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

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Here's your host to Alex Jarrett.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
All right, we're here at Long Island Duck Stadium, Fairfield
Bank Properties on Ada Day, helping out our friend and
honored to be helping out our friend Jimmy Rose at
the annual Long Island same usual All Star Game weekend.
But I could not let today go by without recognizing

(00:28):
the thirty fifth anniversary of the Americans Disabilities Act. And
right now I want to bring you to many voices
from Viscardi and beyond who have made an impact in
the accessibility, in the fight for accessibility and continue to

(00:48):
to this day, the thirty fifth anniversary of the Americans
with Disabilities Act. Let's start with our founder, doctor Hernan Viscardi.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Let me remind our listeners today's special guests is mister
Henry Biscardi, Junior President of Abilities Incorporated, an organizer of
the Human Resources Research and Training Institute, Hank. I want
to find out something concerning Abilities Incorporated. How did you
go about organizing such an organization and what does it
consist of?

Speaker 4 (01:18):
In nineteen fifty two, I had made a decision that
what we needed in the metropolitan New York area was
a dramatic demonstration that disabled people could support themselves if
they had an opportunity to do so, that they could
work and produce products, earn a living wage, become independent,
productive citizens. So we've decided to found Abilities Incorporated. We

(01:41):
sought a tax exemption, which we still have a need
to do a great deal of our rehabilitation work. But
we borred eight thousand dollars from local citizens and went
to manufacturers in the area and started in a vacant
garage with four employees. Now among the four we had
but four yusersuple arms and one usable leg really because

(02:03):
the whole gang was in wheelchairs. Now that has grown
today to a point where we now have approximately five
hundred workers. Our gross sales climbed from the first year
of one hundred and ninety one thousand dollars to this
year there'll be in excess of three and a half
million dollars. Many have left to go into the community
and from it has sprang the other involvements of Human

(02:26):
Resources Center. But this is how Abilities began, as a
work center for disabled people in a community that was interested,
to whom we went to seek advice and who helped
us with the early financing, the training and the work
which we were to do.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Hank, what were you producing and what are you producing today?
What were you originally involved with and how has this
turned itself around or how has this proceeded.

Speaker 4 (02:51):
In nineteen fifty two, you will recall we were at
the height of the Korean conflict, so our primary product
was electronic components for military since that was the leading
economy in the Long Island area. But we've grown so
since then. In my latest book, which has just been published,
I've described this. It's called the Ability Story, and I

(03:14):
told how we as we grew, we attempted to convert
from the military economy. If you were to come to
our installation now on Long Island, you'd find our people
producing highly sophisticated components for computers, navigational systems for aircraft
flight control instrumentation. But in addition, you'd find us with

(03:34):
our own computer capacity, running a service bureau with data
processing operations and keypunch operations, staff by mentally retarded as
well as disabled. And you'd find us operating a complete
banking setup, handling an excess of four million in deposits
in school savings, processing cancel checks, handling IBM and computer

(03:57):
in disha on deposit slips and mortgage coupon. It find
the excess of a half million dollars of our billing
now devoted to banking services and computer services, as well
as to a complete turnover in the electronics field. You'd
find us doing exquisite glass engraving under a special process
which we develop and which is becoming a large component

(04:19):
of our business. And you'd find us involved in packaging operations.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
From what you were saying, there's one thing that I
want to mention. This is a traditional breakaway from that
which the handicapped person had been involved with caning chairs.
I can think of as sort of a home industry
type of thing, a homespun involvement. Here you've gone to
something which is highly technical along the way.

Speaker 4 (04:40):
Well, I felt that we didn't have to weave rugs
and make baskets, that we could do highly sophisticated work.
And I still believe that. I believe that are disabled
and ar mentally retarded, and are emotionally disturbed and armantally restored,
with the proper techniques of management work, simplification studies of
their physical and emotional capacities and relating it to the job,

(05:04):
can do highly important work and make a real contribution
to the economy in this great country of ours, where
we have great, highly developed techniques. You know, norm I'm
a firm believer and change. None of us as individuals
are the same people we were ten years ago. Now
that this doesn't matter whether we've had an emotional problem

(05:27):
or a physical problem. Just people change and technology changes.
We don't do the same things in your industry, in
the radio business that we did ten years ago, and
I knew.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
It rather well.

Speaker 4 (05:39):
So I believe that as we adopt a change, we
can modify our concept of who's disabled and who isn't
and can take far more people than we ever dreamed
of into the productive stream of life.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
That was doctor Henry Viscardi in nineteen sixty seven, and
he had such a forward thinking back in the day,
of course, to create the center known as the Viscari
Center in nineteen fifty two and talk about producing a
lot of you know, people that want to work hard.
And I'm proud to say that my classic O nine

(06:14):
and so many others before and after us are out
there in the world thanks to doctor Viscarti, the staff
of the Viscarti School, and of course our families. And
now I want to have you listen to the current president,
doctor Chris Rosa.

Speaker 5 (06:30):
To put it in perspective. As you know, Alex, doctor
Viscarti was really a precursor to the modern disability rights movement.
He was born at a time, you know, during the
Great Depression, when access and opportunity were not realistic for

(06:51):
most Americans with disabilities.

Speaker 6 (06:54):
And after.

Speaker 5 (06:58):
Persevering and and actually making it in business and industry,
he realized that he had a higher purpose and a
higher calling and he puts the He put those lessons
to work to create something new and different, a social
for profit enterprise, where he pitched this idea to prospective investors.

(07:27):
He pulled the resources of investors and he was able
to buy a garage in West Hempstead. He outfitted it
through those investors to make it into a shop floor,
and then he went out and he recruited thirty people
with disabilities who were previously regarded as unemployable, and he

(07:49):
put them to work in contracts with leading Long Island employers,
General Electric, Grumman.

Speaker 7 (07:57):
And others.

Speaker 5 (07:58):
And in that first year he was able to turn
a forty eight thousand dollars profit. After paying off all
of the creditors, and within five years he expanded that
workforce to three hundred people with disabilities and they had
an annual profit of more than a million dollars. And

(08:19):
that's that kind of entrepreneurial spirit, that ethic of inclusion
and that commitment to empowering people with disabilities through the
promise of work is at the heart of our mission
and it's very alive and well here at the Viscardi
Center today. Every year we worked with more than three

(08:44):
hundred leading employers from around the nation to put New
Yorkers with disabilities to work. And in terms of the
entrepreneurial spirit, Alex, we're proud that Viscardi is the home
of the National Institute for Disability Entrepreneurship, where we work

(09:07):
with enterprising entrepreneurs with disabilities to take their concept and
to bring their idea to fruition to market.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
By the way, shout out to Optimum for donating twenty
five hundred dollars to the Henry Viscardi School. In the
spirit I believe of a d a week and the
thirty fourth anniversary of the ADA, I of course want
to bring on Joe Salonica, who is an integral part
of the Viscardi School.

Speaker 8 (09:37):
Doctor v had the idea that not only will you
have an education, but you'll have the opportunity to have
therapies there, whether it's physical therapy, occupational therapy, things like that.
We at VISCARTI wanted to and he wanted to make
it as real a school as.

Speaker 9 (10:00):
You know.

Speaker 8 (10:00):
So anything that the quote unquote able body world does
in school, we do, whether it's playing basketball, going to prom,
senior class trips, student council sports.

Speaker 2 (10:14):
For you, and even the kids at HVS they get
doors open when they join the sports program something.

Speaker 8 (10:20):
Yes, yeah, absolutely, because wheelchair athletics is not very well
known and if you're good at it right and in
today's world especially, you know, I like the idea that
you know, the corporate world, the media is looking at
a person with a disability and not feeling sorry for them,

(10:42):
but encouraging them and congratulating them because whatever obstacles they face,
they're overcoming by doing something athletically.

Speaker 2 (10:55):
Joe, are you saying that there's an actually uptick in
hirings of people disabilities in today's world?

Speaker 10 (11:02):
There, Yes, there are.

Speaker 8 (11:04):
I do see a lot more opportunities for people with
disabilities in the corporate world. I do see a lot
of opportunities, you know, in the media world where you know,
back in the day they would put an able body
actor in a wheelchair and that's like portray somebody as

(11:26):
a disability.

Speaker 10 (11:27):
In today's world, you know, they're using the real thing.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
And then to alumni, let's start out with Kate wegg Lekowski,
shall we.

Speaker 11 (11:34):
Be Henry rich starting school and the Center. It's unlike
any place out that I'm I'm extremely West. I consider
myself West every day to have be be chosen to
head up that the wonderful organization has given me and
you and so many others so much, and there's no

(11:55):
place other like place right that and the sense of
community mean, sense of camaraderie and family, it's just absolutely
amazing to see. And we all would all to our founder,
doctor Henry Muscardi Junior, but we have an amazing president
and yeah, well, it's just amazing to be working at
a plate that's so accepting and everything they can to

(12:20):
put their employees well.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
And I actually now they bring up doctor Viscardi, I'm
just thinking, I mean, he would get us through this
so well. If you were here today, I'm sure he's
looking down at all of us through this, and we
are eternally grateful for him and know he's with us
to this day, Katie.

Speaker 11 (12:37):
Absolutely, And my class, my class was the last class
that actually got the the the senior speech as you
well to talk and his his his speeches. And I
won't go on now, and I'll get too mushy and
well up, but I'll.

Speaker 9 (12:56):
Go for it.

Speaker 2 (12:57):
I think people would love to hear what your experiences.

Speaker 11 (13:00):
There's no price, there's nobody unlike him. And his wife
was amazing in the family. And this guy was an
inspiration and a power of strength for all of us.
And and you have to write, I know him shining
down and looking at us and and praying for us.
And that's what we need. We need to remember the

(13:21):
good times. And and you know, we've build food so
much in the country and we are the very resoliant people.
And I think that that's the people with disabilities are.
You know, people underestimate us, and I think that the
thing we are redoing and now the time to show
people that we are RESI.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
Well, Katie, I'll have to ask you next time what
that message was, because I'm now wanting to know what
his message was to your class. But if you don't,
if you are going to get if you don't feel
comfortable with that, now that's fine. We'll have you on
for another time.

Speaker 11 (13:55):
No, I can't remember exactly the word, and I would
probably do him not justice to it, beautiful poet, but
something like believe in yourself and you know, and shoot
of the stars kind of thing, and and don't let
any limitations disability stop you. That was the That was

(14:16):
the sort of essence of his methods. There was more
eloquently spoken than what I'm saying right now. But he
is he is one of my heels for sure, and
and I am forever wayful for him and what he's
done through for people with distability and starting up for

(14:36):
the ability and Helen rich Gotti School, and there's no place,
no place like that, and no place nobody else like him.
So he is an exceptional human beings.

Speaker 2 (14:48):
And then of course Jessica Tambour in the mix, she's
a hard working uh personal disabilities and uh she told
her story to this podcast nearly a year ago. Just
think what's it mean to be a Viscardi alumnus?

Speaker 10 (15:03):
Meaning what's that mean?

Speaker 2 (15:05):
What's it mean to be affiliated with Henry Viscarti, who
was like a pioneer in the disabled community, wasn't not well.

Speaker 12 (15:12):
I had a great experience at the Henry Viiscarti School.
I mean I learned like all my subjects like everyone else.
I was able to get a education that let me
go to college and get a Region's diploma like all
all my parents without disabilities would in public school back then,

(15:36):
I probably wouldn't have had the same experience that I
did at Viscardi Like I was able to play basketball
my whole time there and do gym and sports and
stuff that I can do in public public school. And
I also had all the medical Like the medical at
Theiscarti's huge stuff. I had all that support. That's different.

Speaker 2 (16:02):
Jessica Tambors, who were talking to of the miscar the
alumnus and the Games.

Speaker 10 (16:08):
Family as well.

Speaker 2 (16:10):
And when I start on the cover of Able knut
I said, Hey, this is a great story, so and
great to finally catch up with you. We've seen each
other for years all over the place, but finally it
is great. Just though it is disability prime. Mom, So
what does that mean to you and why are you proud.

(16:30):
Are you proud to be disabled?

Speaker 10 (16:31):
Firstly? And why?

Speaker 2 (16:32):
And what is what do you look forward to now
as we hit thirty three years?

Speaker 10 (16:38):
Where can we go?

Speaker 2 (16:39):
There's a lot of questions there, So let's start with
what does disability prime mom mean to you?

Speaker 12 (16:45):
It means showing the world that we are capable of
doing everything and they can. As long as things are
accessible and by open to us, you can still do it.
And having cried, even though you have disability, you still

(17:06):
have pride and what you can do or what you're
able to do, and that you're still taking kind of
like even as an adult, is still going and able
to do whatever you want to do.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
In my own class, I've had the pleasure of talking
with Keenan Gandhi. You and I have been.

Speaker 13 (17:27):
Part of the community and a school for what twenty
something years, and like I said, you said, we've adapted.
And as long as you keep doing what you can
do and try your best no matter what your situation is,
whether it's fairly independence or not, as long as you

(17:47):
buy your best in that regard, you should be able
to do it. I mean you will be able to
do it as long as you keep trying and doing
your best and don't situations get you down and just
keep going. That's my best at best, I mean, because

(18:09):
have you done. I can't really give a big main
point because every person is different, every disabled person is different,
So there's no concrete answer because everyone deals with things
a different way or handfle and you know, different disabilities
different so varias of the disability. So there's no clear answer.

(18:31):
It's just for your situation. As long as you do
your best and do the best you can, you'll you'll
get through whatever hardships you have.

Speaker 2 (18:43):
One thousand person Keenan Gandhi is his name. He's my
longtime pal from HBS and Queen's College. Did you find
Queen's College was accessible? Did you like that accessibility they
had there?

Speaker 14 (18:59):
Yeah?

Speaker 13 (18:59):
I mean yeah, I mean that's why it was part
of the uh what was that really part of the
disability office?

Speaker 15 (19:09):
Now?

Speaker 13 (19:10):
It's just actually it was because of you, because remember
when I first got my list of classes, I showed
you my schedule and you helped me figure out where all.

Speaker 9 (19:20):
My classes were and that was fun. And then we
dormed together for a year, which was also an experience
and a half.

Speaker 13 (19:30):
August pointing out to May thirteen, and then you graduated,
and then I dormed with Vishaal, our roommate, and then Liam,
who was interesting, let's just leave it that, and then
I and then I graduated like literally a year after you,
but it was literally a year after you.

Speaker 9 (19:53):
And I know you're working at the museum, and I
know that you get a lot of the letters from
people saying how you've been able to help them, and
I know those letters make you feel good, But what
what's your goal at that at the Aviah Media? What
do you want to do?

Speaker 13 (20:10):
Then there's there's the reasons I started in the museum
in the first place, because you know as well as
I do that there was no chance for me to teach.
Did not want to become professor professor, didn't want to
go from my master's because I didn't want to teach,
not that I have anything against going Brodasters. I spent
five years in school, three years at NASA, and then

(20:33):
two years year and a half at Queens. So by
the time I was done, I was done. So the museum,
because of my background being history more specifically American industry,
actually a good experience go for my resume, and I
learned more historical things along with the aviation sides, because

(20:57):
and this is my volunteered four guys coming out and
I can do that before it. But when you when
I started with the museum, yes there was a history
part of it, but I had no idea that the
aviation side of Long Island was huge, and I mean huge.

