December 22, 2023 • 30 mins
Welcome to a special episode of 'Including You', where we discuss creating an inclusive holiday experience that goes far beyond the wrapping paper and ribbons. Hear from Mollie Hernandez and Jen Goodwin share how to make sure your holiday activities are inclusive for all.
We cover everything from accommodating food sensitivities with grace to ensuring the physical space is navigable for guests with disabilities. And because no holiday is complete without the shared experience of a classic film, we reveal simple tweaks like audio descriptions and closed captioning that can bring everyone together. With our guests' personal anecdotes and a little tech magic from gadgets like heated blankets and smart home scent systems, we'll guide you through a holiday season where inclusion and innovation make for the perfect celebration.
Guests:
- Mollie Hernandez, Advocate, DRA
- Jen Goodwin, Attorney, DRA
Contact DRA
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- Email us at info@disabilityrightsar.org
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lani Jennings-Hall (00:05):
Welcome to Including You
Rights Arkansas podcast.
I'm your host, LaniJennings-Hall, and joining me
today are two advocates andthought leaders Mollie Hernandez
and Jen Goodwin.
In this special episode, we'llunwrap the art of celebrating
the holidays inclusively,exploring everything from
practical tips for a seamlessholiday season to creating
traditions that warmly embraceeveryone.
(00:26):
We'll share intots on preparingfor gatherings, discuss
innovative ways to ensureeveryone feels welcome during
this festive time and delve intoour ultimate wish list of gifts
.
So, whether you're seekingadvice on making your holiday
spread more accessible or hopingto discover thoughtful,
inclusive gift ideas, join ustoday as we celebrate the magic
of the season while ensuringit's truly for everyone.
(00:47):
Welcome to Including you.
Thank you, guys for joining meagain today.
I really want to dive right onin here.
You know, preparing for theholidays, it can be stressful,
it can be intense, and you knowwe all need a few tips, tricks
and tools to really make sure wecan get through this as
(01:08):
seamlessly as possible.
Mollie, you want to kick us offwith some of your hacks?
Mollie Hernandez (01:13):
Sure, and Merry Christmas Lani, Merry
Christmas Jen.
I'm so excited to kick off theholidays with you guys.
So I love the holidays, I loveall things and I think over the
years I've learned to kind ofproblem solve and figure out my
way around things.
Jen, I know you have too, Ithink, one of the big things as
a person with a disability ifyou've listened to our podcast
(01:36):
before, I'm blind, so that addsan extra layer of challenge when
I'm kind of hiding away giftsand wrapping gifts and things.
So for me, organization is key.
One of my favorite tools thathas disappeared on me and I mean
from store shelves was a pop uptape dispenser, which was just.
I could wear it on my hand orwrist and use the tape, get that
(02:01):
tape piece by piece as I neededit.
I cannot find those anywhere,but that's been one of my
favorites.
Otherwise, when I go to wrap agift, I can't do it at a table.
I don't know why I have to bedown in the floor.
Jen Goodwin (02:13):
Like we've got to get down and dirty.
Mollie Hernandez (02:15):
We got to, I got to wrestle the package, so I
roll out my paper, I put mypackages on there, but I have to
physically have what I need onme, because I'm going to be the
person that loses my scissors,loses everything, and so I like
wearing my workout leggings thathave the pockets on either side
that you would think would belike for your cell phone.
(02:36):
I'm geared up with scissors andit's like a holster for me and
that way it's on me while I'mwrapping.
Now I can't write very well onname tags.
It's not going to work out forme.
So typically I have to beorganized in advance.
Have my one person I'm wrappingfor, have it in a stack, and
then I'll have someone else goahead and do the tagging.
(02:57):
I would say, if you're a friendof a person with a disability
and you want to just be anamazing friend, offer one night.
Say I'm coming over with abottle of wine and we're going
to put in a Christmas movie andlet's wrap together.
Let's just hang out.
It's a ton of fun and you cankind of be that wingman on the
wrapping and help with that.
Amen to that.
Yes, I mean that's a gift inand of itself.
(03:18):
If you just want to come hangout and wrap and have some fun,
I can guarantee you we wouldhave a blast.
Another thing that I do issometimes I outsource it to that
.
We do have a nonprofit in townthat one of their fundraisers is
to wrap your gifts for you, fora donation.
Now there's a little bit of workon the front end where you need
(03:40):
to have everything superorganized.
But who couldn't benefit fromthat?
But you drop it off for themand then they'll call you when
it's all done.
And that's in the years that Ican't get it done.
And I mean, let's face it, wecan't all get it all done
without help.
It's the way to go and I knowI'm spreading a little Christmas
cheer and some donations to agroup that needs it, so it's
(04:03):
kind of a win-win on that.
But wrapping is not easy.
But I think if we thinkcreatively we can get it done.
And gift bags Don't forget giftbags.
I have children and children atChristmas.
They're going to push thattissue aside, so I want things
wrapped up as best I can.
Lani Jennings-Hall (04:20):
I have found a new tool that I love, because
I yes, I'm definitely usuallyin the one down and dirty on the
ground as well.
Something about you just got towrap, I don't know, but I did
see a new tool this year whereyou can clip it onto like a
counter or a table and slideyour wrapping paper on the roll.
You can put your tape on theend of it, and so it keeps
everything all together in onecomponent.
(04:41):
So it keeps wrapping paper tape, all of it, and you just slide
the wrapping paper out and itjust keeps it all together.
It's wonderful.
Jen Goodwin (04:50):
What's the name you may link for that one, please?
Yes.
Lani Jennings-Hall (04:54):
I will, I'll share it out, and then you just
slide it down and it cuts yourwrapping paper for you, because
that's like.
My issue is like with thescissors it just doesn't go well
for me.
So yeah, I'm investing in oneof those this year.
Jen Goodwin (05:06):
So, similarly, this is Jen, and again, merry
Christmas to everyone and happyholidays, all the things.
So I am quadriplegic, so I havelimited hand function and I'm a
chair user also, so one of thethings that I am not doing is
getting in the floor with mygifts.
So on present wrapping night atmy house I have a card table
(05:30):
that's set up and it looks likea whole gift wrapping station.
So Saiyan, super Organized,having all the wrapping in one
area and all the bows andeverything else set up.
So the new gadget that I boughtthis year it's called the ELF
and it actually goes on to thewrapping paper roll and again,
it's kind of like what youmentioned, lainey, where you
(05:51):
just slide it down and it willcut your paper straight, and so
that's what I'm planning to usefor wrapping this year.
But I also like to incorporatemy eight year old and my two
year old into the wrappingprocess and let them take
ownership of some of that.
I have to get away from myperfectionist tendencies to
(06:15):
allow some loose edges and justhave a little fun with it when
you know packages are a littleloose and that's okay, because
they were wrapped with love byan eight year old and you know,
have some extra bows and justlet my kids take ownership and
put them wherever they want andcall it a day.
