used to be the
45:52
Speaker 2: last week of April, first week of May was crazy
45:55
Speaker 2: with election. We kind of know that's the same there now,
45:57
Speaker 2: But that's yeah, so that's still the same. That's kind
46:00
Speaker 2: of good that that didn't change. All right, what about
46:03
Speaker 2: adaptive sports? Obviously, now we've got quniye adapter, we've got
46:06
Speaker 2: wheelchair basketball on campus and a CDs. I mean, and
46:11
Speaker 2: as assume that was on the Viscardi basketball team by
46:15
Speaker 2: the way, for years. How does that make you feel
46:18
Speaker 2: to see it hit the college life and are you
46:21
Speaker 2: going to become like a sort of a I don't
46:23
Speaker 2: know if it's legal to say, a recruiter, but you know,
46:25
Speaker 2: someone to encourage. Hey, if you want to play, you
46:27
Speaker 2: should join up with this program.
46:30
Speaker 25: Yes, I mean, I love playing basketball, but unfortunately the
46:34
Speaker 25: Counity basketball team does not have you know, it was
46:38
Speaker 25: started they had a two foot or four foot so
46:41
Speaker 25: the Caunie basketball team they only have I think it's
46:44
Speaker 25: a ten foot or a twelve foot.
46:48
Speaker 15: Only.
46:48
Speaker 25: I can't play, but I did watch one game last
46:52
Speaker 25: year which made me really jealous because of all I
46:55
Speaker 25: wanted to do is go back on the court and play.
46:58
Speaker 2: Well, tell about that, because I think went from like
47:02
Speaker 2: really straight through into the final year of your year
47:04
Speaker 2: in high school.
47:05
Speaker 25: Right, Yes, I played on the team for three years. Yeah,
47:10
Speaker 25: I stopped senior year and it miss it so much.
47:14
Speaker 25: Now they have alumni one, but un fortunately I can't
47:17
Speaker 25: go to that one because I've been Queen. It's so
47:20
Speaker 25: hard to get to Long Island.
47:22
Speaker 2: Well, hopefully that that gets fixed, but I know that
47:25
Speaker 2: that was one of your things.
47:26
Speaker 10: I remember as we're talking.
47:28
Speaker 2: I kind of remember that now more so then we
47:30
Speaker 2: were talking on a messenger about this. I'm like, oh, yeah,
47:32
Speaker 2: she played basketball, so then to get her take on. Okay,
47:35
Speaker 2: but from the CDs standpoint, do they encourage kids to
47:39
Speaker 2: try and join or is their involvement?
47:41
Speaker 10: Is our connection there?
47:45
Speaker 25: So we haven't worked closely with them. Actually, I'm planned
47:49
Speaker 25: to a lot more this semester and I want to
47:52
Speaker 25: check you if we could get to the Scardi basketball
47:54
Speaker 25: team to come out and play. I need to contact
47:59
Speaker 25: Ryan about that.
48:00
Speaker 2: But yeah, Ryan's great and he's connected both with Fiscardi
48:04
Speaker 2: and Queen's and Kenny and by the Ada Queen's College
48:07
Speaker 2: Rob Twiba, who got me my start basically there at
48:10
Speaker 2: the athletics department.
48:12
Speaker 10: Like, yeah, I'm going to Ryan's wedding. I'm like, who
48:14
Speaker 10: doesn't Ryan know?
48:15
Speaker 2: Right? He knows a lot of people, you know a
48:17
Speaker 2: lot of people all right, we're making a lot of
48:20
Speaker 2: people's ears ring today with this conversation, that's for sure.
48:23
Speaker 2: And my next the next person I want to talk
48:24
Speaker 2: about is Chris Rosa because obviously we both do from
48:29
Speaker 2: the Queen's College days and now he's president of the SCARTI.
48:32
Speaker 2: I mean, what a bridge. And let's be honest, I
48:35
Speaker 2: feel like there wasn't that bridge to the college life
48:38
Speaker 2: when we were there. You know, Now there's finally that bridge.
48:41
Speaker 25: Yes, I hope he connects more with colleges. That way
48:48
Speaker 25: the students can get more opportunities. As you said, we
48:52
Speaker 25: weren't miss started. There wasn't really any connection with colleges.
48:55
Speaker 27: You know what.
48:58
Speaker 25: Senior year, actually I took a college course that ms Cardi, So.
49:02
Speaker 2: I guess they were starting to bring that around too
49:05
Speaker 2: a little bit, which is great. How was that balancing
49:08
Speaker 2: a college course and your regular school workload?
49:13
Speaker 25: It wasn't it too bad? I had a really good teacher.
49:17
Speaker 10: What was it too well?
49:19
Speaker 2: You know that's William Webuscardi is. They do have a
49:22
Speaker 2: good workload for us growing in, growing up, right, So
49:26
Speaker 2: it just seemed like the workload increased in college. I
49:28
Speaker 2: don't know, that's just how it seemed in mind view?
49:30
Speaker 26: How about you?
49:32
Speaker 25: Definitely and definitely increased. I was shocked it increased and
49:38
Speaker 25: got a lot harder than I thought. My first year
49:41
Speaker 25: I was, you know, was juggling a bit to adjust,
49:45
Speaker 25: but I did it.
49:47
Speaker 10: Yeah, he did.
49:47
Speaker 2: Now, talk about your and I know both communities want
49:51
Speaker 2: to hear about this.
49:52
Speaker 10: Talk about your post graduate life. You're going to go
49:54
Speaker 10: for your master's now.
49:56
Speaker 25: Yes, sir, master's program at Queen's Car to be elementary
50:02
Speaker 25: school teacher grades one through six and then hopefully go
50:08
Speaker 25: back to college to be an administration.
50:11
Speaker 2: Do you feel like are the accommodations getting better or
50:15
Speaker 2: are there different accommodations in master's program compared to undergrad.
50:20
Speaker 25: It seems to be the same.
50:22
Speaker 10: Okay.
50:23
Speaker 25: I don't know if it's because I already went to
50:26
Speaker 25: Queen so everything just pretty much carries over.
50:32
Speaker 2: How's your I don't know if you want to go
50:34
Speaker 2: into this, but how is your health? I know that
50:36
Speaker 2: you know, we all kind of check up on each
50:37
Speaker 2: other with our health. How is your health doing?
50:41
Speaker 25: Pretty good? Lely, I haven't had surgery in a long time,
50:45
Speaker 25: which is good. I'm just trying to maintain my health
50:49
Speaker 25: school and work.
50:52
Speaker 2: That's uh, that is quite daunting when you get, you know,
50:55
Speaker 2: the nine to five kind of feel when you on campus,
50:58
Speaker 2: Like what are the hours you're there the semester.
51:02
Speaker 25: I'm on campus on Tuesdays and thirty Thursdays from four
51:06
Speaker 25: thirty to nine, So unfortunately have a late schedule this.
51:11
Speaker 2: Semester, which may not be a bad thing, and then
51:14
Speaker 2: you can work the rest of it from home kind
51:15
Speaker 2: of right, So with the CDs and whatnot.
51:18
Speaker 25: Yes, very cool person on CDs.
51:22
Speaker 2: Okay, well, I know Charmaine over there and everybody, you know,
51:26
Speaker 2: I'm sure gravitates toward you, not just because you're the chair,
51:30
Speaker 2: because you're a really good person. So I'm sure you
51:32
Speaker 2: get a lot of people gravitating toward you on that campus.
51:34
Speaker 10: You know, Were you used to that kind of thing?
51:38
Speaker 2: Because you said you were you were in a social
51:39
Speaker 2: so were you used to people gravitating or what?
51:43
Speaker 25: Well, I mean, I'm a starty. I was involved a
51:45
Speaker 25: lot with different clubs and stuff. You know, I was
51:49
Speaker 25: a miscardy ambassador counselor for a long time, so it's
51:58
Speaker 25: used to it. But there was you know, a year
52:00
Speaker 25: or two get where I wasn't really involved in anything
52:04
Speaker 25: but it took me a little while to adjust, you know.
52:06
Speaker 2: And well when you think of this, you know, of
52:11
Speaker 2: going back to talk to the kids that are there, now,
52:15
Speaker 2: what would your message be? Or have you gotten the
52:17
Speaker 2: chance to talk to kids at Poscarti that are are
52:19
Speaker 2: going through high school right now?
52:23
Speaker 27: I've talked to some.
52:24
Speaker 25: I still hope some of them what their essays are,
52:28
Speaker 25: figuring out what college they want to But I think
52:32
Speaker 25: if I needed to say something, I let's say, do
52:36
Speaker 25: what you want to do? You know, tol other people
52:39
Speaker 25: tell you where to go or what to do. Do
52:42
Speaker 25: what makes you happy with you? Not to do in
52:45
Speaker 25: doo't let anyone tell you know, oh, maybe go to
52:48
Speaker 25: a community college and maybe start out as a job.
52:51
Speaker 25: If you want to go to a your go to
52:53
Speaker 25: for you, you know, you want to go to community
52:56
Speaker 25: go to a community. If you want a dorm, dorm,
53:00
Speaker 25: you know. I think that's a big thing that a
53:03
Speaker 25: lot of people say, Oh like dah and dorn. You
53:05
Speaker 25: know it's gonna be so hard. But if you want
53:08
Speaker 25: to dorm, door don't want that?
53:12
Speaker 2: So would you ever consider dorming at the Summit? I
53:14
Speaker 2: mean you're in Queen, So that's that's a bit of a.
53:17
Speaker 25: None no waste money.
53:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, I want to Were you ever considering out of
53:24
Speaker 2: out of the borough, out of the state even or was.
53:28
Speaker 25: Queen's College was my number one choice to go to.
53:33
Speaker 25: I don't want to go to n y U. But
53:36
Speaker 25: it's kind of far from.
53:38
Speaker 2: A house, so it's kind of like on eighth Street
53:41
Speaker 2: in the city, I believe.
53:42
Speaker 10: Or something like that. So it's a bit of a trick.
53:45
Speaker 2: But you know, I know that Queen's offers incredible grab program,
53:48
Speaker 2: so I think you're gonna do really well there.
53:50
Speaker 10: And uh, what got you into teaching?
53:52
Speaker 2: Was it the teachers at Viscardi What what brought you
53:54
Speaker 2: into this realm?
53:56
Speaker 25: Have man teachers have Viscartian. When I was in high school,
54:00
Speaker 25: I used to valenteer the younger grades. So just volunteering
54:06
Speaker 25: and helping them made me realize that's exactly what I
54:10
Speaker 25: want to do.
54:11
Speaker 2: I kind of remember that that was like a click
54:13
Speaker 2: for you at the beginning, right working.
54:14
Speaker 10: With the kids. Yes, well, last time Imer we were
54:18
Speaker 10: it was at sportsight.
54:19
Speaker 2: We were also at the same table that had be
54:21
Speaker 2: like six seven years ago, and boyd things have changed
54:24
Speaker 2: since then, you know, But tell me, well, yeah, sports
54:30
Speaker 2: and of course played a big role in both of
54:32
Speaker 2: our lives. But tell me about the connections after school, Like,
54:35
Speaker 2: are you still in touch with your class, with your classmates,
54:37
Speaker 2: with your friends?
54:38
Speaker 10: What's that like?
54:40
Speaker 25: I think I've maintained a lot of the connections. Of
54:44
Speaker 25: course I lost some. You know, you just grow up.
54:48
Speaker 25: Your life gets in the way. I still talk to
54:52
Speaker 25: some people with some teachers. No, you know doctor Rose
54:56
Speaker 25: is there.
54:57
Speaker 10: Yeah, love him, He's great.
55:01
Speaker 25: I think definitely now maybe more involved with you know,
55:05
Speaker 25: hbs and connecting what.
55:08
Speaker 2: I can't let this one go without this little speech
55:13
Speaker 2: from Max Gold, who we always honor today and every day,
55:18
Speaker 2: and I want to bring that to your attention. It's
55:20
Speaker 2: his best man's speech from Jake's wedding and I got
55:23
Speaker 2: to replay here on the Alex Gartt podcast network for
55:26
Speaker 2: a DA day.
55:27
Speaker 28: Those who don't know me, I'm Max's youngest bro in
55:31
Speaker 28: the nest.
55:32
Speaker 29: I've always done speeches for.
55:34
Speaker 28: Fundraisers and now I'm doing my first best man's speech.
55:47
Speaker 29: He is quite the hunk.
55:52
Speaker 28: Most best man's featured are known to Rose de Groom
55:55
Speaker 28: completely make fun.
55:57
Speaker 6: And embarrassed hell out of.
56:02
Speaker 26: I'm not going to do that tonight.
56:05
Speaker 28: Instead, I'm going to focus on all the great and
56:08
Speaker 28: amazing quality that Jake has.
56:12
Speaker 29: Like, no, just kidding. At the beginning, Jake and I
56:33
Speaker 29: had a typical.
56:34
Speaker 28: Bunterly relationshift, jealously, resentment, and fights.
56:44
Speaker 29: For example, we would figure back and forth on what
56:47
Speaker 29: to watch on TV.
56:49
Speaker 28: We would negotiate at times, and sometimes I'd win if
56:53
Speaker 28: and only if there were no sports sports we waited
56:58
Speaker 28: shows on. So typically, Jake has always been an ovidiated soul,
57:09
Speaker 28: sharing his passion and police generals.
57:12
Speaker 29: So you with others.
57:15
Speaker 28: For those who don't know, Jake's major as an undergrad
57:19
Speaker 28: was history and political science.
57:22
Speaker 29: Who knows we could have had a gold house.
57:26
Speaker 28: Instead of a white house, and we still may. Many
57:38
Speaker 28: people here today know that Jake's finest attributes are his sensitivity, kindness,
57:44
Speaker 28: and concerned others. He's always He's always been like that
57:51
Speaker 28: to me as a brother, getting involved with its freshman
57:54
Speaker 28: activity it's like wheelchair backtball can't bang her and taking
57:58
Speaker 28: me on vacation every year. Over time, Jake realizes he
58:06
Speaker 28: can use his unique and personal experiences to his advantage
58:11
Speaker 28: in helping others.
58:13
Speaker 29: As you will know, Jake is a nurse.
58:16
Speaker 28: He uses his heart to get his patience one big
58:20
Speaker 28: thing that is needed during some of the hardest moments
58:23
Speaker 28: in life compassion. Not only do they use his knowledge
58:29
Speaker 28: of science and medicine to heal, he has an ability
58:35
Speaker 28: to provide DLSC and instill.
58:38
Speaker 30: Confidence that they are in good hands and will get better.
58:47
Speaker 30: The combination of being opinionated and compassionate has sometimes resulted
58:54
Speaker 30: in Jake and I getting into trouble with authority figures
59:00
Speaker 30: and places like airport terminals and the Sonia Museum.
59:07
Speaker 6: What going.
59:07
Speaker 31: We never ended up in jail, but there were several
59:12
Speaker 31: There were several wife lessons that served as a driving
59:17
Speaker 31: force in teaching me and teaching me to stick up
59:21
Speaker 31: forever myself and push and push me to overcome obstacles
59:26
Speaker 31: in life. So, Ali, you couldn't have fallen in love
59:34
Speaker 31: with Jake for his good looks and his personality. I'm
59:40
Speaker 31: thinking you fell in love with Jake for the overflow
59:43
Speaker 31: of beautiful heart as compassionate and carrying his cheek had
59:50
Speaker 31: been with me if patient that were I patients at
59:54
Speaker 31: work and especially without family, too thick.
