March 17, 2025 • 28 mins
Disability World is a show that shares information about all aspects of the Disability community, including profiles of people and programs making positive community impact locally, nationally and around the world. This includes the arenas of business, entertainment, politics, sports, media, arts and culture, etc
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, my name is Normas Stanley and welcome to Disability World.
(00:36):
Hello and welcome to a new segment of Disability World.
We are in a fourth season, and thank you for
all of the people who have been watching and following
us on PGTV and wherever you get your videos, so
we thank you for keeping up with Disability World. We
discussed various issues of interest and impact as it relates
(01:01):
to the disability community and those who care about this
vast and vital population of.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Over sixty one million people in the United States alone.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I'm your host, NORMALUS Stanley and Disability World. We always
look forward to speaking with individuals, community leaders, parents, advocates,
business owners, and resource providers from the areas of education, politics, entertainment, sports, music, wherever,
and just really bringing information and edification really about the
(01:37):
disability community. Who we are as a population, who we
are as a community, and some of the issues we're facing,
some of the and overcoming and some of the achievements
that people in the disability community are making that you
tend not to see covered in what they call now
(01:57):
legacy media and traditional media. There's certain things that are
just not paid attention to. And I'm hoping through the
interviews we do here on Disability World that we can
address some of those topics and some of those issues
and profile some of these people really making some real
(02:18):
impact in our community in the United States and abroad.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
And so we look forward to.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Bringing you some amazing guests this season, but thankful for
the guests who have been on in prior seasons. I'm
very very much excited to have spoken with Curtis Lovejoy,
who was a multi gold winning and silver medal winning
Paralympian while he was still alive. He was a friend
(02:46):
of mine and very much, very gifted in the area
of swimming and fencing, and he won multiple awards before
you know he passed, and he had been doing it
for about twenty years.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
So people like that.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
We got a chance to talk to and Miss Renee Boons,
who is a Guinness Book of World Records holder for
traveling to something like one hundred and forty countries in
her wheelchair by herself.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
And so that was a really interesting interview that we did.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
You guys, are you know check us out on YouTube
on PGN network where you can see that interview that
we did last year. So again looking forward to you know,
speaking to people like Myrna Clayton, an international jazz singer
and the founder of an organization called show Ability, which
(03:45):
provides opportunities as a human services organization that identifies opportunities
for individuals with disabilities who.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Have performing art artist talent.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
The organization has has compiled or curated an inclusive chorus
that is comprised of people with disabilities and people without disabilities.
And so Myrna Clayton, who is the founder of that organization,
is doing some amazing work as it relates to performing
artists with disabilities and bringing to light the issues around relatability,
(04:26):
visibility and accessibility as it relates to performing artists and
the community as a whole, but definitely as it relates
to performing artists with disabilities a course of disability spectrum.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
We've been very blessed.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Also to speak to Mss Jane Dunham, who is the
National Excuse Me Director of the Black Disability Coalition, and
she shared some information about what that organization is doing.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
So we've spoken to some really interesting.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
People who are out there fighting and trying to make
a difference for the disability community in their own areas
of expertise. I mean, we've spoken to many, many more people.
We've spoken to parents like myself. For those who don't know,
I am the mother of an adult with disabilities who
(05:19):
was born with intellectual as well as physical disabilities, and
I am her primary caregiver. My daughter is now thirty
six years old and has good comprehension, but not at
the level of somebody her age. So we're doing what
we have to do to, you know, maximize her potential
(05:39):
in her life.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Even at this stage. She's a model.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
She's a fashion model, and she loves clothes, and she
takes after her mother in that respect, and so you know,
she does modeling in her wheelchair, and she loves music
just like her mother does. And for those men who
may not know, I, in addition to doing what you
see me doing right now and hosting Disability World, I am.
(06:06):
I'm a singer songwriter. I'm a business owner. I do
multicultural communications. I also works, you know, as a speaker
and author. I do a bunch of different things and
I do them so that I can take care of
my daughter. I can work around her needs. And that's
the life of someone like me, a mother like me.
(06:29):
I'm a single mom, my husband of twenty five years.
My childhood sweetheart passed away unexpectedly about sixteen years ago.