(21:18):
There was Mitchell Field, Rosevelt Field, there was something else
that I don't remember which is really said, but Long
Island was huge when it comes to history, and the
Wright brothers started here, you know what you know Mitchell
food was a big thing, the Golden Age was and
flight was a huge and when you start volunteering there

(21:41):
you learn that things you had no idea. I mean,
look at this. White people who live all of Long
Islands comes to that museum all the time and they
meet the dolphins, including me depending on who it is.

Speaker 16 (21:59):
Uh there.

Speaker 13 (22:01):
Even though they lived on Long Island for god knows
how long, they still have no idea. They still have
no idea that aviation on Long Island was massive, that
it was a lot of things happened. But that's when
they come to us and we have to explain to them.

(22:21):
They're like, oh wow, really, I'm like yep. So, I
mean it was like it was like that for me
when I first started the mixigan what twenty fourteen and
twenty or six years, so twenty twenty one or seven
years now now I know I've done. I've been there
for seven years.

Speaker 2 (22:42):
Kudos to Keenan for celebrating ten years at Cradle of Aviation.
He just celebrated that yesterday as well. Class of nine
represented right there. How about someone who is connected to
Viscardi School because he helps get kids into college and
actually signs them onto the Qunity Adaptive wheel your basketball team,

(23:04):
Ryan Martin and the impact Viscardi and Quney Adaptive had
had and empowering kids with disabilities and high school graduates
with disabilities growing up around coaches like Chris Bacon and
Joe Salonica. I mean, I've seen them really support this program.
What's I mean to have the coaches, you know, your
peers support and actually sort of become a pipeline for

(23:26):
kids that may be leaving you know, maybe graduate high
school one springing into the college scene.

Speaker 10 (23:32):
In the fall. I mean, what's that like to be
a pipeline.

Speaker 2 (23:34):
For these coaches and for these kids that want to
have a career wacher basketball after high school.

Speaker 7 (23:39):
You know, it's great.

Speaker 17 (23:41):
I think everybody understands, you know, that the larger picture
that's you know, this opportunity provides individuals with disabilities as
far as you know, being able to use basketball to
get their education and all of those sort of things.

Speaker 7 (23:57):
So I think it's really critical to.

Speaker 17 (24:01):
You know, for everybody to you know, want those same
things right.

Speaker 7 (24:05):
And so I think the junior coaches.

Speaker 17 (24:07):
In the in the area, you know, ultimately want the
best for their athletes long term, whether that means they
come to play Acuniti or they go play at another
university or just end up going to school. I think
it's something we can all get back behind on. And
you know, those of us who are in this community
understand the value proposition of adaptive sports, you know, brings

(24:29):
multiple facets from like a health and wellness, from an
employment perspective, from a quality of life perspective, and I
think anybody who works with young people, whether they're disabled
or not, can support those long term notions and visions
for those folks.

Speaker 18 (24:47):
Ran.

Speaker 2 (24:47):
What I honestly loved about this when I first got
involved with you guys in covering your guys is that
as kids, we had the we had to basketball program
at Viscardi and then it was sort of the that
was it. And I feel like this is opening a
world that maybe kids who think of a day to
day wherever they're at now don't realize we're they're in
the new show up and it's got to be like wow,

(25:08):
a doors opening here.

Speaker 7 (25:10):
Sure, Yeah, no, I agreed. I think it's uh, I
think that's the hope, right And.

Speaker 17 (25:19):
I think long term, you know, I hope that we
can see this program being a fixture within the you know,
within the city, within the university, and then.

Speaker 7 (25:28):
Just the disabled community as general. You know, I think, uh.

Speaker 17 (25:34):
It's it's really hard to compete in today's economy, you know,
without the best education and all of that sort of stuff.
And I think the benefit for a individual from New
York to stay and go to school at QUNI is
more cost affordable, you know, and so being able to
access that education, you know, at a good institution and
then being able to you know, play the sport that

(25:57):
you grew up and you love to play and you
want to play your whole life is I think it's
really critical and so hopefully hopefully this is a small
step each day and towards that ultimate goal there.

Speaker 19 (26:10):
Did you feel like you had the chance to live
out this dream of going from you know, playing as
a kid into into college or is this something that
you kind of wish you had growth you know, growing up,
if you will, from teenager in the twenties and whatnot.

Speaker 17 (26:25):
Yeah, I mean for me, like I've I've had a
really you know, awesome opportunity to you know, playing alleys,
play professionally, come back and win some NWBA championships with
the Knicks, and you know, as a kid, this was
beyond my wildiest stream, right.

Speaker 7 (26:40):
Just because you know, there was very I.

Speaker 17 (26:43):
Think there was maybe a few schools that were doing
like adaptive sports at the collegiate level at the time,
and so now that that number has continued to increase,
and I think you see you know, growth at the
adaptive sports movement, you know, throughout the country, you know,
in large part to you know, the Paralympic games and
the media attention that draws and.

Speaker 7 (27:02):
The trickle down effect of that attention.

Speaker 17 (27:05):
And so I think right now, you know, a kid
with the disability can see like, oh, I can go
to college and play a sport and then I can
go to Europe and then I can represent my country
and I can win medals, and you know, I can
do this and I can do that, which I think
is really a powerful tool of representation that I don't
think existed when I was growing up. But I really

(27:27):
can't complain about my journey. I think the sport gave
me more individually than I can ever give back to others.
But hopefully I can kind of even the score at.

Speaker 7 (27:35):
Some point here.

Speaker 2 (27:36):
Two alumnus from not only Viscartny but CuNi, Malki and Destiny,
also joined me during that QUNIA Adaptive Wheelchair Basketball run.
Well to end this month of college basketball. I mean,
we had the tournament and I kind of want to
put a bow on it by bringing on the two
main folks that you mentioned that you might have heard
a lot about my CuNi Adaptive conversations with Ryan and

(28:00):
Martin malket Sing and Destiny Murray, the ogs from the
HVS years are on me right now to recap not
only Texas but the first year of Kutie Adapters Wheelchair
Basketball and h guys welcome on to my podcast.

Speaker 16 (28:18):
So, uh, talk to me.

Speaker 2 (28:20):
What was that trip to Texas like first of all,
so one thing I.

Speaker 20 (28:25):
Could say it was a good experience to actually have
the opportunity as a new program to go down to show.

Speaker 21 (28:33):
Up our program, to play against different teams and see
the different levels.

Speaker 20 (28:39):
There is and what we have to do as a
team to come back and be strong with so like
learn new skills and you know, be ready for stronger competition.

Speaker 10 (28:54):
And Malki yep add on today.

Speaker 22 (28:57):
Actually it shows us. It give us the opportunity to
show where we where we're at first year program and
hopefully like we could have done better like overall given
the experienced players we have, but I think we did
pretty much a good actual soul of the job to

(29:19):
show that we're a.

Speaker 10 (29:22):
Good team that can make progress.

Speaker 2 (29:24):
All right, I've got to ask you this because not
only did you guys make an impact at the Qunity
level and the national level, but.

Speaker 10 (29:33):
I think it hits home with Viscardia.

Speaker 2 (29:35):
I'm hoping that that influences kids coming out of a
Scardi to join CuNi Adaptive.

Speaker 10 (29:40):
Is that in the works at all?

Speaker 2 (29:42):
Can you guys elaborate on that at all?

Speaker 13 (29:46):
For me?

Speaker 21 (29:46):
I would say yes, because now that Viscardi has this
new program.

Speaker 18 (29:53):
It gives more opportunity for them to see because we're
being an avatar and with our coach, you know, going
out talking more about the new program.

Speaker 23 (30:07):
It can help.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
Like when.

Speaker 24 (30:12):
Some of the kids say, oh, they want to go
to school to play ball, they know exactly which schools
to apply to so they could come and play for
our program.

Speaker 9 (30:23):
But yeah, how about you monkey?

Speaker 10 (30:26):
What what are you hearing?

Speaker 22 (30:28):
Yeah, I can agree with that what Destiny said, but
it can give us Like usually a lot of kids, uh,
I think that just playing at viscardiover the end of
it or but now they have a dictual option to
take it further. And even if they don't come to CUNY,
they can see like the team that we played against

(30:50):
gives them options for colleges as well out of state.
There's a lot of kids like usually I had to
go out of state for school, so it gives them
out of options as well.

Speaker 2 (31:00):
All right, this was the first year, as we've been
talking about basically all the time here on this podcast,
and it really isn't though, because this was formed pre pandemic.
Pandemic hits. So Destiny as someone who I could say
was the creator of all of this, I mean, you
brought the vein of Viscardi into CuNi with this idea.
Are you how impressed are you that you guys all

(31:22):
messed at the right time just out of a pandemic.
It's it's quite remarkable if you think about it.

Speaker 25 (31:28):
Yes, it is.

Speaker 21 (31:29):
To be honest, I did not think the program would
have made it this far, because, like I said, it
was just an idea that was on the table already.
But I was basically this spoke person for it, and
that was something that I enjoyed playing at Viscarti.

Speaker 24 (31:47):
And you know, everyone in my family.

Speaker 26 (31:50):
Is a ballplayer.

Speaker 21 (31:51):
So for me to go to college and the college
that I.

Speaker 15 (31:54):
Was in, which is Hostals Community College, is known for
their basketball team to not have.

Speaker 21 (32:03):
Disabled or a wheelchair basketball.

Speaker 18 (32:06):
Team for people with disability, I felt some.

Speaker 24 (32:10):
Guy away, so it's just like, you know, I want
to play, and they were just like the coach.

Speaker 21 (32:14):
That I spoke to was like, oh, I don't want
to hurt your feelings, but you know our basketball team
is for ablebody and no, it's not an answer to me.
So that was my opportunity to take that note and turn.

Speaker 2 (32:27):
Into a yes.

Speaker 15 (32:28):
And now we have the curunity wheelchair basketball team, and
after graduating from Viscardi, I didn't think that there was
going to be a program that I could continue to
play ball, and I had stopped playing ball for two
years and then, like I knew there were programs, but
I didn't know like how to go about to tap.

Speaker 27 (32:51):
Into the program to join or sign up.

Speaker 2 (32:56):
How about you, Moki, just does it open your eyes
at all? I mean, I know you went to Edinburgh.

Speaker 22 (33:00):
But so actually I was kind of opposite because while
I was playing at the Scarty, I was actually playing
for a travel team known as the Loot of Lightning
currently known as the New York Own Furry. So while
planning Auverstol is kind of like a recreational level for

(33:20):
me because Fur, the Lightning Fury team, was already prepping
us for college level.

Speaker 21 (33:29):
On a collegiate level.

Speaker 22 (33:30):
Basketball from playing there. Like good, I already knew about Edinburgh.
I was actually trying to get to go to Illinois
since the eighth grade bart. I mean, I think it
was a tangive plan for me, but yeah, but I
knew knowledge wise, I knew about these programs from the

(33:51):
from them.

Speaker 2 (33:52):
What impact do you want to leave behind?

Speaker 20 (33:55):
Is you?

Speaker 2 (33:55):
When you do move on to to the world outside of.

Speaker 26 (33:59):
QUT adaptive speaking on behalf of the girls.

Speaker 21 (34:02):
Since we only have five girls, three of us were new.

Speaker 26 (34:06):
Well four of us were new to the team.

Speaker 21 (34:09):
I honestly feel like we are gonna make it.

Speaker 13 (34:14):
With this program.

Speaker 21 (34:15):
One thing I can say is that I would want
this program to still be you know, out there for
us as community students and coming students.

Speaker 27 (34:26):
Even for like.

Speaker 21 (34:27):
When we graduate, we could come back and recruit, like
help with recruiting.

Speaker 10 (34:33):
It gives us an opportunity.

Speaker 21 (34:34):
To you know, speak more on our program and be
advertised more.

Speaker 22 (34:40):
Yeah, being like a student with the disability as well,
like in a state like New York where there's people
with disabilities all over, it actually gave us the opportunity
like that they show that there's a whole program that's
actually supportive. Motivates us so want to be here and

(35:03):
I actually impact the program. I have to have a
solid future.

Speaker 2 (35:07):
Funt Well my first guest officially of the One Leg
Up with Alex Garrett podcast. She has a leg up
on the campus of Queen's College as the chair for
now I believe the third straight year, second straight year

(35:30):
and you might know her from the Henry Viscarti School.
She's alumnus of both HBS and now Queen's College. I
can't believe I'm saying that. I feel like it is yesterday.
We all grew up in that school. But Jessica Delonza,
Holy cow, when did time fly?

Speaker 25 (35:44):
Firstly, I feel like they just started HBS and now
I already graduated college.

Speaker 2 (35:51):
But you do have a leg up on that campus
as the chair, So talk to us about that firstly,
because I know we're hitting the fall. So what does
it mean to be the chair? And as a reminder,
you're now a chair heading into your graduate program.

Speaker 10 (36:03):
I'm not mistake.

Speaker 25 (36:05):
Yes, So I've been in the chair for two years now.
Since so since twenty twenty, my first year, I didn't
have time to do anything on campus. You know, with
COVID we're gonna have impression events. But what I did
my first year was more of advocating for students, whether

(36:28):
they needed accommodations or just anything getting around campus on
nice passes. But my main job is basically advocating for
disabled students on campus, hosting inclusion events on campus. So
the semester, we have a lot of events coming up

(36:52):
on campus, just highlighting different disabilities. Our first event is
actually for people who are hard of hearing. Okay, very
different events relating to different visibilities.

Speaker 10 (37:09):
Well, you know, let's talk about your story.

Speaker 2 (37:12):
For me, maybe those who are just joining us for
the first time may not know who Jessica the.

Speaker 10 (37:16):
Lines of is. I'm kind of talking as if you
the community already knows you.

Speaker 2 (37:19):
But for those who don't, talk to us about how
you got to HBS and then the Queen's College and
and sort of the things you had to overcome an
obstacles that you've powered through.

Speaker 10 (37:29):
Literally you're in year out.

Speaker 25 (37:33):
Sure, I started HBS when I was five, so I
went there from kindergartian to twelveth grade. It definitely was
a great experience. You know, coming from HBS, we're kind
of put in a bubble, So transitioning from HBS to
college was a bit rough for me. But I definitely

(37:55):
wouldn't want to change mine demic proth. I think going
to age with was a great opportunity. I mean, so
many friends, met so many amazing people. I just said,
I just graduated from Queen's College. I got my bachelor's
in psychology and now I'm studying grad school. Actually, next

(38:19):
week I will be starting grad school to become an
elementary school teacher.

Speaker 10 (38:25):
Grateful.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
Now, I know your parents are very close to you,
So how proud of they they even got to see
graduate high school in college.

Speaker 10 (38:33):
I mean, tell us about that for a second.

Speaker 25 (38:35):
Definitely really proud. I'm the only one that graduated college,
so they're extremely proud that I was able to graduate
and do what I wanted to do.

Speaker 2 (38:50):
Sure, well, you know Jess is very social, so to
become the chair is not a surprise. But tell us
about that integration into campus, because let's be honest, it
feels like Queen's College. As much as we love it,
as much as we're proud alumnus there, if you're not involved,
you may not.

Speaker 10 (39:04):
Be able to.