59:58
Speaker 28: And thin, he will the he will always be this
1:00:02
Speaker 28: way with you. I see the way he looks at you,
1:00:08
Speaker 28: and I know that you that you will received all
1:00:13
Speaker 28: of that type of passion and more. You are truly
1:00:17
Speaker 28: a lucky woman and I couldn't be happier to call
1:00:21
Speaker 28: you my sister in law.
1:00:24
Speaker 29: To Jake and out.
1:00:29
Speaker 2: And if we're gonna include Max, we have to include
1:00:32
Speaker 2: Danny Boyce, the man who why would say new Max best?
1:00:36
Speaker 2: Danny're gonna ask you this, where does doctor Henry Viscardi
1:00:39
Speaker 2: uh land in the history lesson?
1:00:42
Speaker 10: Because I know he was very instrumental, and not only.
1:00:45
Speaker 2: The Viscardi Center in fifty two, the Viscardi School in
1:00:48
Speaker 2: sixty two, and then you know the rest is history.
1:00:52
Speaker 2: But he was instrumental in Washington as well, getting the
1:00:55
Speaker 2: ADA you know, completed and signed.
1:00:58
Speaker 10: I mean, he was part of that whole process.
1:01:00
Speaker 32: In nineteen forty two, he was an American Chorus volunteer
1:01:09
Speaker 32: and he trained hundreds of soldiers with disabilities to use
1:01:14
Speaker 32: the prosthetic name. His work Walter Read Army Medical Center
1:01:22
Speaker 32: in DC drew the attention of Howard Watts and Eleanor
1:01:29
Speaker 32: was bound who first protested when Viscardi program was terminated
1:01:37
Speaker 32: by right across So.
1:01:39
Speaker 2: That you taught me something there about nineteen forty I
1:01:41
Speaker 2: did not know, So thank you for.
1:01:43
Speaker 27: That whole history lesson.
1:01:44
Speaker 2: That's why we're going to tune to our Human Transformer
1:01:48
Speaker 2: underscore ninety YEP. Now, obviously you know the community, you know,
1:01:54
Speaker 2: you know the Wiscardi community and whatnot, and in the
1:01:58
Speaker 2: history books are very close. Friend, Max Gold should go
1:02:02
Speaker 2: down as someone that transformed the Smithsonian.
1:02:04
Speaker 10: I mean what he.
1:02:05
Speaker 33: Did was was really epic actually because he and his
1:02:11
Speaker 33: brother was, Yeah, that was amazing.
1:02:18
Speaker 32: He yeah, he stud the Smithsonian because they weren't letting
1:02:26
Speaker 32: him go on one of the flight simulators because he
1:02:33
Speaker 32: he couldn't use the good funnel because the UNI has
1:02:41
Speaker 32: the one play. But his brother tried to you know,
1:02:50
Speaker 32: help him out, like getting him out of his chair
1:02:54
Speaker 32: and uh trying to get him into the uh fight
1:03:00
Speaker 32: with him.
1:03:02
Speaker 27: No, so.
1:03:04
Speaker 32: His brother can use the pedal foot pedals while Max
1:03:09
Speaker 32: does the hand controls. But some staff father from the Smithsonian,
1:03:19
Speaker 32: so of this and uh pretty much yeod at the
1:03:23
Speaker 32: boss of them to stop and get back in his chair,
1:03:29
Speaker 32: and both Max and Jake we're arguing with a couple
1:03:37
Speaker 32: of the staff and basically told them they can they
1:03:42
Speaker 32: can assue them for discrimination and they won.
1:03:48
Speaker 26: In the end, Danny, I'm sure this is a very
1:03:53
Speaker 26: different month because.
1:03:54
Speaker 2: Max was always involved with the fier accessibility. But has
1:04:00
Speaker 2: his loss affected you this month? I mean, are you?
1:04:02
Speaker 2: Are you feeling it a lot this month maybe than
1:04:05
Speaker 2: other months.
1:04:05
Speaker 32: If you will, Yeah, just because well, bad situation, but
1:04:15
Speaker 32: also because I know every year this month he would
1:04:20
Speaker 32: actually go to the New York City Disability Prime Month
1:04:25
Speaker 32: Ride and he would always invite me, but for one
1:04:33
Speaker 32: reason or another, I wouldn't be able to.
1:04:37
Speaker 2: So yeah, your research, I know, iBOT rights and accessibility,
1:04:42
Speaker 2: what about job rights? What about employment? What about people
1:04:46
Speaker 2: disabilities working? What did your research find there?
1:04:51
Speaker 32: That started in the sixties and seventies seventies.
1:05:01
Speaker 29: With the.
1:05:03
Speaker 2: We had.
1:05:06
Speaker 26: We have been a Teaching.
1:05:07
Speaker 32: Act of seventy three. I believe where they cling discriminate
1:05:18
Speaker 32: against the disabilities we wanted to work and get paid
1:05:27
Speaker 32: as equals.
1:05:30
Speaker 2: How do we forward that mission of the nineteen seventy
1:05:33
Speaker 2: three Act by telling even Washington or already, Hey, just
1:05:38
Speaker 2: because someone needs services doesn't mean they shouldn't be limited
1:05:42
Speaker 2: two amount of funds they get. I mean you've seen it,
1:05:44
Speaker 2: You've heard from friends and and maybe the other family.
1:05:47
Speaker 2: How how tough that is, So, how do we get
1:05:49
Speaker 2: this message to those that be that can change laws
1:05:53
Speaker 2: and say, well, you know, it shouldn't be one thousand
1:05:55
Speaker 2: dollars or a five hundred dollars cap on what you
1:05:58
Speaker 2: make outside of your service. So that's bis to me.
1:06:02
Speaker 32: The first thing that we uh to do is we
1:06:10
Speaker 32: need to get the right people in office that are
1:06:16
Speaker 32: supportive of giving me a d a safe and from
1:06:28
Speaker 32: not from being rolled back. And also the palers social media, right,
1:06:40
Speaker 32: that's that's really the biggest when they get get the
1:06:47
Speaker 32: uh word out is social media.
1:06:50
Speaker 2: We can say that you've been disabled your whole life, right, Danny.
1:06:54
Speaker 2: So yeah, this this research though, did this give you
1:06:58
Speaker 2: an appreciation even more for those that have sort of
1:07:01
Speaker 2: trail blazed away for the twenty twenty three generation of
1:07:05
Speaker 2: pay with disabilities to thrive and and and work towards
1:07:08
Speaker 2: something bigger in this country?
1:07:10
Speaker 32: Oh definitely.
1:07:14
Speaker 21: Yeah.
1:07:15
Speaker 32: Like I said, I was born two months before the
1:07:18
Speaker 32: AVA was two months after the AVA was point into laws.
1:07:24
Speaker 32: So I am very very grateful for everyone who lobbied
1:07:31
Speaker 32: and protested to get this lot into into lack juny
1:07:38
Speaker 32: human and round.
1:07:40
Speaker 29: Get around, I get it around, Yeah, get around, I
1:07:45
Speaker 29: get around.
1:07:59
Speaker 14: Driving One World Radio in nine point five at them
1:08:02
Speaker 14: Bush Radio, Cape Town, South Africa, eighty eight points of
1:08:05
Speaker 14: an FM, w Archie Radio House University.
1:08:07
Speaker 34: I'm Andy Gladding and today on One World I'm joined
1:08:10
Speaker 34: by two very special guests at Eric Ryan, the founder
1:08:14
Speaker 34: of the company Tripper, along with Alex Garrett from the
1:08:17
Speaker 34: One Leg Up podcast.
1:08:19
Speaker 1: Both gentlemen are unique in that they.
1:08:21
Speaker 14: Advocate for folks with I guess, Alex, we've had you
1:08:25
Speaker 14: on the show before.
1:08:26
Speaker 1: What do we talk about? We talk about your advocating
1:08:29
Speaker 1: for folks with the disabilities.
1:08:31
Speaker 10: And ability issues. Yeah, and well exactly.
1:08:33
Speaker 2: And the thing is we've talked about this before, Andy,
1:08:36
Speaker 2: and things for having us on is the fact that
1:08:39
Speaker 2: Long Island is very you know, it's almost like a
1:08:43
Speaker 2: desert of accessibility out there. So there's a big void
1:08:47
Speaker 2: where people with disabilities can't really travel on their own
1:08:50
Speaker 2: to have one place to another. And I'm sure our
1:08:53
Speaker 2: guest today, Eric Ryan, experienced the whole able ride situation
1:08:57
Speaker 2: and even you know, maybe in the city access to
1:09:00
Speaker 2: ride and saw how messed up those funded by the
1:09:04
Speaker 2: way taxpayer funded organizations are when it comes helping disabilities.
1:09:08
Speaker 10: So Eric took it upon.
1:09:09
Speaker 2: Himself and created an accessibility transport a company called tripp
1:09:13
Speaker 2: Or Eric.
1:09:14
Speaker 10: I'm so glad you're on with us today.
1:09:16
Speaker 35: Yeah, thank you for having me on, and I appreciate
1:09:18
Speaker 35: it how he is doing.
1:09:20
Speaker 2: We're doing good? Now, Am I right in this that
1:09:23
Speaker 2: you sort of saw the shortcomings of a ball and
1:09:25
Speaker 2: accessor ride and said we're going to do something for
1:09:28
Speaker 2: the disabled community that no one else has been able.
1:09:30
Speaker 35: To do exactly. Well, what happened was I did not
1:09:34
Speaker 35: have my own personal vehicle before, like the age of fifteen,
1:09:38
Speaker 35: so I was reliant on scat bus, accessor ride and
1:09:43
Speaker 35: back then, even in the city, there was nothing other
1:09:46
Speaker 35: than public transportation. And I mean, you have tax payer
1:09:50
Speaker 35: dollars going to this program that they say is you know,
1:09:53
Speaker 35: made for the physically disabled. And I mean you were
1:09:57
Speaker 35: lucky if you could get a ride to show up
1:09:59
Speaker 35: on time, let alone more than once a week. So
1:10:03
Speaker 35: it definitely was an issue. So I figured, you know,
1:10:07
Speaker 35: now that I have my own transportation, you know, a
1:10:09
Speaker 35: full time job, I was able to go to family events, weddings,
1:10:14
Speaker 35: I figured, why can't you know, everybody have that opportunity.
1:10:17
Speaker 35: So we last year we launched Tripper.
1:10:21
Speaker 14: Now tell us a little about Tripper. Eric, we talked
1:10:23
Speaker 14: about this is a service. Now, is this an app
1:10:26
Speaker 14: based service? Is it something that's bringing a community of
1:10:28
Speaker 14: people that want to help together. Give us a little
1:10:30
Speaker 14: description about what Tripper is and how it works.
1:10:32
Speaker 35: Ideally, in the next I would say three to five years,
1:10:35
Speaker 35: I'd love for there to be an app that would
1:10:37
Speaker 35: allow people to do it. But this is all grassroots,
1:10:40
Speaker 35: self funded, along with doing some fundraising. So right now,
1:10:45
Speaker 35: do have a website where people can go on and
1:10:48
Speaker 35: book a request for a trip, and then it comes
1:10:51
Speaker 35: to myself or my business partner and you know, will
1:10:54
Speaker 35: confirm if the van is available or not. Ideally, though, yeah,
1:10:59
Speaker 35: we would love to have a app at some point.
1:11:03
Speaker 35: What we do is we do offer twenty four to
1:11:05
Speaker 35: seven transportation, so I think pretty much uber. The only
1:11:10
Speaker 35: thing is, obviously, because we're such a small company right now,
1:11:13
Speaker 35: the sooner we know of the trip that's being requested,
1:11:17
Speaker 35: the better. But if somebody is available, a driver is
1:11:20
Speaker 35: available and able to do the ride, we accept up
1:11:24
Speaker 35: to the minute booking requests.
1:11:27
Speaker 2: You know, Andy, it's great you're having this conversation because
1:11:29
Speaker 2: a lot of our alumni that graduated the Henry Viscardi School,
1:11:32
Speaker 2: which Eric and I did graduate from, are at Hobsterra
1:11:35
Speaker 2: So anybody listening at Hopstra, this is an HBS alumni
1:11:38
Speaker 2: right here, Eric Ryan making a difference in the community.
1:11:41
Speaker 2: I mean, I know you love being attached to that
1:11:43
Speaker 2: school and that center. Tell us something special that happened
1:11:47
Speaker 2: thanks to the Viscardi Center's support of your work, Eric.
1:11:52
Speaker 35: Oh, absolutely so they have. I think they started it
1:11:54
Speaker 35: last year, but they have an a program called Idea
1:11:58
Speaker 35: Spark where it's an eight week program. You go two
1:12:01
Speaker 35: days a week via zoom and you start working on
1:12:05
Speaker 35: your quote unquote idea. For me, I was already halfway
1:12:11
Speaker 35: into you know, our business, so they were helping me
1:12:14
Speaker 35: able to build a business plan. They got me more
1:12:17
Speaker 35: focused on how to attack the problem that we had,
1:12:20
Speaker 35: and then I presented the company to three judges at
1:12:25
Speaker 35: Ionia University and we were able to win first place,
1:12:29
Speaker 35: which was a four thousand dollars grant. Ironically we had
1:12:35
Speaker 35: I'm there explaining how there isn't a lot of accessibility options,
1:12:40
Speaker 35: especially in the state of New York and more like
1:12:44
Speaker 35: the rural areas like Rochester, Long Island, Albany, Syracuse. The
1:12:49
Speaker 35: CEO of Hennyvis starting stool. His van actually wrote down
1:12:55
Speaker 35: while I was leaving the competition, and we were lucky
1:12:59
Speaker 35: enough to see him before we left, so we got
1:13:03
Speaker 35: him home to Queen's and he was able to tow
1:13:06
Speaker 35: his van at a later date. But without us, the
1:13:09
Speaker 35: irony is he would have been stuck there. Honestly, I
1:13:14
Speaker 35: don't know how you wad owm.
1:13:15
Speaker 1: And this is the CEO of the school.
1:13:17
Speaker 14: So if a guy who's in a leadership position is
1:13:19
Speaker 14: having an accessibility issue and a transportation problem, it sounds
1:13:24
Speaker 14: like what you've got going on here is a pretty
1:13:27
Speaker 14: fresh idea. I love this. Now, as an entrepreneur, what
1:13:32
Speaker 14: kinds of things are you looking for to help expand
1:13:34
Speaker 14: your company? I mean, obviously there's a lot of logistics here,
1:13:37
Speaker 14: and the technology doesn't it currently exists to do GPS
1:13:40
Speaker 14: locating and piggybacking off of a different ride share platform framework.
1:13:45
Speaker 14: But what do you need a tripper to kind of
1:13:46
Speaker 14: get the ball rolling here? What do you see your
1:13:48
Speaker 14: company requiring?
1:13:50
Speaker 35: So these two major things that we would need assistance
1:13:53
Speaker 35: in is number one, funding of a fleet right now.
1:13:58
Speaker 35: We were very lucky we had somebody donate a van
1:14:02
Speaker 35: to us it's not on the road yet, but where
1:14:04
Speaker 35: we're a few weeks away, that'll put us at two
1:14:07
Speaker 35: vans for our fleet. Now I do contract two drivers
1:14:13
Speaker 35: in the city, but ideally I'd like to have my
1:14:16
Speaker 35: own Tripper drivers where you know, I can dispatch them
1:14:21
Speaker 35: whenever someone asks. Funding is a major issue because those
1:14:24
Speaker 35: new vans are about thirty five to sixty thousand each.
