Ministry for the WHOLE Person - Alexai & Zofia Perez

"What happens when people stop seeing a person with a disability and see the whole person instead?" 

Today we talk to advocates, Alexai and Zofia Perez. Zofia, is an artist, actress, entrepreneur, brand influencer, and was blessed with Down Syndrome and autism. Join us as we learn about person-ventured entrepreneurship, a whole new way to look at a cord of three strands, and find out why by the end of this interview my heart was racing.

Quick Note

While Zofia has a lot to say, sometimes her language can be hard to understand, so Alexai will help facilitate this conversation. We also have a transcript available here. You may also notice a repetitive sound in the background. And if you are curious as to what that is, Sofia is simply meeting her own sensory needs with some vocal stimming.

Zofia Perez bio

I am an artist blessed with Down syndrome and autism, and I live in South Florida. I’m featured on Arts4All Florida’s artist registry and was selected by their jury committee as an artist for their 2025 Calendar, sponsored by Regions Bank. I received the 2025 Judge’s Choice award for my piece, ‘Heidi’s Pink Flowers’ in ANI’s ‘Celebration of Creation’ contest in Naples, FL. Originals and giclee copies of my artwork are available upon request at [e-mail]. 
I am an entrepreneur and the visionary behind Zofia’s Sensory Wands, which provide unique immersive sensory experiences for sensory seekers to busy their hands and free their minds. My magically fun creations can be purchased at www.MySensoryArt.com. 

Alexai Perez bio
I am a wife and mother of five children. I am a disability advocate and currently work as the Administrative Coordinator at the Autism Society of Florida. Our family has started a micro-ministry called ACCORD Life Leaders that focuses on making disciples using person-centered planning (PCP) principles to teach adults with disabilities how to apply their faith practice.
Additionally, I have a Certificate in Disability Ministry from United Theological Seminary in 2021, a Partners in Policymaking Certificate and the Alan C. Wesley Award in 2023, and a Person-Centered Planning Certificate with The Learning Community for Person-Centered Planning in 2024 and I was a presenter at the Disability and the Church Conference 2024.

To learn more about Wonderful Works Ministry please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wonderfulworksministry.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

 

.A quick note on disability terms:

Before you listen, I wanted to talk to you about something important about our podcast, and that is how we will be referring to disability during our discussions. We want you to know that at Wonderful Works Ministry, we know that words matter. We will strive to use preferred language regarding disability. But we also understand that preferred terms change over time and also can be subjective and vary from person to person, even among those with a shared diagnosis. With this in mind, we ask that you understand that we, here at Wonderful Works, and our guests may use a variety of terms on this show and in our resources. Please know that we will always approach language with inclusion, dignity and respect, and we hope you will too. Thank for listening!

 

One more quick note:

The views and opinions expres