Instead of using little tagsthat I have to spend time taping
(06:37):
on, I grab a Sharpie marker andwrite a name on the back and
call it a day.
Lani Jennings-Hall (06:43):
So I like that.
Yeah, I like that a lot.
I've also seen recently peoplehave started using just like
stickers for like the firstinitial or letter to or yeah, or
like pictures if it's someonethey're close to, rather than
having to write names, becausethat's where I struggle as well.
Like the tags.
Mollie Hernandez (06:59):
You just don't have enough space on some of
them.
So now something I've donebefore in the past with my
children.
But once you start getting intothe extended family it's just
impossible.
But with my kids they each onewould have their own paper and
that way that they could telltheirs apart under the tree on
Christmas morning.
But you know, and my kids aregood, of course they're
(07:20):
teenagers now but to go aheadand help me label for other
people and stuff, so you knowagain, I think being open to
recruiting help and being ableto let go a little bit is a key
to getting those gifts wrappedand under the tree.
Lani Jennings-Hall (07:36):
No, I think that's a great point because,
yes, wrapping, all of this is atime of chaos, right, which
let's take it a step back alittle bit.
Shopping, right?
If there's ever a time of chaos, it is holiday time shopping.
Do you guys have any tips,tricks for holiday shopping?
Jen Goodwin (07:54):
Online.
Online is a beautiful thingthis time of year.
One of the things that I'vefound is that on different
groups there are like deals formamas and that sort of thing.
So I've joined those groups andso they are posting, you know,
random deals of the day, thatkind of thing, and I have gone
in and bought so many of thoseand it's been great, because, as
(08:18):
a cheer user, one of the thingsthat gets really irritating to
me this time of year is that,you know, the stores pack
themselves full of merchandise,which is great, but they take up
aisle space where I wouldnormally be able to, you know,
navigate the aisles prettyeasily.
All of a sudden it's reallytight and I'm literally pushing
(08:38):
stuff out of my way just to getdown an aisle.
So it gets kind of frustrating.
But so I do resort a lot online.
There's still something funabout, you know, going out and
being in the stores this time ofyear, so I incorporate that as
well, but a little of both.
Mollie Hernandez (08:54):
Yeah, Jen is truly a professional.
I just want you all to knowthat was professional advice we
were getting.
She can work the deals, stackthe deals like no other.
I think one of my favorite textmessages I received recently
was at 1 (09:06):
30 in the morning on Black Friday from Jen sending me
a deal that I woke up early at4: 34 and purchased.
So yeah, Jen, take Jen's advice.
That's a good thing for you.
Right there, it is right there.
She knew it.
I like to go out into thestores.
I enjoy it but, like Jen, itgets crowded, especially working
(09:30):
with service animal.
It's a chaotic time of year.
So I would say, check thoseextended hours.
I just found out last week thatTJ Maxx is open from 7 am to 11
pm here and you know againlet's talk about if you love
someone with a disability, talkto them and say, hey, you want
to make an early morning 7 am,run to whatever store or who's
(09:53):
up at 11 pm run.
Jen Goodwin (09:56):
Let's be real.
Mollie Hernandez (09:56):
I'm not gonna say that, yeah, true, so you
know, throw that out.
If you're wanting to reallyassist someone, tell them hey,
let's check the early hours orthe late hours and let's go
while it's not so crowded.
Or I'm willing to take a dayoff work, if you are, and let's
go on a weekday, not a weekendwhen it's so crowded, because we
(10:17):
do have some additionalchallenges as we're navigating
stores and I am going to be aslower shopper.
So those are things you can doto really help someone get get
those packages and get get themready for for Christmas day.
Lani Jennings-Hall (10:31):
Well, and I think one of the really great
point to you guys keep hittingon is communication and, you
know, leaning on some support.
I think that'll be reallyimportant too, coming up into
the holiday season with all theparties and the meals and the
events that are coming up.
I don't think people you knowalways think about ways that
they can be inclusive for thoseparties.
(10:52):
Y'all want to talk a little bitabout some tips and tricks
about making sure that thoseevents are inclusive for
everyone.
Mollie Hernandez (10:58):
Okay.
So first and foremost, I thinkJen and I will both say
communicate beforehand.
I mean that really helps.
Ask us about accessibility andwhat makes things easier.
So, like when we're talkingabout food I mean you're going
to need if you're hosting anevent, I mean it's not just
looking at disability, it'slooking at food sensitivities,
(11:19):
allergies.
You know there are a lot ofpeople who could be impacted by
the foods that are being servedor the menu.
So first just have thatdiscussion and see what would be
best for the person.
Allow them to bring their ownif they would like, if that
would make them more comfortable.
Don't make anyone uncomfortableover a menu.
(11:41):
I mean, that's not what theholidays are about.
So you know, maybe they can'teat grandma's dressing recipe,
but they can bring their ownalternative and be just fine
when preparing the placesettings and actually preparing
the plate.
So this is more relative to mebecause I'm low, I'm blind and
I've been through the years oflow vision as well.
(12:03):
If you've got a beautiful placesetting which my head's off to
you if in that you know, with abig party you can pull that off
and you've got something like awhite tablecloth and white
plates and, you know, maybe eventhe food is not really diverse
in color.
That makes it very hard for youto distinguish your plate from
the placemat and stuff.
So I love color and contrast,so those things help me.
(12:26):
Then in putting the food on theplate.
I can't work a buffet line,that's okay.
I mean, buffet is how most ofthese parties are going to be.
But I will need someone to walkthrough with me and tell me each
of the things that there areand put them on the plate for me
and then orient me to my plate.
You know, at 12 o'clock areyour potatoes, at one o'clock is
(12:48):
the broccoli.
You know things like that toorient me.
Very simple, but it just itmakes the meal so much more
accessible.
And again, if one of the thingsto choose from is spaghetti as
opposed to maybe mashed potatoesor something and I know that's
a wide variety on the menu Imight opt out of the spaghetti
(13:08):
just because it's a little moredifficult for me to manipulate.
I'm not trying to offend anyone.
So please don't leave whereyour heart on your sleeve and be
super sensitive to what we doand don't eat, because we know
what's accessible to us and wealso just know what we like.
So it's not meant to insultanyone.
Jen Goodwin (13:26):
And I would agree with a lot of what Molly just
said on all of that as well.
So one of the things for me is Iprobably could make my own
plate, but then the whole lineis going to be held up behind me
and honestly, I would ratherjust direct someone on the
things that I want and, you know, just be willing to listen and
willing to jump in there andoffered to make my plate for me,
(13:47):
with me going through the linewith you so that I can tell you
what looks good and what doesn't.
And you know just that I have aplace to sit that is accessible
for me and that's inclusive withthe other people that are at
the party.
But I want to back up one stepon this too and just say invite
me to the party, don't excludeme because you think it might be
(14:10):
inaccessible.
Let me make that call and letthat be a judgment call.
That's on me to decide, becauseI've been in a lot of people's
houses that have multiple stairsand you know what.