1:14:30
Speaker 35: The other thing that I would definitely, you know, we're
1:14:33
Speaker 35: trying to get assistance with is marketing. Getting the road
1:14:37
Speaker 35: out there, because as people hear about us, they don't
1:14:41
Speaker 35: stop using us. It's just getting the name out there
1:14:44
Speaker 35: is the biggest thing.
1:14:46
Speaker 14: How many customers are active daily users? Would you say
1:14:48
Speaker 14: you have right now using Tripper?
1:14:50
Speaker 35: I would say within the last two months, we've definitely
1:14:52
Speaker 35: see a spike. If I had to give an estimate,
1:14:55
Speaker 35: anywhere between three to six trips a week, which is
1:14:59
Speaker 35: four times the we've had in you know, other than
1:15:02
Speaker 35: the last two months. Their first year was probably one
1:15:05
Speaker 35: to two trips a week. And then once we you know,
1:15:09
Speaker 35: once I won the competition and was able to use
1:15:12
Speaker 35: some of the funds to start marketing, we saw an uptake.
1:15:15
Speaker 14: That's wonderful, and you know, getting the word out there
1:15:18
Speaker 14: is really important. How many folks would you say in
1:15:20
Speaker 14: just say Nasau County would need a service like this.
1:15:24
Speaker 1: I mean, obviously, I know Henriga Scarti.
1:15:26
Speaker 14: School has a terrific legacy of servicing your community, and
1:15:32
Speaker 14: I know there's a lot of folks that attend that
1:15:34
Speaker 14: school and benefit from its resources. But outside of just
1:15:37
Speaker 14: that that particular location, I mean, how many folks would
1:15:40
Speaker 14: say in Nasa County would benefit from a service like
1:15:42
Speaker 14: trip or what's your potential customer base?
1:15:44
Speaker 35: At cessar Ide did seven hundred thousand trips in the
1:15:48
Speaker 35: year twenty twenty three. We did a survey in Nasau
1:15:53
Speaker 35: County with about fifty people, and pretty much the overwhelming
1:15:58
Speaker 35: message was there unreliable and super unsafe. Like you'll have
1:16:04
Speaker 35: situations where somebody will call to get to a job
1:16:07
Speaker 35: interview and the pickup time is ten o'clock and if
1:16:12
Speaker 35: you're not out by ten oh five, they'll leave you.
1:16:15
Speaker 35: And the issue is, let's say you have a disability
1:16:18
Speaker 35: and you have a problem. You know, Oh, I got
1:16:20
Speaker 35: to get my shoe on. It's taken a little bit
1:16:21
Speaker 35: longer than you you are, Oh, I need to use
1:16:23
Speaker 35: the bathroom. Really quick. They will leave you and they
1:16:25
Speaker 35: will not come back. So I would say pretty much
1:16:28
Speaker 35: anybody that uses STAT or is it you know in
1:16:31
Speaker 35: a wheel chair, has a disability, good use tripper and
1:16:35
Speaker 35: definitely benefit Andy.
1:16:36
Speaker 10: I got to tell you a story.
1:16:37
Speaker 2: This is also a pretty affordable group because Eric, you
1:16:42
Speaker 2: know the story I told you the other day, and Andy,
1:16:45
Speaker 2: you might want to unmut yourself because this is a
1:16:46
Speaker 2: mind blowing stat I had paid four hundred dollars to
1:16:50
Speaker 2: get Gaby and I to an event and that last
1:16:52
Speaker 2: year at Ducks City four hundred. Well, you know it
1:16:56
Speaker 2: was relatively affordable utilizing Eric, you know, service tripper. And
1:17:02
Speaker 2: I'm wondering, Eric, how you were able to be that
1:17:05
Speaker 2: affordable And you were like, WHOA, that's a rip that
1:17:07
Speaker 2: you got last year, So tell us what that was
1:17:10
Speaker 2: hearing that story, Yeah, I had to be honest with you.
1:17:13
Speaker 35: My personal opinion is all the government funded or tax
1:17:19
Speaker 35: payer funded programs aren't incentivized to face the problem because
1:17:23
Speaker 35: they have their budget that they're getting one way or
1:17:26
Speaker 35: the other. And then you have the other companies who
1:17:29
Speaker 35: you have people who aren't disabled who are making decisions
1:17:33
Speaker 35: on They're like, yeah, it prosts us at this amount
1:17:35
Speaker 35: of Dallas y at a van and we don't have
1:17:38
Speaker 35: you know, we don't market to the disabled community, so
1:17:41
Speaker 35: we'll charge an exorbitant amount of money because if they
1:17:45
Speaker 35: want to go to that last minute wedding from date, whatever,
1:17:49
Speaker 35: what are their choices either don't go or pay four
1:17:52
Speaker 35: hundred dollars. I have to be honest with you, as
1:17:54
Speaker 35: somebody who's as independent as I am, if you took
1:17:57
Speaker 35: my van away and Tripper wasn't around, I'd probably hey,
1:18:00
Speaker 35: the four hundred US. I don't want to miss out
1:18:02
Speaker 35: on these you know, events, these life events. But I
1:18:05
Speaker 35: think that is the issue. They don't you don't have somebody.
1:18:08
Speaker 35: I've been through it as somebody who didn't have my
1:18:11
Speaker 35: own transportation, and I don't know. I can say it's
1:18:14
Speaker 35: distustinery you tell me that story, I can't believe. It
1:18:17
Speaker 35: is pretty crazy.
1:18:18
Speaker 27: Now.
1:18:19
Speaker 14: One thing, I'm listening to this and I'm kind of
1:18:20
Speaker 14: thinking about something. You obviously have a van for your
1:18:24
Speaker 14: for yourself, and you're obviously able to be mobile and
1:18:26
Speaker 14: do what you got to do. How many drivers would
1:18:29
Speaker 14: you say? Are are other folks that have disabilities but
1:18:33
Speaker 14: have vans that are equipped to handle other people? Could
1:18:36
Speaker 14: this be like a ride shift thing where you bring
1:18:38
Speaker 14: in and I can actually employ other drivers with disabilities
1:18:41
Speaker 14: to help the disabled community.
1:18:43
Speaker 1: Is that a possibility.
1:18:44
Speaker 35: That's honestly exactly what we were one of the models
1:18:47
Speaker 35: we were looking at. Like, for example, I have two
1:18:50
Speaker 35: people and now even though there Uber is bigger in
1:18:54
Speaker 35: the Five boroughs, so it's not as big of a need.
1:18:57
Speaker 35: I do have contracted unning queens and one in Manhattan
1:19:02
Speaker 35: and the Bronx. They drive for Uber, but they also
1:19:07
Speaker 35: I contract them as stripper drivers and they use their vans.
1:19:12
Speaker 35: The benefit of that is, you know, they already have
1:19:15
Speaker 35: their insurance, their Class E licensed driver, so I just
1:19:19
Speaker 35: have to find them the rights. So that is one
1:19:21
Speaker 35: of the models that we're using right now.
1:19:23
Speaker 1: Actually, that's really cool.
1:19:25
Speaker 14: I love that because that's demonstrating a community that's helping
1:19:29
Speaker 14: essentially its own community.
1:19:31
Speaker 35: Yeah, one of our ideas is that you'll have I
1:19:34
Speaker 35: think the biggest issue with the Zaber Communitee in general
1:19:38
Speaker 35: is we struggle with one of the biggest issues. We
1:19:40
Speaker 35: struggle with finding employment because people, for whatever reason, the
1:19:45
Speaker 35: reason doesn't really matter, for several reasons, don't want to
1:19:48
Speaker 35: take the chance on employing somebody because of all the
1:19:51
Speaker 35: problems that they perceived may happen. So one of our
1:19:55
Speaker 35: ideas is, you have a bunch of families that have
1:19:58
Speaker 35: personal vans that they or you know, they use for
1:20:01
Speaker 35: the occasional outing. Well, what if that that child or
1:20:06
Speaker 35: that young adult they sometime track their van and they're
1:20:12
Speaker 35: able to make a slight income by the Obviously they
1:20:16
Speaker 35: wouldn't share their van. They'd be able to hire a
1:20:18
Speaker 35: driver and kind of run their own van business using
1:20:23
Speaker 35: Tripper as like the hub defined customers. It gives them
1:20:28
Speaker 35: a sense of purpose of running their own mini transportation company.
1:20:32
Speaker 35: They're able to contribute, and everyone is able to make
1:20:35
Speaker 35: the couruity a little bit better.
1:20:37
Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, this is Uh, this is a really great
1:20:39
Speaker 1: idea that you have.
1:20:40
Speaker 14: I think this there's a lot of merit to this,
1:20:42
Speaker 14: and it's wonderful that we can use the power of
1:20:44
Speaker 14: our radio platform to get the message out because what
1:20:46
Speaker 14: you're doing here is beneficial not only to the consumer,
1:20:49
Speaker 14: but to people that would want to work for it.
1:20:51
Speaker 1: Tell us a little b about these vans when you're
1:20:53
Speaker 1: you know, because.
1:20:54
Speaker 14: I'm pretty familiar with this being a being a car
1:20:57
Speaker 14: guy and also being friends with Alex and you know,
1:20:59
Speaker 14: he tells me his stories about getting around and what
1:21:03
Speaker 14: the needs of the community are. But for people that
1:21:05
Speaker 14: don't know, what is it like an eightya or an
1:21:07
Speaker 14: accessible van need to have in it for the community
1:21:10
Speaker 14: to be able to get where they need to go
1:21:12
Speaker 14: and be safe and comfortable, especially the less too safe
1:21:15
Speaker 14: and comfort.
1:21:17
Speaker 35: Sure, so most of the vans, I would say ninety
1:21:19
Speaker 35: nine percent of them are rear entry vans, meaning the
1:21:22
Speaker 35: ramp comes out of the back of the van. They
1:21:26
Speaker 35: have four tie downs so you're able to safely secure
1:21:30
Speaker 35: the wheelchair or the scooter and other than that, as
1:21:35
Speaker 35: long as it's say, you know, inspected vehicle, that's like
1:21:40
Speaker 35: any other vehicle, it's it's pretty good to go. You
1:21:43
Speaker 35: just need to have the conversion, which it would automatically
1:21:45
Speaker 35: come from the manufacturer.
1:21:48
Speaker 27: You know.
1:21:48
Speaker 14: Wow, I'm just thinking about this and in my mind,
1:21:50
Speaker 14: I'm picturing you and your girlfriend excuse me, your fiance,
1:21:54
Speaker 14: Gabby going to a Parker. Is there like an eighty
1:21:57
Speaker 14: eight compliant limo company out there that has like like
1:22:01
Speaker 14: lights in it, like a party vans that kind of
1:22:02
Speaker 14: thing exists, because I think that'd be so cool.
1:22:05
Speaker 2: If you know what's right now, yeah, because I don't
1:22:08
Speaker 2: know of any right now. And you know what's funny,
1:22:10
Speaker 2: I do think on Prom night there were a couple
1:22:13
Speaker 2: of folks that were trying to do something like that
1:22:15
Speaker 2: maybe during your prom night to Eric, But it's just
1:22:18
Speaker 2: it's very difficult to find a service that would cater
1:22:20
Speaker 2: to that. That's why I think Eric craid this to
1:22:23
Speaker 2: be that fancy group, right, and not even a car service,
1:22:27
Speaker 2: because you guys are a family, not just a car service, right,
1:22:30
Speaker 2: And I feel like you treat everybody that works with.
1:22:32
Speaker 10: You, Eric as family, and that's a big part of
1:22:34
Speaker 10: what your gut going on over there.
1:22:37
Speaker 35: Yeah, it's not really a company would be there. We're building,
1:22:39
Speaker 35: you know, a community with the same goals and you know,
1:22:43
Speaker 35: ideas to achieve what we're trying to do. I will
1:22:46
Speaker 35: tell you that was part of our our pitch in
1:22:50
Speaker 35: an idea. Spark was offering not only transportation to like
1:22:55
Speaker 35: on the day to day, but big events like vineyards
1:22:58
Speaker 35: out east, weddings, prom night that I remember when I
1:23:02
Speaker 35: was in high school, me and my friends I wanted
1:23:04
Speaker 35: to van to go into the city after prom, but
1:23:07
Speaker 35: they don't have those, which is a problem. But you know,
1:23:11
Speaker 35: we're working on you know, one day at a time,
1:23:14
Speaker 35: but we're working out facing that.
1:23:16
Speaker 2: Eric, I want to ask you this, and Andy d
1:23:18
Speaker 2: asks about the entrepreneur, but I want to ask about
1:23:20
Speaker 2: it from being in the yber community and disabled as well.
1:23:24
Speaker 2: When we see some others in the community that aren't
1:23:27
Speaker 2: willing to work or something like that, and it's frustrating
1:23:29
Speaker 2: and the government actually limits the ability to work. How
1:23:32
Speaker 2: do you, you know, inspire people to get what would
1:23:36
Speaker 2: you say to get people?
1:23:37
Speaker 35: You know, I loved them their.
1:23:39
Speaker 2: Bootshops and get to work like it can happen in
1:23:41
Speaker 2: the example community. We just have to enhance that message more, right,
1:23:45
Speaker 2: you know what.
1:23:45
Speaker 35: The problem is. And you all have like people at
1:23:48
Speaker 35: the Social Security Department who also here's the irony. You
1:23:53
Speaker 35: have all everyone that's working in this field or in
1:23:56
Speaker 35: this demographic, and I would say most of them aren't
1:24:00
Speaker 35: disabled or living on social security. That's the irony. And
1:24:04
Speaker 35: so like for example, myself, I'm on what's told the
1:24:07
Speaker 35: Medicaid buying program that allowed that hires my threshold for
1:24:12
Speaker 35: what I'm allowed to make a year and allows me
1:24:14
Speaker 35: to keep my Medicaid benefits. Well, it took me two
1:24:18
Speaker 35: years for someone to stop saying no, you can't do that.
1:24:22
Speaker 35: To find the right person saying oh, yeah, we have
1:24:24
Speaker 35: the medicaid buying program, We've had it for ten years.
1:24:27
Speaker 35: It's like, well, I've been asking only for the last
1:24:29
Speaker 35: two years. So honestly, it's just educate, you know, try
1:24:32
Speaker 35: to educate yourself the best you can. And honestly, ye
1:24:36
Speaker 35: may be a service that Tripper would want to get into,
1:24:39
Speaker 35: not you know, helping people be more aware of what
1:24:42
Speaker 35: is the options to then, because I don't think the
1:24:45
Speaker 35: issue is disabled people don't want to work. I think
1:24:47
Speaker 35: they've just been so incentivized to not even incentivize. But
1:24:51
Speaker 35: there's so much red tape where I can't really blame
1:24:55
Speaker 35: someone for saying this isn't worth it, because number one,
1:24:58
Speaker 35: you see, as we're talking, how is to get out
1:25:01
Speaker 35: one day? Imagine you're going to Social Security and like
1:25:04
Speaker 35: come back tomorrow to do this and instead of a
1:25:06
Speaker 35: meeting in three weeks to do this, it's almost impossible.