He was only fifty at the time, and so, you know,
that's part of life.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
We just never know how much time we actually have.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
So one of the things that I try to stress
to people who I cover around is to maximize the
moments to you know, if you have a dream, go
after it, go and make it happen.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Not to give up. Hope. It's never too late, no
matter how old you are, to go after your dreams.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Like I said, I am, you know, a woman of
a certain age who decided to go after my dreams
of becoming a professional singer and songwriter after I turned fifty.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Actually closer to sixty.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
And so I have a CD out and I enjoy
singing at events and I'm actually part of the inclusive
chorus that show Ability has curated, that Murda Clayton has
curated through your show Ability, and we have a great
time going around singing at sporting events and you know,
(07:49):
professional events, corporate events, and it's just it's just fun.
And we're hoping that we get more people to be,
you know, to be to audition, to be a part
of the inclusive chorus. So you know, if you're looking
to if you love to sing, especially if you are
(08:10):
between the ages of eighteen and let's say forty, because
quite a few of our members are a little bit
older than that. We put some young folks. So go
to showability dot org and check out the site and
reach out to Murner so you can you know, you
can audition. We're looking for people of all bases, all cultures,
(08:33):
and so you know, it's a fun fun if you
love to sing, even if you don't love to sing,
if you're a dancer, if you're an actor, if you're
spoken word artist, if you're performing artist in any space,
you know, check out show Ability and get.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
On our star collective roster.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
I speak about show Ability because I'm a board chair
of the organization in addition to being part of its
inclusive chords, and as a singer myself with an invisible disability,
I in addition to having my daughter with the disability.
I you know, it's something that I enjoy doing and
(09:14):
and it brings a lot of joy to the people
who get.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
To hear us. So want to bring that up and
share that information.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So again, if you're looking to first of all, support
our organization or if you are a creative.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
A musical creative person.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Who would like to be a part of the chorus
or get opportunities to be in a film or or
or TV show. We're getting casting agents calling us to
trying to get people to be a part of their project.
Go to showability dot org and reach out to Marna Clayton,
who is the executive director and founder of the organization.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
But there's so much to talk about.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
There's so much going on in our nation, of course
since the election, and well there's just a whole lot
going on, and we.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Just have to a lot of the decisions being made,
a lot of these.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Executive orders being put forth, they're impacting.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
They're going to impact our.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Community, the distability community heavily. Medicaid and Medicare and some
of those programs that directly impact our community are going
to be affected. So we really really need to get
very vocal right now, and you know, stay on our
(10:44):
senators and state representatives and make sure they understand how
vital it is that they do not play with those services.
There's too many people that it will impact. I mean millions,
millions of people. As I said in the beginning, there's
sixty one million people actually closer to seventy million at
(11:09):
this point, but with disabilities. And you know, that's a huge,
huge population here in the US, and that's.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Twenty six percent about population.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
One in every four people have a disability, and you know,
you really have to be a very and then those
are the ones that we even know about. Some people
have invisible disabilities. You don't see it, you know, mental illness, depression,
My invisible disabilities epilepsy that I was diagnosed with at
(11:43):
the age of forty eight, adult onset epilepsy came out
of nowhere. So you know, it's something that people don't
realize that the disability community is the one community that
anybody could join at any time time. So it's it's
it's nothing to take for granted, you know, it's not.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
It's a community that.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
You should not overlook and and and don't be afraid
to be a part of it. It's a lot of people,
it's you know, for some reason, it carries it's some
sort of stigma.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
People don't want to say they are disabled.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
And you know, you can understand, you know, some of
the people who don't want to be treated differently if
people think if they think people think that they have
a disability, I totally get it.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
But there's no shame in it. There's no shame in it.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
There's you just have to understand and and help people
to understand because a lot of it is an education
of who the community is and what the community contributes
individually and collectively, and so you know, it's a community
that adapts and really makes things better for everybody.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
You know, I don't pick people, don't think about it, but.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Things like curb cuts that you find in sidewalks wherever
you go now came about as a result of the
disability community as a result of people in wheelchairs, and
that makes it easier for people pushing strollers and carts
and lots of different things.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
So a lot of the changes that have.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Made that have been made in society and that has
helped to improve society actually came as a result of
the disability community.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Audio books.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Did you know that audiobooks became a reality because of
the need to help people who were visually impaired to
be able to read books and hear what was going on.