Speaker 2 (39:06):
Be social because that's kind of like involvement or bust,
you know. So how did you get integrated and involved?
And of course with CDs as well.

Speaker 25 (39:14):
So before I joined the CDs, I was not really
sociable on campus. It was still learning campus, and I
was really shy at first, you know, coming from HBS,
a small school that now going to such a big
school and large campus. It definitely was a rough transition
with them. I met someone at CDs and they were like, hey,

(39:40):
we need a new board. Do you want to join
the board? And everyone I was like, that seems like
a lot. Maybe I should start, you know, maybe secretary
or vice president. And they were like, no, we want
to have your vice president.

Speaker 27 (39:55):
Wow.

Speaker 25 (39:56):
I was like, well, so I thought about it, and
I ran an election. I think, you know, I might
as well try to run for president. It's like, I'm
probably not going to get it because nobody knows me
on campus, you know, but I was shocked I got it.
And as I said, this is my second year.

Speaker 2 (40:21):
Are you are you a Queen's Resident? Like have you
even lived in Queen's your whole life?

Speaker 27 (40:25):
For?

Speaker 2 (40:25):
Yes, I live, and you're very You speak your mind
almost like a Queen's resident does.

Speaker 10 (40:33):
So does that help.

Speaker 2 (40:34):
You gain in that world, in the college world, Like
the fact that you're able to just speak what's on
your mind?

Speaker 10 (40:40):
Does that help you?

Speaker 25 (40:42):
Yes? Definitely. I mean Queen's College is great, but it
definitely has its fault So I'm definitely advocating for what
I need. Now I'm able to do that for other
students as well.

Speaker 2 (40:56):
Now I think we can both say it's amazing how
small the world can be from Viscardi to Queen's College,
especially because that's the only one I really knew. But
there it's like everybody knows each other from both campuses,
don't they?

Speaker 25 (41:09):
Yes, pretty much. I mean you went to Queen's College.
There's a couple other alumni own, but you would be
surprised there's not many disabled people as I thought.

Speaker 2 (41:21):
You know, you know, do you have a stat on that?
I mean, as president, I'm sure you have statistics and whatnot.

Speaker 10 (41:25):
So was there a stat that you have?

Speaker 25 (41:28):
I cringe your members, Well, that's mixing in with alumni,
so I don't have a stat on I'm a disabled
per se. And also our organization not everyone joins as well,
so there are more disabled students on campus.

Speaker 2 (41:47):
Well, let me ask you about that, because obviously I
always thought that CBS they were always out in the community.
But you can take this beyond just the walls of
Queen's College, and I think that's a spark that they needed.

Speaker 10 (41:57):
So how have you done that?

Speaker 2 (41:58):
Because you just said you're in a social yet I
feel like you're encouraging kids who may not want to
be involved to get involved.

Speaker 25 (42:07):
I think it's definitely hard, Like I said, I started
once COVID hit, but it's definitely hard to get people
to be involved. We just hide a barbecue event where
we brought all the campuses involved, and that seems to
be a good kickoff for the semester. So I'm hoping

(42:27):
everyone said that it was one of the best barbecues
in a while, so I'm hoping that really brings all
the campuses together, you know, even in the chair of
Queen's College. But I still work with you know, other campuses,
and well they run things to see how.

Speaker 2 (42:44):
We can, so you take trips over to different campuses
to see no.

Speaker 25 (42:52):
Unfortunately no, like I said, I started with COVID, So.

Speaker 10 (42:56):
Yeah, well, I guess we're raising back into it all right.

Speaker 2 (42:59):
I also know that Viscardi gave you a lot over
the years, so touch on that as a Viscardi illness
as well.

Speaker 25 (43:09):
Coming from Riscardi, you know, they teach us how to
advocate for ourselves, which has helped me in Queen's College.
But I think it was a lot harder than I
thought to transition from Viscardi, just because everything was handed
to us. You know.

Speaker 2 (43:28):
Well, I remember the first week of college alone, it
was like whoa I'm kind of by myself now, or
like your parents are out working and you just gotta
take care of shait yourself, if I may say, Yeah,
So did you get overwhelmed right away? Did you kind
of ease into what was the adapting like?

Speaker 25 (43:47):
First day? I was definitely overwhelmed. I remember looking since
you go to Queen's College, you would know, but between
Kylie and powder Maker Hall, I remember sitting in the
middle of those two buildings and I was looking out
at the quad, which is the main part of the campus,
and I was trying to find as many wheelchairs as

(44:07):
I could because I remember going in and I was
saying to myself, I don't see any wheelchairs.

Speaker 10 (44:14):
All was so.

Speaker 25 (44:15):
Weird, you know, coming from Viscarti, you see so many
wheelchairs every day you feel like you belong. And I
remember just not really fitting in at first. You know,
I didn't have many friends my first year at all.
It's really hard. But now I definitely have friends. You know,
I made friends. I tried to push myself to join clubs,

(44:39):
you know, my friends and CDs has helped me as well,
because you know, now I'm forced to talk to people
and talk to other clubs.

Speaker 2 (44:48):
And maybe well one of your favorite clubs on campus.
I mean, I don't know what's been there since I left.
I graduated nine years ago. Jeez, I can't even say it.
But since I graduate, I don't know what's changed club
life wise. I mean, I think they still have some
kind of radio there, but I could be wrong. But
what clubs have you been immersed in in addition to CDs.

Speaker 25 (45:09):
I really work closely with the Student Association. Okay, so
I made a lot of friends to.

Speaker 2 (45:16):
There, so you know, like it's that con and those
folks even though they kind of graduated, but they were
they sort of went into essay my last year, and
you know, it was kind of a whole political thing.
It is amazing that Queen's clubs can get political. So
do you try and say out of that side of things?

Speaker 6 (45:33):
There was.

Speaker 25 (45:35):
Yeah, I try to not get involved. I do some
of the budgeting too for the organization, so that gets
a little political. But I mean, I'm trying to stay
out of it. I'm not really into that.

Speaker 2 (45:49):
So sure, Yeah, I know it used to be the
last week of April, first week of May was crazy
with election. We kind of know that's the same there now,
But that's yeah, so that's still the same. That's kind
of good that that didn't change. All right, what about
adaptive sports? Obviously, now we've got quniye adapter, we've got
wheelchair basketball on campus and a CDs. I mean, and

(46:11):
as assume that was on the Viscardi basketball team by
the way, for years. How does that make you feel
to see it hit the college life and are you
going to become like a sort of a I don't
know if it's legal to say, a recruiter, but you know,
someone to encourage. Hey, if you want to play, you
should join up with this program.

Speaker 25 (46:30):
Yes, I mean, I love playing basketball, but unfortunately the
Counity basketball team does not have you know, it was
started they had a two foot or four foot so
the Caunie basketball team they only have I think it's
a ten foot or a twelve foot.

Speaker 15 (46:48):
Only.

Speaker 25 (46:48):
I can't play, but I did watch one game last
year which made me really jealous because of all I
wanted to do is go back on the court and play.

Speaker 2 (46:58):
Well, tell about that, because I think went from like
really straight through into the final year of your year
in high school.

Speaker 25 (47:05):
Right, Yes, I played on the team for three years. Yeah,
I stopped senior year and it miss it so much.
Now they have alumni one, but un fortunately I can't
go to that one because I've been Queen. It's so
hard to get to Long Island.

Speaker 2 (47:22):
Well, hopefully that that gets fixed, but I know that
that was one of your things.

Speaker 10 (47:26):
I remember as we're talking.

Speaker 2 (47:28):
I kind of remember that now more so then we
were talking on a messenger about this. I'm like, oh, yeah,
she played basketball, so then to get her take on. Okay,
but from the CDs standpoint, do they encourage kids to
try and join or is their involvement?

Speaker 10 (47:41):
Is our connection there?

Speaker 25 (47:45):
So we haven't worked closely with them. Actually, I'm planned
to a lot more this semester and I want to
check you if we could get to the Scardi basketball
team to come out and play. I need to contact
Ryan about that.

Speaker 2 (48:00):
But yeah, Ryan's great and he's connected both with Fiscardi
and Queen's and Kenny and by the Ada Queen's College
Rob Twiba, who got me my start basically there at
the athletics department.

Speaker 10 (48:12):
Like, yeah, I'm going to Ryan's wedding. I'm like, who
doesn't Ryan know?

Speaker 2 (48:15):
Right? He knows a lot of people, you know a
lot of people all right, we're making a lot of
people's ears ring today with this conversation, that's for sure.
And my next the next person I want to talk
about is Chris Rosa because obviously we both do from
the Queen's College days and now he's president of the SCARTI.
I mean, what a bridge. And let's be honest, I

(48:35):
feel like there wasn't that bridge to the college life
when we were there. You know, Now there's finally that bridge.

Speaker 25 (48:41):
Yes, I hope he connects more with colleges. That way
the students can get more opportunities. As you said, we
weren't miss started. There wasn't really any connection with colleges.

Speaker 27 (48:55):
You know what.

Speaker 25 (48:58):
Senior year, actually I took a college course that ms Cardi, So.

Speaker 2 (49:02):
I guess they were starting to bring that around too
a little bit, which is great. How was that balancing
a college course and your regular school workload?

Speaker 25 (49:13):
It wasn't it too bad? I had a really good teacher.

Speaker 10 (49:17):
What was it too well?

Speaker 2 (49:19):
You know that's William Webuscardi is. They do have a
good workload for us growing in, growing up, right, So
it just seemed like the workload increased in college. I
don't know, that's just how it seemed in mind view?

Speaker 26 (49:30):
How about you?

Speaker 25 (49:32):
Definitely and definitely increased. I was shocked it increased and
got a lot harder than I thought. My first year
I was, you know, was juggling a bit to adjust,
but I did it.

Speaker 10 (49:47):
Yeah, he did.

Speaker 2 (49:47):
Now, talk about your and I know both communities want
to hear about this.

Speaker 10 (49:52):
Talk about your post graduate life. You're going to go
for your master's now.

Speaker 25 (49:56):
Yes, sir, master's program at Queen's Car to be elementary
school teacher grades one through six and then hopefully go
back to college to be an administration.

Speaker 2 (50:11):
Do you feel like are the accommodations getting better or
are there different accommodations in master's program compared to undergrad.

Speaker 25 (50:20):
It seems to be the same.

Speaker 10 (50:22):
Okay.

Speaker 25 (50:23):
I don't know if it's because I already went to
Queen so everything just pretty much carries over.

Speaker 2 (50:32):
How's your I don't know if you want to go
into this, but how is your health? I know that
you know, we all kind of check up on each
other with our health. How is your health doing?

Speaker 25 (50:41):
Pretty good? Lely, I haven't had surgery in a long time,
which is good. I'm just trying to maintain my health
school and work.

Speaker 2 (50:52):
That's uh, that is quite daunting when you get, you know,
the nine to five kind of feel when you on campus,
Like what are the hours you're there the semester.

Speaker 25 (51:02):
I'm on campus on Tuesdays and thirty Thursdays from four
thirty to nine, So unfortunately have a late schedule this.

Speaker 2 (51:11):
Semester, which may not be a bad thing, and then
you can work the rest of it from home kind
of right, So with the CDs and whatnot.

Speaker 25 (51:18):
Yes, very cool person on CDs.

Speaker 2 (51:22):
Okay, well, I know Charmaine over there and everybody, you know,
I'm sure gravitates toward you, not just because you're the chair,
because you're a really good person. So I'm sure you
get a lot of people gravitating toward you on that campus.

Speaker 10 (51:34):
You know, Were you used to that kind of thing?

Speaker 2 (51:38):
Because you said you were you were in a social
so were you used to people gravitating or what?

Speaker 25 (51:43):
Well, I mean, I'm a starty. I was involved a
lot with different clubs and stuff. You know, I was
a miscardy ambassador counselor for a long time, so it's
used to it. But there was you know, a year
or two get where I wasn't really involved in anything

(52:04):
but it took me a little while to adjust, you know.

Speaker 2 (52:06):
And well when you think of this, you know, of
going back to talk to the kids that are there, now,
what would your message be? Or have you gotten the
chance to talk to kids at Poscarti that are are
going through high school right now?

Speaker 27 (52:23):
I've talked to some.

Speaker 25 (52:24):
I still hope some of them what their essays are,
figuring out what college they want to But I think
if I needed to say something, I let's say, do
what you want to do? You know, tol other people
tell you where to go or what to do. Do
what makes you happy with you? Not to do in

(52:45):
doo't let anyone tell you know, oh, maybe go to
a community college and maybe start out as a job.
If you want to go to a your go to
for you, you know, you want to go to community
go to a community. If you want a dorm, dorm,
you know. I think that's a big thing that a
lot of people say, Oh like dah and dorn. You

(53:05):
know it's gonna be so hard. But if you want
to dorm, door don't want that?

Speaker 2 (53:12):
So would you ever consider dorming at the Summit? I
mean you're in Queen, So that's that's a bit of a.

Speaker 25 (53:17):
None no waste money.

Speaker 2 (53:20):
Yeah, I want to Were you ever considering out of
out of the borough, out of the state even or was.

Speaker 25 (53:28):
Queen's College was my number one choice to go to.
I don't want to go to n y U. But
it's kind of far from.

Speaker 2 (53:38):
A house, so it's kind of like on eighth Street
in the city, I believe.

Speaker 10 (53:42):
Or something like that. So it's a bit of a trick.

Speaker 2 (53:45):
But you know, I know that Queen's offers incredible grab program,
so I think you're gonna do really well there.

Speaker 10 (53:50):
And uh, what got you into teaching?

Speaker 2 (53:52):
Was it the teachers at Viscardi What what brought you
into this realm?

Speaker 25 (53:56):
Have man teachers have Viscartian. When I was in high school,
I used to valenteer the younger grades. So just volunteering
and helping them made me realize that's exactly what I
want to do.

Speaker 2 (54:11):
I kind of remember that that was like a click
for you at the beginning, right working.

Speaker 10 (54:14):
With the kids. Yes, well, last time Imer we were
it was at sportsight.

Speaker 2 (54:19):
We were also at the same table that had be
like six seven years ago, and boyd things have changed
since then, you know, But tell me, well, yeah, sports
and of course played a big role in both of
our lives. But tell me about the connections after school, Like,
are you still in touch with your class, with your classmates,
with your friends?

Speaker 10 (54:38):
What's that like?

Speaker 25 (54:40):
I think I've maintained a lot of the connections. Of
course I lost some. You know, you just grow up.
Your life gets in the way. I still talk to
some people with some teachers. No, you know doctor Rose
is there.

Speaker 10 (54:57):
Yeah, love him, He's great.

Speaker 25 (55:01):
I think definitely now maybe more involved with you know,
hbs and connecting what.

Speaker 2 (55:08):
I can't let this one go without this little speech
from Max Gold, who we always honor today and every day,
and I want to bring that to your attention. It's
his best man's speech from Jake's wedding and I got
to replay here on the Alex Gartt podcast network for
a DA day.

Speaker 28 (55:27):
Those who don't know me, I'm Max's youngest bro in
the nest.

Speaker 29 (55:32):
I've always done speeches for.

Speaker 28 (55:34):
Fundraisers and now I'm doing my first best man's speech.

Speaker 29 (55:47):
He is quite the hunk.