I own a ramp, and if not, thenI call I can and borrow a ramp
from them for the occasion.
So let that be my decision, notyour decision.
(14:31):
Don't exclude me just becauseyou think it might be
inaccessible for me.
Lani Jennings-Hall (14:35):
Jen.
I think this is a great point.
Let's talk about this just asecond.
You know you talked about,you've been in the houses that
in.
Maybe in this instance, youknew you know they had stairs,
but I think that's an important,important piece of you know
have that communication part.
You know like, hey, I do knowthat we have these stairs.
Is there a way that we can?
You know, do we need to rent aramp with Molly?
(14:57):
If you know, molly, you have aseeing eye dog.
Maybe we've got cats, maybe gota dog, or a situation Is there?
Is there anything we need toensure that this is as
accessible and as accommodatingas it can be for XYZ party or
whatever?
I think that thosecommunications and those
conversations are important tobe an inclusive holiday.
Jen Goodwin (15:19):
Right, for me.
If you send me a picture ofyour entrances, then that will
help so I can actually look at.
I may have, you know, somefollow up questions for you on
measurements or that sort ofthing, if you're.
You happen to be handy and it'sgoing to be a place that I'm
going to come to multiple timesand you want to build a ramp to
make it easier than fantastic,you know, if it's going to be
(15:42):
something more involved thanjust what I automatically
already have at home.
But let's have thatcommunication and just be
willing to.
You know, send me and thinkoutside the box.
So it may be your back doorthat's more accessible, or the
front door, but don't make mewill through mud, because I
don't want to trick that in yourhouse.
So, yeah, just be aware of thepath to get to the door also,
(16:04):
not just the door itself.
Mollie Hernandez (16:06):
I mean truly ask us what is going to make it
easier for us and alsocomfortable for you, because we
don't want to be, I guess,problematic.
But yeah, we're going to havesome certain specific needs and,
you know, just asking us takeso much of that pressure off of
both of us.
It'll take it off of you as ahost and off of me without
(16:27):
having to worry about it.
So, yeah, I come in with aguide dog.
So if you have animals, pets,please just lock them away for
an hour or two because, yes, mydog is highly trained and won't
react, but your animal willprobably want to sniff and
interact and it just makes hisjob more difficult.
So if you can spend an hour ortwo away from Fluffykins, please
(16:51):
do.
It just makes it a littleeasier.
As far as arranging your house,you know, unless your furniture
is nailed down, look at waysyou can make it where there's
easier walkways.
Houses usually get rearranged abit when you're putting up trees
and things anyway.
So if you can try and attend tothose walkways so that you know
(17:12):
, Jen would have room andclearance for her chair and I'm
going to have room with a dogwalking on my left and, you know
, a space underneath the tablewhere he can sit.
There are very simplemodifications.
It's not stuff to stress about,but if you go into it thinking,
oh well, they just wouldn'thave space at my house, we're
just, you know, not invitingthem.
(17:34):
That's not the spirit of theholidays.
So, you know, ask us, includeus If you're doing parties
outside of the home.
It's very easy to checkaccessibility for that and if
it's a themed party, don'texclude us just due to the
nature of the theme.
If you're wanting to do apainting party.
I'll be a Picasso.
I mean, don't think justbecause Molly can't see she
(17:55):
wouldn't want to paint.
Same thing for just outdooradventures.
I love, love going on Christmaslike tours.
Now I'm going to say let'sdrive through Starbucks or
something, but I just, I justenjoy it.
I like hearing everyone talkabout that.
I went through a drive-throughnativity this weekend and you
know it's to me, it's being withthe people.
(18:18):
I love whether or not Iexperience it in the same ways
that they do.
Lani Jennings-Hall (18:22):
One of the best way I've heard you phrase
it was you aren't the judge ofwhat's accessible.
For the individual to decidewhat can and can't be done.
That is absolutely not for youas the host, for anyone else to
decide.
It is for you, as theindividual, to decide what is or
is not accessible.
Mollie Hernandez (18:38):
Yeah, we're the experts on us, let us figure
it out.
Jen Goodwin (18:41):
And if we decide that it's not accessible, don't
be offended if we don't comeAlso.
I mean, sometimes I feel like Iget in that, but where it's
just going to be so verydifficult that my time is going
to be spent better elsewhere.
So just don't be offended ifthat's the situation.
Mollie Hernandez (19:00):
Yes, we also like to avoid being a spectacle.
If we see that that's going tohappen, we very well may just
say, hey, we'll do dinneranother time.
Lani Jennings-Hall (19:08):
No, I think that's a great point too.
Let's just talk a few otherways of including people with
disabilities on the holidays.
A little bit closer toChristmas, there may be
instances of, like you know, weall play dirty Santa.
Mollie Hernandez (19:22):
Yeah, as you're preparing your
entertainment and things likethat, there's a lot of ways that
you can be more inclusive.
If we're speaking about beingin a crowd and it being noisy
and and having music going, workon.
Be attentive to the volume ofmusic so that people can
converse more easily.
People who have hearingimpairments they're going to
(19:47):
struggle more in these loudsettings.
I also am, because I don't havethat visual cue when I'm
speaking to someone to kind ofmake those connections and get
the gist of the conversation.
So if I can't hear as well,it's difficult.
So work on that kind of have aquiet place where people with
sensory issues might be able togo and just take a minute, take
a breather, because we knowthese things are chaotic.
(20:08):
If you're playing games, bevery attentive to the people who
are going to be playing in thegames and make sure that all can
participate or that you've gotan alternative game.
I know like my family enjoysplaying UNO and I'm not braille
literate so I'm not able to playthe card game.
But if you pull out a triviagame, I'm all over it.
(20:29):
Then we can do all kinds of funtrivia.
You mentioned Dirty Santa.
That involves unwrapping giftsand for me, I can physically
unwrap unwrap a gift, but youmay have to tell me what I'm
unwrapping.
Sometimes that's also anawkward moment.
But on the flip side of that,let me know what other people
are unwrapping.
Maybe I want to see someoneunwrap that gift that I put a
(20:51):
lot of thought into and have amoment to catch that reaction,
if I can listen to it.
Or if everyone's gasping andooing and owing over a gift
across the room Cue me in, say,hey, molly, this is what they
just opened.
Also, movie night.
I mean, movies are a big partof everyone's holidays.
It seems like Whether you'vegot that family movie that you
(21:13):
watch every year.
For us it's like the PolarExpress or ELF.
You know we've got so many thatit doesn't matter how many times
we've seen it.
We're going to see it again.
And if you have people withdisabilities in your household,
go into the settings on thosemovies and explore the
accessibility settings, whetherit's audio description, which is
what I would use to describewhat's happening in the movie,
or closed captioning that mightassist someone who's not able to
(21:35):
hear all the dialogue in amovie.
So play with those settingseven before people come over,
and see what you can do to justmake movie night more inclusive.