1:25:09
Speaker 2: Right, And we had that companation in the car, you know,
1:25:11
Speaker 2: it's it's it's a process. Now, Andy, I gotta say
1:25:14
Speaker 2: Eric did take a bit of a risk starrying this
1:25:17
Speaker 2: to make his own money, because we learned that I
1:25:19
Speaker 2: done went into it, Eric, but that was that seemed
1:25:21
Speaker 2: like a risk? Did you feel like it was a
1:25:23
Speaker 2: risk or was it like, Okay, I know I'm not
1:25:25
Speaker 2: doing this for the services are.
1:25:26
Speaker 35: Not so I knew I was doing it regardless, but
1:25:29
Speaker 35: it was definitely a risk. I mean, it's still a
1:25:31
Speaker 35: risk right now. We're in the incubation stage in my opinion. Yes,
1:25:35
Speaker 35: we're doing great in my I mean I don't want
1:25:37
Speaker 35: to understand what we're doing, but this is there's still
1:25:41
Speaker 35: a lot to be done. So it's it was a
1:25:43
Speaker 35: major risk, and you know it's still the risk, but
1:25:46
Speaker 35: somebody you got to do it. And let's be honest,
1:25:48
Speaker 35: it's it's kind of crazy that it's taken to twenty
1:25:52
Speaker 35: twenty four for this to happen. But I figured out
1:25:56
Speaker 35: why not.
1:25:57
Speaker 14: One of the things would just say you have to
1:25:58
Speaker 14: do in order to tape to grow here. When you're
1:26:02
Speaker 14: looking for this from a business standpoint, what are your
1:26:03
Speaker 14: what are your near term and mid term goals to
1:26:05
Speaker 14: really make trip or fly?
1:26:07
Speaker 35: So I definitely want to hire at least one or
1:26:10
Speaker 35: two more drivers on staff because one of the end
1:26:14
Speaker 35: obviously get at least one or two more vehicles. One
1:26:18
Speaker 35: of the biggest issues is I only have one full
1:26:23
Speaker 35: time driver that's on on island and the other two
1:26:27
Speaker 35: live in the city. So you know, one person can't
1:26:29
Speaker 35: do twenty four hour driving, so if they have a
1:26:32
Speaker 35: family event or something else is going on, I have
1:26:35
Speaker 35: to unfortunately turn down a ride. I'd love a situation
1:26:39
Speaker 35: where I have, you know, enough drivers where somebody calls
1:26:43
Speaker 35: and as long as it's I would say within an
1:26:45
Speaker 35: hour or two, I'll be able to reach out and
1:26:47
Speaker 35: dis back your vehicle. So I would say my two
1:26:50
Speaker 35: main goals are getting two more vans by the end
1:26:53
Speaker 35: of the year and being able to hire at least
1:26:56
Speaker 35: a part time driver for each van, so more hours
1:27:00
Speaker 35: in the day that van is uh has a driver
1:27:03
Speaker 35: in it for when a riot does come in.
1:27:05
Speaker 2: Eric, who is your mentor that that helped you get
1:27:08
Speaker 2: all this going? You know, we both know Joe Salonica
1:27:10
Speaker 2: and he's a very independent person, and I feel like
1:27:12
Speaker 2: he would have a role in this. Is he one
1:27:14
Speaker 2: of your mentors that you look up to and say, Wow,
1:27:16
Speaker 2: if Joe could do what we could do this for
1:27:18
Speaker 2: a lot of people in the Saber community.
1:27:20
Speaker 35: I'm gonna be a hundred percent honest with you, I
1:27:22
Speaker 35: kind of just been trying to do this for five
1:27:24
Speaker 35: years without a mentor and any day I mean, don't
1:27:27
Speaker 35: be wrong. I reached out to Joe when I did
1:27:31
Speaker 35: start this, and he gave me some suggestions, which again
1:27:35
Speaker 35: he would be a great mentor for you know, certain areas,
1:27:38
Speaker 35: especially with the Spinder Biffit association. But right now I'm
1:27:42
Speaker 35: kind of just you know, doing it by myself a
1:27:46
Speaker 35: long with the help of my business partner, but really
1:27:49
Speaker 35: life experiences what David the knowledge to be able to
1:27:53
Speaker 35: start doing this.
1:27:53
Speaker 10: So well, let me Brody, who is your mentor? In general?
1:27:57
Speaker 2: I've never asked you that, but I'm curious or who
1:27:59
Speaker 2: is your who.
1:28:00
Speaker 10: Is like your your your role model if you will.
1:28:03
Speaker 35: Doct it well, I mean it's going to be obviously yeah,
1:28:06
Speaker 35: kind of cheesy. But doctor VISTARTI I mean that's where
1:28:09
Speaker 35: the stool started. I mean, he I forget exactly how
1:28:12
Speaker 35: his coute is, but there's something along the line that like,
1:28:15
Speaker 35: don't give me any handown. I'm not looking for handouts.
1:28:18
Speaker 35: I'm just looking for the opportunity. So I was like,
1:28:20
Speaker 35: you know what, why not? I mean, he has a point.
1:28:23
Speaker 1: I think that's great, well guys, Eric, thanks so much
1:28:25
Speaker 1: for joining us today.
1:28:26
Speaker 14: Eric Ryan from the company Tripper uh once again, if
1:28:29
Speaker 14: you need to find out more about becoming a part
1:28:32
Speaker 14: of the Tripper community, or if you're looking at book
1:28:34
Speaker 14: a ride for yourself or a family member who is
1:28:38
Speaker 14: in need of their services, you go to Tripper Corp.
1:28:41
Speaker 14: T r i p p R Corp dot net, Trippercorp
1:28:45
Speaker 14: dot net and I'm sure that Eric will be happy
1:28:48
Speaker 14: to speak with you about the Tripper and getting you
1:28:50
Speaker 14: all hooked up. And I love this idea, Eric, I
1:28:52
Speaker 14: think this is really great. Thanks so much for being
1:28:53
Speaker 14: one World and Alex, thank you so much for insight.
1:28:55
Speaker 14: It's always a pleasure for having you on the show.
1:28:57
Speaker 2: Thank you Andy, and thank you Eric for the great
1:28:59
Speaker 2: trip to Saturday Duck Stadium. That was really huge and
1:29:03
Speaker 2: it was great, real quick to set up. Andy was
1:29:05
Speaker 2: it was Gabba's chair. And then Eric has his own
1:29:08
Speaker 2: little space in the in the van, so he goes
1:29:10
Speaker 2: on the rides with his clients.
1:29:12
Speaker 32: How cool is that?
1:29:12
Speaker 1: And friends, I love that. I love that. That's great.
1:29:15
Speaker 1: I think the work you guys are doing is terrific. Eric,
1:29:17
Speaker 1: thanks so much once again.
1:29:18
Speaker 14: Misses one World, eighty nine point five the time tape
1:29:20
Speaker 14: Town then at you readaption versus nine.
1:29:26
Speaker 35: Nine.
1:29:28
Speaker 2: Well, thanks Andy Gladding for the opportunity to bring on
1:29:32
Speaker 2: Tripper Corp and to talk with Tripper Corp and Eric
1:29:35
Speaker 2: Ryan and not just get to catch up with Eric
1:29:38
Speaker 2: behind the wheel, but on radio as well. Forty years
1:29:41
Speaker 2: ago this year, the Empire State Games Physically Challenge now
1:29:45
Speaker 2: in NASA County Games for the Physically Challenge was founded
1:29:49
Speaker 2: by the one the only Susan Gordon Ryan and in
1:29:53
Speaker 2: conjunction with nbt Y, I got a chance to catch
1:29:56
Speaker 2: up with Susan in the twenty eighth year of the
1:29:59
Speaker 2: Games twelve years ago. What do you think about what
1:30:02
Speaker 2: we're gonna talklubs. We're gonna how it all started.
1:30:05
Speaker 36: Well, we started the Games in after the Paralympics. And
1:30:10
Speaker 36: I have to say every and and there's you know,
1:30:13
Speaker 36: competition for children that are physically challenged between ages or
1:30:17
Speaker 36: five and twenty one and they do track with you o, swimming,
1:30:20
Speaker 36: table tennis and basketball, And I have to say every
1:30:23
Speaker 36: single year, I just look forward to this.
1:30:26
Speaker 27: It's a big family people.
1:30:28
Speaker 36: You know, even that a volunteer have moved out of state,
1:30:31
Speaker 36: they come out of these events, and there's just always
1:30:34
Speaker 36: this wonderful spirit of camaraderie and fun and you know,
1:30:39
Speaker 36: really love It's like the games they'll love built.
1:30:41
Speaker 2: I mean, it's just a lot of fun and lows
1:30:43
Speaker 2: the realness and all these for supports ordering us.
1:30:46
Speaker 10: Look in our course for Laia, I love it.
1:30:49
Speaker 12: I love it.
1:30:50
Speaker 36: I think you know you can see behind.
1:30:52
Speaker 27: Us there's so many different students that have come from
1:30:55
Speaker 27: different schools.
1:30:56
Speaker 36: They ask now and their bow job is to hear
1:30:58
Speaker 36: on what you're doing like now, which is exactly what
1:31:01
Speaker 36: makes it all worked it for the kids.
1:31:04
Speaker 2: Jbviously it's got games to the Buffalo the Road.
1:31:06
Speaker 19: Event a Somber twenty two.
1:31:07
Speaker 2: But look, while NASA Gunny sety BC greatgn'll really saved
1:31:10
Speaker 2: it along with the Sport of Duty and all the
1:31:13
Speaker 2: different spots.
1:31:14
Speaker 36: Well, at the punning was jeopardized me because the Empire
1:31:17
Speaker 36: Shape Games were eliminated.
1:31:19
Speaker 25: Twenty state parks p.
1:31:21
Speaker 36: And without any hesitation, it stepped up.
1:31:24
Speaker 29: It's that we're going to keep the games.
1:31:26
Speaker 36: I will commit to as much as I can as
1:31:28
Speaker 36: a host and answer canny, but we're going to need
1:31:31
Speaker 36: to race.
1:31:31
Speaker 27: Other parks for this. And this is what we're doing
1:31:34
Speaker 27: now and it's being a tremendous success in the second
1:31:36
Speaker 27: year in a row, all.
1:31:38
Speaker 2: Right after Mitchell Atletic on Blodsong, the Empire State Games,
1:31:41
Speaker 2: Victory Jones Weekend. I'm alas there well, Susan Glen nine,
1:31:44
Speaker 2: thank you, Susan, thank you. We're up here at Iona University.
1:31:48
Speaker 2: If my heart is racing, it's just because something very
1:31:50
Speaker 2: special happened at Idea Spark twenty twenty five. And the
1:31:53
Speaker 2: man who founded the Hintitude and basically helped create Idea Spark,
1:31:59
Speaker 2: doctor Christoff Claire's here on me. Talctor Winkler, thank you
1:32:02
Speaker 2: so much for opening this space for disabled entrepreneurs.
1:32:05
Speaker 23: Yeah, thank you, Alex, And first of all, congratulations on
1:32:08
Speaker 23: the big win today. Your pitch was really a testament
1:32:12
Speaker 23: to the entrepreneurial spirit and also what it means to,
1:32:16
Speaker 23: you know, live out that spirit through action but also
1:32:20
Speaker 23: action to empowerment. And I think we've seen this not
1:32:23
Speaker 23: only with your pitch but all the participants today and
1:32:26
Speaker 23: it was really wonderful to come together and celebrate all
1:32:29
Speaker 23: of these.
1:32:29
Speaker 2: Wonderful Now I have this podcast about the backstories. How
1:32:31
Speaker 2: did all this come about for Ideas.
1:32:33
Speaker 6: Park, So ideas Park.
1:32:34
Speaker 23: You know, it was really you know, came through a
1:32:36
Speaker 23: conversation with doctor Chris Rosa, who was the CEO of
1:32:38
Speaker 23: the Viscardi Center, who is a very good friend of mine,
1:32:41
Speaker 23: And while I was building hins and stood here and
1:32:43
Speaker 23: he assumed his role as Viscardi, we kind of came
1:32:46
Speaker 23: to get into like, we can can we partner.
1:32:49
Speaker 6: Can we create something? How can we support entrepreneurs with disabilities?
1:32:53
Speaker 6: And yeah, that was the genesis a conversation.
1:32:55
Speaker 23: And next thing is we brought our teams together and
1:32:58
Speaker 23: it was just a mat which made in heaven because
1:33:01
Speaker 23: our missions aligned, Yes, and our desire to create positive
1:33:06
Speaker 23: impact in our communities is paramo.
1:33:08
Speaker 2: I don't think it's far aft to say this kind
1:33:10
Speaker 2: of program is what doctor Vuscardi's idea was in nineteen
1:33:13
Speaker 2: fifty two.
1:33:14
Speaker 6: Absolutely.
1:33:14
Speaker 23: I mean he was really somebody, a trailblazer who really
1:33:19
Speaker 23: envisioned access to economic opportunities for individuals with disabilities. And
1:33:24
Speaker 23: the Viscardi Center is really I think living out admission
1:33:27
Speaker 23: in ways that you know are manifested throughout the community.
1:33:31
Speaker 23: And I think being able to partner with Viscardi from
1:33:34
Speaker 23: an I ownA perspectives really shortage.
1:33:36
Speaker 2: Now, I know doctor Roh is very connected with a
1:33:38
Speaker 2: lot of colleges and universities. Do you find that it's
1:33:40
Speaker 2: become a pipeline to I owner kids from Viscardi that
1:33:43
Speaker 2: graduate come up here.
1:33:45
Speaker 6: Well, we I do not know the data.
1:33:48
Speaker 23: But for us, I think as a as a primary objective,
1:33:51
Speaker 23: it's really can we create synergies and opportunities. Ultimately it's
1:33:55
Speaker 23: the students at the center here, So bringing entrepreneurs together
1:33:59
Speaker 23: by combining our efforts to meet these are students individuals
1:34:04
Speaker 23: that you know, are you know, coming through our doors
1:34:06
Speaker 23: and then exiting out into the community, but also not
1:34:08
Speaker 23: becoming part of a larger community that I think really
1:34:11
Speaker 23: blends iona discarding so manywhere.
1:34:13
Speaker 2: Now I thought you and Marazel, my first job was
1:34:14
Speaker 2: going to be promoting idea Spark, even more than I
1:34:17
Speaker 2: was when I was during the training. So how do
1:34:19
Speaker 2: we grow this from you know, now it's three years?
1:34:21
Speaker 2: How do we make it ten years online, twenty years.
1:34:23
Speaker 6: Thirty years? So we already got commitments to run this
1:34:27
Speaker 6: for another year. So the goal is really to reach
1:34:30
Speaker 6: out more into.
1:34:31
Speaker 23: The community to get the financial support that we need
1:34:33
Speaker 23: in order to you know, help support our entrepreneurs because
1:34:37
Speaker 23: it's not just the competition, it is really an education
1:34:39
Speaker 23: experience building capacity through the programs we have here.
1:34:45
Speaker 6: So again the growth piece is essential, but in order
1:34:50
Speaker 6: to grow, you need partners.
1:34:52
Speaker 23: But I think with a compelling story to tell, the
1:34:54
Speaker 23: proof is in our students, in our graduates, in our
1:34:57
Speaker 23: successes like us today, and we've also seen by the judges,
1:35:00
Speaker 23: our previous winners who came back that this is really,
1:35:03
Speaker 23: you know, not just the one kind of off thing.
1:35:06
Speaker 23: This is really part of something that is much bigger
1:35:08
Speaker 23: than the core program.