That's where audiobooks came from, and that's great for all
of us, because as I get older, I know it's
challenging communit read a book these days, so I love audiobooks.
(13:58):
So again, so a lot of the innovation and and
things that have really blessed society came as a result
of people with disabilities and people who understood the challenges
that were being faced and work to do something to
address those challenges. So I, you know, I'm excited to
(14:22):
do what I can to at least share some information
with regards to this community and all that it does
and all that it has the potential to do. And
it's a community of fighters. It's a community of people who.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Don't really.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Understand or let's put it in, they understand it very well,
the word no. They just are not accepting the word no.
And so as a result, changes have been made and
changes will be made for the better of not just
the community, but whole society. So you know, there's just
(15:05):
again so much going on in our communities right now.
But we have to stay hopeful, we have to stay positive,
We have to be vocal. You know, as we all know,
the squeaky We'll gets the oil and we have to
do we have to do to make sure that people
(15:26):
understand who we are, and and and and and respect
who we are, and go and make things happen, not
to push a society and neglect the needs.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Of this community.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
You know, I'm I advocate for my daughter all the
time and for other.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
People like her. It's it's because that's.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
My assignment, you know, from a from a journalistic standpoint,
is to make sure again information is shared that is
not necessarily shared with typical media. But the goal is
to not only here in the US, but of course
the world, to make them understand the needs and the
(16:09):
achievements that this community has. So we want to make
sure that the stories are being told. And that's what
Disability World is all about. So again, thank you for
you know, those of you who have been following us
over the years, we appreciate you. And you've got some great,
great segments coming this season. And so I just want
(16:33):
to tell you about a couple of things that I'm
working on personally with regards to parents like myself. I,
like I said, my daughter is an adult now, she's
thirty six years old, and it just bothers my mind
that a lot of the challenges that I faced when
(16:56):
she was a baby, a lot of parents are still
facing those same challenges. Even with all the organizations and
programs that are out here, there's a lot of families
who still don't know what to do and are losing
hope as a result of having a child with a disability.
(17:18):
And so there's two things that I'm working on that
I'll be releasing this year, actually in the next couple
of months. One will be coming out, if not this month,
in April, and the other one will be a little
later in the year, but they're both going to be
released this year, and they're both having to do with parenting.
(17:41):
That's my area. I you know, as a parent of
someone who was born and that has not been able
to become independent, no matter how hard we tried to
do what we could do to maximize her potential. She
is totally dependent and a loving, happy, wonderful.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Young woman, but she is dependent.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
And so for those people who have children who are independent,
thank you lord.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
I mean, it's just a beautiful thing, and you should be.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
You should be happy and proud and excited about your
child's potential to be the best that they can be.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
But some of us, that's we have a different situation.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
And you know, So my goal in creating the two
different products that I've created is to to help guide
and especially the newer parents, the ones who are just
getting started on this journey.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
And so the first.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Offering product that I will be sharing more about as
we you know, closer to release is and that the
names are similar, but they're two different types of projects.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
The first one is.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
A company has of course for newer parents of children disabilities.
It's going to be an online course and it's called
Navigating Hope, Love and Abilities, and it's going to you know,
from birth to adulthood. It's going to share how to
navigate those challenges and those things that we face from
(19:32):
the time that they give you the diagnosis to you
know what to do when they start school, how to
you know how to talk to you adoptors. You know
how to how to interact with the medical team, how
to interact with your therapists, you know how to handle
i EPs, the Individual Educational Plans.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Uh, we're gonna be.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Talking about everything that impacts a family that has a
child with disabilities. And like I said, it's written for
the ones who are just beginning this journey and may
not know how to navigate all the different things you
have to navigate and how to do it, you know effectively.