Lani Jennings-Hall (21:44):
But I love about a lot of these tips and
tricks.
As it's not just the holidaytime, like obviously these tips
and tricks are great for now,all of the events, parties, all
the great things that happenaround the holiday time but also
they can be used all year round.
I think that's really importantto remember.
But it is the holiday time, soto kind of wrap things up, let's
(22:08):
talk about some favorites orthings you're looking, maybe you
use or you would recommendpeople to add to their Christmas
list, or maybe you have them onyour Christmas wish list this
year.
Jen Goodwin (22:20):
For me.
I am always cold, so anywarming device of any kind I'm a
big fan of I like heatedblankets, heated anything really
, so just thanks to keep me warmand any type of new technology
that's helpful for me in myeveryday life.
(22:41):
I always think that's great.
I got AirPods last year andthose have been fantastic for
just being able to stayaccessible in both a work phone
and a home phone or a work phoneand a cell phone and those
sorts of things just to make itreally fluid and easy to go back
and forth between.
My favorites are always travelthings, so any trips and tickets
(23:04):
to events and those sorts ofthings, just make sure they're
accessible, because those arealways my favorites.
Lani Jennings-Hall (23:11):
You can hear more about the accessible
travel.
Mollie Hernandez (23:18):
On creating your Christmas list.
Don't panic If you drew theperson with the disability's
name, don't be scared.
We like mainstream stuff.
So I'll second what Jen saidabout technology.
There's a concept calleduniversal design, which a lot of
the mainstream technologies andsmart devices that everyone
(23:41):
loves makes our lives a loteasier.
So when you think about maybeAmazon Echo products or Google
Home devices, things like that,they can really really be
helpful to us.
Of course, jen mentioned someApple products.
You can even do a Google searchfor accessible technology and
see what pops up.
I've got a few other things.
(24:03):
You can tell Jen and I we mightlike shopping a little bit Some
of my favorite items that I'vereceived recently.
I have a DreamPad pillow.
I love that it's a pillow, butit has a really nice speaker
inside so that I can eitherlisten to my phone I like to
(24:26):
listen to audiobooks that'stypically how I fall asleep at
night is listening to audiobooks.
But the DreamPad is alsomarketed for people who have
insomnia or maybe some anxietyissues, so you can listen to
soothing sounds with some gentlevibrations to kind of help you
fall asleep.
So huge, huge fan of theDreamPad.
Just as a luxury pillow, it's agreat pillow.
(24:50):
I like hot cocoa and teas andthings like that.
So I have a cool touch teakettle, which I don't know how
it works, but magically waterboils in it really, really fast
and I'm able to touch all partsof it and nothing on the outside
of it is hot.
So it's kind of I'm not goingto say it's 100% safe, because
watch someone get burned on itbut I love mine.
(25:13):
I think mine is called aKrupp's Cool Touch Tea Kettle.
So I like that.
Scented things, self-care, I dolove lotions and things like
that and I do like candles.
But that can present a risk forsome disabilities, even for me.
I can forget that I've left oneburning.
But wood-wick candles have acrackling sound because they
(25:35):
have a wooden wick and I kind ofget that multi-sensory kind of
experience with those candles.
So those are some of myfavorite things that I've
received in recent gift-givingexchanges.
Lani Jennings-Hall (25:52):
I'll tack onto your kind of sense piece of
it.
I use a Pura in my house.
We have multiple in ourhousehold and it is kind of goes
along with the technology aswell.
I control it on my phone so Ican switch out the scents.
I can make it very.
I can't do a lot of strongsmells so I can make it a very
subtle smell I can.
It tells me when it's time toupdate my little scent vial
(26:16):
thing.
I can set up the schedule ofwhen it goes on and off.
It's wonderful, highlyrecommend.
Another thing that I recommend Idon't do a lot of loud sounds
very well.
I get sensory overload reallybad.
So I use this thing called loopearplugs or like ear.
They lower the decibel sound ina regular like a loud space.
(26:37):
They have different levels ofthem so I can have them in a
regular and have a regularconversation.
They also have them where youcan be in like a more for like a
movie setting or concerts andstuff like that.
I use them even in like anoffice setting.
And then another one that Ihighly recommend is a heated
vest.
They run on batteries.
You can recharge them.
(26:57):
They're wonderful.
That's been one of my favoritebuys this last year, so highly
recommend.
Mollie Hernandez (27:04):
I love heated vest.
I love all heated things.
In fact I'm hoping my childrenwon't listen to this before
Christmas.
But that 1.30 am text Jen sentme was for heated hand warmers.
They play tennis even throughthe winter.
I thought, oh to have those intheir pockets.
So I love all things heated andthey're getting those thanks to
Jen's 1.30 am.
(27:25):
Like Friday shopping.
Lani Jennings-Hall (27:27):
What a great find.
Jen Goodwin (27:29):
That might be my next career's personal shopping.
Lani Jennings-Hall (27:32):
Well, any last tip trick comment on, and
being including you in theholidays.
Jen Goodwin (27:40):
When you come to my house, don't be surprised if
the tree is only decorated toabout waist high for you.
Just kidding, I think we'repretty much a family on that.
But you know, it's always apossibility.
And for me this year an addedbonus was having a two year old
in a Christmas tree and as I amwheeling as quickly as possible
(28:02):
into the room, saying no, no, no, no, no, he is one more shove
and the tree is on the ground.
So just extra obstacles to keeplife interesting.
And now we decided that thatwasn't enough and decided to add
a new little puppy to the mixtoo.
So Christmas chaos everywhere.
Mollie Hernandez (28:22):
Yes, when you talk about just the decorating
and the chaos of that, I youknow, as a blind person,
decorating can get kind ofinteresting for me too.
But I all of my decorations aresentimental, some date back to
my grandmother and you know thenall the years of you know,
growing up and stuff.
So I feel like I'm gettingacquainted, reacquainted with
(28:44):
old friends when I unpack andjust get to touch each
decoration as it comes out.
I do have a set of elves thatbelong to my grandmother and
when she was dividing up herdecorations my brother was so
jealous that I got the elves andhe has been known once they're
decorated, once they're out inmy house and decorated.
He has kidnapped one or two ofthe elves and kind of held them
(29:10):
hostage throughout the holidays.
But I'll get pictures of theseelves which is also funny that
he sends me pictures but myelves held up in like next to
IHOP menus and stuff on thedifferent adventures they get to
go on because he has stolenthem.
So he took advantage of myblindness and stole some of my
decorations.
That did get them back.
But yeah, again, it's allholiday fun and I love it.
(29:35):
Just don't forget to include usin the fun.
Lani Jennings-Hall (29:37):
Thank you, ladies, again for joining today
and thank you to our listenersfor joining on this special
holiday episode of Including you.
The resources mentioned today,as well as some additional ones,
will be available in the shownotes.
Thank you for listening and ifyou liked this episode, don't
forget to leave a five starrating and a review.