1:35:09
Speaker 2: Now and I only a university student that knows about
1:35:11
Speaker 2: this or here's about this? How can they join the
1:35:13
Speaker 2: entrepreneurship inn sit here, Lind and then become a mentor
1:35:16
Speaker 2: for someone like this?
1:35:17
Speaker 6: So something like the Hinds and students really for all
1:35:20
Speaker 6: I own as students.
1:35:21
Speaker 23: So we really run program across the various schools and
1:35:24
Speaker 23: our students participate through different avenues. The students who actually
1:35:28
Speaker 23: hear experimenters really grew out of a desire not only
1:35:31
Speaker 23: to take advantage of the resources to start their own businesses,
1:35:34
Speaker 23: but they've also learned to appreciate the process and also
1:35:37
Speaker 23: now giving back to helping other students when it's through
1:35:40
Speaker 23: this competition or out of competition, so it's really you know,
1:35:45
Speaker 23: we are really trying to provide a platform for students
1:35:47
Speaker 23: to create experiential opportunities. And when it's starting a business
1:35:50
Speaker 23: or helping support an entrepreneur, we dodn'tessally want to make
1:35:53
Speaker 23: that distinction because ultimately it's about how can you create
1:35:56
Speaker 23: opportunities for yourself but in the process also impacting positively
1:36:00
Speaker 23: on you know, various communities.
1:36:02
Speaker 2: Have the ideas been getting more innovative and it's just
1:36:04
Speaker 2: gone on the last three years or.
1:36:06
Speaker 6: That's hard to say, but I do have to say
1:36:08
Speaker 6: this year was was really really tough.
1:36:11
Speaker 23: Lots of amazing ideas, ideas that are already being implemented being.
1:36:16
Speaker 6: Pushed out into community.
1:36:17
Speaker 23: So I think from that perspective, I think we've seen
1:36:20
Speaker 23: a gradual sort of growth alsore like how we can
1:36:22
Speaker 23: become you know, inclusive in a way where we bring
1:36:27
Speaker 23: in different kinds of perspectives in terms of of what
1:36:30
Speaker 23: it actually means to be an entrepreneur.
1:36:32
Speaker 6: Uh And from that perspective, today it was just a
1:36:34
Speaker 6: wonderful celebration.
1:36:35
Speaker 2: Obviously, I follow sports on you know, I follow the
1:36:38
Speaker 2: gaels Go gels right, Yes, and maybe we can use
1:36:41
Speaker 2: some of this to develop an adaptive sports program up
1:36:44
Speaker 2: here that would be awesome.
1:36:45
Speaker 6: Absolutely.
1:36:45
Speaker 23: I think we see more and more that you know,
1:36:47
Speaker 23: sports is a is a is a convenient in many
1:36:51
Speaker 23: many different ways when it's you know, through our d
1:36:55
Speaker 23: one program here, but also as we see, you know,
1:36:58
Speaker 23: making also sports more accessible, and I think see more
1:37:00
Speaker 23: and more that you know there's potential for opportunity and
1:37:04
Speaker 23: you know, whether it's through you know, tennis, so basketball
1:37:07
Speaker 23: all or others like this, there's a lot of luck
1:37:09
Speaker 23: opportunities here that I would love to further exploit it
1:37:12
Speaker 23: as well.
1:37:12
Speaker 2: Now, when you take a financial you know, investment in
1:37:14
Speaker 2: as what's your next expectation as the founder of all this.
1:37:18
Speaker 23: Well, the expectation for us is that ultimately it's about
1:37:22
Speaker 23: how we can create positive impact.
1:37:23
Speaker 6: Right for us, I think an important metric is how can.
1:37:27
Speaker 23: We do that while educating our students, Sure, and our
1:37:30
Speaker 23: students anybody who walks through those stores, And I think
1:37:33
Speaker 23: that's really what what it means to be a highjucated environment.
1:37:36
Speaker 23: But also I think breaking down some of the traditional silos.
1:37:39
Speaker 23: So ultimately, when you come in here, and I would
1:37:42
Speaker 23: love to hear from you how you felt that way.
1:37:43
Speaker 6: But we don't really make a clear distinction.
1:37:46
Speaker 23: He has a faculty member and here's administrator, here's a student,
1:37:49
Speaker 23: and here's a he's a you know, an entrepreneurship student.
1:37:51
Speaker 2: He's like, we all come together because of it's a
1:37:54
Speaker 2: family almost, you know.
1:37:55
Speaker 6: And everybody can help. So everybody is a story to tell.
1:37:58
Speaker 23: Everybody has skills, and if we can understand that and
1:38:01
Speaker 23: leverage that, it doesn't matter.
1:38:02
Speaker 6: What tidly hold is really about how we can support
1:38:05
Speaker 6: each other to in order to achieve the outcomes that
1:38:06
Speaker 6: they we desire.
1:38:07
Speaker 2: Now, for those who you know, do not rank in
1:38:09
Speaker 2: the top three, there still have a place here in
1:38:11
Speaker 2: the sense that you guys keep an eye on them
1:38:12
Speaker 2: and keep in touch.
1:38:13
Speaker 6: Absolutely, the goal is really to build is up.
1:38:15
Speaker 23: Now we also three years in so I envision as
1:38:18
Speaker 23: the next step we also, you know, create ongoing Facebook
1:38:21
Speaker 23: groups and really build that come in almost an alumni
1:38:25
Speaker 23: an alumni network. That's one thing, and what we also
1:38:28
Speaker 23: do is part of I think we also want to
1:38:30
Speaker 23: understand the experiences our students have. So we're going through
1:38:34
Speaker 23: kind of a program assessment. That's part of this, all
1:38:37
Speaker 23: these students have to submit kind of an entrepreneur mindset profile,
1:38:41
Speaker 23: and part of this assessment, I will be having one
1:38:45
Speaker 23: on one conversations with all the students to also understand
1:38:48
Speaker 23: what are their unique needs as they translate the ideas
1:38:51
Speaker 23: into the next step. And some of this also means
1:38:54
Speaker 23: referring to them to other resources like our small business
1:38:57
Speaker 23: development centers and other kinds of entrepreneurship resources that are available,
1:39:02
Speaker 23: you know, throughout throughout.
1:39:03
Speaker 6: One thing of the US.
1:39:04
Speaker 2: One thing I will say is, I feel like today
1:39:06
Speaker 2: proved what I've been saying for a while is we're
1:39:07
Speaker 2: not defined by our disability. We have it, but then
1:39:10
Speaker 2: the finers and look how many people are willing to
1:39:12
Speaker 2: utilize that disability for better and to move it forward.
1:39:15
Speaker 23: Absolutely, I think it's I think language is often used
1:39:20
Speaker 23: to marginalize, and I think we really try to work
1:39:24
Speaker 23: against that and really you know, bring people together in
1:39:27
Speaker 23: order to make them realize what their dreams are. And
1:39:30
Speaker 23: sometimes if society puts constraints on you, it is our
1:39:33
Speaker 23: responsibility to be become activist educators to really challenge those.
1:39:39
Speaker 6: Boundaries and really allow our communities to grow.
1:39:43
Speaker 23: And you know, I think that's really also at the
1:39:46
Speaker 23: core of our mission because ultimately, I think entrepreneurship is
1:39:49
Speaker 23: help building agency and agency starts from within. Sure, once
1:39:53
Speaker 23: you determine that you have the power to create something
1:39:56
Speaker 23: and you have a support community around.
1:39:58
Speaker 6: You, I think you know you can just you can.
1:40:00
Speaker 2: Just you Well, you and I should team up and
1:40:03
Speaker 2: make Mariono Rrea, who's a big staple in New Roshelle,
1:40:05
Speaker 2: aware of this program. That would because I know him personally.
1:40:07
Speaker 6: So we should, we should reach out, we should, we
1:40:09
Speaker 6: should have him. He spoke a couple of years back
1:40:11
Speaker 6: on campus.
1:40:11
Speaker 23: I believe you in Uh, I believe there's a there's
1:40:15
Speaker 23: a close connection, yeah, family, the Rivera family and Iona.
1:40:20
Speaker 23: So we could certainly bring him back and maybe he
1:40:22
Speaker 23: would even would like to, you know, share some of
1:40:26
Speaker 23: his success with with our students.
1:40:27
Speaker 2: Absolutely well, Doctor Windclair, thank you so much for this
1:40:30
Speaker 2: time today. Idea Spark twenty twenty five.
1:40:32
Speaker 6: Thank you Alex inngratulations again.
1:40:34
Speaker 2: Thank you very much. So while one leg up, Alex
1:40:39
Speaker 2: wins IDEA Spark. It couldn't have been done with that,
1:40:43
Speaker 2: of course, the mentor Jared and Marisoa Chappelle and uh
1:40:49
Speaker 2: even the encouragement from Eric back in March, and of
1:40:52
Speaker 2: course the encouragement from Lauren Marzo and Kim Brussel who
1:40:55
Speaker 2: apply to this program, to yeah, let's launch one leg up, Alex.
1:41:00
Speaker 2: And of course I wouldn't have done any of this
1:41:02
Speaker 2: if I didn't recognize the investment that my mom and
1:41:05
Speaker 2: dad put into Viscardi twenty nine years ago when they
1:41:08
Speaker 2: started me in kindergarten.
1:41:10
Speaker 27: It wasn't just the start of.
1:41:13
Speaker 2: A schooling, It was started a building of a life
1:41:17
Speaker 2: at Viscarti, and so to support them by them once
1:41:22
Speaker 2: again feels like a continuation of the investment my mom
1:41:26
Speaker 2: and my dad made, as well as my stepdad, who
1:41:29
Speaker 2: were there day after day at times, year after year.
1:41:32
Speaker 2: All three of them were at graduation in two thousand
1:41:34
Speaker 2: and nine. And of course the time an energy spent
1:41:38
Speaker 2: outside of Viscarti as well is not lost on me
1:41:42
Speaker 2: in this whole process. I mean, I remember in twenty
1:41:44
Speaker 2: twenty I sat down when my mom and my stepdad
1:41:47
Speaker 2: and my dad Vic said well, look, you got to
1:41:49
Speaker 2: make something more than just sports and politics. And here
1:41:52
Speaker 2: we are talking about adaptability now for five years or
1:41:57
Speaker 2: so and really tapping in the Sable community to bridge
1:42:00
Speaker 2: the gap between those brands that serve the community and
1:42:05
Speaker 2: the disabled community itself that may not have access to it.
1:42:08
Speaker 2: So we're gonna work on that and with this funding,
1:42:12
Speaker 2: with this grant, I'm very thankful. I also couldn't have
1:42:16
Speaker 2: done this without my fiance Gabby. I mean, she's been
1:42:18
Speaker 2: there every step of the way.
1:42:19
Speaker 6: She helped me in the.
1:42:23
Speaker 2: Rush of this, making the PowerPoint ten slide pitch teck
1:42:27
Speaker 2: and a four minute video or so got through all
1:42:30
Speaker 2: of that last week. And one other thing is if
1:42:34
Speaker 2: you are a full time employee, do not be afraid
1:42:39
Speaker 2: to share to bolster your own passion. So not be
1:42:42
Speaker 2: afraid to bolster your own projects. I'm very proud at
1:42:47
Speaker 2: the end of the day to have not only been.
1:42:49
Speaker 27: Able to.
1:42:52
Speaker 2: Do full time employee work and I'm gonna keep going
1:42:55
Speaker 2: right after I do this podcast at Salem Media, but
1:43:00
Speaker 2: also to figure out a way to launch this brand
1:43:05
Speaker 2: even more. It takes a lot to do all of this,
1:43:11
Speaker 2: and to be recognized for that means a lot. And
1:43:14
Speaker 2: for the other participants that did this and took the
1:43:16
Speaker 2: time and took the energy and have the idea to
1:43:19
Speaker 2: help the disabled community, I want to talk to you
1:43:20
Speaker 2: as well. The Abbey's the Walden's, the Kathy's, the Joaquin
1:43:26
Speaker 2: says of the group that we had an Idea Spark.
1:43:28
Speaker 2: Your ideas are fantastic. Let's talk more about it here
1:43:32
Speaker 2: on one leg up. There's a connection here that has
1:43:38
Speaker 2: been formed through Idea Spark and through the Viscardi Center
1:43:40
Speaker 2: in Highen Institute, and I look to grow that connection
1:43:43
Speaker 2: with everyone I had class with, and of course g. C.
1:43:48
Speaker 2: Duran who won the second place, and Edith third place.
1:43:55
Speaker 2: I mean, those are top three products right there. What
1:44:00
Speaker 2: they're doing to help better the disabled community, it should
1:44:04
Speaker 2: be highlighted here.
1:44:06
Speaker 25: And we're going to.
1:44:09
Speaker 2: And we're going to I want to think again Lauren
1:44:13
Speaker 2: kim Alan from Viscardi for taking pictures of this, Brenna Judge,
1:44:18
Speaker 2: our professor Holly Blundine all the.
1:44:22
Speaker 32: Way from Spain.
1:44:22
Speaker 2: She's been coaching us the last few months. Yes, this
1:44:25
Speaker 2: has not been just one day. This has been a
1:44:27
Speaker 2: project undergone since January. And now there's a bit of nerves,
1:44:33
Speaker 2: but I think we'll be fined. But when he said
1:44:36
Speaker 2: start tomorrow, this is tomorrow, this is now and right now,
1:44:41
Speaker 2: and of course my sister Abbey, I have to give
1:44:43
Speaker 2: her a shout out to you I love.
1:44:44
Speaker 10: You Abbey as well.
1:44:46
Speaker 2: And right now, right now, it starts by featuring this
1:44:53
Speaker 2: amazing program to help disabled entrepreneurs. This is continuing the
1:44:58
Speaker 2: legacy of doctor viscar Whether I want or not, I'd
1:45:01
Speaker 2: always believe Idea Spark is continuing the legacy of doctor Viscarti,
1:45:06
Speaker 2: who gave jobs to veterans returning from more that were
1:45:10
Speaker 2: disabled that at amputations. He gave them a place to
1:45:14
Speaker 2: start up again after returning from the war. And in
1:45:19
Speaker 2: that same spirit of not letting disabilities stop you, I
1:45:23
Speaker 2: believe in Idea Spark embodies that as well. After I
1:45:26
Speaker 2: went back to Viscardi, by the way, I caught up
1:45:28
Speaker 2: with my coach Joe Joe Salonica, who is also very
1:45:32
Speaker 2: much part of the strategy of how we move forward
1:45:35
Speaker 2: from here for one leg of Alex So I want
1:45:37
Speaker 2: to shout out coach Joe as well. So this is
1:45:40
Speaker 2: only part one. We'll be talking to a few people
1:45:42
Speaker 2: part of this program as an Idea Spark conversation, and
1:45:46
Speaker 2: maybe our judges as well, sim Ferrella, Kimberly and Eric.
1:45:55
Speaker 10: Who were just great and they listened.
1:45:57
Speaker 2: To everybody and they had great questions for everybody, and
1:46:02
Speaker 2: I really do hope those that were in the program
1:46:05
Speaker 2: do not stop working on their vision, on their brand,
1:46:10
Speaker 2: because the whole idea is for all of us, all
1:46:13
Speaker 2: of us to be productive in society, and maybe, just
1:46:18
Speaker 2: maybe we all can realize idea sparked and promote that
1:46:22
Speaker 2: idea spark is helping us all help others have one
1:46:27
Speaker 2: leg up on life. Where I land all of this
1:46:30
Speaker 2: is to be very honest with you here on adapting
1:46:33
Speaker 2: with Alex Garrett.