Speaker 28 (55:52):
Most best man's featured are known to Rose de Groom
completely make fun.

Speaker 6 (55:57):
And embarrassed hell out of.

Speaker 26 (56:02):
I'm not going to do that tonight.

Speaker 28 (56:05):
Instead, I'm going to focus on all the great and
amazing quality that Jake has.

Speaker 29 (56:12):
Like, no, just kidding. At the beginning, Jake and I

(56:33):
had a typical.

Speaker 28 (56:34):
Bunterly relationshift, jealously, resentment, and fights.

Speaker 29 (56:44):
For example, we would figure back and forth on what
to watch on TV.

Speaker 28 (56:49):
We would negotiate at times, and sometimes I'd win if
and only if there were no sports sports we waited
shows on. So typically, Jake has always been an ovidiated soul,
sharing his passion and police generals.

Speaker 29 (57:12):
So you with others.

Speaker 28 (57:15):
For those who don't know, Jake's major as an undergrad
was history and political science.

Speaker 29 (57:22):
Who knows we could have had a gold house.

Speaker 28 (57:26):
Instead of a white house, and we still may. Many
people here today know that Jake's finest attributes are his sensitivity, kindness,
and concerned others. He's always He's always been like that

(57:51):
to me as a brother, getting involved with its freshman
activity it's like wheelchair backtball can't bang her and taking
me on vacation every year. Over time, Jake realizes he
can use his unique and personal experiences to his advantage

(58:11):
in helping others.

Speaker 29 (58:13):
As you will know, Jake is a nurse.

Speaker 28 (58:16):
He uses his heart to get his patience one big
thing that is needed during some of the hardest moments
in life compassion. Not only do they use his knowledge
of science and medicine to heal, he has an ability
to provide DLSC and instill.

Speaker 30 (58:38):
Confidence that they are in good hands and will get better.
The combination of being opinionated and compassionate has sometimes resulted
in Jake and I getting into trouble with authority figures

(59:00):
and places like airport terminals and the Sonia Museum.

Speaker 6 (59:07):
What going.

Speaker 31 (59:07):
We never ended up in jail, but there were several
There were several wife lessons that served as a driving
force in teaching me and teaching me to stick up
forever myself and push and push me to overcome obstacles
in life. So, Ali, you couldn't have fallen in love

(59:34):
with Jake for his good looks and his personality. I'm
thinking you fell in love with Jake for the overflow
of beautiful heart as compassionate and carrying his cheek had
been with me if patient that were I patients at

(59:54):
work and especially without family, too thick.

Speaker 28 (59:58):
And thin, he will the he will always be this
way with you. I see the way he looks at you,
and I know that you that you will received all
of that type of passion and more. You are truly
a lucky woman and I couldn't be happier to call

(01:00:21):
you my sister in law.

Speaker 29 (01:00:24):
To Jake and out.

Speaker 2 (01:00:29):
And if we're gonna include Max, we have to include
Danny Boyce, the man who why would say new Max best?
Danny're gonna ask you this, where does doctor Henry Viscardi
uh land in the history lesson?

Speaker 10 (01:00:42):
Because I know he was very instrumental, and not only.

Speaker 2 (01:00:45):
The Viscardi Center in fifty two, the Viscardi School in
sixty two, and then you know the rest is history.
But he was instrumental in Washington as well, getting the
ADA you know, completed and signed.

Speaker 10 (01:00:58):
I mean, he was part of that whole process.

Speaker 32 (01:01:00):
In nineteen forty two, he was an American Chorus volunteer
and he trained hundreds of soldiers with disabilities to use
the prosthetic name. His work Walter Read Army Medical Center

(01:01:22):
in DC drew the attention of Howard Watts and Eleanor
was bound who first protested when Viscardi program was terminated
by right across So.

Speaker 2 (01:01:39):
That you taught me something there about nineteen forty I
did not know, So thank you for.

Speaker 27 (01:01:43):
That whole history lesson.

Speaker 2 (01:01:44):
That's why we're going to tune to our Human Transformer
underscore ninety YEP. Now, obviously you know the community, you know,
you know the Wiscardi community and whatnot, and in the
history books are very close. Friend, Max Gold should go
down as someone that transformed the Smithsonian.

Speaker 10 (01:02:04):
I mean what he.

Speaker 33 (01:02:05):
Did was was really epic actually because he and his
brother was, Yeah, that was amazing.

Speaker 32 (01:02:18):
He yeah, he stud the Smithsonian because they weren't letting
him go on one of the flight simulators because he
he couldn't use the good funnel because the UNI has

(01:02:41):
the one play. But his brother tried to you know,
help him out, like getting him out of his chair
and uh trying to get him into the uh fight
with him.

Speaker 27 (01:03:02):
No, so.

Speaker 32 (01:03:04):
His brother can use the pedal foot pedals while Max
does the hand controls. But some staff father from the Smithsonian,
so of this and uh pretty much yeod at the
boss of them to stop and get back in his chair,

(01:03:29):
and both Max and Jake we're arguing with a couple
of the staff and basically told them they can they
can assue them for discrimination and they won.

Speaker 26 (01:03:48):
In the end, Danny, I'm sure this is a very
different month because.

Speaker 2 (01:03:54):
Max was always involved with the fier accessibility. But has
his loss affected you this month? I mean, are you?
Are you feeling it a lot this month maybe than
other months.

Speaker 32 (01:04:05):
If you will, Yeah, just because well, bad situation, but
also because I know every year this month he would
actually go to the New York City Disability Prime Month
Ride and he would always invite me, but for one

(01:04:33):
reason or another, I wouldn't be able to.

Speaker 2 (01:04:37):
So yeah, your research, I know, iBOT rights and accessibility,
what about job rights? What about employment? What about people
disabilities working? What did your research find there?

Speaker 32 (01:04:51):
That started in the sixties and seventies seventies.

Speaker 29 (01:05:01):
With the.

Speaker 2 (01:05:03):
We had.

Speaker 26 (01:05:06):
We have been a Teaching.

Speaker 32 (01:05:07):
Act of seventy three. I believe where they cling discriminate
against the disabilities we wanted to work and get paid

(01:05:27):
as equals.

Speaker 2 (01:05:30):
How do we forward that mission of the nineteen seventy
three Act by telling even Washington or already, Hey, just
because someone needs services doesn't mean they shouldn't be limited
two amount of funds they get. I mean you've seen it,
You've heard from friends and and maybe the other family.
How how tough that is, So, how do we get
this message to those that be that can change laws

(01:05:53):
and say, well, you know, it shouldn't be one thousand
dollars or a five hundred dollars cap on what you
make outside of your service. So that's bis to me.

Speaker 32 (01:06:02):
The first thing that we uh to do is we
need to get the right people in office that are
supportive of giving me a d a safe and from

(01:06:28):
not from being rolled back. And also the palers social media, right,
that's that's really the biggest when they get get the
uh word out is social media.

Speaker 2 (01:06:50):
We can say that you've been disabled your whole life, right, Danny.
So yeah, this this research though, did this give you
an appreciation even more for those that have sort of
trail blazed away for the twenty twenty three generation of
pay with disabilities to thrive and and and work towards
something bigger in this country?

Speaker 32 (01:07:10):
Oh definitely.

Speaker 21 (01:07:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 32 (01:07:15):
Like I said, I was born two months before the
AVA was two months after the AVA was point into laws.
So I am very very grateful for everyone who lobbied
and protested to get this lot into into lack juny

(01:07:38):
human and round.

Speaker 29 (01:07:40):
Get around, I get it around, Yeah, get around, I
get around.

Speaker 14 (01:07:59):
Driving One World Radio in nine point five at them
Bush Radio, Cape Town, South Africa, eighty eight points of
an FM, w Archie Radio House University.

Speaker 34 (01:08:07):
I'm Andy Gladding and today on One World I'm joined
by two very special guests at Eric Ryan, the founder
of the company Tripper, along with Alex Garrett from the
One Leg Up podcast.

Speaker 1 (01:08:19):
Both gentlemen are unique in that they.

Speaker 14 (01:08:21):
Advocate for folks with I guess, Alex, we've had you
on the show before.

Speaker 1 (01:08:26):
What do we talk about? We talk about your advocating
for folks with the disabilities.

Speaker 10 (01:08:31):
And ability issues. Yeah, and well exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:08:33):
And the thing is we've talked about this before, Andy,
and things for having us on is the fact that
Long Island is very you know, it's almost like a
desert of accessibility out there. So there's a big void
where people with disabilities can't really travel on their own
to have one place to another. And I'm sure our
guest today, Eric Ryan, experienced the whole able ride situation

(01:08:57):
and even you know, maybe in the city access to
ride and saw how messed up those funded by the
way taxpayer funded organizations are when it comes helping disabilities.

Speaker 10 (01:09:08):
So Eric took it upon.

Speaker 2 (01:09:09):
Himself and created an accessibility transport a company called tripp
Or Eric.

Speaker 10 (01:09:14):
I'm so glad you're on with us today.

Speaker 35 (01:09:16):
Yeah, thank you for having me on, and I appreciate
it how he is doing.

Speaker 2 (01:09:20):
We're doing good? Now, Am I right in this that
you sort of saw the shortcomings of a ball and
accessor ride and said we're going to do something for
the disabled community that no one else has been able.

Speaker 35 (01:09:30):
To do exactly. Well, what happened was I did not
have my own personal vehicle before, like the age of fifteen,
so I was reliant on scat bus, accessor ride and
back then, even in the city, there was nothing other
than public transportation. And I mean, you have tax payer
dollars going to this program that they say is you know,

(01:09:53):
made for the physically disabled. And I mean you were
lucky if you could get a ride to show up
on time, let alone more than once a week. So
it definitely was an issue. So I figured, you know,
now that I have my own transportation, you know, a
full time job, I was able to go to family events, weddings,

(01:10:14):
I figured, why can't you know, everybody have that opportunity.
So we last year we launched Tripper.

Speaker 14 (01:10:21):
Now tell us a little about Tripper. Eric, we talked
about this is a service. Now, is this an app
based service? Is it something that's bringing a community of
people that want to help together. Give us a little
description about what Tripper is and how it works.

Speaker 35 (01:10:32):
Ideally, in the next I would say three to five years,
I'd love for there to be an app that would
allow people to do it. But this is all grassroots,
self funded, along with doing some fundraising. So right now,
do have a website where people can go on and
book a request for a trip, and then it comes
to myself or my business partner and you know, will

(01:10:54):
confirm if the van is available or not. Ideally, though, yeah,
we would love to have a app at some point.
What we do is we do offer twenty four to
seven transportation, so I think pretty much uber. The only
thing is, obviously, because we're such a small company right now,
the sooner we know of the trip that's being requested,

(01:11:17):
the better. But if somebody is available, a driver is
available and able to do the ride, we accept up
to the minute booking requests.

Speaker 2 (01:11:27):
You know, Andy, it's great you're having this conversation because
a lot of our alumni that graduated the Henry Viscardi School,
which Eric and I did graduate from, are at Hobsterra
So anybody listening at Hopstra, this is an HBS alumni
right here, Eric Ryan making a difference in the community.
I mean, I know you love being attached to that
school and that center. Tell us something special that happened

(01:11:47):
thanks to the Viscardi Center's support of your work, Eric.

Speaker 35 (01:11:52):
Oh, absolutely so they have. I think they started it
last year, but they have an a program called Idea
Spark where it's an eight week program. You go two
days a week via zoom and you start working on
your quote unquote idea. For me, I was already halfway
into you know, our business, so they were helping me

(01:12:14):
able to build a business plan. They got me more
focused on how to attack the problem that we had,
and then I presented the company to three judges at
Ionia University and we were able to win first place,
which was a four thousand dollars grant. Ironically we had

(01:12:35):
I'm there explaining how there isn't a lot of accessibility options,
especially in the state of New York and more like
the rural areas like Rochester, Long Island, Albany, Syracuse. The
CEO of Hennyvis starting stool. His van actually wrote down

(01:12:55):
while I was leaving the competition, and we were lucky
enough to see him before we left, so we got
him home to Queen's and he was able to tow
his van at a later date. But without us, the
irony is he would have been stuck there. Honestly, I
don't know how you wad owm.

Speaker 1 (01:13:15):
And this is the CEO of the school.

Speaker 14 (01:13:17):
So if a guy who's in a leadership position is
having an accessibility issue and a transportation problem, it sounds
like what you've got going on here is a pretty
fresh idea. I love this. Now, as an entrepreneur, what
kinds of things are you looking for to help expand
your company? I mean, obviously there's a lot of logistics here,

(01:13:37):
and the technology doesn't it currently exists to do GPS
locating and piggybacking off of a different ride share platform framework.
But what do you need a tripper to kind of
get the ball rolling here? What do you see your
company requiring?

Speaker 35 (01:13:50):
So these two major things that we would need assistance
in is number one, funding of a fleet right now.
We were very lucky we had somebody donate a van
to us it's not on the road yet, but where
we're a few weeks away, that'll put us at two
vans for our fleet. Now I do contract two drivers

(01:14:13):
in the city, but ideally I'd like to have my
own Tripper drivers where you know, I can dispatch them
whenever someone asks. Funding is a major issue because those
new vans are about thirty five to sixty thousand each.
The other thing that I would definitely, you know, we're
trying to get assistance with is marketing. Getting the road

(01:14:37):
out there, because as people hear about us, they don't
stop using us. It's just getting the name out there
is the biggest thing.

Speaker 14 (01:14:46):
How many customers are active daily users? Would you say
you have right now using Tripper?

Speaker 35 (01:14:50):
I would say within the last two months, we've definitely
see a spike. If I had to give an estimate,
anywhere between three to six trips a week, which is
four times the we've had in you know, other than
the last two months. Their first year was probably one
to two trips a week. And then once we you know,
once I won the competition and was able to use

(01:15:12):
some of the funds to start marketing, we saw an uptake.

Speaker 14 (01:15:15):
That's wonderful, and you know, getting the word out there
is really important. How many folks would you say in
just say Nasau County would need a service like this.

Speaker 1 (01:15:24):
I mean, obviously, I know Henriga Scarti.

Speaker 14 (01:15:26):
School has a terrific legacy of servicing your community, and
I know there's a lot of folks that attend that
school and benefit from its resources. But outside of just
that that particular location, I mean, how many folks would
say in Nasa County would benefit from a service like
trip or what's your potential customer base?

Speaker 35 (01:15:44):
At cessar Ide did seven hundred thousand trips in the
year twenty twenty three. We did a survey in Nasau
County with about fifty people, and pretty much the overwhelming
message was there unreliable and super unsafe. Like you'll have

(01:16:04):
situations where somebody will call to get to a job
interview and the pickup time is ten o'clock and if
you're not out by ten oh five, they'll leave you.
And the issue is, let's say you have a disability
and you have a problem. You know, Oh, I got
to get my shoe on. It's taken a little bit
longer than you you are, Oh, I need to use
the bathroom. Really quick. They will leave you and they

(01:16:25):
will not come back. So I would say pretty much
anybody that uses STAT or is it you know in
a wheel chair, has a disability, good use tripper and
definitely benefit Andy.

Speaker 10 (01:16:36):
I got to tell you a story.