You can also show your supportfor the podcast on your podcast
platform of choice.
(29:58):
At Disability Rights Arkansas,we envision in Arkansas where
people with disabilities will beable to share their experiences
with the community and thecommunity.
And we also envision inArkansas where people with
disabilities are equal membersin their communities and can
dictate their lives throughself-determination.
And, as made clear in thispodcast, we can't create that
(30:19):
change without bringingself-advocates to the table.
If you are interested in moreinformation, please visit our
website .
Welcome to Including You
Rights Arkansas podcast.
I'm your host, LaniJennings-Hall, and joining me
today are two advocates andthought leaders Mollie Hernandez
and Jen Goodwin.
In this special episode, we'llunwrap the art of celebrating
the holidays inclusively,exploring everything from
practical tips for a seamlessholiday season to creating
traditions that warmly embraceeveryone.
(00:26):
We'll share intots on preparingfor gatherings, discuss
innovative ways to ensureeveryone feels welcome during
this festive time and delve intoour ultimate wish list of gifts
.
So, whether you're seekingadvice on making your holiday
spread more accessible or hopingto discover thoughtful,
inclusive gift ideas, join ustoday as we celebrate the magic
of the season while ensuringit's truly for everyone.
(00:47):
Welcome to Including you.
Thank you, guys for joining meagain today.
I really want to dive right onin here.
You know, preparing for theholidays, it can be stressful,
it can be intense, and you knowwe all need a few tips, tricks
and tools to really make sure wecan get through this as
(01:08):
seamlessly as possible.
Mollie, you want to kick us offwith some of your hacks?
Mollie Hernandez (01:13):
Sure, and Merry Christmas Lani, Merry
Christmas Jen.
I'm so excited to kick off theholidays with you guys.
So I love the holidays, I loveall things and I think over the
years I've learned to kind ofproblem solve and figure out my
way around things.
Jen, I know you have too, Ithink, one of the big things as
a person with a disability ifyou've listened to our podcast
(01:36):
before, I'm blind, so that addsan extra layer of challenge when
I'm kind of hiding away giftsand wrapping gifts and things.
So for me, organization is key.
One of my favorite tools thathas disappeared on me and I mean
from store shelves was a pop uptape dispenser, which was just.
I could wear it on my hand orwrist and use the tape, get that
(02:01):
tape piece by piece as I neededit.
I cannot find those anywhere,but that's been one of my
favorites.
Otherwise, when I go to wrap agift, I can't do it at a table.
I don't know why I have to bedown in the floor.
Jen Goodwin (02:13):
Like we've got to get down and dirty.
Mollie Hernandez (02:15):
We got to, I got to wrestle the package, so I
roll out my paper, I put mypackages on there, but I have to
physically have what I need onme, because I'm going to be the
person that loses my scissors,loses everything, and so I like
wearing my workout leggings thathave the pockets on either side
that you would think would belike for your cell phone.
(02:36):
I'm geared up with scissors andit's like a holster for me and
that way it's on me while I'mwrapping.
Now I can't write very well onname tags.
It's not going to work out forme.
So typically I have to beorganized in advance.
Have my one person I'm wrappingfor, have it in a stack, and
then I'll have someone else goahead and do the tagging.
(02:57):
I would say, if you're a friendof a person with a disability
and you want to just be anamazing friend, offer one night.
Say I'm coming over with abottle of wine and we're going
to put in a Christmas movie andlet's wrap together.
Let's just hang out.
It's a ton of fun and you cankind of be that wingman on the
wrapping and help with that.
Amen to that.
Yes, I mean that's a gift inand of itself.
(03:18):
If you just want to come hangout and wrap and have some fun,
I can guarantee you we wouldhave a blast.
Another thing that I do issometimes I outsource it to that
.
We do have a nonprofit in townthat one of their fundraisers is
to wrap your gifts for you, fora donation.
Now there's a little bit of workon the front end where you need
(03:40):
to have everything superorganized.
But who couldn't benefit fromthat?
But you drop it off for themand then they'll call you when
it's all done.
And that's in the years that Ican't get it done.
And I mean, let's face it, wecan't all get it all done
without help.
It's the way to go and I knowI'm spreading a little Christmas
cheer and some donations to agroup that needs it, so it's
(04:03):
kind of a win-win on that.
But wrapping is not easy.
But I think if we thinkcreatively we can get it done.
And gift bags Don't forget giftbags.
I have children and children atChristmas.
They're going to push thattissue aside, so I want things
wrapped up as best I can.
Lani Jennings-Hall (04:20):
I have found a new tool that I love, because
I yes, I'm definitely usuallyin the one down and dirty on the
ground as well.
Something about you just got towrap, I don't know, but I did
see a new tool this year whereyou can clip it onto like a
counter or a table and slideyour wrapping paper on the roll.
You can put your tape on theend of it, and so it keeps
everything all together in onecomponent.
(04:41):
So it keeps wrapping paper tape, all of it, and you just slide
the wrapping paper out and itjust keeps it all together.
It's wonderful.
Jen Goodwin (04:50):
What's the name you may link for that one, please?
Yes.
Lani Jennings-Hall (04:54):
I will, I'll share it out, and then you just
slide it down and it cuts yourwrapping paper for you, because
that's like.
My issue is like with thescissors it just doesn't go well
for me.
So yeah, I'm investing in oneof those this year.
Jen Goodwin (05:06):
So, similarly, this is Jen, and again, merry
Christmas to everyone and happyholidays, all the things.
So I am quadriplegic, so I havelimited hand function and I'm a
chair user also, so one of thethings that I am not doing is
getting in the floor with mygifts.
So on present wrapping night atmy house I have a card table
(05:30):
that's set up and it looks likea whole gift wrapping station.
So Saiyan, super Organized,having all the wrapping in one
area and all the bows andeverything else set up.
So the new gadget that I boughtthis year it's called the ELF
and it actually goes on to thewrapping paper roll and again,
it's kind of like what youmentioned, lainey, where you
(05:51):
just slide it down and it willcut your paper straight, and so
that's what I'm planning to usefor wrapping this year.
But I also like to incorporatemy eight year old and my two
year old into the wrappingprocess and let them take
ownership of some of that.
I have to get away from myperfectionist tendencies to
(06:15):
allow some loose edges and justhave a little fun with it when
you know packages are a littleloose and that's okay, because
they were wrapped with love byan eight year old and you know,
have some extra bows and justlet my kids take ownership and
put them wherever they want andcall it a day.
Instead of using little tagsthat I have to spend time taping
(06:37):
on, I grab a Sharpie marker andwrite a name on the back and
call it a day.
Lani Jennings-Hall (06:43):
So I like that.
Yeah, I like that a lot.
I've also seen recently peoplehave started using just like
stickers for like the firstinitial or letter to or yeah, or
like pictures if it's someonethey're close to, rather than
having to write names, becausethat's where I struggle as well.
Like the tags.