1:46:35
Speaker 10: I've had adapt with my roleblade.
1:46:37
Speaker 2: That's true, Bob, more inspired when I see others who
1:46:41
Speaker 2: adapt to their life circumstance that may prove to be
1:46:47
Speaker 2: inaccessible in the world around them. That's why we fight
1:46:50
Speaker 2: to make life more accessible. Because I believe that this
1:46:54
Speaker 2: podcast is meant to bridge the gap, as I've been saying,
1:46:58
Speaker 2: but also to I don't know, pay it forward that
1:47:05
Speaker 2: with all the opportunity I've begin in my life, it's
1:47:07
Speaker 2: time to make the world more accessible to others as well.
1:47:10
Speaker 10: And that's why we're here today on one.
1:47:12
Speaker 2: Leg Up, Alex. In my countdown to thirty five, however,
1:47:17
Speaker 2: eighty eight thirty five, I want to shout out someone
1:47:20
Speaker 2: that's been connected to the Viscardi Center now written about
1:47:23
Speaker 2: in able News multiple times.
1:47:28
Speaker 19: Ali Stroker.
1:47:29
Speaker 2: You remember Ali, She made history as the first Broadway
1:47:34
Speaker 2: star in a wheelchair in the Broadway production of Oklahoma.
1:47:38
Speaker 2: How cool is that? And I know for a fact
1:47:41
Speaker 2: Ali has spoken at Reach for a Star luncheons before,
1:47:46
Speaker 2: and I believe she was at Viscardi Center a couple
1:47:48
Speaker 2: of times as well for a celebrity night. So I
1:47:51
Speaker 2: gotta give a shout out to Ali's Stroker. And here's
1:47:54
Speaker 2: what was written about her in able News. This is
1:47:57
Speaker 2: what I love is that we're building a partnership with
1:47:59
Speaker 2: able to News full disclosure. I am an editor on
1:48:02
Speaker 2: the editorial board as well, so to highlight them feels
1:48:05
Speaker 2: very close to home. Especially since the Viscardi Center acquired
1:48:10
Speaker 2: able News. How big of its story was that. I
1:48:14
Speaker 2: think in the thirty five years of eight, you know,
1:48:16
Speaker 2: disability rights, able News being acquired by VISCARTI was such
1:48:20
Speaker 2: a game changer and such a great move by doctor
1:48:23
Speaker 2: Chris Rosa. And so when you visit the able News
1:48:26
Speaker 2: website you'll see the Viscardi Center attached to it. I
1:48:28
Speaker 2: think it's brilliant. I think it's making Viscardi Center a
1:48:32
Speaker 2: hub for disability news and disability opportunity to thrive in
1:48:38
Speaker 2: the world today. But Ali Stroker, as written by Esma
1:48:43
Speaker 2: Mazzeo or Masio, says Ali Stroker is leading the way
1:48:49
Speaker 2: for disabled women in the entertainment industry. They go on
1:48:53
Speaker 2: to write the actress made history as the first wheelchair
1:48:56
Speaker 2: user to appear on Broadway as part of the cast
1:49:00
Speaker 2: of Deaf West Theaters Spring Awakening, which ran from twenty
1:49:09
Speaker 2: and That's Where Got Started September twenty fifteen to January
1:49:11
Speaker 2: twenty sixteen of the Brooks actions in Theater. But in
1:49:14
Speaker 2: twenty nineteen, the Tony Award was awarded to her for
1:49:19
Speaker 2: Best Featured Actress This is the History Part and a
1:49:22
Speaker 2: Musical for her performance as ado Annie in Oklahoma. Award
1:49:29
Speaker 2: winner Right There, Stroker used her acceptance speech to offer
1:49:34
Speaker 2: words of encouragement to young kids with disabilities.
1:49:37
Speaker 10: This award is for every kid out who is.
1:49:39
Speaker 2: Watching tonight, who has a disability, who has a limitation
1:49:42
Speaker 2: or a challenge, and who has been waiting to see
1:49:46
Speaker 2: themselves represented in this arena.
1:49:49
Speaker 35: You are.
1:49:52
Speaker 2: Meaning you are represented, she said.
1:49:55
Speaker 10: When she's not.
1:49:55
Speaker 2: Breaking barriers on Broadway, Stroker performs a Caba ratio based
1:49:59
Speaker 2: on her life experiences at Acclaimed. There's across the United States,
1:50:03
Speaker 2: from m Kennedy Center Did You Know This? In Washington,
1:50:06
Speaker 2: d C.
1:50:07
Speaker 10: To Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan.
1:50:10
Speaker 35: She was first in Us of the World on season
1:50:12
Speaker 35: two of.
1:50:12
Speaker 2: The reality television series The Glee Project, during which a
1:50:16
Speaker 2: second place finish earned her a guest spot on season
1:50:20
Speaker 2: four of Glee. She's also appeared on Only Murders in
1:50:25
Speaker 2: the Building.
1:50:26
Speaker 14: And Just Like That and The Bold Type.
1:50:29
Speaker 2: Stroker also portrayed his billity rights pioneer Judy Human How
1:50:31
Speaker 2: About That on an episode of Drunk History in twenty eighteen,
1:50:35
Speaker 2: and starred in the Lifetime movie Christmas ever After in
1:50:39
Speaker 2: twenty twenty. In twenty twenty one, she co authored the
1:50:42
Speaker 2: YA novel young adult novel The Chance to Fly with
1:50:46
Speaker 2: Stacy da Viduits, which celebrates authenticity, diversity, and adaptive choreography.
1:50:53
Speaker 2: Stroger continues to shine a spotlight on the importance of
1:50:56
Speaker 2: authentic disability representation, keaty caring for the legacy of the ADA.
1:51:03
Speaker 2: That's a little bit of Ali's Stroker, and I'll put
1:51:05
Speaker 2: her website in the description below as well. But she's
1:51:08
Speaker 2: definitely someone you want to keep an eye on in
1:51:10
Speaker 2: the disability space, in the advocacy space, because she's living
1:51:16
Speaker 2: out her life right in front of her eyes as
1:51:19
Speaker 2: a Broadway actress.
1:51:21
Speaker 35: How cool is that? All Right?
1:51:25
Speaker 2: The other feature tonight I wanted to bring on is
1:51:28
Speaker 2: Sherry Swore.
1:51:29
Speaker 10: Sroo you are.
1:51:31
Speaker 2: And here's a gal who was diagnosed with an auto
1:51:36
Speaker 2: immune disease at the age of eighteen, right out of
1:51:40
Speaker 2: high school. And she's made a lot of her life.
1:51:48
Speaker 2: And she's not just made something with her life, she's
1:51:50
Speaker 2: built her life up to be an advocate.
1:51:54
Speaker 27: And to.
1:51:57
Speaker 2: Move the message forward for disability rights, for empowering others,
1:52:03
Speaker 2: and for saying why not because I can? And she
1:52:10
Speaker 2: says that in a hashtag because I Can. We welcome
1:52:13
Speaker 2: Sherry now to talk about her story of adaptability and
1:52:17
Speaker 2: always adapting right now on One Leg Up with Alex Carrett.
1:52:22
Speaker 26: Sherry, first of all, thanks for joining One Leg Up
1:52:25
Speaker 26: with Alex Garrett.
1:52:27
Speaker 27: Thank you so much for having me.
1:52:29
Speaker 16: Yeah, my story has been a journey one day, is
1:52:34
Speaker 16: still continuing and probably will for the rest of my life.
1:52:39
Speaker 16: I threw up in Brooklyn, I still live in Brooklyn.
1:52:43
Speaker 16: And then that was a healthy child and right out
1:52:46
Speaker 16: of high school, and I was eighteen years old. I
1:52:49
Speaker 16: was diagnosed with an autumn neurological disorder where my nerves
1:52:54
Speaker 16: pretty much attacked my body to a point that I
1:52:57
Speaker 16: was completely paralyzed. I couldn't walk, I couldn't talk, I
1:53:03
Speaker 16: couldn't breathe my own and I had to learn how
1:53:08
Speaker 16: to do everything all over again. And I had a
1:53:12
Speaker 16: that conchance that life.
1:53:14
Speaker 2: Well, what I love about your story is once you
1:53:16
Speaker 2: got diagnosed, you didn't really crumble. You actually got back
1:53:19
Speaker 2: into rehabit, regraining your regaining your strength. So talk about
1:53:23
Speaker 2: how you've been always adapting, because that's sort of a
1:53:25
Speaker 2: theme I have here on one like, if was always adapting,
1:53:28
Speaker 2: helping others adapt, how did you adapt.
1:53:30
Speaker 26: To all of that at eighteen years old?
1:53:33
Speaker 27: Oh, shorts, Really, at first I did. I did crumble.
1:53:37
Speaker 27: I loved eighteen and I was still very much of
1:53:40
Speaker 27: a child and now fully.
1:53:43
Speaker 16: Understanding the scope of what was aheadedly and I didn't
1:53:48
Speaker 16: have a point where I did actually surrender and then
1:53:52
Speaker 16: give up and just said okay, God, I'm ready for
1:53:56
Speaker 16: you to take me.
1:53:56
Speaker 27: I did what it is. I understand the circumstances.
1:54:00
Speaker 16: And also because the doctors had lost so much hope
1:54:03
Speaker 16: in me and my recovery, so I did. I tried
1:54:07
Speaker 16: to give up, and I saw that that wasn't working
1:54:10
Speaker 16: and I was only getting worse. And I kind of
1:54:13
Speaker 16: used that my advantage to get stronger and movate myself
1:54:17
Speaker 16: to getting better and trying to prove to the doctors
1:54:21
Speaker 16: that yeah, you can say whatever you want, believe whatever
1:54:24
Speaker 16: you want back the end of the day, it's all
1:54:26
Speaker 16: in contend and if you have a little to fight
1:54:29
Speaker 16: and a will to live, then it'll happen. And that's
1:54:32
Speaker 16: what I did. And I spent many many months in
1:54:36
Speaker 16: rehab and I was strong enough to eventually went a
1:54:41
Speaker 16: home where I so needed a lot of assistants and
1:54:43
Speaker 16: a lot of dependence, and I was in occasion directory
1:54:48
Speaker 16: for a very long time, consistently on a daily basis,
1:54:53
Speaker 16: and as we were stronger, I eventually got down my
1:54:58
Speaker 16: therapy at until they I did someone home and kind
1:55:03
Speaker 16: of implemented that into my new daily routine.
1:55:09
Speaker 26: You know, I gotta say this, Sherry, I love your
1:55:11
Speaker 26: workout videos.
1:55:12
Speaker 2: I love that you actually did run a marathon and
1:55:14
Speaker 2: a race after a lot look at that in a second,
1:55:16
Speaker 2: but the moment that you realize you can regain the
1:55:21
Speaker 2: strength and get back out there. You also got a
1:55:23
Speaker 2: college degree, so talk about that transition between high school
1:55:26
Speaker 2: to college. I mean, you're coming into college with this
1:55:29
Speaker 2: autoimmune disease, and talk about that journey.
1:55:34
Speaker 36: Yeah.
1:55:35
Speaker 16: So when I wanted to apply to Paithly to college
1:55:38
Speaker 16: and I wanted to go to college, I had this
1:55:41
Speaker 16: mind set that I was not going to attend until
1:55:43
Speaker 16: I was one hundred percent back to where I was,
1:55:46
Speaker 16: and you know, I don't want to depend on anyone,
1:55:48
Speaker 16: and I wanted to go to college and have fo
1:55:51
Speaker 16: college experience. And I sapt waiting and waiting and waiting,
1:55:55
Speaker 16: and then I said, there's never going to be there's
1:55:57
Speaker 16: never a time bringing ready.
1:55:58
Speaker 27: You just got to get up and do it.
1:56:00
Speaker 16: And if you are not in this state where you
1:56:02
Speaker 16: started be, that's fine because you can learn to adapt
1:56:05
Speaker 16: and you can do whatever you need to need to
1:56:07
Speaker 16: be done. And I decided to start with one class
1:56:12
Speaker 16: and I said, okay, it's one hour, I have it
1:56:14
Speaker 16: to be you know, and my name adl Chair and
1:56:17
Speaker 16: I might say whatever device is I need at the time.
1:56:21
Speaker 27: And I loved it. And then the following.
1:56:23
Speaker 16: Semester I had a full schedule and a full PALM student,
1:56:27
Speaker 16: and before I knew it, I graduated my bachelor's degree.
1:56:32
Speaker 16: I took some time off to figure out what I
1:56:34
Speaker 16: want to do with that, and then I decided to
1:56:36
Speaker 16: go into social work and I found my master's in
1:56:39
Speaker 16: social work.
1:56:40
Speaker 26: Very cool.
1:56:41
Speaker 2: That's awesome that you've been able to build and we're
1:56:43
Speaker 2: catching right before your work your day job today. Yeah, sure,
1:56:47
Speaker 2: I got to ask this. You did mention the wheelchair,
1:56:49
Speaker 2: and I believe you also use a walker. There's a
1:56:51
Speaker 2: different kind of mobility you have, or thirty five years
1:56:55
Speaker 2: of the ADA and there's someone who had to adapt
1:56:58
Speaker 2: and utilize the power chair, the wheelchair and the mobility.
1:57:02
Speaker 26: I asked you all there.
1:57:03
Speaker 2: We tried the first recording and asked this in the
1:57:05
Speaker 2: first recording about if the city of New York was
1:57:09
Speaker 2: the perfect place to adapt, was accessful and you said, no,
1:57:12
Speaker 2: tell me how New York City is or is not
1:57:15
Speaker 2: accessible for you.
1:57:17
Speaker 27: Yeah, it's definitely continue some works.
1:57:20
Speaker 16: It definitely has a lot of obstacles to point that
1:57:24
Speaker 16: I now learns to, you know, research where I was
1:57:28
Speaker 16: going beforehand, find out if it is a DA compliant,
1:57:31
Speaker 16: if there's stairs, if there's an elevator, if there's a ramp.
1:57:35
Speaker 16: Many times, if ILL attend the venue, I'll reach out
1:57:37
Speaker 16: to them before and just say, hey, this is not coming,
1:57:39
Speaker 16: looks the protocol. How do I renevor myself? It's it's unfortunately,
1:57:43
Speaker 16: but it's it needs to be done in order for
1:57:45
Speaker 16: me to have a fun experience. There are many times
1:57:49
Speaker 16: I'll go to a venue, I'll go to a place
1:57:53
Speaker 16: and I'll say, like, no disrespect. I heard the suggestion
1:57:56
Speaker 16: of how you don't improve in all your accommodations, and
1:57:59
Speaker 16: it help on not just for me, but for others.
1:58:02
Speaker 16: And I feel that it's so important to you know,
1:58:05
Speaker 16: raise your voice because a lot of times it's not
1:58:08
Speaker 16: about the intention. You know that I just don't realize it.
