In this episode, host Phil Tower talks with Dave Bulkowski, JD, Executive Director of Disability Advocates of Kent County.
Dave spoke with us about the annual “Invest In Ability” Event & Dinner on Thursday, November 6, at the Beautiful new Silva, in downtown Grand Rapids.
Invest in Ability celebrates the accomplishments of community members, donors, sponsors, volunteers, and staff who are the key holders to unlocking opportunities, opening doors, and removing barriers.
Each year, Disability Advocates highlights major milestones and achievements that define our work to accomplish independence and empower people with disabilities.
This year’s event will honor Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design.
This year’s theme, “The Art & Design of Inclusion: Creating a Barrier-Free Community,” highlights the powerful role that thoughtful design and creativity play in making our world more accessible and welcoming to everyone.
Online: Disability Advocates of Kent County
Get tickets for the Invest In Ability event.
Dave spoke with us about the annual “Invest In Ability” Event & Dinner on Thursday, November 6, at the Beautiful new Silva, in downtown Grand Rapids.
Invest in Ability celebrates the accomplishments of community members, donors, sponsors, volunteers, and staff who are the key holders to unlocking opportunities, opening doors, and removing barriers.
Each year, Disability Advocates highlights major milestones and achievements that define our work to accomplish independence and empower people with disabilities.
This year’s event will honor Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design.
This year’s theme, “The Art & Design of Inclusion: Creating a Barrier-Free Community,” highlights the powerful role that thoughtful design and creativity play in making our world more accessible and welcoming to everyone.
Online: Disability Advocates of Kent County
Get tickets for the Invest In Ability event.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend is
a weekly programmed designed to inform and enlighten on a
wide range of public policy issues, as well as news
and current events. Now here's your host, Phil Tower.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
One of my favorite events of the year is coming up.
It's the annual invest in Ability Event presented by our
friends at Disability Advocates of Kent County. Everything we talk about,
well just about everything, is at DAKC dot us. And
please to catch up with my friend. I think he
would consider me a friend. We've known each other a
(00:38):
long time and been involved with disability advocates together for
a long time. He's the one and only Dave Bolkowski,
executive director at Disability Advocates. Good morning, my friend.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Good morning. Hey. I would actually throw an adjective in there,
say good friends. Yes, absolutely, not only for me personally,
but you've been an awesome friend and partner for disability
Advocates for We don't even want to try to figure
out the year. It's been a while. It's been a while.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Well, and I'm going to just be very clear for
those listening on the radio, Davelkowski, I've been disabled since
day one. I was born with some congenital limb challenges
and have walked with braces, prosthetics and crutches my entire life.
And I'm a young man still. You and I are
young guys, but absolutely more than ever, there's a focus
(01:37):
on inclusion and that's what I love. And inclusion is
not some kind of fancy, you know word. It just
means making sure events, places, things can be welcoming to all.
That's a really simple way of putting it. And it's
really the theme for this year's invest in the Ability
event on November sixth. It is the biggest thing you
(01:59):
do all year long, and we're going to unpack that.
But I want to encourage our listeners to attend this
important event because it's a real eye opening event about
how Grand Rapids in West Michigan is really fortunate to
have disability advocates making big changes in the lives of
people living with disabilities as they lead their lives. And
(02:21):
this is right off of your website. I'd love this line,
as they lead their lives on their own terms, Dave Bolkowski,
That's really what it all comes down to.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Right, absolutely, absolutely, you know, and it's as you said,
you know, inclusion is creating the spaces, but not only physically,
but also that whole customer service and people know attitudes,
you know, and it's great that our community continues to
lean in to inclusion more and more. Well.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
In every year you honor a person or a place
an institution with the invest in Ability Award. This year,
Disability Advocates had in the invest in Abilitability Event November sixth.
It's at Silva in downtown Grand Rapids. You will be
honoring the good folks at Ferris State University's Kendall College
(03:15):
of Art and designed the theme this year, Dave is
the art and design of inclusion, creating a barrier free
community and highlighting the role that that thoughtful design and
creativity plays in making our world more accessible and welcoming
to everyone. Gosh, Dave, what a concept that is.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
You know, It's as I said, you know, you and
I may have been around thirty five years ago when
the Americans with Disabilities Act was first passed, and you
know the way I characterize it, at that time, people
went around with plunky clipboards and we had checklists, and
people just kind of dismiss and dismissively said just tell
(03:57):
us what you want us to do. We'll check the box.