Speaker 2 (01:16:37):
This is also a pretty affordable group because Eric, you
know the story I told you the other day, and Andy,
you might want to unmut yourself because this is a
mind blowing stat I had paid four hundred dollars to
get Gaby and I to an event and that last
year at Ducks City four hundred. Well, you know it
was relatively affordable utilizing Eric, you know, service tripper. And

(01:17:02):
I'm wondering, Eric, how you were able to be that
affordable And you were like, WHOA, that's a rip that
you got last year, So tell us what that was
hearing that story, Yeah, I had to be honest with you.

Speaker 35 (01:17:13):
My personal opinion is all the government funded or tax
payer funded programs aren't incentivized to face the problem because
they have their budget that they're getting one way or
the other. And then you have the other companies who
you have people who aren't disabled who are making decisions
on They're like, yeah, it prosts us at this amount

(01:17:35):
of Dallas y at a van and we don't have
you know, we don't market to the disabled community, so
we'll charge an exorbitant amount of money because if they
want to go to that last minute wedding from date, whatever,
what are their choices either don't go or pay four
hundred dollars. I have to be honest with you, as
somebody who's as independent as I am, if you took

(01:17:57):
my van away and Tripper wasn't around, I'd probably hey,
the four hundred US. I don't want to miss out
on these you know, events, these life events. But I
think that is the issue. They don't you don't have somebody.
I've been through it as somebody who didn't have my
own transportation, and I don't know. I can say it's
distustinery you tell me that story, I can't believe. It

(01:18:17):
is pretty crazy.

Speaker 27 (01:18:18):
Now.

Speaker 14 (01:18:19):
One thing, I'm listening to this and I'm kind of
thinking about something. You obviously have a van for your
for yourself, and you're obviously able to be mobile and
do what you got to do. How many drivers would
you say? Are are other folks that have disabilities but
have vans that are equipped to handle other people? Could
this be like a ride shift thing where you bring
in and I can actually employ other drivers with disabilities

(01:18:41):
to help the disabled community.

Speaker 1 (01:18:43):
Is that a possibility.

Speaker 35 (01:18:44):
That's honestly exactly what we were one of the models
we were looking at. Like, for example, I have two
people and now even though there Uber is bigger in
the Five boroughs, so it's not as big of a need.
I do have contracted unning queens and one in Manhattan
and the Bronx. They drive for Uber, but they also

(01:19:07):
I contract them as stripper drivers and they use their vans.
The benefit of that is, you know, they already have
their insurance, their Class E licensed driver, so I just
have to find them the rights. So that is one
of the models that we're using right now.

Speaker 1 (01:19:23):
Actually, that's really cool.

Speaker 14 (01:19:25):
I love that because that's demonstrating a community that's helping
essentially its own community.

Speaker 35 (01:19:31):
Yeah, one of our ideas is that you'll have I
think the biggest issue with the Zaber Communitee in general
is we struggle with one of the biggest issues. We
struggle with finding employment because people, for whatever reason, the
reason doesn't really matter, for several reasons, don't want to
take the chance on employing somebody because of all the

(01:19:51):
problems that they perceived may happen. So one of our
ideas is, you have a bunch of families that have
personal vans that they or you know, they use for
the occasional outing. Well, what if that that child or
that young adult they sometime track their van and they're

(01:20:12):
able to make a slight income by the Obviously they
wouldn't share their van. They'd be able to hire a
driver and kind of run their own van business using
Tripper as like the hub defined customers. It gives them
a sense of purpose of running their own mini transportation company.

(01:20:32):
They're able to contribute, and everyone is able to make
the couruity a little bit better.

Speaker 1 (01:20:37):
Yeah. Absolutely, this is Uh, this is a really great
idea that you have.

Speaker 14 (01:20:40):
I think this there's a lot of merit to this,
and it's wonderful that we can use the power of
our radio platform to get the message out because what
you're doing here is beneficial not only to the consumer,
but to people that would want to work for it.

Speaker 1 (01:20:51):
Tell us a little b about these vans when you're
you know, because.

Speaker 14 (01:20:54):
I'm pretty familiar with this being a being a car
guy and also being friends with Alex and you know,
he tells me his stories about getting around and what
the needs of the community are. But for people that
don't know, what is it like an eightya or an
accessible van need to have in it for the community
to be able to get where they need to go
and be safe and comfortable, especially the less too safe

(01:21:15):
and comfort.

Speaker 35 (01:21:17):
Sure, so most of the vans, I would say ninety
nine percent of them are rear entry vans, meaning the
ramp comes out of the back of the van. They
have four tie downs so you're able to safely secure
the wheelchair or the scooter and other than that, as
long as it's say, you know, inspected vehicle, that's like

(01:21:40):
any other vehicle, it's it's pretty good to go. You
just need to have the conversion, which it would automatically
come from the manufacturer.

Speaker 27 (01:21:48):
You know.

Speaker 14 (01:21:48):
Wow, I'm just thinking about this and in my mind,
I'm picturing you and your girlfriend excuse me, your fiance,
Gabby going to a Parker. Is there like an eighty
eight compliant limo company out there that has like like
lights in it, like a party vans that kind of
thing exists, because I think that'd be so cool.

Speaker 2 (01:22:05):
If you know what's right now, yeah, because I don't
know of any right now. And you know what's funny,
I do think on Prom night there were a couple
of folks that were trying to do something like that
maybe during your prom night to Eric, But it's just
it's very difficult to find a service that would cater
to that. That's why I think Eric craid this to
be that fancy group, right, and not even a car service,

(01:22:27):
because you guys are a family, not just a car service, right,
And I feel like you treat everybody that works with.

Speaker 10 (01:22:32):
You, Eric as family, and that's a big part of
what your gut going on over there.

Speaker 35 (01:22:37):
Yeah, it's not really a company would be there. We're building,
you know, a community with the same goals and you know,
ideas to achieve what we're trying to do. I will
tell you that was part of our our pitch in
an idea. Spark was offering not only transportation to like
on the day to day, but big events like vineyards

(01:22:58):
out east, weddings, prom night that I remember when I
was in high school, me and my friends I wanted
to van to go into the city after prom, but
they don't have those, which is a problem. But you know,
we're working on you know, one day at a time,
but we're working out facing that.

Speaker 2 (01:23:16):
Eric, I want to ask you this, and Andy d
asks about the entrepreneur, but I want to ask about
it from being in the yber community and disabled as well.
When we see some others in the community that aren't
willing to work or something like that, and it's frustrating
and the government actually limits the ability to work. How
do you, you know, inspire people to get what would
you say to get people?

Speaker 35 (01:23:37):
You know, I loved them their.

Speaker 2 (01:23:39):
Bootshops and get to work like it can happen in
the example community. We just have to enhance that message more, right,
you know what.

Speaker 35 (01:23:45):
The problem is. And you all have like people at
the Social Security Department who also here's the irony. You
have all everyone that's working in this field or in
this demographic, and I would say most of them aren't
disabled or living on social security. That's the irony. And
so like for example, myself, I'm on what's told the

(01:24:07):
Medicaid buying program that allowed that hires my threshold for
what I'm allowed to make a year and allows me
to keep my Medicaid benefits. Well, it took me two
years for someone to stop saying no, you can't do that.
To find the right person saying oh, yeah, we have
the medicaid buying program, We've had it for ten years.
It's like, well, I've been asking only for the last

(01:24:29):
two years. So honestly, it's just educate, you know, try
to educate yourself the best you can. And honestly, ye
may be a service that Tripper would want to get into,
not you know, helping people be more aware of what
is the options to then, because I don't think the
issue is disabled people don't want to work. I think
they've just been so incentivized to not even incentivize. But

(01:24:51):
there's so much red tape where I can't really blame
someone for saying this isn't worth it, because number one,
you see, as we're talking, how is to get out
one day? Imagine you're going to Social Security and like
come back tomorrow to do this and instead of a
meeting in three weeks to do this, it's almost impossible.

Speaker 2 (01:25:09):
Right, And we had that companation in the car, you know,
it's it's it's a process. Now, Andy, I gotta say
Eric did take a bit of a risk starrying this
to make his own money, because we learned that I
done went into it, Eric, but that was that seemed
like a risk? Did you feel like it was a
risk or was it like, Okay, I know I'm not
doing this for the services are.

Speaker 35 (01:25:26):
Not so I knew I was doing it regardless, but
it was definitely a risk. I mean, it's still a
risk right now. We're in the incubation stage in my opinion. Yes,
we're doing great in my I mean I don't want
to understand what we're doing, but this is there's still
a lot to be done. So it's it was a
major risk, and you know it's still the risk, but
somebody you got to do it. And let's be honest,

(01:25:48):
it's it's kind of crazy that it's taken to twenty
twenty four for this to happen. But I figured out
why not.

Speaker 14 (01:25:57):
One of the things would just say you have to
do in order to tape to grow here. When you're
looking for this from a business standpoint, what are your
what are your near term and mid term goals to
really make trip or fly?

Speaker 35 (01:26:07):
So I definitely want to hire at least one or
two more drivers on staff because one of the end
obviously get at least one or two more vehicles. One
of the biggest issues is I only have one full
time driver that's on on island and the other two
live in the city. So you know, one person can't

(01:26:29):
do twenty four hour driving, so if they have a
family event or something else is going on, I have
to unfortunately turn down a ride. I'd love a situation
where I have, you know, enough drivers where somebody calls
and as long as it's I would say within an
hour or two, I'll be able to reach out and
dis back your vehicle. So I would say my two

(01:26:50):
main goals are getting two more vans by the end
of the year and being able to hire at least
a part time driver for each van, so more hours
in the day that van is uh has a driver
in it for when a riot does come in.

Speaker 2 (01:27:05):
Eric, who is your mentor that that helped you get
all this going? You know, we both know Joe Salonica
and he's a very independent person, and I feel like
he would have a role in this. Is he one
of your mentors that you look up to and say, Wow,
if Joe could do what we could do this for
a lot of people in the Saber community.

Speaker 35 (01:27:20):
I'm gonna be a hundred percent honest with you, I
kind of just been trying to do this for five
years without a mentor and any day I mean, don't
be wrong. I reached out to Joe when I did
start this, and he gave me some suggestions, which again
he would be a great mentor for you know, certain areas,
especially with the Spinder Biffit association. But right now I'm

(01:27:42):
kind of just you know, doing it by myself a
long with the help of my business partner, but really
life experiences what David the knowledge to be able to
start doing this.

Speaker 10 (01:27:53):
So well, let me Brody, who is your mentor? In general?

Speaker 2 (01:27:57):
I've never asked you that, but I'm curious or who
is your who.

Speaker 10 (01:28:00):
Is like your your your role model if you will.

Speaker 35 (01:28:03):
Doct it well, I mean it's going to be obviously yeah,
kind of cheesy. But doctor VISTARTI I mean that's where
the stool started. I mean, he I forget exactly how
his coute is, but there's something along the line that like,
don't give me any handown. I'm not looking for handouts.
I'm just looking for the opportunity. So I was like,
you know what, why not? I mean, he has a point.

Speaker 1 (01:28:23):
I think that's great, well guys, Eric, thanks so much
for joining us today.

Speaker 14 (01:28:26):
Eric Ryan from the company Tripper uh once again, if
you need to find out more about becoming a part
of the Tripper community, or if you're looking at book
a ride for yourself or a family member who is
in need of their services, you go to Tripper Corp.
T r i p p R Corp dot net, Trippercorp
dot net and I'm sure that Eric will be happy

(01:28:48):
to speak with you about the Tripper and getting you
all hooked up. And I love this idea, Eric, I
think this is really great. Thanks so much for being
one World and Alex, thank you so much for insight.
It's always a pleasure for having you on the show.

Speaker 2 (01:28:57):
Thank you Andy, and thank you Eric for the great
trip to Saturday Duck Stadium. That was really huge and
it was great, real quick to set up. Andy was
it was Gabba's chair. And then Eric has his own
little space in the in the van, so he goes
on the rides with his clients.

Speaker 32 (01:29:12):
How cool is that?

Speaker 1 (01:29:12):
And friends, I love that. I love that. That's great.
I think the work you guys are doing is terrific. Eric,
thanks so much once again.

Speaker 14 (01:29:18):
Misses one World, eighty nine point five the time tape
Town then at you readaption versus nine.

Speaker 35 (01:29:26):
Nine.

Speaker 2 (01:29:28):
Well, thanks Andy Gladding for the opportunity to bring on
Tripper Corp and to talk with Tripper Corp and Eric
Ryan and not just get to catch up with Eric
behind the wheel, but on radio as well. Forty years
ago this year, the Empire State Games Physically Challenge now
in NASA County Games for the Physically Challenge was founded

(01:29:49):
by the one the only Susan Gordon Ryan and in
conjunction with nbt Y, I got a chance to catch
up with Susan in the twenty eighth year of the
Games twelve years ago. What do you think about what
we're gonna talklubs. We're gonna how it all started.

Speaker 36 (01:30:05):
Well, we started the Games in after the Paralympics. And
I have to say every and and there's you know,
competition for children that are physically challenged between ages or
five and twenty one and they do track with you o, swimming,
table tennis and basketball, And I have to say every
single year, I just look forward to this.

Speaker 27 (01:30:26):
It's a big family people.

Speaker 36 (01:30:28):
You know, even that a volunteer have moved out of state,
they come out of these events, and there's just always
this wonderful spirit of camaraderie and fun and you know,
really love It's like the games they'll love built.

Speaker 2 (01:30:41):
I mean, it's just a lot of fun and lows
the realness and all these for supports ordering us.

Speaker 10 (01:30:46):
Look in our course for Laia, I love it.

Speaker 12 (01:30:49):
I love it.

Speaker 36 (01:30:50):
I think you know you can see behind.

Speaker 27 (01:30:52):
Us there's so many different students that have come from
different schools.

Speaker 36 (01:30:56):
They ask now and their bow job is to hear
on what you're doing like now, which is exactly what
makes it all worked it for the kids.

Speaker 2 (01:31:04):
Jbviously it's got games to the Buffalo the Road.

Speaker 19 (01:31:06):
Event a Somber twenty two.

Speaker 2 (01:31:07):
But look, while NASA Gunny sety BC greatgn'll really saved
it along with the Sport of Duty and all the
different spots.

Speaker 36 (01:31:14):
Well, at the punning was jeopardized me because the Empire
Shape Games were eliminated.

Speaker 25 (01:31:19):
Twenty state parks p.

Speaker 36 (01:31:21):
And without any hesitation, it stepped up.

Speaker 29 (01:31:24):
It's that we're going to keep the games.

Speaker 36 (01:31:26):
I will commit to as much as I can as
a host and answer canny, but we're going to need
to race.

Speaker 27 (01:31:31):
Other parks for this. And this is what we're doing
now and it's being a tremendous success in the second
year in a row, all.

Speaker 2 (01:31:38):
Right after Mitchell Atletic on Blodsong, the Empire State Games,
Victory Jones Weekend. I'm alas there well, Susan Glen nine,
thank you, Susan, thank you. We're up here at Iona University.
If my heart is racing, it's just because something very
special happened at Idea Spark twenty twenty five. And the
man who founded the Hintitude and basically helped create Idea Spark,

(01:31:59):
doctor Christoff Claire's here on me. Talctor Winkler, thank you
so much for opening this space for disabled entrepreneurs.