1:58:11
Speaker 16: And if some help educate them and help others, like
1:58:15
Speaker 16: why not. When I went back to school, I actually
1:58:19
Speaker 16: wanted it to be an independent as possible and it
1:58:23
Speaker 16: was on a larger campus where I had a place
1:58:26
Speaker 16: to building, ay, and then I had a place to
1:58:28
Speaker 16: building be within a five minute you know stretch to
1:58:31
Speaker 16: get there. And I actually went to the disability division
1:58:36
Speaker 16: and said, this is a nice schedule and no, but
1:58:39
Speaker 16: to be an independent as possible, I would like not
1:58:41
Speaker 16: to have someone common touching around or you know, just
1:58:44
Speaker 16: gets where I need to be. So we actually rearranged
1:58:48
Speaker 16: my entire schedule to have all my sizes in two
1:58:52
Speaker 16: buildings that were adjacent to each other, and then ended
1:58:56
Speaker 16: up creating this program helping others you know, have this
1:58:59
Speaker 16: option until and they are so sensible for it because
1:59:03
Speaker 16: they didn't realize that it's it's a complication and from
1:59:06
Speaker 16: my end, if I felt that that should have been adjusted.
1:59:11
Speaker 26: Blazer, is it Hunter?
1:59:13
Speaker 9: You say?
1:59:13
Speaker 26: Or which college was?
1:59:14
Speaker 19: Is that?
1:59:15
Speaker 27: That was in Brooklyn College of Brooklyn College?
1:59:17
Speaker 6: Okay?
1:59:18
Speaker 26: And that's such a spacious campas you would think would
1:59:20
Speaker 26: be excessive. Yeah, so interesting, it is.
1:59:22
Speaker 16: It's accessible, just that it's because my schedule was so drastic.
1:59:26
Speaker 16: Were at my classed or they are very accommodating.
1:59:31
Speaker 2: While you are making strides for people like yourself and
1:59:34
Speaker 2: others with disability, you also.
1:59:36
Speaker 26: Break out of the community, meaning you socialize with by people,
1:59:39
Speaker 26: you sort of just interact with everybody.
1:59:41
Speaker 2: And I feel like that's an important message to tell
1:59:43
Speaker 2: others that sort of still are in that little bubble
1:59:47
Speaker 2: if you will, and say, hey, get out.
1:59:48
Speaker 10: Of that bubble.
1:59:48
Speaker 26: Let's start all expanding and being in the within the
1:59:52
Speaker 26: world if you will.
1:59:53
Speaker 16: Yeah, I mean there's no reason why I should say
1:59:56
Speaker 16: in the bubble and like from my advantage point, and
2:00:00
Speaker 16: I try to be as independent.
2:00:02
Speaker 27: As possible, and yeah, I just walk around there.
2:00:05
Speaker 16: I do need assistance here and there, and I've time
2:00:08
Speaker 16: to realize that people are wanting to help. You know,
2:00:12
Speaker 16: if I'm going to an office or a store and
2:00:16
Speaker 16: then there's a door that's there, I don't mind it,
2:00:19
Speaker 16: and so on, Hey Jim on holding the door, then
2:00:21
Speaker 16: they're very grateful to do it and then happy to
2:00:24
Speaker 16: do it. Sometimes people are just unsure if it's appropriate
2:00:28
Speaker 16: to ask for off for help, and it's it's okay
2:00:31
Speaker 16: to ask for it because they're more than happy to
2:00:33
Speaker 16: do it.
2:00:34
Speaker 2: All right, let's get to the big thing that I
2:00:36
Speaker 2: owned the map, which was this Disney marathon. E News
2:00:40
Speaker 2: ESPN covered your story, which is pretty awesome. I mean,
2:00:43
Speaker 2: if you go to Sharey's Instagram right now, you could
2:00:45
Speaker 2: watch your walking to the finish line, walk running to
2:00:49
Speaker 2: the finish line, no mobility aids or anything.
2:00:52
Speaker 26: She just did it on her own two feet. Talk
2:00:56
Speaker 26: about that process, Sherey, how you got.
2:00:58
Speaker 6: To that moment?
2:01:00
Speaker 27: Okay, its CREDI story. So I am a very big
2:01:04
Speaker 27: Disney fan.
2:01:05
Speaker 16: I still believe in happy endings and fairy tales, and
2:01:08
Speaker 16: I love all of the princesses, and I'm definitely still
2:01:12
Speaker 16: a child at heart. My promise a Disney marathon opportunity,
2:01:18
Speaker 16: and there was a half marathon and it was a
2:01:22
Speaker 16: consistent of the twenty thousand runners, and I decided I
2:01:26
Speaker 16: wanted to participate in twenty sixteen, and I applied to join,
2:01:32
Speaker 16: and I received an email back saying that if I
2:01:37
Speaker 16: was unable to propel myself in a marathon, that I
2:01:40
Speaker 16: was not able to participate.
2:01:42
Speaker 27: I was like, you know, safety issued.
2:01:45
Speaker 16: And I reached out back and said, I physically cannot
2:01:49
Speaker 16: push myself at thirteen miles, but I do have my
2:01:53
Speaker 16: brother in law's an elite runner and who've offered to
2:01:56
Speaker 16: push me the entire a marathon. And Disney gade some
2:02:01
Speaker 16: pushbacks saying it's out of their protocol, it's not safe
2:02:04
Speaker 16: for the other runners. So I kind of read in
2:02:08
Speaker 16: my mission to you know, break that barrier and tell
2:02:12
Speaker 16: them that I would not give up until they said yes.
2:02:14
Speaker 16: So let's figure out a way to make it happen.
2:02:16
Speaker 16: And Disney is the place where dreams was true and
2:02:19
Speaker 16: this was my dream to do it.
2:02:21
Speaker 2: So let's figure out that shock you when they first said, know,
2:02:23
Speaker 2: I mean, here's a place that seems so welcoming, yet
2:02:25
Speaker 2: here they are telling you, no, you cannot have this
2:02:28
Speaker 2: kind of assistance.
2:02:28
Speaker 26: That's very interesting that they would.
2:02:30
Speaker 16: Deny that this is actually very exomodating that actually happens
2:02:34
Speaker 16: to be very very accessible. I think it was more
2:02:37
Speaker 16: out of like a safety hazard for the other runners,
2:02:40
Speaker 16: I understand. So we worked together and we figured out
2:02:46
Speaker 16: a way to make it happen. And in twenty sixteen,
2:02:49
Speaker 16: my brother in law and I were the first considered
2:02:52
Speaker 16: powers you will participate and the Disney Marathon where he
2:02:55
Speaker 16: tountioned me for the entire amrathon, and twenty seventeen and
2:03:01
Speaker 16: along and I reached out to Disney again. I said, hey,
2:03:03
Speaker 16: I'm going to participate again. And when I registered on
2:03:06
Speaker 16: the website there was now an option participating as a
2:03:10
Speaker 16: parate girl. So that was very cool to see. So
2:03:13
Speaker 16: in twenty seventeen that was our you know, I was
2:03:18
Speaker 16: going to stolenly accomplish it, and by the finish line,
2:03:21
Speaker 16: I pushed myself across the finish line. And then in
2:03:25
Speaker 16: twenty eighteen, I was growing stronger physically, and I decided
2:03:30
Speaker 16: to train and surprise everyone and to the finish line.
2:03:36
Speaker 16: My brother in law said in my velchair, I got
2:03:40
Speaker 16: up and I pushed him across the finish line.
2:03:43
Speaker 27: And then in twenty nineteen, I said, okay, how are
2:03:45
Speaker 27: we going to bease this? Given more cool?
2:03:48
Speaker 16: I was at the time still growing stronger as I
2:03:50
Speaker 16: continued to today and said, okay, let's train for something
2:03:55
Speaker 16: really cool.
2:03:56
Speaker 27: And I got out of my wheel chair a half
2:04:00
Speaker 27: a mile.
2:04:00
Speaker 16: Before and walked independently across the finish line, which was
2:04:05
Speaker 16: a massive accomplishment and took a lot of training. And
2:04:10
Speaker 16: Disney Colvin knew that story and decided to publish.
2:04:14
Speaker 27: It and advertise it.
2:04:16
Speaker 18: And then.
2:04:18
Speaker 16: A few days later, I guess the time of blew
2:04:20
Speaker 16: up and ABC was attracted to it in the news,
2:04:24
Speaker 16: then CNN, and then before we knew it, it.
2:04:26
Speaker 2: Was all over the place talk about whether you're ever
2:04:30
Speaker 2: in to do in New York City marathon, can your
2:04:31
Speaker 2: body do something like that for New York City style
2:04:34
Speaker 2: or is that in the works at all?
2:04:37
Speaker 16: So actually, my brother in law and I did participate
2:04:39
Speaker 16: in a New York City of full marathon. Wow, it
2:04:43
Speaker 16: was throughout the five hours. It took a lot of time.
2:04:46
Speaker 16: And I told him I hope he got that out
2:04:49
Speaker 16: of his system because I was never doing that again.
2:04:53
Speaker 27: The mother's eye.
2:04:55
Speaker 2: I asked you this last time we talked about your energy,
2:04:58
Speaker 2: because you know, I hospitalization last year in May twenty
2:05:02
Speaker 2: twenty four. Don't want to really go to a memory
2:05:05
Speaker 2: later on that. But I just noticed my body was
2:05:07
Speaker 2: telling me, Hey, you've done enough for today. And you
2:05:09
Speaker 2: both seem like we're both very active people. So does
2:05:12
Speaker 2: your body also tell you, Okay, we're done for today.
2:05:14
Speaker 2: Let's relax a little.
2:05:15
Speaker 27: Bit, for sure.
2:05:17
Speaker 16: I think it's so important to listen to your body
2:05:20
Speaker 16: and to know when it's time to take a verse
2:05:22
Speaker 16: and when it's time to go the day. It's also
2:05:25
Speaker 16: important to be active and to do what you want
2:05:29
Speaker 16: to do and to not let your disability to stop field.
2:05:31
Speaker 16: But it's also a very important to know when it's
2:05:34
Speaker 16: not to rest. And I've come to realize that if
2:05:37
Speaker 16: you don't listen, be valuable to shove it to you
2:05:40
Speaker 16: in other ways, and we're going to do force to rest.
2:05:44
Speaker 2: You know, So talk about your independent lifestyle in your workplace.
2:05:49
Speaker 2: Then because obviously another goal is to get people to
2:05:52
Speaker 2: work with the disability.
2:05:54
Speaker 26: They can work.
2:05:55
Speaker 2: I think that's a Massachusett talk about your work style
2:05:57
Speaker 2: and how you adapt to that on a daily Yeah.
2:06:01
Speaker 16: For sure, I wanted to want something that was meaningful
2:06:06
Speaker 16: to me. And I realized that I have been helping
2:06:10
Speaker 16: other people go through their challenges on my own, and
2:06:14
Speaker 16: I seem to realize that, hey.
2:06:16
Speaker 27: Why not, you know, I use this as a tool
2:06:19
Speaker 27: to help others.
2:06:21
Speaker 16: So I did get my master's in social work and
2:06:24
Speaker 16: I decided to try it out and to go to work.
2:06:27
Speaker 16: And like I said, yeah, I made use my real child,
2:06:30
Speaker 16: I made use my walker and it's okay. And there
2:06:33
Speaker 16: are people there that are willing into help if it's needed.
2:06:36
Speaker 16: And even so there's always a way to adapt into
2:06:41
Speaker 16: that somo day and to me to happen. And it's
2:06:43
Speaker 16: more about like the will to want it. How bad
2:06:46
Speaker 16: do you want to get You meant to find in
2:06:48
Speaker 16: some extra work, but it's just a test of how
2:06:51
Speaker 16: bad do you want it? And if you want to
2:06:53
Speaker 16: do it, it can definitely happen.
2:06:56
Speaker 19: All right.
2:06:57
Speaker 2: I love that you say you were friends with John Stamos,
2:07:00
Speaker 2: that connection build up and did Full House actually help
2:07:04
Speaker 2: get you through all that, Like what did you lean
2:07:06
Speaker 2: on that while you were trying to get into this
2:07:09
Speaker 2: rehabbing process.
2:07:11
Speaker 16: So I grew up watch in Full House. I always
2:07:14
Speaker 16: had a crush on John Stamos I Desi is a
2:07:19
Speaker 16: very common person. I went to see one of his
2:07:21
Speaker 16: Broadway shows and I got to meet him after the show.
2:07:26
Speaker 16: And ever since that show, we've met it to each
2:07:28
Speaker 16: other and they kept up with each other, and we've
2:07:33
Speaker 16: befriended each other throughout the years, and anytime he's in town,
2:07:37
Speaker 16: send me a chat with him. I sage saying like, oh,
2:07:39
Speaker 16: I'm going to be here here if you don want
2:07:40
Speaker 16: to come and see me. And he just kept up
2:07:43
Speaker 16: to wrap the years, and he's such a tind person.
2:07:45
Speaker 16: And the first time that I actually met him, obviously
2:07:49
Speaker 16: he didn't know my story, did know what happened to me,
2:07:51
Speaker 16: And I was actually in a much worse state than
2:07:54
Speaker 16: I am today, and he left me this message and
2:07:58
Speaker 16: I'll never forget and he said, I don't know what
2:08:01
Speaker 16: happened to you. I obviously don't know what you're going through,
2:08:04
Speaker 16: but whatever it is, you're longer than I don't ever
2:08:08
Speaker 16: try to tell you. So the fact that they're here
2:08:10
Speaker 16: assisting and shows your strength and don't ever let that
2:08:13
Speaker 16: strength go. And I always tell them that I've never
2:08:16
Speaker 16: forgot the same agatives. It has definitely pushed me along
2:08:20
Speaker 16: the way, especially in moments where I needed an motivation.
2:08:24
Speaker 15: I love it.
2:08:25
Speaker 2: I love it, and your family, obviously, through all of this,
2:08:28
Speaker 2: has been supporting you day by day.
2:08:31
Speaker 26: I'm sure since it's still starting, were they in shock
2:08:34
Speaker 26: as much as you were out? Did they react when
2:08:36
Speaker 26: at first of all did diagnose what's happened?
2:08:39
Speaker 27: Yeah, for sure.
2:08:40
Speaker 16: I'm very, very blessed to have an amazing support this one.
2:08:44
Speaker 16: I have an incredible family, immediate family, extended family, friends
2:08:50
Speaker 16: that have become my family, and the community that's amazing
2:08:54
Speaker 16: and supported, and it has been to me, been with
2:08:58
Speaker 16: me the entire way. When I was first diagnosed, I
2:09:03
Speaker 16: don't think that I or anyone else understood the magnetitude
2:09:06
Speaker 16: of it, and it just happened so quickly, and once
2:09:12
Speaker 16: we realized and that was geting much worse, they never
2:09:16
Speaker 16: like my side. My friends never left my side, even
2:09:19
Speaker 16: when now we're in the eyes to you and I
2:09:21
Speaker 16: write physically as for no one to come and see
2:09:24
Speaker 16: me because I did not feel well physically, mentally, emotionally.
2:09:29
Speaker 16: I just know how to be there anyone. And my
2:09:32
Speaker 16: friends did not let them stop them. They just they
2:09:35
Speaker 16: got stuff and scrubs and came in and marching around
2:09:38
Speaker 16: and danging around, and they knew I needed it, even
2:09:41
Speaker 16: if I didn't realize I needed it, And they had
2:09:45
Speaker 16: never let my side, continued to never meet my side.
2:09:47
Speaker 16: And I'm very blessed, and I know that I'm blessed,
2:09:51
Speaker 16: and I always tried to remind myself how lucky I am,
2:09:55
Speaker 16: and truthfully do not think I would be where I
2:09:57
Speaker 16: am today without their end in me.