Mollie Hernandez (06:59):
You just don't have enough space on some of
them.
So now something I've donebefore in the past with my
children.
But once you start getting intothe extended family it's just
impossible.
But with my kids they each onewould have their own paper and
that way that they could telltheirs apart under the tree on
Christmas morning.
But you know, and my kids aregood, of course they're
(07:20):
teenagers now but to go aheadand help me label for other
people and stuff, so you knowagain, I think being open to
recruiting help and being ableto let go a little bit is a key
to getting those gifts wrappedand under the tree.
Lani Jennings-Hall (07:36):
No, I think that's a great point because,
yes, wrapping, all of this is atime of chaos, right, which
let's take it a step back alittle bit.
Shopping, right?
If there's ever a time of chaos, it is holiday time shopping.
Do you guys have any tips,tricks for holiday shopping?
Jen Goodwin (07:54):
Online.
Online is a beautiful thingthis time of year.
One of the things that I'vefound is that on different
groups there are like deals formamas and that sort of thing.
So I've joined those groups andso they are posting, you know,
random deals of the day, thatkind of thing, and I have gone
in and bought so many of thoseand it's been great, because, as
(08:18):
a cheer user, one of the thingsthat gets really irritating to
me this time of year is that,you know, the stores pack
themselves full of merchandise,which is great, but they take up
aisle space where I wouldnormally be able to, you know,
navigate the aisles prettyeasily.
All of a sudden it's reallytight and I'm literally pushing
(08:38):
stuff out of my way just to getdown an aisle.
So it gets kind of frustrating.
But so I do resort a lot online.
There's still something funabout, you know, going out and
being in the stores this time ofyear, so I incorporate that as
well, but a little of both.
Mollie Hernandez (08:54):
Yeah, Jen is truly a professional.
I just want you all to knowthat was professional advice we
were getting.
She can work the deals, stackthe deals like no other.
I think one of my favorite textmessages I received recently
was at 1 (09:06):
30 in the morning on Black Friday from Jen sending me
a deal that I woke up early at4: 34 and purchased.
So yeah, Jen, take Jen's advice.
That's a good thing for you.
Right there, it is right there.
She knew it.
I like to go out into thestores.
I enjoy it but, like Jen, itgets crowded, especially working
(09:30):
with service animal.
It's a chaotic time of year.
So I would say, check thoseextended hours.
I just found out last week thatTJ Maxx is open from 7 am to 11
pm here and you know againlet's talk about if you love
someone with a disability, talkto them and say, hey, you want
to make an early morning 7 am,run to whatever store or who's
(09:53):
up at 11 pm run.
Jen Goodwin (09:56):
Let's be real.
Mollie Hernandez (09:56):
I'm not gonna say that, yeah, true, so you
know, throw that out.
If you're wanting to reallyassist someone, tell them hey,
let's check the early hours orthe late hours and let's go
while it's not so crowded.
Or I'm willing to take a dayoff work, if you are, and let's
go on a weekday, not a weekendwhen it's so crowded, because we
(10:17):
do have some additionalchallenges as we're navigating
stores and I am going to be aslower shopper.
So those are things you can doto really help someone get get
those packages and get get themready for for Christmas day.
Lani Jennings-Hall (10:31):
Well, and I think one of the really great
point to you guys keep hittingon is communication and, you
know, leaning on some support.
I think that'll be reallyimportant too, coming up into
the holiday season with all theparties and the meals and the
events that are coming up.
I don't think people you knowalways think about ways that
they can be inclusive for thoseparties.
(10:52):
Y'all want to talk a little bitabout some tips and tricks
about making sure that thoseevents are inclusive for
everyone.
Mollie Hernandez (10:58):
Okay.
So first and foremost, I thinkJen and I will both say
communicate beforehand.
I mean that really helps.
Ask us about accessibility andwhat makes things easier.
So, like when we're talkingabout food I mean you're going
to need if you're hosting anevent, I mean it's not just
looking at disability, it'slooking at food sensitivities,
(11:19):
allergies.
You know there are a lot ofpeople who could be impacted by
the foods that are being servedor the menu.
So first just have thatdiscussion and see what would be
best for the person.
Allow them to bring their ownif they would like, if that
would make them more comfortable.
Don't make anyone uncomfortableover a menu.
(11:41):
I mean, that's not what theholidays are about.
So you know, maybe they can'teat grandma's dressing recipe,
but they can bring their ownalternative and be just fine
when preparing the placesettings and actually preparing
the plate.
So this is more relative to mebecause I'm low, I'm blind and
I've been through the years oflow vision as well.
(12:03):
If you've got a beautiful placesetting which my head's off to
you if in that you know, with abig party you can pull that off
and you've got something like awhite tablecloth and white
plates and, you know, maybe eventhe food is not really diverse
in color.
That makes it very hard for youto distinguish your plate from
the placemat and stuff.
So I love color and contrast,so those things help me.
(12:26):
Then in putting the food on theplate.
I can't work a buffet line,that's okay.
I mean, buffet is how most ofthese parties are going to be.
But I will need someone to walkthrough with me and tell me each
of the things that there areand put them on the plate for me
and then orient me to my plate.
You know, at 12 o'clock areyour potatoes, at one o'clock is
(12:48):
the broccoli.
You know things like that toorient me.
Very simple, but it just itmakes the meal so much more
accessible.
And again, if one of the thingsto choose from is spaghetti as
opposed to maybe mashed potatoesor something and I know that's
a wide variety on the menu Imight opt out of the spaghetti
(13:08):
just because it's a little moredifficult for me to manipulate.
I'm not trying to offend anyone.
So please don't leave whereyour heart on your sleeve and be
super sensitive to what we doand don't eat, because we know
what's accessible to us and wealso just know what we like.
So it's not meant to insultanyone.
Jen Goodwin (13:26):
And I would agree with a lot of what Molly just
said on all of that as well.
So one of the things for me is Iprobably could make my own
plate, but then the whole lineis going to be held up behind me
and honestly, I would ratherjust direct someone on the
things that I want and, you know, just be willing to listen and
willing to jump in there andoffered to make my plate for me,
(13:47):
with me going through the linewith you so that I can tell you
what looks good and what doesn't.
And you know just that I have aplace to sit that is accessible
for me and that's inclusive withthe other people that are at
the party.
But I want to back up one stepon this too and just say invite
me to the party, don't excludeme because you think it might be
(14:10):
inaccessible.
Let me make that call and letthat be a judgment call.
That's on me to decide, becauseI've been in a lot of people's
houses that have multiple stairsand you know what.
I own a ramp, and if not, thenI call I can and borrow a ramp
from them for the occasion.
So let that be my decision, notyour decision.
(14:31):
Don't exclude me just becauseyou think it might be
inaccessible for me.
Lani Jennings-Hall (14:35):
Jen.
I think this is a great point.
Let's talk about this just asecond.
You know you talked about,you've been in the houses that
in.