Move on. Well, fast forward to today and people are saying,
tell us what you want us to do with excitement
and inclusion. And you know, we have a group of
people we call our test pilots, people with various disabilities,
and I mean we yeah, we were. We've been working
(04:21):
with Steelcase and Myer Corporation and Downtown ground Rapids Think
Experience Ground Rappids and really the fun with Kendall College
of Art and Design is the students both they watching
them learn, but watching them teach us. I mean it's
I've a year ago we signed a memorandum of understanding
(04:44):
with both doctor Pink who's president of Fair State, and
Kara McCracken, who's president emeritus of Kendall, and the MoU
just said, hey, we're going to work together. And we've
worked together and continuing to build moment in that positive direction,
and yeah, people like what can we do? And just
(05:05):
again I just want to say, I having fun, but
it's this meaningful fun and turning the corner and talking
with you know, might be a mayor near you who's like,
you know, we need to do something transformational with these
new transportation dollars, so again people are really getting into
(05:28):
the true spirit of accessibility and collusion, which, as you know,
it's been a long time coming.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Yeah, And it's as simple as thinking thoughtfully about doorknobs
and hallways and entrances and things that a lot of
people don't think about until they have a family member
or themselves are using a wheelchair or a walker, they're
recovering from hip replacement or a knee replacement, or maybe
(05:59):
there's been a crash and somebody is now recuperating in
a long road to recovery. There are disabilities, Dave Advt,
Dave Bolkowski come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
There are sensory disabilities, people on the autism spectrum, disorder,
(06:20):
just so many things. And it's really exciting to know
that Farris State University Kendall College of Art and Design
are on board with this. But if you think about it,
it so much makes sense with a university a college
that focuses on design and creative in creating innovative spaces.
(06:42):
It's very, very exciting. So I'm so excited that you
were going to Honor Kennel College of Art and design.
The art and design of inclusion is a theme, as
we mentioned earlier. And by the way, you maybe have
heard for our listeners universal design. The actual definition which
I found online. I really like this is defined as
(07:04):
the design and composition of an environment. So that could
be your home, that could be a public space, it
could be a new building at fair State University or
Kendall College. So it can be excessed understood and to
this is a great line, to the greatest extent possible,
used by all people, regardless of age, size, ability or disability.
(07:25):
And boyd does that ever hit it right on the head.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Dave Bolkowski, Yeah, I mean it's what we like to say,
you know, in our snarkier moments, is that the ADA
is the worst you can legally do. And so where
you just read that definition of universal design, and you know,
I mean to give the ADA credit, you've got to
draw line in the sand. You got to say, Okay,
(07:49):
here's the minimum you have to do. And then universal
design challenges beyond that, you know. And in our town
we have the international award winning Mary free bed YMCA.
I'm pretty confident the new Kent With Community Center is
going to win tons of awards after it gets opened,
(08:10):
because we're we helped and we helped with both of
those projects. But you know, I think it's been almost
ten years the Mary Free bed Wives been open. I
mean people have learned tons and and to really apply
that learning and and again it's it's it's not just
about people with disabilities. It's you know, we have some
(08:33):
secret stuff we're gonna unveil on November sixth, So people
got to get tickets to get you know, the first
hand experience of the secret stuff. But it really is
about you know, good design makes a space better for everybody.
And of course, our good friend Chris Smith who started
this art you know, unfortunately passed away. You know, his
(08:56):
thing was, you know, every space body and so to
really focus on that individual body, whatever your abilities. Again,
you went through the list already, but I mean that, yeah,
it's tons of fun. And as you know, our event
(09:16):
is it's it's less formal, but it's a lot more
fun than a lot of that's that's been I've been
proud of that complement through the years. People really feel
that our event is spot on. It really focuses on
our mission. People get an experience of our mission and
(09:37):
and have a great time. And this year we're we're
excited that we're going to be at that new venue, Silva,
which is in the North Monroe area for those familiar
with Grand Rapids, but it's easy to find. We're we're
excited to check that space out. They are welcoming us
and it's it's gonna be a great evening.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
It is going to be a great even You can
get tickets at DAKC dot us. DAKC dot US just
clicked the events tab. You can also follow Disability Advocates
of Kent County on Facebook. It is a fun evening.