I did it by you know, hit or miss. And
(20:20):
I'm hoping that the things that I've learned and continue
to learn, I'll be able to share through this comprehensive course,
so they can you know, be like almost like a
one stop shop of general information that parents and caregivers
can refer to to at least look at how they
(20:42):
can help their maximize their child's potential and also how
they can relieve the stress of the challenges that they.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
May be going through because they know which way to go.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
It's a guide and it's something that anyone can use
where you live in the country and even around the
world because it's similar things are universal. You know, not
too many places outside of this country have the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
So it's not a law that you know.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
People with disabilities, that companies and buildings and things have
to accommodate people with disabilities.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
That's not a law everywhere, but it's a law here,
thank you Lord.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
And so we want to make sure that, you know,
we touch on those things as much as we can,
but about what's going on here, but also in places
outside of this country that are also trying to do
what they can to assist in that space. So that's
one of the products that I'm really excited about, actually,
(21:48):
because I wish I had something like that to turn
to when my daughter, Sierra was a little girl, when
she was a baby.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
It would have made life a lot easier.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
So I'm excited about this being able to give people
a guide to, you know, to do, to go through
and find the answers that they need in their communities,
you know, and hopefully make life a little easier for
the journey they're going to face and to let them
know that you know, there's light at the end of
(22:18):
the tunnel and that you can do this.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
You know, it's kind.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Of overwhelming when you get started, but you definitely have
what it takes to come stronger and become a better
person on the other side of this challenge, which is
what happened to me. It gave me strengths and talents
and abilities I didn't even realize I had.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
So that's something that I'm.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Looking forward to sharing with the world and hopefully in
thirty days or less.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
And that's one.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Product and project that I was working on, and the
other one and the titles are similar.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
But they're different things.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
This one is called Navigating Love, Hope, and Opportunity. It's
one hundred and one success stories on parenting children, disabilities
and caregiving, Disability, parenting and caregiving. I'm going to have
I'm compiling stories of people who have done this successfully
(23:28):
and sharing it again with people who may need to
understand that they can do it too. And they're going
to be talking about our individual stories. My chapter is
going to be in there too, and you know, we're
looking forward to sharing some really impactful stories with readers
about how we got to the other side, and you know,
(23:52):
hopefully share some nuggets of wisdom that parents like ours,
like us can continue who us again maybe going through
it and not know how to navigate it successfully. So, uh,
those two things again are coming out soon, and I'm
(24:14):
really excited about it and look forward to I think
it being a real resource.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Whenever I tell people that's what I'm working on, it
was like, when is it going to be ready?
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Because we need it really badly, I said, I'm talking
about the course.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
I said, I know, but I want this so much.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
There's gonna be something like you know, forty or fifty
different modules in there, and it might end up being
a few more, but there's a lot of information to cover,
so it's taking me a little bit longer than I
was hoping for it to happen, but I've been looking.
I'm looking forward to it coming out very soon, so
you know, so i'll be you know, talking about that
(24:52):
probably as we get closer to being released. But you know,
I wanted to take this opportunity while you know, it's
getting started with this new season, to just bring up
to light a couple.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Of things that I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
And in May, I'll be talking about that, you know,
as we get closer. But again Mother's Day, Father's Day
coming up and a sensitive time.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
For parents with children's abilities.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
So I'm gonna put on my event that I usually do,
Exceptional Parents Celebration here in Atlanta, and so we're pulling
that together now with you know, generally an intimate gathering
of parents and we'll have entertainment and speakers and you know,
we get about one hundred people coming out and it's
(25:38):
a lot of fun and it's the parents really get
a kick out of it. So I'm looking forward to
being able to do that again, you know, we didn't
do it as often as we wanted to. Of course,
COVID kind of put a damper on things. But we've
been doing it for almost ten years, every year for
about that long, and then COVID hit, So you know,
(26:00):
the last I think the last one we did was
in twenty twenty two in person.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
We did one online that we did.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
With that you can see through PGTV, so definitely if
you want to see that again, we'll be glad to
share that information with you guys.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
So I'm excited this is.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Going to be a great year despite all that is
taking place, in all the negativity that we see and
hear about. I want you all to stay excited. I
want you all to stay focused. That's what I've had
(26:40):
to do. I don't listen to a lot of what's.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
Going on in the news. I can't because it upsets me.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
And I need to stay in a certain space so
that I can get the work done that I need
to get done, and so I can take care of
my child, and so I can have the joy that
I like to keep in my environment, the positive environment.
So I try not to take on too much of
that negativity that surrounds the news. You have to stay informed,
(27:14):
but you don't have to absorb it. And that's what
I tried not to absorb it, and I do a
lot of praying, so you know, again, I'm excited about
the season. I'm excited about this year, and I thank
you again for being a part of Disability World as
(27:37):
we start season four and look forward to bringing you
some really interesting guests moving forward this year, and again
thank you for your support all this time, and we
look forward to having a wonderful next few months of
great shows. So until then, be blessed and we'll see
(28:00):
you next time.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
M
Hi, my name is Normas Stanley and welcome to Disability World.