Speaker 23 (01:32:05):
Yeah, thank you, Alex, And first of all, congratulations on
the big win today. Your pitch was really a testament
to the entrepreneurial spirit and also what it means to,
you know, live out that spirit through action but also
action to empowerment. And I think we've seen this not
only with your pitch but all the participants today and

(01:32:26):
it was really wonderful to come together and celebrate all
of these.

Speaker 2 (01:32:29):
Wonderful Now I have this podcast about the backstories. How
did all this come about for Ideas.

Speaker 6 (01:32:33):
Park, So ideas Park.

Speaker 23 (01:32:34):
You know, it was really you know, came through a
conversation with doctor Chris Rosa, who was the CEO of
the Viscardi Center, who is a very good friend of mine,
And while I was building hins and stood here and
he assumed his role as Viscardi, we kind of came
to get into like, we can can we partner.

Speaker 6 (01:32:49):
Can we create something? How can we support entrepreneurs with disabilities?
And yeah, that was the genesis a conversation.

Speaker 23 (01:32:55):
And next thing is we brought our teams together and
it was just a mat which made in heaven because
our missions aligned, Yes, and our desire to create positive
impact in our communities is paramo.

Speaker 2 (01:33:08):
I don't think it's far aft to say this kind
of program is what doctor Vuscardi's idea was in nineteen
fifty two.

Speaker 6 (01:33:14):
Absolutely.

Speaker 23 (01:33:14):
I mean he was really somebody, a trailblazer who really
envisioned access to economic opportunities for individuals with disabilities. And
the Viscardi Center is really I think living out admission
in ways that you know are manifested throughout the community.
And I think being able to partner with Viscardi from
an I ownA perspectives really shortage.

Speaker 2 (01:33:36):
Now, I know doctor Roh is very connected with a
lot of colleges and universities. Do you find that it's
become a pipeline to I owner kids from Viscardi that
graduate come up here.

Speaker 6 (01:33:45):
Well, we I do not know the data.

Speaker 23 (01:33:48):
But for us, I think as a as a primary objective,
it's really can we create synergies and opportunities. Ultimately it's
the students at the center here, So bringing entrepreneurs together
by combining our efforts to meet these are students individuals
that you know, are you know, coming through our doors
and then exiting out into the community, but also not

(01:34:08):
becoming part of a larger community that I think really
blends iona discarding so manywhere.

Speaker 2 (01:34:13):
Now I thought you and Marazel, my first job was
going to be promoting idea Spark, even more than I
was when I was during the training. So how do
we grow this from you know, now it's three years?
How do we make it ten years online, twenty years.

Speaker 6 (01:34:23):
Thirty years? So we already got commitments to run this
for another year. So the goal is really to reach
out more into.

Speaker 23 (01:34:31):
The community to get the financial support that we need
in order to you know, help support our entrepreneurs because
it's not just the competition, it is really an education
experience building capacity through the programs we have here.

Speaker 6 (01:34:45):
So again the growth piece is essential, but in order
to grow, you need partners.

Speaker 23 (01:34:52):
But I think with a compelling story to tell, the
proof is in our students, in our graduates, in our
successes like us today, and we've also seen by the judges,
our previous winners who came back that this is really,
you know, not just the one kind of off thing.
This is really part of something that is much bigger
than the core program.

Speaker 2 (01:35:09):
Now and I only a university student that knows about
this or here's about this? How can they join the
entrepreneurship inn sit here, Lind and then become a mentor
for someone like this?

Speaker 6 (01:35:17):
So something like the Hinds and students really for all
I own as students.

Speaker 23 (01:35:21):
So we really run program across the various schools and
our students participate through different avenues. The students who actually
hear experimenters really grew out of a desire not only
to take advantage of the resources to start their own businesses,
but they've also learned to appreciate the process and also
now giving back to helping other students when it's through
this competition or out of competition, so it's really you know,

(01:35:45):
we are really trying to provide a platform for students
to create experiential opportunities. And when it's starting a business
or helping support an entrepreneur, we dodn'tessally want to make
that distinction because ultimately it's about how can you create
opportunities for yourself but in the process also impacting positively
on you know, various communities.

Speaker 2 (01:36:02):
Have the ideas been getting more innovative and it's just
gone on the last three years or.

Speaker 6 (01:36:06):
That's hard to say, but I do have to say
this year was was really really tough.

Speaker 23 (01:36:11):
Lots of amazing ideas, ideas that are already being implemented being.

Speaker 6 (01:36:16):
Pushed out into community.

Speaker 23 (01:36:17):
So I think from that perspective, I think we've seen
a gradual sort of growth alsore like how we can
become you know, inclusive in a way where we bring
in different kinds of perspectives in terms of of what
it actually means to be an entrepreneur.

Speaker 6 (01:36:32):
Uh And from that perspective, today it was just a
wonderful celebration.

Speaker 2 (01:36:35):
Obviously, I follow sports on you know, I follow the
gaels Go gels right, Yes, and maybe we can use
some of this to develop an adaptive sports program up
here that would be awesome.

Speaker 6 (01:36:45):
Absolutely.

Speaker 23 (01:36:45):
I think we see more and more that you know,
sports is a is a is a convenient in many
many different ways when it's you know, through our d
one program here, but also as we see, you know,
making also sports more accessible, and I think see more
and more that you know there's potential for opportunity and
you know, whether it's through you know, tennis, so basketball

(01:37:07):
all or others like this, there's a lot of luck
opportunities here that I would love to further exploit it
as well.

Speaker 2 (01:37:12):
Now, when you take a financial you know, investment in
as what's your next expectation as the founder of all this.

Speaker 23 (01:37:18):
Well, the expectation for us is that ultimately it's about
how we can create positive impact.

Speaker 6 (01:37:23):
Right for us, I think an important metric is how can.

Speaker 23 (01:37:27):
We do that while educating our students, Sure, and our
students anybody who walks through those stores, And I think
that's really what what it means to be a highjucated environment.
But also I think breaking down some of the traditional silos.
So ultimately, when you come in here, and I would
love to hear from you how you felt that way.

Speaker 6 (01:37:43):
But we don't really make a clear distinction.

Speaker 23 (01:37:46):
He has a faculty member and here's administrator, here's a student,
and here's a he's a you know, an entrepreneurship student.

Speaker 2 (01:37:51):
He's like, we all come together because of it's a
family almost, you know.

Speaker 6 (01:37:55):
And everybody can help. So everybody is a story to tell.

Speaker 23 (01:37:58):
Everybody has skills, and if we can understand that and
leverage that, it doesn't matter.

Speaker 6 (01:38:02):
What tidly hold is really about how we can support
each other to in order to achieve the outcomes that
they we desire.

Speaker 2 (01:38:07):
Now, for those who you know, do not rank in
the top three, there still have a place here in
the sense that you guys keep an eye on them
and keep in touch.

Speaker 6 (01:38:13):
Absolutely, the goal is really to build is up.

Speaker 23 (01:38:15):
Now we also three years in so I envision as
the next step we also, you know, create ongoing Facebook
groups and really build that come in almost an alumni
an alumni network. That's one thing, and what we also
do is part of I think we also want to
understand the experiences our students have. So we're going through
kind of a program assessment. That's part of this, all

(01:38:37):
these students have to submit kind of an entrepreneur mindset profile,
and part of this assessment, I will be having one
on one conversations with all the students to also understand
what are their unique needs as they translate the ideas
into the next step. And some of this also means
referring to them to other resources like our small business
development centers and other kinds of entrepreneurship resources that are available,

(01:39:02):
you know, throughout throughout.

Speaker 6 (01:39:03):
One thing of the US.

Speaker 2 (01:39:04):
One thing I will say is, I feel like today
proved what I've been saying for a while is we're
not defined by our disability. We have it, but then
the finers and look how many people are willing to
utilize that disability for better and to move it forward.

Speaker 23 (01:39:15):
Absolutely, I think it's I think language is often used
to marginalize, and I think we really try to work
against that and really you know, bring people together in
order to make them realize what their dreams are. And
sometimes if society puts constraints on you, it is our
responsibility to be become activist educators to really challenge those.

Speaker 6 (01:39:39):
Boundaries and really allow our communities to grow.

Speaker 23 (01:39:43):
And you know, I think that's really also at the
core of our mission because ultimately, I think entrepreneurship is
help building agency and agency starts from within. Sure, once
you determine that you have the power to create something
and you have a support community around.

Speaker 6 (01:39:58):
You, I think you know you can just you can.

Speaker 2 (01:40:00):
Just you Well, you and I should team up and
make Mariono Rrea, who's a big staple in New Roshelle,
aware of this program. That would because I know him personally.

Speaker 6 (01:40:07):
So we should, we should reach out, we should, we
should have him. He spoke a couple of years back
on campus.

Speaker 23 (01:40:11):
I believe you in Uh, I believe there's a there's
a close connection, yeah, family, the Rivera family and Iona.
So we could certainly bring him back and maybe he
would even would like to, you know, share some of
his success with with our students.

Speaker 2 (01:40:27):
Absolutely well, Doctor Windclair, thank you so much for this
time today. Idea Spark twenty twenty five.

Speaker 6 (01:40:32):
Thank you Alex inngratulations again.

Speaker 2 (01:40:34):
Thank you very much. So while one leg up, Alex
wins IDEA Spark. It couldn't have been done with that,
of course, the mentor Jared and Marisoa Chappelle and uh
even the encouragement from Eric back in March, and of
course the encouragement from Lauren Marzo and Kim Brussel who

(01:40:55):
apply to this program, to yeah, let's launch one leg up, Alex.
And of course I wouldn't have done any of this
if I didn't recognize the investment that my mom and
dad put into Viscardi twenty nine years ago when they
started me in kindergarten.

Speaker 27 (01:41:10):
It wasn't just the start of.

Speaker 2 (01:41:13):
A schooling, It was started a building of a life
at Viscarti, and so to support them by them once
again feels like a continuation of the investment my mom
and my dad made, as well as my stepdad, who
were there day after day at times, year after year.
All three of them were at graduation in two thousand

(01:41:34):
and nine. And of course the time an energy spent
outside of Viscarti as well is not lost on me
in this whole process. I mean, I remember in twenty
twenty I sat down when my mom and my stepdad
and my dad Vic said well, look, you got to
make something more than just sports and politics. And here
we are talking about adaptability now for five years or

(01:41:57):
so and really tapping in the Sable community to bridge
the gap between those brands that serve the community and
the disabled community itself that may not have access to it.
So we're gonna work on that and with this funding,
with this grant, I'm very thankful. I also couldn't have
done this without my fiance Gabby. I mean, she's been

(01:42:18):
there every step of the way.

Speaker 6 (01:42:19):
She helped me in the.

Speaker 2 (01:42:23):
Rush of this, making the PowerPoint ten slide pitch teck
and a four minute video or so got through all
of that last week. And one other thing is if
you are a full time employee, do not be afraid
to share to bolster your own passion. So not be
afraid to bolster your own projects. I'm very proud at

(01:42:47):
the end of the day to have not only been.

Speaker 27 (01:42:49):
Able to.

Speaker 2 (01:42:52):
Do full time employee work and I'm gonna keep going
right after I do this podcast at Salem Media, but
also to figure out a way to launch this brand
even more. It takes a lot to do all of this,
and to be recognized for that means a lot. And

(01:43:14):
for the other participants that did this and took the
time and took the energy and have the idea to
help the disabled community, I want to talk to you
as well. The Abbey's the Walden's, the Kathy's, the Joaquin
says of the group that we had an Idea Spark.
Your ideas are fantastic. Let's talk more about it here
on one leg up. There's a connection here that has

(01:43:38):
been formed through Idea Spark and through the Viscardi Center
in Highen Institute, and I look to grow that connection
with everyone I had class with, and of course g. C.
Duran who won the second place, and Edith third place.
I mean, those are top three products right there. What

(01:44:00):
they're doing to help better the disabled community, it should
be highlighted here.

Speaker 25 (01:44:06):
And we're going to.

Speaker 2 (01:44:09):
And we're going to I want to think again Lauren
kim Alan from Viscardi for taking pictures of this, Brenna Judge,
our professor Holly Blundine all the.

Speaker 32 (01:44:22):
Way from Spain.

Speaker 2 (01:44:22):
She's been coaching us the last few months. Yes, this
has not been just one day. This has been a
project undergone since January. And now there's a bit of nerves,
but I think we'll be fined. But when he said
start tomorrow, this is tomorrow, this is now and right now,
and of course my sister Abbey, I have to give

(01:44:43):
her a shout out to you I love.

Speaker 10 (01:44:44):
You Abbey as well.

Speaker 2 (01:44:46):
And right now, right now, it starts by featuring this
amazing program to help disabled entrepreneurs. This is continuing the
legacy of doctor viscar Whether I want or not, I'd
always believe Idea Spark is continuing the legacy of doctor Viscarti,

(01:45:06):
who gave jobs to veterans returning from more that were
disabled that at amputations. He gave them a place to
start up again after returning from the war. And in
that same spirit of not letting disabilities stop you, I
believe in Idea Spark embodies that as well. After I
went back to Viscardi, by the way, I caught up

(01:45:28):
with my coach Joe Joe Salonica, who is also very
much part of the strategy of how we move forward
from here for one leg of Alex So I want
to shout out coach Joe as well. So this is
only part one. We'll be talking to a few people
part of this program as an Idea Spark conversation, and
maybe our judges as well, sim Ferrella, Kimberly and Eric.

Speaker 10 (01:45:55):
Who were just great and they listened.

Speaker 2 (01:45:57):
To everybody and they had great questions for everybody, and
I really do hope those that were in the program
do not stop working on their vision, on their brand,
because the whole idea is for all of us, all
of us to be productive in society, and maybe, just

(01:46:18):
maybe we all can realize idea sparked and promote that
idea spark is helping us all help others have one
leg up on life. Where I land all of this
is to be very honest with you here on adapting
with Alex Garrett.

Speaker 10 (01:46:35):
I've had adapt with my roleblade.

Speaker 2 (01:46:37):
That's true, Bob, more inspired when I see others who
adapt to their life circumstance that may prove to be
inaccessible in the world around them. That's why we fight
to make life more accessible. Because I believe that this
podcast is meant to bridge the gap, as I've been saying,

(01:46:58):
but also to I don't know, pay it forward that
with all the opportunity I've begin in my life, it's
time to make the world more accessible to others as well.

Speaker 10 (01:47:10):
And that's why we're here today on one.

Speaker 2 (01:47:12):
Leg Up, Alex. In my countdown to thirty five, however,
eighty eight thirty five, I want to shout out someone
that's been connected to the Viscardi Center now written about
in able News multiple times.

Speaker 19 (01:47:28):
Ali Stroker.