Maybe in this instance, youknew you know they had stairs,
but I think that's an important,important piece of you know
have that communication part.
You know like, hey, I do knowthat we have these stairs.
Is there a way that we can?
You know, do we need to rent aramp with Molly?
(14:57):
If you know, molly, you have aseeing eye dog.
Maybe we've got cats, maybe gota dog, or a situation Is there?
Is there anything we need toensure that this is as
accessible and as accommodatingas it can be for XYZ party or
whatever?
I think that thosecommunications and those
conversations are important tobe an inclusive holiday.
Jen Goodwin (15:19):
Right, for me.
If you send me a picture ofyour entrances, then that will
help so I can actually look at.
I may have, you know, somefollow up questions for you on
measurements or that sort ofthing, if you're.
You happen to be handy and it'sgoing to be a place that I'm
going to come to multiple timesand you want to build a ramp to
make it easier than fantastic,you know, if it's going to be
(15:42):
something more involved thanjust what I automatically
already have at home.
But let's have thatcommunication and just be
willing to.
You know, send me and thinkoutside the box.
So it may be your back doorthat's more accessible, or the
front door, but don't make mewill through mud, because I
don't want to trick that in yourhouse.
So, yeah, just be aware of thepath to get to the door also,
(16:04):
not just the door itself.
Mollie Hernandez (16:06):
I mean truly ask us what is going to make it
easier for us and alsocomfortable for you, because we
don't want to be, I guess,problematic.
But yeah, we're going to havesome certain specific needs and,
you know, just asking us takeso much of that pressure off of
both of us.
It'll take it off of you as ahost and off of me without
(16:27):
having to worry about it.
So, yeah, I come in with aguide dog.
So if you have animals, pets,please just lock them away for
an hour or two because, yes, mydog is highly trained and won't
react, but your animal willprobably want to sniff and
interact and it just makes hisjob more difficult.
So if you can spend an hour ortwo away from Fluffykins, please
(16:51):
do.
It just makes it a littleeasier.
As far as arranging your house,you know, unless your furniture
is nailed down, look at waysyou can make it where there's
easier walkways.
Houses usually get rearranged abit when you're putting up trees
and things anyway.
So if you can try and attend tothose walkways so that you know
(17:12):
, Jen would have room andclearance for her chair and I'm
going to have room with a dogwalking on my left and, you know
, a space underneath the tablewhere he can sit.
There are very simplemodifications.
It's not stuff to stress about,but if you go into it thinking,
oh well, they just wouldn'thave space at my house, we're
just, you know, not invitingthem.
(17:34):
That's not the spirit of theholidays.
So, you know, ask us, includeus If you're doing parties
outside of the home.
It's very easy to checkaccessibility for that and if
it's a themed party, don'texclude us just due to the
nature of the theme.
If you're wanting to do apainting party.
I'll be a Picasso.
I mean, don't think justbecause Molly can't see she
(17:55):
wouldn't want to paint.
Same thing for just outdooradventures.
I love, love going on Christmaslike tours.
Now I'm going to say let'sdrive through Starbucks or
something, but I just, I justenjoy it.
I like hearing everyone talkabout that.
I went through a drive-throughnativity this weekend and you
know it's to me, it's being withthe people.
(18:18):
I love whether or not Iexperience it in the same ways
that they do.
Lani Jennings-Hall (18:22):
One of the best way I've heard you phrase
it was you aren't the judge ofwhat's accessible.
For the individual to decidewhat can and can't be done.
That is absolutely not for youas the host, for anyone else to
decide.
It is for you, as theindividual, to decide what is or
is not accessible.
Mollie Hernandez (18:38):
Yeah, we're the experts on us, let us figure
it out.
Jen Goodwin (18:41):
And if we decide that it's not accessible, don't
be offended if we don't comeAlso.
I mean, sometimes I feel like Iget in that, but where it's
just going to be so verydifficult that my time is going
to be spent better elsewhere.
So just don't be offended ifthat's the situation.
Mollie Hernandez (19:00):
Yes, we also like to avoid being a spectacle.
If we see that that's going tohappen, we very well may just
say, hey, we'll do dinneranother time.
Lani Jennings-Hall (19:08):
No, I think that's a great point too.
Let's just talk a few otherways of including people with
disabilities on the holidays.
A little bit closer toChristmas, there may be
instances of, like you know, weall play dirty Santa.
Mollie Hernandez (19:22):
Yeah, as you're preparing your
entertainment and things likethat, there's a lot of ways that
you can be more inclusive.
If we're speaking about beingin a crowd and it being noisy
and and having music going, workon.
Be attentive to the volume ofmusic so that people can
converse more easily.
People who have hearingimpairments they're going to
(19:47):
struggle more in these loudsettings.
I also am, because I don't havethat visual cue when I'm
speaking to someone to kind ofmake those connections and get
the gist of the conversation.
So if I can't hear as well,it's difficult.
So work on that kind of have aquiet place where people with
sensory issues might be able togo and just take a minute, take
a breather, because we knowthese things are chaotic.
(20:08):
If you're playing games, bevery attentive to the people who
are going to be playing in thegames and make sure that all can
participate or that you've gotan alternative game.
I know like my family enjoysplaying UNO and I'm not braille
literate so I'm not able to playthe card game.
But if you pull out a triviagame, I'm all over it.
(20:29):
Then we can do all kinds of funtrivia.
You mentioned Dirty Santa.
That involves unwrapping giftsand for me, I can physically
unwrap unwrap a gift, but youmay have to tell me what I'm
unwrapping.
Sometimes that's also anawkward moment.
But on the flip side of that,let me know what other people
are unwrapping.
Maybe I want to see someoneunwrap that gift that I put a
(20:51):
lot of thought into and have amoment to catch that reaction,
if I can listen to it.
Or if everyone's gasping andooing and owing over a gift
across the room Cue me in, say,hey, molly, this is what they
just opened.
Also, movie night.
I mean, movies are a big partof everyone's holidays.
It seems like Whether you'vegot that family movie that you
(21:13):
watch every year.
For us it's like the PolarExpress or ELF.
You know we've got so many thatit doesn't matter how many times
we've seen it.
We're going to see it again.
And if you have people withdisabilities in your household,
go into the settings on thosemovies and explore the
accessibility settings, whetherit's audio description, which is
what I would use to describewhat's happening in the movie,
or closed captioning that mightassist someone who's not able to
(21:35):
hear all the dialogue in amovie.
So play with those settingseven before people come over,
and see what you can do to justmake movie night more inclusive.
Lani Jennings-Hall (21:44):
But I love about a lot of these tips and
tricks.
As it's not just the holidaytime, like obviously these tips
and tricks are great for now,all of the events, parties, all
the great things that happenaround the holiday time but also
they can be used all year round.
I think that's really importantto remember.
But it is the holiday time, soto kind of wrap things up, let's
(22:08):
talk about some favorites orthings you're looking, maybe you
use or you would recommendpeople to add to their Christmas
list, or maybe you have them onyour Christmas wish list this
year.