(00:36):
Hello and welcome to a new segment of Disability World.
We are in a fourth season, and thank you for
all of the people who have been watching and following
us on PGTV and wherever you get your videos, so
we thank you for keeping up with Disability World. We
discussed various issues of interest and impact as it relates
(01:01):
to the disability community and those who care about this
vast and vital population of.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Over sixty one million people in the United States alone.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
I'm your host, NORMALUS Stanley and Disability World. We always
look forward to speaking with individuals, community leaders, parents, advocates,
business owners, and resource providers from the areas of education, politics, entertainment, sports, music, wherever,
and just really bringing information and edification really about the
(01:37):
disability community. Who we are as a population, who we
are as a community, and some of the issues we're facing,
some of the and overcoming and some of the achievements
that people in the disability community are making that you
tend not to see covered in what they call now
(01:57):
legacy media and traditional media. There's certain things that are
just not paid attention to. And I'm hoping through the
interviews we do here on Disability World that we can
address some of those topics and some of those issues
and profile some of these people really making some real
(02:18):
impact in our community in the United States and abroad.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
And so we look forward to.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Bringing you some amazing guests this season, but thankful for
the guests who have been on in prior seasons. I'm
very very much excited to have spoken with Curtis Lovejoy,
who was a multi gold winning and silver medal winning
Paralympian while he was still alive. He was a friend
(02:46):
of mine and very much, very gifted in the area
of swimming and fencing, and he won multiple awards before
you know he passed, and he had been doing it
for about twenty years.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
So people like that.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
We got a chance to talk to and Miss Renee Boons,
who is a Guinness Book of World Records holder for
traveling to something like one hundred and forty countries in
her wheelchair by herself.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
And so that was a really interesting interview that we did.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
You guys, are you know check us out on YouTube
on PGN network where you can see that interview that
we did last year. So again looking forward to you know,
speaking to people like Myrna Clayton, an international jazz singer
and the founder of an organization called show Ability, which
(03:45):
provides opportunities as a human services organization that identifies opportunities
for individuals with disabilities who.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Have performing art artist talent.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
The organization has has compiled or curated an inclusive chorus
that is comprised of people with disabilities and people without disabilities.
And so Myrna Clayton, who is the founder of that organization,
is doing some amazing work as it relates to performing
artists with disabilities and bringing to light the issues around relatability,
(04:26):
visibility and accessibility as it relates to performing artists and
the community as a whole, but definitely as it relates
to performing artists with disabilities a course of disability spectrum.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
We've been very blessed.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Also to speak to Mss Jane Dunham, who is the
National Excuse Me Director of the Black Disability Coalition, and
she shared some information about what that organization is doing.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
So we've spoken to some really interesting.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
People who are out there fighting and trying to make
a difference for the disability community in their own areas
of expertise. I mean, we've spoken to many, many more people.
We've spoken to parents like myself. For those who don't know,
I am the mother of an adult with disabilities who
(05:19):
was born with intellectual as well as physical disabilities, and
I am her primary caregiver. My daughter is now thirty
six years old and has good comprehension, but not at
the level of somebody her age. So we're doing what
we have to do to, you know, maximize her potential
(05:39):
in her life.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Even at this stage. She's a model.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
She's a fashion model, and she loves clothes, and she
takes after her mother in that respect, and so you know,
she does modeling in her wheelchair, and she loves music
just like her mother does. And for those men who
may not know, I, in addition to doing what you
see me doing right now and hosting Disability World, I am.
(06:06):
I'm a singer songwriter. I'm a business owner. I do
multicultural communications. I also works, you know, as a speaker
and author. I do a bunch of different things and
I do them so that I can take care of
my daughter. I can work around her needs. And that's
the life of someone like me, a mother like me.
(06:29):
I'm a single mom, my husband of twenty five years.
My childhood sweetheart passed away unexpectedly about sixteen years ago.