Yours truly will be mseeing the event again. I'm really
excited about that opportunity and excited to check out a
(10:20):
new place, Silva in downtown Grand Rapids. Mark Seki has
done an amazing place with Silva, and it's definitely it's
definitely a place you want to attend. And you can
be there with the invest in Ability Event not only
as you said, stressing fun but telling some great stories.
You also have your Accessibility Services program that is going
(10:41):
to be honored at this year's event. We've got less
than two minutes left. Tell me real quickly about accessibility services.
Dave Bolkowski.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Well, it's starts with our test pilots. Our test pilots
work alongside planning commissioned city commissions with architectural firms, interior
designers wandering through a space to understand the good, the bad,
and maybe the ugly. And then you know, we have
an accessibility consultant that truly is second to none. I
(11:10):
mean he goes through plans and makes suggestions. I don't
know if you heard, but they're building a twelve thousand
seat amphitheater in downtown grad rabbits ye, and we've consulted
on that and the architectural team at Progressive Companies at
the end of the process they thanked us and said,
you know, because of our suggestions, the design is better.
(11:33):
And you know, the evolution is they already had you
know what it's called family restrooms or like single use bathrooms,
so doesn't matter what genders, caregivers are and all that stuff,
and they have a number of them sprinkled throughout. But
then we added the piece of having one or two
with adult sized changing tables, and so there's going to
(11:54):
be a couple restrooms with adult sized changing tables at
the new Amphitheater, always adding and then you know, I
could go way into the weeds, but we don't have time.
But both the Amphitheater the new soccer stadium, we impacted
that design. So it's just figerprints all over the community,
working a ton more with for profit and nonprofit developers
(12:16):
to make more again, more flexible spaces so that they're
not just kind of your standard cookie cutter accessible unit,
which because they're cookie cutter, a lot of times people
don't want them. And so it's people are excited to
work with us again. Where I kind of let off
with this, it's just people really want to know now,
(12:36):
and it's awesome that we continue to grow our capacity
to be great partners in that design work.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
It is indeed again Dave Bolkowski, Executive director, Disability Advocates
of Kent County DAKC dot us. The invest Inability Annual
Event at Silva coming up on Thursday November six. Thursday
November six at silver in Downtown Grand Rapids nine seventy five, Ottawa, Northwest.
(13:03):
You can get tickets online at DAKC dot us. Davelkowski,
we're just about out of time. Thank you so much
for updating our listeners. We look forward to seeing you
on November sixth, My friend, you've.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Been listening to iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend
is a production of Wood Radio and iHeartRadio.
This is iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend is
a weekly programmed designed to inform and enlighten on a
wide range of public policy issues, as well as news
and current events. Now here's your host, Phil Tower.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
One of my favorite events of the year is coming up.
It's the annual invest in Ability Event presented by our
friends at Disability Advocates of Kent County. Everything we talk about,
well just about everything, is at DAKC dot us. And
please to catch up with my friend. I think he
would consider me a friend. We've known each other a
(00:38):
long time and been involved with disability advocates together for
a long time. He's the one and only Dave Bolkowski,
executive director at Disability Advocates. Good morning, my friend.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Good morning. Hey. I would actually throw an adjective in there,
say good friends. Yes, absolutely, not only for me personally,
but you've been an awesome friend and partner for disability
Advocates for We don't even want to try to figure
out the year. It's been a while. It's been a while.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Well, and I'm going to just be very clear for
those listening on the radio, Davelkowski, I've been disabled since
day one. I was born with some congenital limb challenges
and have walked with braces, prosthetics and crutches my entire life.
And I'm a young man still. You and I are
young guys, but absolutely more than ever, there's a focus
(01:37):
on inclusion and that's what I love. And inclusion is
not some kind of fancy, you know word. It just
means making sure events, places, things can be welcoming to all.