Jen Goodwin (22:20):
For me.
I am always cold, so anywarming device of any kind I'm a
big fan of I like heatedblankets, heated anything really
, so just thanks to keep me warmand any type of new technology
that's helpful for me in myeveryday life.
(22:41):
I always think that's great.
I got AirPods last year andthose have been fantastic for
just being able to stayaccessible in both a work phone
and a home phone or a work phoneand a cell phone and those
sorts of things just to make itreally fluid and easy to go back
and forth between.
My favorites are always travelthings, so any trips and tickets
(23:04):
to events and those sorts ofthings, just make sure they're
accessible, because those arealways my favorites.
Lani Jennings-Hall (23:11):
You can hear more about the accessible
travel.
Mollie Hernandez (23:18):
On creating your Christmas list.
Don't panic If you drew theperson with the disability's
name, don't be scared.
We like mainstream stuff.
So I'll second what Jen saidabout technology.
There's a concept calleduniversal design, which a lot of
the mainstream technologies andsmart devices that everyone
(23:41):
loves makes our lives a loteasier.
So when you think about maybeAmazon Echo products or Google
Home devices, things like that,they can really really be
helpful to us.
Of course, jen mentioned someApple products.
You can even do a Google searchfor accessible technology and
see what pops up.
I've got a few other things.
(24:03):
You can tell Jen and I we mightlike shopping a little bit Some
of my favorite items that I'vereceived recently.
I have a DreamPad pillow.
I love that it's a pillow, butit has a really nice speaker
inside so that I can eitherlisten to my phone I like to
(24:26):
listen to audiobooks that'stypically how I fall asleep at
night is listening to audiobooks.
But the DreamPad is alsomarketed for people who have
insomnia or maybe some anxietyissues, so you can listen to
soothing sounds with some gentlevibrations to kind of help you
fall asleep.
So huge, huge fan of theDreamPad.
Just as a luxury pillow, it's agreat pillow.
(24:50):
I like hot cocoa and teas andthings like that.
So I have a cool touch teakettle, which I don't know how
it works, but magically waterboils in it really, really fast
and I'm able to touch all partsof it and nothing on the outside
of it is hot.
So it's kind of I'm not goingto say it's 100% safe, because
watch someone get burned on itbut I love mine.
(25:13):
I think mine is called aKrupp's Cool Touch Tea Kettle.
So I like that.
Scented things, self-care, I dolove lotions and things like
that and I do like candles.
But that can present a risk forsome disabilities, even for me.
I can forget that I've left oneburning.
But wood-wick candles have acrackling sound because they
(25:35):
have a wooden wick and I kind ofget that multi-sensory kind of
experience with those candles.
So those are some of myfavorite things that I've
received in recent gift-givingexchanges.
Lani Jennings-Hall (25:52):
I'll tack onto your kind of sense piece of
it.
I use a Pura in my house.
We have multiple in ourhousehold and it is kind of goes
along with the technology aswell.
I control it on my phone so Ican switch out the scents.
I can make it very.
I can't do a lot of strongsmells so I can make it a very
subtle smell I can.
It tells me when it's time toupdate my little scent vial
(26:16):
thing.
I can set up the schedule ofwhen it goes on and off.
It's wonderful, highlyrecommend.
Another thing that I recommend Idon't do a lot of loud sounds
very well.
I get sensory overload reallybad.
So I use this thing called loopearplugs or like ear.
They lower the decibel sound ina regular like a loud space.
(26:37):
They have different levels ofthem so I can have them in a
regular and have a regularconversation.
They also have them where youcan be in like a more for like a
movie setting or concerts andstuff like that.
I use them even in like anoffice setting.
And then another one that Ihighly recommend is a heated
vest.
They run on batteries.
You can recharge them.
(26:57):
They're wonderful.
That's been one of my favoritebuys this last year, so highly
recommend.
Mollie Hernandez (27:04):
I love heated vest.
I love all heated things.
In fact I'm hoping my childrenwon't listen to this before
Christmas.
But that 1.30 am text Jen sentme was for heated hand warmers.
They play tennis even throughthe winter.
I thought, oh to have those intheir pockets.
So I love all things heated andthey're getting those thanks to
Jen's 1.30 am.
(27:25):
Like Friday shopping.
Lani Jennings-Hall (27:27):
What a great find.
Jen Goodwin (27:29):
That might be my next career's personal shopping.
Lani Jennings-Hall (27:32):
Well, any last tip trick comment on, and
being including you in theholidays.
Jen Goodwin (27:40):
When you come to my house, don't be surprised if
the tree is only decorated toabout waist high for you.
Just kidding, I think we'repretty much a family on that.
But you know, it's always apossibility.
And for me this year an addedbonus was having a two year old
in a Christmas tree and as I amwheeling as quickly as possible
(28:02):
into the room, saying no, no, no, no, no, he is one more shove
and the tree is on the ground.
So just extra obstacles to keeplife interesting.
And now we decided that thatwasn't enough and decided to add
a new little puppy to the mixtoo.
So Christmas chaos everywhere.
Mollie Hernandez (28:22):
Yes, when you talk about just the decorating
and the chaos of that, I youknow, as a blind person,
decorating can get kind ofinteresting for me too.
But I all of my decorations aresentimental, some date back to
my grandmother and you know thenall the years of you know,
growing up and stuff.
So I feel like I'm gettingacquainted, reacquainted with
(28:44):
old friends when I unpack andjust get to touch each
decoration as it comes out.
I do have a set of elves thatbelong to my grandmother and
when she was dividing up herdecorations my brother was so
jealous that I got the elves andhe has been known once they're
decorated, once they're out inmy house and decorated.
He has kidnapped one or two ofthe elves and kind of held them
(29:10):
hostage throughout the holidays.
But I'll get pictures of theseelves which is also funny that
he sends me pictures but myelves held up in like next to
IHOP menus and stuff on thedifferent adventures they get to
go on because he has stolenthem.
So he took advantage of myblindness and stole some of my
decorations.
That did get them back.
But yeah, again, it's allholiday fun and I love it.
(29:35):
Just don't forget to include usin the fun.
Lani Jennings-Hall (29:37):
Thank you, ladies, again for joining today
and thank you to our listenersfor joining on this special
holiday episode of Including you.
The resources mentioned today,as well as some additional ones,
will be available in the shownotes.
Thank you for listening and ifyou liked this episode, don't
forget to leave a five starrating and a review.
You can also show your supportfor the podcast on your podcast
platform of choice.
(29:58):
At Disability Rights Arkansas,we envision in Arkansas where
people with disabilities will beable to share their experiences
with the community and thecommunity.
And we also envision inArkansas where people with
disabilities are equal membersin their communities and can
dictate their lives throughself-determination.
And, as made clear in thispodcast, we can't create that
(30:19):
change without bringingself-advocates to the table.
If you are interested in moreinformation, please visit our
website .
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