He was only fifty at the time, and so, you know,
that's part of life.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
We just never know how much time we actually have.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
So one of the things that I try to stress
to people who I cover around is to maximize the
moments to you know, if you have a dream, go
after it, go and make it happen.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
Not to give up. Hope. It's never too late, no
matter how old you are, to go after your dreams.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Like I said, I am, you know, a woman of
a certain age who decided to go after my dreams
of becoming a professional singer and songwriter after I turned fifty.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Actually closer to sixty.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
And so I have a CD out and I enjoy
singing at events and I'm actually part of the inclusive
chorus that show Ability has curated, that Murda Clayton has
curated through your show Ability, and we have a great
time going around singing at sporting events and you know,
(07:49):
professional events, corporate events, and it's just it's just fun.
And we're hoping that we get more people to be,
you know, to be to audition, to be a part
of the inclusive chorus. So you know, if you're looking
to if you love to sing, especially if you are
(08:10):
between the ages of eighteen and let's say forty, because
quite a few of our members are a little bit
older than that. We put some young folks. So go
to showability dot org and check out the site and
reach out to Murner so you can you know, you
can audition. We're looking for people of all bases, all cultures,
(08:33):
and so you know, it's a fun fun if you
love to sing, even if you don't love to sing,
if you're a dancer, if you're an actor, if you're
spoken word artist, if you're performing artist in any space,
you know, check out show Ability and get.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
On our star collective roster.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
I speak about show Ability because I'm a board chair
of the organization in addition to being part of its
inclusive chords, and as a singer myself with an invisible disability,
I in addition to having my daughter with the disability.
I you know, it's something that I enjoy doing and
(09:14):
and it brings a lot of joy to the people
who get.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
To hear us. So want to bring that up and
share that information.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So again, if you're looking to first of all, support
our organization or if you are a creative.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
A musical creative person.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Who would like to be a part of the chorus
or get opportunities to be in a film or or
or TV show. We're getting casting agents calling us to
trying to get people to be a part of their project.
Go to showability dot org and reach out to Marna Clayton,
who is the executive director and founder of the organization.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
But there's so much to talk about.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
There's so much going on in our nation, of course
since the election, and well there's just a whole lot
going on, and we.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Just have to a lot of the decisions being made,
a lot of these.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Executive orders being put forth, they're impacting.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
They're going to impact our.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Community, the distability community heavily. Medicaid and Medicare and some
of those programs that directly impact our community are going
to be affected. So we really really need to get
very vocal right now, and you know, stay on our
(10:44):
senators and state representatives and make sure they understand how
vital it is that they do not play with those services.
There's too many people that it will impact. I mean millions,
millions of people. As I said in the beginning, there's
sixty one million people actually closer to seventy million at
(11:09):
this point, but with disabilities. And you know, that's a huge,
huge population here in the US, and that's.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
Twenty six percent about population.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
One in every four people have a disability, and you know,
you really have to be a very and then those
are the ones that we even know about. Some people
have invisible disabilities. You don't see it, you know, mental illness, depression,
My invisible disabilities epilepsy that I was diagnosed with at
(11:43):
the age of forty eight, adult onset epilepsy came out
of nowhere. So you know, it's something that people don't
realize that the disability community is the one community that
anybody could join at any time time. So it's it's
it's nothing to take for granted, you know, it's not.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
It's a community that.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
You should not overlook and and and don't be afraid
to be a part of it. It's a lot of people,
it's you know, for some reason, it carries it's some
sort of stigma.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
People don't want to say they are disabled.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
And you know, you can understand, you know, some of
the people who don't want to be treated differently if
people think if they think people think that they have
a disability, I totally get it.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
But there's no shame in it. There's no shame in it.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
There's you just have to understand and and help people
to understand because a lot of it is an education
of who the community is and what the community contributes
individually and collectively, and so you know, it's a community
that adapts and really makes things better for everybody.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
You know, I don't pick people, don't think about it, but.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Things like curb cuts that you find in sidewalks wherever
you go now came about as a result of the
disability community as a result of people in wheelchairs, and
that makes it easier for people pushing strollers and carts
and lots of different things.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
So a lot of the changes that have.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Made that have been made in society and that has
helped to improve society actually came as a result of
the disability community.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Audio books.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Did you know that audiobooks became a reality because of
the need to help people who were visually impaired to
be able to read books and hear what was going on.
That's where audiobooks came from, and that's great for all
of us, because as I get older, I know it's
challenging communit read a book these days, so I love audiobooks.