Speaker 2 (01:47:29):
You remember Ali, She made history as the first Broadway
star in a wheelchair in the Broadway production of Oklahoma.
How cool is that? And I know for a fact
Ali has spoken at Reach for a Star luncheons before,
and I believe she was at Viscardi Center a couple
of times as well for a celebrity night. So I

(01:47:51):
gotta give a shout out to Ali's Stroker. And here's
what was written about her in able News. This is
what I love is that we're building a partnership with
able to News full disclosure. I am an editor on
the editorial board as well, so to highlight them feels
very close to home. Especially since the Viscardi Center acquired
able News. How big of its story was that. I

(01:48:14):
think in the thirty five years of eight, you know,
disability rights, able News being acquired by VISCARTI was such
a game changer and such a great move by doctor
Chris Rosa. And so when you visit the able News
website you'll see the Viscardi Center attached to it. I
think it's brilliant. I think it's making Viscardi Center a
hub for disability news and disability opportunity to thrive in

(01:48:38):
the world today. But Ali Stroker, as written by Esma
Mazzeo or Masio, says Ali Stroker is leading the way
for disabled women in the entertainment industry. They go on
to write the actress made history as the first wheelchair
user to appear on Broadway as part of the cast

(01:49:00):
of Deaf West Theaters Spring Awakening, which ran from twenty
and That's Where Got Started September twenty fifteen to January
twenty sixteen of the Brooks actions in Theater. But in
twenty nineteen, the Tony Award was awarded to her for
Best Featured Actress This is the History Part and a

(01:49:22):
Musical for her performance as ado Annie in Oklahoma. Award
winner Right There, Stroker used her acceptance speech to offer
words of encouragement to young kids with disabilities.

Speaker 10 (01:49:37):
This award is for every kid out who is.

Speaker 2 (01:49:39):
Watching tonight, who has a disability, who has a limitation
or a challenge, and who has been waiting to see
themselves represented in this arena.

Speaker 35 (01:49:49):
You are.

Speaker 2 (01:49:52):
Meaning you are represented, she said.

Speaker 10 (01:49:55):
When she's not.

Speaker 2 (01:49:55):
Breaking barriers on Broadway, Stroker performs a Caba ratio based
on her life experiences at Acclaimed. There's across the United States,
from m Kennedy Center Did You Know This? In Washington,
d C.

Speaker 10 (01:50:07):
To Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan.

Speaker 35 (01:50:10):
She was first in Us of the World on season
two of.

Speaker 2 (01:50:12):
The reality television series The Glee Project, during which a
second place finish earned her a guest spot on season
four of Glee. She's also appeared on Only Murders in
the Building.

Speaker 14 (01:50:26):
And Just Like That and The Bold Type.

Speaker 2 (01:50:29):
Stroker also portrayed his billity rights pioneer Judy Human How
About That on an episode of Drunk History in twenty eighteen,
and starred in the Lifetime movie Christmas ever After in
twenty twenty. In twenty twenty one, she co authored the
YA novel young adult novel The Chance to Fly with
Stacy da Viduits, which celebrates authenticity, diversity, and adaptive choreography.

(01:50:53):
Stroger continues to shine a spotlight on the importance of
authentic disability representation, keaty caring for the legacy of the ADA.
That's a little bit of Ali's Stroker, and I'll put
her website in the description below as well. But she's
definitely someone you want to keep an eye on in
the disability space, in the advocacy space, because she's living

(01:51:16):
out her life right in front of her eyes as
a Broadway actress.

Speaker 35 (01:51:21):
How cool is that? All Right?

Speaker 2 (01:51:25):
The other feature tonight I wanted to bring on is
Sherry Swore.

Speaker 10 (01:51:29):
Sroo you are.

Speaker 2 (01:51:31):
And here's a gal who was diagnosed with an auto
immune disease at the age of eighteen, right out of
high school. And she's made a lot of her life.
And she's not just made something with her life, she's
built her life up to be an advocate.

Speaker 27 (01:51:54):
And to.

Speaker 2 (01:51:57):
Move the message forward for disability rights, for empowering others,
and for saying why not because I can? And she
says that in a hashtag because I Can. We welcome
Sherry now to talk about her story of adaptability and

(01:52:17):
always adapting right now on One Leg Up with Alex Carrett.

Speaker 26 (01:52:22):
Sherry, first of all, thanks for joining One Leg Up
with Alex Garrett.

Speaker 27 (01:52:27):
Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 16 (01:52:29):
Yeah, my story has been a journey one day, is
still continuing and probably will for the rest of my life.
I threw up in Brooklyn, I still live in Brooklyn.
And then that was a healthy child and right out
of high school, and I was eighteen years old. I

(01:52:49):
was diagnosed with an autumn neurological disorder where my nerves
pretty much attacked my body to a point that I
was completely paralyzed. I couldn't walk, I couldn't talk, I
couldn't breathe my own and I had to learn how
to do everything all over again. And I had a

(01:53:12):
that conchance that life.

Speaker 2 (01:53:14):
Well, what I love about your story is once you
got diagnosed, you didn't really crumble. You actually got back
into rehabit, regraining your regaining your strength. So talk about
how you've been always adapting, because that's sort of a
theme I have here on one like, if was always adapting,
helping others adapt, how did you adapt.

Speaker 26 (01:53:30):
To all of that at eighteen years old?

Speaker 27 (01:53:33):
Oh, shorts, Really, at first I did. I did crumble.
I loved eighteen and I was still very much of
a child and now fully.

Speaker 16 (01:53:43):
Understanding the scope of what was aheadedly and I didn't
have a point where I did actually surrender and then
give up and just said okay, God, I'm ready for
you to take me.

Speaker 27 (01:53:56):
I did what it is. I understand the circumstances.

Speaker 16 (01:54:00):
And also because the doctors had lost so much hope
in me and my recovery, so I did. I tried
to give up, and I saw that that wasn't working
and I was only getting worse. And I kind of
used that my advantage to get stronger and movate myself
to getting better and trying to prove to the doctors

(01:54:21):
that yeah, you can say whatever you want, believe whatever
you want back the end of the day, it's all
in contend and if you have a little to fight
and a will to live, then it'll happen. And that's
what I did. And I spent many many months in
rehab and I was strong enough to eventually went a
home where I so needed a lot of assistants and

(01:54:43):
a lot of dependence, and I was in occasion directory
for a very long time, consistently on a daily basis,
and as we were stronger, I eventually got down my
therapy at until they I did someone home and kind
of implemented that into my new daily routine.

Speaker 26 (01:55:09):
You know, I gotta say this, Sherry, I love your
workout videos.

Speaker 2 (01:55:12):
I love that you actually did run a marathon and
a race after a lot look at that in a second,
but the moment that you realize you can regain the
strength and get back out there. You also got a
college degree, so talk about that transition between high school
to college. I mean, you're coming into college with this
autoimmune disease, and talk about that journey.

Speaker 36 (01:55:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 16 (01:55:35):
So when I wanted to apply to Paithly to college
and I wanted to go to college, I had this
mind set that I was not going to attend until
I was one hundred percent back to where I was,
and you know, I don't want to depend on anyone,
and I wanted to go to college and have fo
college experience. And I sapt waiting and waiting and waiting,
and then I said, there's never going to be there's

(01:55:57):
never a time bringing ready.

Speaker 27 (01:55:58):
You just got to get up and do it.

Speaker 16 (01:56:00):
And if you are not in this state where you
started be, that's fine because you can learn to adapt
and you can do whatever you need to need to
be done. And I decided to start with one class
and I said, okay, it's one hour, I have it
to be you know, and my name adl Chair and
I might say whatever device is I need at the time.

Speaker 27 (01:56:21):
And I loved it. And then the following.

Speaker 16 (01:56:23):
Semester I had a full schedule and a full PALM student,
and before I knew it, I graduated my bachelor's degree.
I took some time off to figure out what I
want to do with that, and then I decided to
go into social work and I found my master's in
social work.

Speaker 26 (01:56:40):
Very cool.

Speaker 2 (01:56:41):
That's awesome that you've been able to build and we're
catching right before your work your day job today. Yeah, sure,
I got to ask this. You did mention the wheelchair,
and I believe you also use a walker. There's a
different kind of mobility you have, or thirty five years
of the ADA and there's someone who had to adapt
and utilize the power chair, the wheelchair and the mobility.

Speaker 26 (01:57:02):
I asked you all there.

Speaker 2 (01:57:03):
We tried the first recording and asked this in the
first recording about if the city of New York was
the perfect place to adapt, was accessful and you said, no,
tell me how New York City is or is not
accessible for you.

Speaker 27 (01:57:17):
Yeah, it's definitely continue some works.

Speaker 16 (01:57:20):
It definitely has a lot of obstacles to point that
I now learns to, you know, research where I was
going beforehand, find out if it is a DA compliant,
if there's stairs, if there's an elevator, if there's a ramp.
Many times, if ILL attend the venue, I'll reach out
to them before and just say, hey, this is not coming,
looks the protocol. How do I renevor myself? It's it's unfortunately,

(01:57:43):
but it's it needs to be done in order for
me to have a fun experience. There are many times
I'll go to a venue, I'll go to a place
and I'll say, like, no disrespect. I heard the suggestion
of how you don't improve in all your accommodations, and
it help on not just for me, but for others.
And I feel that it's so important to you know,

(01:58:05):
raise your voice because a lot of times it's not
about the intention. You know that I just don't realize it.
And if some help educate them and help others, like
why not. When I went back to school, I actually
wanted it to be an independent as possible and it
was on a larger campus where I had a place

(01:58:26):
to building, ay, and then I had a place to
building be within a five minute you know stretch to
get there. And I actually went to the disability division
and said, this is a nice schedule and no, but
to be an independent as possible, I would like not
to have someone common touching around or you know, just
gets where I need to be. So we actually rearranged

(01:58:48):
my entire schedule to have all my sizes in two
buildings that were adjacent to each other, and then ended
up creating this program helping others you know, have this
option until and they are so sensible for it because
they didn't realize that it's it's a complication and from
my end, if I felt that that should have been adjusted.

Speaker 26 (01:59:11):
Blazer, is it Hunter?

Speaker 9 (01:59:13):
You say?

Speaker 26 (01:59:13):
Or which college was?

Speaker 19 (01:59:14):
Is that?

Speaker 27 (01:59:15):
That was in Brooklyn College of Brooklyn College?

Speaker 6 (01:59:17):
Okay?

Speaker 26 (01:59:18):
And that's such a spacious campas you would think would
be excessive. Yeah, so interesting, it is.

Speaker 16 (01:59:22):
It's accessible, just that it's because my schedule was so drastic.
Were at my classed or they are very accommodating.

Speaker 2 (01:59:31):
While you are making strides for people like yourself and
others with disability, you also.

Speaker 26 (01:59:36):
Break out of the community, meaning you socialize with by people,
you sort of just interact with everybody.

Speaker 2 (01:59:41):
And I feel like that's an important message to tell
others that sort of still are in that little bubble
if you will, and say, hey, get out.

Speaker 10 (01:59:48):
Of that bubble.

Speaker 26 (01:59:48):
Let's start all expanding and being in the within the
world if you will.

Speaker 16 (01:59:53):
Yeah, I mean there's no reason why I should say
in the bubble and like from my advantage point, and
I try to be as independent.

Speaker 27 (02:00:02):
As possible, and yeah, I just walk around there.

Speaker 16 (02:00:05):
I do need assistance here and there, and I've time
to realize that people are wanting to help. You know,
if I'm going to an office or a store and
then there's a door that's there, I don't mind it,
and so on, Hey Jim on holding the door, then
they're very grateful to do it and then happy to
do it. Sometimes people are just unsure if it's appropriate

(02:00:28):
to ask for off for help, and it's it's okay
to ask for it because they're more than happy to
do it.

Speaker 2 (02:00:34):
All right, let's get to the big thing that I
owned the map, which was this Disney marathon. E News
ESPN covered your story, which is pretty awesome. I mean,
if you go to Sharey's Instagram right now, you could
watch your walking to the finish line, walk running to
the finish line, no mobility aids or anything.

Speaker 26 (02:00:52):
She just did it on her own two feet. Talk
about that process, Sherey, how you got.

Speaker 6 (02:00:58):
To that moment?

Speaker 27 (02:01:00):
Okay, its CREDI story. So I am a very big
Disney fan.

Speaker 16 (02:01:05):
I still believe in happy endings and fairy tales, and
I love all of the princesses, and I'm definitely still
a child at heart. My promise a Disney marathon opportunity,
and there was a half marathon and it was a
consistent of the twenty thousand runners, and I decided I

(02:01:26):
wanted to participate in twenty sixteen, and I applied to join,
and I received an email back saying that if I
was unable to propel myself in a marathon, that I
was not able to participate.

Speaker 27 (02:01:42):
I was like, you know, safety issued.

Speaker 16 (02:01:45):
And I reached out back and said, I physically cannot
push myself at thirteen miles, but I do have my
brother in law's an elite runner and who've offered to
push me the entire a marathon. And Disney gade some
pushbacks saying it's out of their protocol, it's not safe
for the other runners. So I kind of read in

(02:02:08):
my mission to you know, break that barrier and tell
them that I would not give up until they said yes.
So let's figure out a way to make it happen.
And Disney is the place where dreams was true and
this was my dream to do it.

Speaker 2 (02:02:21):
So let's figure out that shock you when they first said, know,
I mean, here's a place that seems so welcoming, yet
here they are telling you, no, you cannot have this
kind of assistance.

Speaker 26 (02:02:28):
That's very interesting that they would.

Speaker 16 (02:02:30):
Deny that this is actually very exomodating that actually happens
to be very very accessible. I think it was more
out of like a safety hazard for the other runners,
I understand. So we worked together and we figured out
a way to make it happen. And in twenty sixteen,
my brother in law and I were the first considered

(02:02:52):
powers you will participate and the Disney Marathon where he
tountioned me for the entire amrathon, and twenty seventeen and
along and I reached out to Disney again. I said, hey,
I'm going to participate again. And when I registered on
the website there was now an option participating as a
parate girl. So that was very cool to see. So

(02:03:13):
in twenty seventeen that was our you know, I was
going to stolenly accomplish it, and by the finish line,
I pushed myself across the finish line. And then in
twenty eighteen, I was growing stronger physically, and I decided
to train and surprise everyone and to the finish line.

(02:03:36):
My brother in law said in my velchair, I got
up and I pushed him across the finish line.

Speaker 27 (02:03:43):
And then in twenty nineteen, I said, okay, how are
we going to bease this? Given more cool?

Speaker 16 (02:03:48):
I was at the time still growing stronger as I
continued to today and said, okay, let's train for something
really cool.

Speaker 27 (02:03:56):
And I got out of my wheel chair a half
a mile.

Speaker 16 (02:04:00):
Before and walked independently across the finish line, which was
a massive accomplishment and took a lot of training. And
Disney Colvin knew that story and decided to publish.

Speaker 27 (02:04:14):
It and advertise it.

Speaker 18 (02:04:16):
And then.

Speaker 16 (02:04:18):
A few days later, I guess the time of blew
up and ABC was attracted to it in the news,
then CNN, and then before we knew it, it.

Speaker 2 (02:04:26):
Was all over the place talk about whether you're ever
in to do in New York City marathon, can your
body do something like that for New York City style
or is that in the works at all?

Speaker 16 (02:04:37):
So actually, my brother in law and I did participate
in a New York City of full marathon. Wow, it
was throughout the five hours. It took a lot of time.
And I told him I hope he got that out
of his system because I was never doing that again.

Speaker 27 (02:04:53):
The mother's eye.

Speaker 2 (02:04:55):
I asked you this last time we talked about your energy,
because you know, I hospitalization last year in May twenty
twenty four. Don't want to really go to a memory
later on that. But I just noticed my body was
telling me, Hey, you've done enough for today. And you
both seem like we're both very active people. So does
your body also tell you, Okay, we're done for today.
Let's relax a little.