2:10:00
Speaker 2: So far, I love it, and I.
2:10:02
Speaker 26: Love your optimism and positivity, and we need something like
2:10:05
Speaker 26: that as we.
2:10:05
Speaker 2: Get eighty eight thirty five, because I do feel like
2:10:08
Speaker 2: some people I don't want to say, sit in the disability,
2:10:11
Speaker 2: but they don't. They don't expand beyond that, they sort
2:10:15
Speaker 2: of living it and they let define them. And you're
2:10:17
Speaker 2: not letting define it. You are out there kicking ass
2:10:20
Speaker 2: every day. And I know it took a long way
2:10:22
Speaker 2: to get to that point.
2:10:23
Speaker 26: But for those that may be.
2:10:25
Speaker 2: Upset, they're disabled or whatever, but how do they find
2:10:29
Speaker 2: that road to not be upset, but just drive them
2:10:33
Speaker 2: to go further.
2:10:35
Speaker 16: I mean, yeah, listen, I don't disability to define me,
2:10:39
Speaker 16: but it definitely has shafe time on today. And yeah,
2:10:45
Speaker 16: if you're feeling well and you're feeling sad and you're
2:10:47
Speaker 16: stuck in that, it's okay. It's important to feel and
2:10:51
Speaker 16: you should definitely not you know, I didn't. If you
2:10:56
Speaker 16: don't address it, it's just gonna sit and then build
2:10:59
Speaker 16: up and then so manifest in other ways.
2:11:03
Speaker 27: So definitely feel it.
2:11:04
Speaker 16: I just you know, and don't sit there too long
2:11:06
Speaker 16: because the longer just sit there, you're missing out all
2:11:09
Speaker 16: the things that you can experience. So that's pretty much
2:11:13
Speaker 16: also why I started, because I can page. I've just
2:11:15
Speaker 16: you know, showing the world that, yeah, I have disability and.
2:11:19
Speaker 27: I may have some challenges. What everyone does.
2:11:21
Speaker 16: Everyone has their own you know, own craft to deal
2:11:23
Speaker 16: with and it's okay. And just to know that they're
2:11:28
Speaker 16: all here, we're all ready to help, and we're all
2:11:31
Speaker 16: you know, trying to live this thing, thisful life, and
2:11:34
Speaker 16: as long as you.
2:11:37
Speaker 27: Find a way to do it, you can definitely achieve it.
2:11:40
Speaker 27: All right.
2:11:41
Speaker 2: I got to ask you this, as a social worker,
2:11:42
Speaker 2: do you do you both able bodied and disabled clients, Like,
2:11:46
Speaker 2: what's the clientele range?
2:11:48
Speaker 27: Yeah, I actually did.
2:11:49
Speaker 16: I actually I specialize in trauma and work with children.
2:11:55
Speaker 16: I think I subconsciously chose that because I can relate
2:12:00
Speaker 16: to it very well.
2:12:02
Speaker 27: I was a child.
2:12:03
Speaker 16: I want to travel, and I think that especially for children.
2:12:09
Speaker 16: I mean Chile always saying oh, children are so resilient,
2:12:13
Speaker 16: and then you find out when you're there that this
2:12:15
Speaker 16: person who's in therapy for trying to address what happened
2:12:18
Speaker 16: in their childhood.
2:12:19
Speaker 27: So I don't know how it.
2:12:20
Speaker 16: Doing, as they truly are, but they definitely had a
2:12:24
Speaker 16: special spark in them. And if they're going through something
2:12:28
Speaker 16: or I need some assistance, I'm so happy to be
2:12:31
Speaker 16: all the one to show them and remind them.
2:12:34
Speaker 15: Of the.
2:12:36
Speaker 26: I love it.
2:12:37
Speaker 2: I love it, Sherry, this has been awesome. One last
2:12:40
Speaker 2: couple of things here, Why did you start them? Because
2:12:43
Speaker 2: I can campaign? Because that's sort of my pitch to
2:12:46
Speaker 2: me was from Steve Cohen. Thanks for him for introducing us,
2:12:49
Speaker 2: by the way, But why because I can't. Was that
2:12:51
Speaker 2: something you woke up in today I'm going to start
2:12:53
Speaker 2: using this What was the motivation for using that specific
2:12:56
Speaker 2: contruct So I love.
2:12:58
Speaker 16: Asking that which like I mentioned, and I have noticed
2:13:01
Speaker 16: that I was bumping into old classmates from high school
2:13:05
Speaker 16: or really just anyone, and and I saw a little
2:13:11
Speaker 16: morse in their eyes and they felt so bad for me,
2:13:13
Speaker 16: and and I was just good to myself, like do
2:13:17
Speaker 16: you feel bad?
2:13:18
Speaker 27: Like I'm not just happy. I'm the happiest that I've
2:13:20
Speaker 27: ever been.
2:13:22
Speaker 16: So I kind of used that I feel too, sort
2:13:26
Speaker 16: of start this because I can't page which happened in
2:13:29
Speaker 16: by accident, and I wanted to show the world that, yeah,
2:13:33
Speaker 16: I may have challenges that I brings it up to naked.
2:13:36
Speaker 16: I didn't mean that I can't live my life or
2:13:40
Speaker 16: be happy. So I started this model.
2:13:43
Speaker 27: I may not be able to do the things you do,
2:13:46
Speaker 27: but what I can do will surprise you.
2:13:49
Speaker 16: And I just exploded into this campaign that showed the
2:13:53
Speaker 16: bell that yeah, I may have some challenges.
2:13:56
Speaker 27: We all do, but it's okay and you're not alone.
2:13:58
Speaker 16: And whatever you get from this page, I just hope
2:14:02
Speaker 16: that you see it and decide not to develop sure as.
2:14:07
Speaker 2: An athlete like doing the running myself for thirty years
2:14:10
Speaker 2: or so. I have to ask you this, were you
2:14:11
Speaker 2: playing sports before all of this auto mean disease? Were
2:14:15
Speaker 2: you active like that in the sports world and the
2:14:17
Speaker 2: running world, and then you know, refinding yourself after the
2:14:21
Speaker 2: diagnosis must have felt like even a bigger accomplishment.
2:14:24
Speaker 26: Not just brow to convisusline, but getting back to that
2:14:26
Speaker 26: state of athletic.
2:14:28
Speaker 16: Is afore Yeah, so I did describe was not as
2:14:31
Speaker 16: sports star tom a tom boy. I was very much incidanced.
2:14:35
Speaker 16: I was dead in my entire life. I was always
2:14:38
Speaker 16: in dance classes and dance competitions, So that definitely hip
2:14:44
Speaker 16: the toll of it.
2:14:45
Speaker 27: I actually don't really talk about it.
2:14:46
Speaker 16: I'm not because it's such a it hits such a
2:14:50
Speaker 16: personal stop, and it's something as happy as I am
2:14:54
Speaker 16: today and how much I am grateful I am today
2:14:57
Speaker 16: and how much I have achieved and continued to go stronger,
2:15:01
Speaker 16: that's something that I hope none of these are not
2:15:05
Speaker 16: warning because as much as I can dance today with adaptations,
2:15:12
Speaker 16: it's not how I was before, And that's okay. It's
2:15:15
Speaker 16: just something that I will ever miss and hopefully when.
2:15:19
Speaker 26: I'll go back to it now.
2:15:21
Speaker 2: I know you want to think you have a lot
2:15:23
Speaker 2: of doctors that help you through this, but also you
2:15:26
Speaker 2: were you were maybe listening to your body's warning signs
2:15:29
Speaker 2: and not many people do that, right, I mean, what
2:15:31
Speaker 2: did were there warning signs before the diagnosis happened, or
2:15:33
Speaker 2: how did you listen.
2:15:34
Speaker 26: To your body with all of that when it first happened.
2:15:38
Speaker 27: Yeah, it's that's just something I don't talk about much also,
2:15:40
Speaker 27: but it's okay. I did it.
2:15:42
Speaker 16: I did not feel right on the morning, and I
2:15:45
Speaker 16: did call the doctor and he said, oh, maybe it's
2:15:47
Speaker 16: just you know, it's coming down with that vigress or
2:15:50
Speaker 16: you getting the flow or you know, just they.
2:15:52
Speaker 27: Just brushed it off. And I said, okay, and it's right.
2:15:57
Speaker 27: And after if you.
2:15:58
Speaker 16: Did, that's kept you know, deteriorating. And it's definite that
2:16:02
Speaker 16: I needed to be hostialized. And I noticed that it's really,
2:16:08
Speaker 16: really really important to listen to your value and to
2:16:11
Speaker 16: advocate for yourself and something they're gonna feel, right, you
2:16:15
Speaker 16: not go with it and see the other help. It's
2:16:18
Speaker 16: better to be hold you're fine, you're fine, you're fine,
2:16:21
Speaker 16: and take all the tests and to be seen that
2:16:24
Speaker 16: you're fine, versus just you know, listening to one doctor
2:16:27
Speaker 16: and just waiting for some reverse to happen.
2:16:31
Speaker 2: All right, you will the experience where the ada is necessary, right,
2:16:35
Speaker 2: the accessibility is necessary, but we're thirty five years and
2:16:39
Speaker 2: what can be done to make it more accessible? As
2:16:42
Speaker 2: we said earlier, it's not all accessible, But what do
2:16:44
Speaker 2: you think can be done? Not just in a I
2:16:47
Speaker 2: guess physical way with all the accessibility, but just in
2:16:50
Speaker 2: a lot of ways.
2:16:50
Speaker 16: There's a lot more to go, right for sure, I
2:16:54
Speaker 16: said that there's so many different communities out there that
2:16:57
Speaker 16: let's say that the ldvtpl or.
2:17:01
Speaker 27: I don't know things like that.
2:17:02
Speaker 25: And.
2:17:04
Speaker 16: I just think that there's so much more work to
2:17:06
Speaker 16: be done with the ADA and we're just I don't
2:17:09
Speaker 16: know if that's on the back runner.
2:17:12
Speaker 27: And I wished that I could do it.
2:17:15
Speaker 16: And I feel that we are as a community doing it,
2:17:18
Speaker 16: but as a nation or as the world, and that
2:17:22
Speaker 16: it does get reflected sometimes, which is why our community
2:17:26
Speaker 16: is so strong, because we advocate for each other and
2:17:28
Speaker 16: try to accommodate with each other.
2:17:31
Speaker 27: But it definitely can use I'm not sure.
2:17:36
Speaker 2: Do you feel like these kids not are the ones
2:17:39
Speaker 2: that you're wide you're helping out your work, but do
2:17:41
Speaker 2: you feel like.
2:17:42
Speaker 1: Kids are looking up to you?
2:17:43
Speaker 26: People are looking up to you?
2:17:44
Speaker 34: Now?
2:17:44
Speaker 2: I mean, you're such a grounded person for a big
2:17:46
Speaker 2: Eyelight on ESPN. And yet you're just you sound so grounded,
2:17:50
Speaker 2: so it doesn't sound like it. Let it get to
2:17:52
Speaker 2: your head a.
2:17:52
Speaker 26: Little bit, you know what I mean?
2:17:53
Speaker 10: Like you're very grounded.
2:17:55
Speaker 26: But do you notice people, hey, we look up to
2:17:58
Speaker 26: your shares that type of thing you're seeing.
2:18:00
Speaker 16: M yeah, I definitely gets stopped hearing there and from
2:18:04
Speaker 16: adults to children and stay like, you know, think for
2:18:08
Speaker 16: a page.
2:18:09
Speaker 27: I really didn't smile.
2:18:10
Speaker 21: Me and and.
2:18:13
Speaker 27: I don't want to get to my head because the reason.
2:18:15
Speaker 16: Why I continue to, you know, share my story is
2:18:19
Speaker 16: because I want others to see it and know that
2:18:21
Speaker 16: they're not alone.
2:18:22
Speaker 27: And I know that there is life under the tunnel.
2:18:25
Speaker 15: I know that.
2:18:28
Speaker 16: You can look at like use me, use my story
2:18:31
Speaker 16: to you know, to as your insariation to do whatever
2:18:34
Speaker 16: you want to do. And if you're ever feeling stuck,
2:18:36
Speaker 16: I hope that you see it and say, Okay, if she.
2:18:39
Speaker 27: Can do it, so can I. And that's that's really
2:18:41
Speaker 27: my only goal. I'm not here I did.
2:18:44
Speaker 16: I'm not here for the.
2:18:45
Speaker 27: Fandom in the start, and I'm not I don't care
2:18:47
Speaker 27: for the spotlight well.
2:18:50
Speaker 26: Sherry Shore s r O U R.
2:18:53
Speaker 9: Sherry C. H E r I.
2:18:55
Speaker 26: You can find her on Instagram as well.
2:18:58
Speaker 2: I love the story that you said that some someone
2:19:00
Speaker 2: was not really wanting to do the exercise, you know,
2:19:03
Speaker 2: go to the gym in the morning, but they saw
2:19:04
Speaker 2: your videos.
2:19:04
Speaker 26: Okay, I'm going I saw the video. It's a great story.
2:19:08
Speaker 16: Yeah, it happens somewhre a few times that I'm grateful
2:19:12
Speaker 16: for that. If someone said stuck or unmotivated and need
2:19:17
Speaker 16: the extra punch, so I'll say like, oh, I saw
2:19:19
Speaker 16: your page, and you know if I if Shary can
2:19:22
Speaker 16: do it, then what's my excuse?
2:19:23
Speaker 27: I have no reason.
2:19:24
Speaker 16: You know, my weds are working, my arms are working
2:19:26
Speaker 16: on healthy I have no reason for excuse not to
2:19:29
Speaker 16: do anything. And there's them in that momentum, you know,
2:19:33
Speaker 16: to cash themselves, and that's really my main message.
2:19:36
Speaker 2: Well, I love that I was able to feature you
2:19:38
Speaker 2: on the countdown the eighty eight thirty five. Are you
2:19:41
Speaker 2: celebrating the media eight tomorrow or are you going to
2:19:43
Speaker 2: be involved or what's your plans for the weekend?
2:19:47
Speaker 27: Just a living whatever comes with it.
2:19:50
Speaker 16: I just I'm just trying to enjoy the summer and
2:19:53
Speaker 16: then enjoy my life whatever by that means, which trying
2:19:57
Speaker 16: to family, the beach and let's go to the ocean.
2:20:01
Speaker 2: So yeah, which is I think the best way to
2:20:03
Speaker 2: honor the days is keep living living the life, you.
2:20:06
Speaker 27: Know, yeah, living my second life.
2:20:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, Cherry, love to having you, and we're
2:20:12
Speaker 2: definitely gonna have you back on as your story continues
2:20:15
Speaker 2: to be out there and and developments that you want
2:20:17
Speaker 2: to talk about.
2:20:18
Speaker 26: You're welcome back on the One Leg Up Network.
2:20:20
Speaker 27: Thank you so much for having me.
2:20:23
Speaker 2: All right, even while we're here at l I seven
2:20:26
Speaker 2: Usual All Star Weekend had to pay homage to eighty
2:20:29
Speaker 2: eight thirty five, and as Gaby and I can attest to,
2:20:34
Speaker 2: there's so much more to go and so much more
2:20:36
Speaker 2: accessibility to be had. The fight and the journey is
2:20:41
Speaker 2: not done yet for Americans with disabilities. We must continue
2:20:46
Speaker 2: to work so that all people with disability have one
2:20:50
Speaker 2: leg up on life.