(13:58):
So again, so a lot of the innovation and and
things that have really blessed society came as a result
of people with disabilities and people who understood the challenges
that were being faced and work to do something to
address those challenges. So I, you know, I'm excited to
(14:22):
do what I can to at least share some information
with regards to this community and all that it does
and all that it has the potential to do. And
it's a community of fighters. It's a community of people who.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Don't really.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Understand or let's put it in, they understand it very well,
the word no. They just are not accepting the word no.
And so as a result, changes have been made and
changes will be made for the better of not just
the community, but whole society. So you know, there's just
(15:05):
again so much going on in our communities right now.
But we have to stay hopeful, we have to stay positive,
We have to be vocal. You know, as we all know,
the squeaky We'll gets the oil and we have to
do we have to do to make sure that people
(15:26):
understand who we are, and and and and and respect
who we are, and go and make things happen, not
to push a society and neglect the needs.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Of this community.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
You know, I'm I advocate for my daughter all the
time and for other.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
People like her. It's it's because that's.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
My assignment, you know, from a from a journalistic standpoint,
is to make sure again information is shared that is
not necessarily shared with typical media. But the goal is
to not only here in the US, but of course
the world, to make them understand the needs and the
(16:09):
achievements that this community has. So we want to make
sure that the stories are being told. And that's what
Disability World is all about. So again, thank you for
you know, those of you who have been following us
over the years, we appreciate you. And you've got some great,
great segments coming this season. And so I just want
(16:33):
to tell you about a couple of things that I'm
working on personally with regards to parents like myself. I,
like I said, my daughter is an adult now, she's
thirty six years old, and it just bothers my mind
that a lot of the challenges that I faced when
(16:56):
she was a baby, a lot of parents are still
facing those same challenges. Even with all the organizations and
programs that are out here, there's a lot of families
who still don't know what to do and are losing
hope as a result of having a child with a disability.
(17:18):
And so there's two things that I'm working on that
I'll be releasing this year, actually in the next couple
of months. One will be coming out, if not this month,
in April, and the other one will be a little
later in the year, but they're both going to be
released this year, and they're both having to do with parenting.
(17:41):
That's my area. I you know, as a parent of
someone who was born and that has not been able
to become independent, no matter how hard we tried to
do what we could do to maximize her potential. She
is totally dependent and a loving, happy, wonderful.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Young woman, but she is dependent.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
And so for those people who have children who are independent,
thank you lord.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
I mean, it's just a beautiful thing, and you should be.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
You should be happy and proud and excited about your
child's potential to be the best that they can be.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
But some of us, that's we have a different situation.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
And you know, So my goal in creating the two
different products that I've created is to to help guide
and especially the newer parents, the ones who are just
getting started on this journey.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
And so the first.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Offering product that I will be sharing more about as
we you know, closer to release is and that the
names are similar, but they're two different types of projects.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
The first one is.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
A company has of course for newer parents of children disabilities.
It's going to be an online course and it's called
Navigating Hope, Love and Abilities, and it's going to you know,
from birth to adulthood. It's going to share how to
navigate those challenges and those things that we face from
(19:32):
the time that they give you the diagnosis to you
know what to do when they start school, how to
you know how to talk to you adoptors. You know
how to how to interact with the medical team, how
to interact with your therapists, you know how to handle
i EPs, the Individual Educational Plans.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Uh, we're gonna be.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Talking about everything that impacts a family that has a
child with disabilities. And like I said, it's written for
the ones who are just beginning this journey and may
not know how to navigate all the different things you
have to navigate and how to do it, you know effectively.