That's a really simple way of putting it. And it's
really the theme for this year's invest in the Ability
event on November sixth. It is the biggest thing you
(01:59):
do all year long, and we're going to unpack that.
But I want to encourage our listeners to attend this
important event because it's a real eye opening event about
how Grand Rapids in West Michigan is really fortunate to
have disability advocates making big changes in the lives of
people living with disabilities as they lead their lives. And
(02:21):
this is right off of your website. I'd love this line,
as they lead their lives on their own terms, Dave Bolkowski,
That's really what it all comes down to.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Right, absolutely, absolutely, you know, and it's as you said,
you know, inclusion is creating the spaces, but not only physically,
but also that whole customer service and people know attitudes,
you know, and it's great that our community continues to
lean in to inclusion more and more. Well.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
In every year you honor a person or a place
an institution with the invest in Ability Award. This year,
Disability Advocates had in the invest in Abilitability Event November sixth.
It's at Silva in downtown Grand Rapids. You will be
honoring the good folks at Ferris State University's Kendall College
(03:15):
of Art and designed the theme this year, Dave is
the art and design of inclusion, creating a barrier free
community and highlighting the role that that thoughtful design and
creativity plays in making our world more accessible and welcoming
to everyone. Gosh, Dave, what a concept that is.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
You know, It's as I said, you know, you and
I may have been around thirty five years ago when
the Americans with Disabilities Act was first passed, and you
know the way I characterize it, at that time, people
went around with plunky clipboards and we had checklists, and
people just kind of dismiss and dismissively said just tell
(03:57):
us what you want us to do. We'll check the box.
Move on. Well, fast forward to today and people are saying,
tell us what you want us to do with excitement
and inclusion. And you know, we have a group of
people we call our test pilots, people with various disabilities,
and I mean we yeah, we were. We've been working
(04:21):
with Steelcase and Myer Corporation and Downtown ground Rapids Think
Experience Ground Rappids and really the fun with Kendall College
of Art and Design is the students both they watching
them learn, but watching them teach us. I mean it's
I've a year ago we signed a memorandum of understanding
(04:44):
with both doctor Pink who's president of Fair State, and
Kara McCracken, who's president emeritus of Kendall, and the MoU
just said, hey, we're going to work together. And we've
worked together and continuing to build moment in that positive direction,
and yeah, people like what can we do? And just
(05:05):
again I just want to say, I having fun, but
it's this meaningful fun and turning the corner and talking
with you know, might be a mayor near you who's like,
you know, we need to do something transformational with these
new transportation dollars, so again people are really getting into
(05:28):
the true spirit of accessibility and collusion, which, as you know,
it's been a long time coming.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Yeah, And it's as simple as thinking thoughtfully about doorknobs
and hallways and entrances and things that a lot of
people don't think about until they have a family member
or themselves are using a wheelchair or a walker, they're
recovering from hip replacement or a knee replacement, or maybe
(05:59):
there's been a crash and somebody is now recuperating in
a long road to recovery. There are disabilities, Dave Advt,
Dave Bolkowski come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
There are sensory disabilities, people on the autism spectrum, disorder,
(06:20):
just so many things. And it's really exciting to know
that Farris State University Kendall College of Art and Design
are on board with this. But if you think about it,
it so much makes sense with a university a college
that focuses on design and creative in creating innovative spaces.
(06:42):
It's very, very exciting. So I'm so excited that you
were going to Honor Kennel College of Art and design.
The art and design of inclusion is a theme, as
we mentioned earlier. And by the way, you maybe have
heard for our listeners universal design. The actual definition which
I found online. I really like this is defined as
(07:04):
the design and composition of an environment. So that could
be your home, that could be a public space, it
could be a new building at fair State University or
Kendall College. So it can be excessed understood and to
this is a great line, to the greatest extent possible,
used by all people, regardless of age, size, ability or disability.
(07:25):
And boyd does that ever hit it right on the head.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Dave Bolkowski, Yeah, I mean it's what we like to say,
you know, in our snarkier moments, is that the ADA
is the worst you can legally do. And so where
you just read that definition of universal design, and you know,
I mean to give the ADA credit, you've got to
draw line in the sand. You got to say, Okay,
(07:49):
here's the minimum you have to do. And then universal
design challenges beyond that, you know. And in our town
we have the international award winning Mary free bed YMCA.