I did it by you know, hit or miss. And
(20:20):
I'm hoping that the things that I've learned and continue
to learn, I'll be able to share through this comprehensive course,
so they can you know, be like almost like a
one stop shop of general information that parents and caregivers
can refer to to at least look at how they
(20:42):
can help their maximize their child's potential and also how
they can relieve the stress of the challenges that they.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
May be going through because they know which way to go.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
It's a guide and it's something that anyone can use
where you live in the country and even around the
world because it's similar things are universal. You know, not
too many places outside of this country have the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
So it's not a law that you know.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
People with disabilities, that companies and buildings and things have
to accommodate people with disabilities.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
That's not a law everywhere, but it's a law here,
thank you Lord.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
And so we want to make sure that, you know,
we touch on those things as much as we can,
but about what's going on here, but also in places
outside of this country that are also trying to do
what they can to assist in that space. So that's
one of the products that I'm really excited about, actually,
(21:48):
because I wish I had something like that to turn
to when my daughter, Sierra was a little girl, when
she was a baby.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
It would have made life a lot easier.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
So I'm excited about this being able to give people
a guide to, you know, to do, to go through
and find the answers that they need in their communities,
you know, and hopefully make life a little easier for
the journey they're going to face and to let them
know that you know, there's light at the end of
(22:18):
the tunnel and that you can do this.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
You know, it's kind.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Of overwhelming when you get started, but you definitely have
what it takes to come stronger and become a better
person on the other side of this challenge, which is
what happened to me. It gave me strengths and talents
and abilities I didn't even realize I had.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
So that's something that I'm.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Looking forward to sharing with the world and hopefully in
thirty days or less.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
And that's one.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Product and project that I was working on, and the
other one and the titles are similar.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
But they're different things.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
This one is called Navigating Love, Hope, and Opportunity. It's
one hundred and one success stories on parenting children, disabilities
and caregiving, Disability, parenting and caregiving. I'm going to have
I'm compiling stories of people who have done this successfully
(23:28):
and sharing it again with people who may need to
understand that they can do it too. And they're going
to be talking about our individual stories. My chapter is
going to be in there too, and you know, we're
looking forward to sharing some really impactful stories with readers
about how we got to the other side, and you know,
(23:52):
hopefully share some nuggets of wisdom that parents like ours,
like us can continue who us again maybe going through
it and not know how to navigate it successfully. So, uh,
those two things again are coming out soon, and I'm
(24:14):
really excited about it and look forward to I think
it being a real resource.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Whenever I tell people that's what I'm working on, it
was like, when is it going to be ready?
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Because we need it really badly, I said, I'm talking
about the course.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
I said, I know, but I want this so much.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
There's gonna be something like you know, forty or fifty
different modules in there, and it might end up being
a few more, but there's a lot of information to cover,
so it's taking me a little bit longer than I
was hoping for it to happen, but I've been looking.
I'm looking forward to it coming out very soon, so
you know, so i'll be you know, talking about that
(24:52):
probably as we get closer to being released. But you know,
I wanted to take this opportunity while you know, it's
getting started with this new season, to just bring up
to light a couple.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Of things that I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
And in May, I'll be talking about that, you know,
as we get closer. But again Mother's Day, Father's Day
coming up and a sensitive time.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
For parents with children's abilities.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
So I'm gonna put on my event that I usually do,
Exceptional Parents Celebration here in Atlanta, and so we're pulling
that together now with you know, generally an intimate gathering
of parents and we'll have entertainment and speakers and you know,
we get about one hundred people coming out and it's
(25:38):
a lot of fun and it's the parents really get
a kick out of it. So I'm looking forward to
being able to do that again, you know, we didn't
do it as often as we wanted to. Of course,
COVID kind of put a damper on things. But we've
been doing it for almost ten years, every year for
about that long, and then COVID hit, So you know,
(26:00):
the last I think the last one we did was
in twenty twenty two in person.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
We did one online that we did.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
With that you can see through PGTV, so definitely if
you want to see that again, we'll be glad to
share that information with you guys.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
So I'm excited this is.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Going to be a great year despite all that is
taking place, in all the negativity that we see and
hear about. I want you all to stay excited. I
want you all to stay focused. That's what I've had
(26:40):
to do. I don't listen to a lot of what's.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
Going on in the news. I can't because it upsets me.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
And I need to stay in a certain space so
that I can get the work done that I need
to get done, and so I can take care of
my child, and so I can have the joy that
I like to keep in my environment, the positive environment.
So I try not to take on too much of
that negativity that surrounds the news. You have to stay informed,
(27:14):
but you don't have to absorb it. And that's what
I tried not to absorb it, and I do a
lot of praying, so you know, again, I'm excited about
the season. I'm excited about this year, and I thank
you again for being a part of Disability World as
(27:37):
we start season four and look forward to bringing you
some really interesting guests moving forward this year, and again
thank you for your support all this time, and we
look forward to having a wonderful next few months of
great shows. So until then, be blessed and we'll see
(28:00):
you next time.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
M
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