I'm pretty confident the new Kent With Community Center is
going to win tons of awards after it gets opened,
(08:10):
because we're we helped and we helped with both of
those projects. But you know, I think it's been almost
ten years the Mary Free bed Wives been open. I
mean people have learned tons and and to really apply
that learning and and again it's it's it's not just
about people with disabilities. It's you know, we have some
(08:33):
secret stuff we're gonna unveil on November sixth, So people
got to get tickets to get you know, the first
hand experience of the secret stuff. But it really is
about you know, good design makes a space better for everybody.
And of course, our good friend Chris Smith who started
this art you know, unfortunately passed away. You know, his
(08:56):
thing was, you know, every space body and so to
really focus on that individual body, whatever your abilities. Again,
you went through the list already, but I mean that, yeah,
it's tons of fun. And as you know, our event
(09:16):
is it's it's less formal, but it's a lot more
fun than a lot of that's that's been I've been
proud of that complement through the years. People really feel
that our event is spot on. It really focuses on
our mission. People get an experience of our mission and
(09:37):
and have a great time. And this year we're we're
excited that we're going to be at that new venue, Silva,
which is in the North Monroe area for those familiar
with Grand Rapids, but it's easy to find. We're we're
excited to check that space out. They are welcoming us
and it's it's gonna be a great evening.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
It is going to be a great even You can
get tickets at DAKC dot us. DAKC dot US just
clicked the events tab. You can also follow Disability Advocates
of Kent County on Facebook. It is a fun evening.
Yours truly will be mseeing the event again. I'm really
excited about that opportunity and excited to check out a
(10:20):
new place, Silva in downtown Grand Rapids. Mark Seki has
done an amazing place with Silva, and it's definitely it's
definitely a place you want to attend. And you can
be there with the invest in Ability Event not only
as you said, stressing fun but telling some great stories.
You also have your Accessibility Services program that is going
(10:41):
to be honored at this year's event. We've got less
than two minutes left. Tell me real quickly about accessibility services.
Dave Bolkowski.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Well, it's starts with our test pilots. Our test pilots
work alongside planning commissioned city commissions with architectural firms, interior
designers wandering through a space to understand the good, the bad,
and maybe the ugly. And then you know, we have
an accessibility consultant that truly is second to none. I
(11:10):
mean he goes through plans and makes suggestions. I don't
know if you heard, but they're building a twelve thousand
seat amphitheater in downtown grad rabbits ye, and we've consulted
on that and the architectural team at Progressive Companies at
the end of the process they thanked us and said,
you know, because of our suggestions, the design is better.
(11:33):
And you know, the evolution is they already had you
know what it's called family restrooms or like single use bathrooms,
so doesn't matter what genders, caregivers are and all that stuff,
and they have a number of them sprinkled throughout. But
then we added the piece of having one or two
with adult sized changing tables, and so there's going to
(11:54):
be a couple restrooms with adult sized changing tables at
the new Amphitheater, always adding and then you know, I
could go way into the weeds, but we don't have time.
But both the Amphitheater the new soccer stadium, we impacted
that design. So it's just figerprints all over the community,
working a ton more with for profit and nonprofit developers
(12:16):
to make more again, more flexible spaces so that they're
not just kind of your standard cookie cutter accessible unit,
which because they're cookie cutter, a lot of times people
don't want them. And so it's people are excited to
work with us again. Where I kind of let off
with this, it's just people really want to know now,
(12:36):
and it's awesome that we continue to grow our capacity
to be great partners in that design work.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
It is indeed again Dave Bolkowski, Executive director, Disability Advocates
of Kent County DAKC dot us. The invest Inability Annual
Event at Silva coming up on Thursday November six. Thursday
November six at silver in Downtown Grand Rapids nine seventy five, Ottawa, Northwest.
(13:03):
You can get tickets online at DAKC dot us. Davelkowski,
we're just about out of time. Thank you so much
for updating our listeners. We look forward to seeing you
on November sixth, My friend, you've.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Been listening to iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend
is a production of Wood Radio and iHeartRadio.
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