Speaker 27 (02:05:15):
Bit, for sure.

Speaker 16 (02:05:17):
I think it's so important to listen to your body
and to know when it's time to take a verse
and when it's time to go the day. It's also
important to be active and to do what you want
to do and to not let your disability to stop field.
But it's also a very important to know when it's
not to rest. And I've come to realize that if
you don't listen, be valuable to shove it to you

(02:05:40):
in other ways, and we're going to do force to rest.

Speaker 2 (02:05:44):
You know, So talk about your independent lifestyle in your workplace.
Then because obviously another goal is to get people to
work with the disability.

Speaker 26 (02:05:54):
They can work.

Speaker 2 (02:05:55):
I think that's a Massachusett talk about your work style
and how you adapt to that on a daily Yeah.

Speaker 16 (02:06:01):
For sure, I wanted to want something that was meaningful
to me. And I realized that I have been helping
other people go through their challenges on my own, and
I seem to realize that, hey.

Speaker 27 (02:06:16):
Why not, you know, I use this as a tool
to help others.

Speaker 16 (02:06:21):
So I did get my master's in social work and
I decided to try it out and to go to work.
And like I said, yeah, I made use my real child,
I made use my walker and it's okay. And there
are people there that are willing into help if it's needed.
And even so there's always a way to adapt into
that somo day and to me to happen. And it's

(02:06:43):
more about like the will to want it. How bad
do you want to get You meant to find in
some extra work, but it's just a test of how
bad do you want it? And if you want to
do it, it can definitely happen.

Speaker 19 (02:06:56):
All right.

Speaker 2 (02:06:57):
I love that you say you were friends with John Stamos,
that connection build up and did Full House actually help
get you through all that, Like what did you lean
on that while you were trying to get into this
rehabbing process.

Speaker 16 (02:07:11):
So I grew up watch in Full House. I always
had a crush on John Stamos I Desi is a
very common person. I went to see one of his
Broadway shows and I got to meet him after the show.
And ever since that show, we've met it to each
other and they kept up with each other, and we've

(02:07:33):
befriended each other throughout the years, and anytime he's in town,
send me a chat with him. I sage saying like, oh,
I'm going to be here here if you don want
to come and see me. And he just kept up
to wrap the years, and he's such a tind person.
And the first time that I actually met him, obviously
he didn't know my story, did know what happened to me,
And I was actually in a much worse state than

(02:07:54):
I am today, and he left me this message and
I'll never forget and he said, I don't know what
happened to you. I obviously don't know what you're going through,
but whatever it is, you're longer than I don't ever
try to tell you. So the fact that they're here
assisting and shows your strength and don't ever let that
strength go. And I always tell them that I've never

(02:08:16):
forgot the same agatives. It has definitely pushed me along
the way, especially in moments where I needed an motivation.

Speaker 15 (02:08:24):
I love it.

Speaker 2 (02:08:25):
I love it, and your family, obviously, through all of this,
has been supporting you day by day.

Speaker 26 (02:08:31):
I'm sure since it's still starting, were they in shock
as much as you were out? Did they react when
at first of all did diagnose what's happened?

Speaker 27 (02:08:39):
Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 16 (02:08:40):
I'm very, very blessed to have an amazing support this one.
I have an incredible family, immediate family, extended family, friends
that have become my family, and the community that's amazing
and supported, and it has been to me, been with
me the entire way. When I was first diagnosed, I

(02:09:03):
don't think that I or anyone else understood the magnetitude
of it, and it just happened so quickly, and once
we realized and that was geting much worse, they never
like my side. My friends never left my side, even
when now we're in the eyes to you and I
write physically as for no one to come and see

(02:09:24):
me because I did not feel well physically, mentally, emotionally.
I just know how to be there anyone. And my
friends did not let them stop them. They just they
got stuff and scrubs and came in and marching around
and danging around, and they knew I needed it, even
if I didn't realize I needed it, And they had

(02:09:45):
never let my side, continued to never meet my side.
And I'm very blessed, and I know that I'm blessed,
and I always tried to remind myself how lucky I am,
and truthfully do not think I would be where I
am today without their end in me.

Speaker 2 (02:10:00):
So far, I love it, and I.

Speaker 26 (02:10:02):
Love your optimism and positivity, and we need something like
that as we.

Speaker 2 (02:10:05):
Get eighty eight thirty five, because I do feel like
some people I don't want to say, sit in the disability,
but they don't. They don't expand beyond that, they sort
of living it and they let define them. And you're
not letting define it. You are out there kicking ass
every day. And I know it took a long way
to get to that point.

Speaker 26 (02:10:23):
But for those that may be.

Speaker 2 (02:10:25):
Upset, they're disabled or whatever, but how do they find
that road to not be upset, but just drive them
to go further.

Speaker 16 (02:10:35):
I mean, yeah, listen, I don't disability to define me,
but it definitely has shafe time on today. And yeah,
if you're feeling well and you're feeling sad and you're
stuck in that, it's okay. It's important to feel and
you should definitely not you know, I didn't. If you

(02:10:56):
don't address it, it's just gonna sit and then build
up and then so manifest in other ways.

Speaker 27 (02:11:03):
So definitely feel it.

Speaker 16 (02:11:04):
I just you know, and don't sit there too long
because the longer just sit there, you're missing out all
the things that you can experience. So that's pretty much
also why I started, because I can page. I've just
you know, showing the world that, yeah, I have disability and.

Speaker 27 (02:11:19):
I may have some challenges. What everyone does.

Speaker 16 (02:11:21):
Everyone has their own you know, own craft to deal
with and it's okay. And just to know that they're
all here, we're all ready to help, and we're all
you know, trying to live this thing, thisful life, and
as long as you.

Speaker 27 (02:11:37):
Find a way to do it, you can definitely achieve it.
All right.

Speaker 2 (02:11:41):
I got to ask you this, as a social worker,
do you do you both able bodied and disabled clients, Like,
what's the clientele range?

Speaker 27 (02:11:48):
Yeah, I actually did.

Speaker 16 (02:11:49):
I actually I specialize in trauma and work with children.
I think I subconsciously chose that because I can relate
to it very well.

Speaker 27 (02:12:02):
I was a child.

Speaker 16 (02:12:03):
I want to travel, and I think that especially for children.
I mean Chile always saying oh, children are so resilient,
and then you find out when you're there that this
person who's in therapy for trying to address what happened
in their childhood.

Speaker 27 (02:12:19):
So I don't know how it.

Speaker 16 (02:12:20):
Doing, as they truly are, but they definitely had a
special spark in them. And if they're going through something
or I need some assistance, I'm so happy to be
all the one to show them and remind them.

Speaker 15 (02:12:34):
Of the.

Speaker 26 (02:12:36):
I love it.

Speaker 2 (02:12:37):
I love it, Sherry, this has been awesome. One last
couple of things here, Why did you start them? Because
I can campaign? Because that's sort of my pitch to
me was from Steve Cohen. Thanks for him for introducing us,
by the way, But why because I can't. Was that
something you woke up in today I'm going to start
using this What was the motivation for using that specific
contruct So I love.

Speaker 16 (02:12:58):
Asking that which like I mentioned, and I have noticed
that I was bumping into old classmates from high school
or really just anyone, and and I saw a little
morse in their eyes and they felt so bad for me,
and and I was just good to myself, like do
you feel bad?

Speaker 27 (02:13:18):
Like I'm not just happy. I'm the happiest that I've
ever been.

Speaker 16 (02:13:22):
So I kind of used that I feel too, sort
of start this because I can't page which happened in
by accident, and I wanted to show the world that, yeah,
I may have challenges that I brings it up to naked.
I didn't mean that I can't live my life or
be happy. So I started this model.

Speaker 27 (02:13:43):
I may not be able to do the things you do,
but what I can do will surprise you.

Speaker 16 (02:13:49):
And I just exploded into this campaign that showed the
bell that yeah, I may have some challenges.

Speaker 27 (02:13:56):
We all do, but it's okay and you're not alone.

Speaker 16 (02:13:58):
And whatever you get from this page, I just hope
that you see it and decide not to develop sure as.

Speaker 2 (02:14:07):
An athlete like doing the running myself for thirty years
or so. I have to ask you this, were you
playing sports before all of this auto mean disease? Were
you active like that in the sports world and the
running world, and then you know, refinding yourself after the
diagnosis must have felt like even a bigger accomplishment.

Speaker 26 (02:14:24):
Not just brow to convisusline, but getting back to that
state of athletic.

Speaker 16 (02:14:28):
Is afore Yeah, so I did describe was not as
sports star tom a tom boy. I was very much incidanced.
I was dead in my entire life. I was always
in dance classes and dance competitions, So that definitely hip
the toll of it.

Speaker 27 (02:14:45):
I actually don't really talk about it.

Speaker 16 (02:14:46):
I'm not because it's such a it hits such a
personal stop, and it's something as happy as I am
today and how much I am grateful I am today
and how much I have achieved and continued to go stronger,
that's something that I hope none of these are not
warning because as much as I can dance today with adaptations,

(02:15:12):
it's not how I was before, And that's okay. It's
just something that I will ever miss and hopefully when.

Speaker 26 (02:15:19):
I'll go back to it now.

Speaker 2 (02:15:21):
I know you want to think you have a lot
of doctors that help you through this, but also you
were you were maybe listening to your body's warning signs
and not many people do that, right, I mean, what
did were there warning signs before the diagnosis happened, or
how did you listen.

Speaker 26 (02:15:34):
To your body with all of that when it first happened.

Speaker 27 (02:15:38):
Yeah, it's that's just something I don't talk about much also,
but it's okay. I did it.

Speaker 16 (02:15:42):
I did not feel right on the morning, and I
did call the doctor and he said, oh, maybe it's
just you know, it's coming down with that vigress or
you getting the flow or you know, just they.

Speaker 27 (02:15:52):
Just brushed it off. And I said, okay, and it's right.
And after if you.

Speaker 16 (02:15:58):
Did, that's kept you know, deteriorating. And it's definite that
I needed to be hostialized. And I noticed that it's really,
really really important to listen to your value and to
advocate for yourself and something they're gonna feel, right, you
not go with it and see the other help. It's
better to be hold you're fine, you're fine, you're fine,

(02:16:21):
and take all the tests and to be seen that
you're fine, versus just you know, listening to one doctor
and just waiting for some reverse to happen.

Speaker 2 (02:16:31):
All right, you will the experience where the ada is necessary, right,
the accessibility is necessary, but we're thirty five years and
what can be done to make it more accessible? As
we said earlier, it's not all accessible, But what do
you think can be done? Not just in a I
guess physical way with all the accessibility, but just in
a lot of ways.

Speaker 16 (02:16:50):
There's a lot more to go, right for sure, I
said that there's so many different communities out there that
let's say that the ldvtpl or.

Speaker 27 (02:17:01):
I don't know things like that.

Speaker 25 (02:17:02):
And.

Speaker 16 (02:17:04):
I just think that there's so much more work to
be done with the ADA and we're just I don't
know if that's on the back runner.

Speaker 27 (02:17:12):
And I wished that I could do it.

Speaker 16 (02:17:15):
And I feel that we are as a community doing it,
but as a nation or as the world, and that
it does get reflected sometimes, which is why our community
is so strong, because we advocate for each other and
try to accommodate with each other.

Speaker 27 (02:17:31):
But it definitely can use I'm not sure.

Speaker 2 (02:17:36):
Do you feel like these kids not are the ones
that you're wide you're helping out your work, but do
you feel like.

Speaker 1 (02:17:42):
Kids are looking up to you?

Speaker 26 (02:17:43):
People are looking up to you?

Speaker 34 (02:17:44):
Now?

Speaker 2 (02:17:44):
I mean, you're such a grounded person for a big
Eyelight on ESPN. And yet you're just you sound so grounded,
so it doesn't sound like it. Let it get to
your head a.

Speaker 26 (02:17:52):
Little bit, you know what I mean?

Speaker 10 (02:17:53):
Like you're very grounded.

Speaker 26 (02:17:55):
But do you notice people, hey, we look up to
your shares that type of thing you're seeing.

Speaker 16 (02:18:00):
M yeah, I definitely gets stopped hearing there and from
adults to children and stay like, you know, think for
a page.

Speaker 27 (02:18:09):
I really didn't smile.

Speaker 21 (02:18:10):
Me and and.

Speaker 27 (02:18:13):
I don't want to get to my head because the reason.

Speaker 16 (02:18:15):
Why I continue to, you know, share my story is
because I want others to see it and know that
they're not alone.

Speaker 27 (02:18:22):
And I know that there is life under the tunnel.

Speaker 15 (02:18:25):
I know that.

Speaker 16 (02:18:28):
You can look at like use me, use my story
to you know, to as your insariation to do whatever
you want to do. And if you're ever feeling stuck,
I hope that you see it and say, Okay, if she.

Speaker 27 (02:18:39):
Can do it, so can I. And that's that's really
my only goal. I'm not here I did.

Speaker 16 (02:18:44):
I'm not here for the.

Speaker 27 (02:18:45):
Fandom in the start, and I'm not I don't care
for the spotlight well.

Speaker 26 (02:18:50):
Sherry Shore s r O U R.

Speaker 9 (02:18:53):
Sherry C. H E r I.

Speaker 26 (02:18:55):
You can find her on Instagram as well.

Speaker 2 (02:18:58):
I love the story that you said that some someone
was not really wanting to do the exercise, you know,
go to the gym in the morning, but they saw
your videos.

Speaker 26 (02:19:04):
Okay, I'm going I saw the video. It's a great story.

Speaker 16 (02:19:08):
Yeah, it happens somewhre a few times that I'm grateful
for that. If someone said stuck or unmotivated and need
the extra punch, so I'll say like, oh, I saw
your page, and you know if I if Shary can
do it, then what's my excuse?

Speaker 27 (02:19:23):
I have no reason.

Speaker 16 (02:19:24):
You know, my weds are working, my arms are working
on healthy I have no reason for excuse not to
do anything. And there's them in that momentum, you know,
to cash themselves, and that's really my main message.

Speaker 2 (02:19:36):
Well, I love that I was able to feature you
on the countdown the eighty eight thirty five. Are you
celebrating the media eight tomorrow or are you going to
be involved or what's your plans for the weekend?

Speaker 27 (02:19:47):
Just a living whatever comes with it.

Speaker 16 (02:19:50):
I just I'm just trying to enjoy the summer and
then enjoy my life whatever by that means, which trying
to family, the beach and let's go to the ocean.

Speaker 2 (02:20:01):
So yeah, which is I think the best way to
honor the days is keep living living the life, you.

Speaker 27 (02:20:06):
Know, yeah, living my second life.

Speaker 2 (02:20:09):
Yeah, all right, Cherry, love to having you, and we're
definitely gonna have you back on as your story continues
to be out there and and developments that you want
to talk about.

Speaker 26 (02:20:18):
You're welcome back on the One Leg Up Network.

Speaker 27 (02:20:20):
Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 2 (02:20:23):
All right, even while we're here at l I seven
Usual All Star Weekend had to pay homage to eighty
eight thirty five, and as Gaby and I can attest to,
there's so much more to go and so much more
accessibility to be had. The fight and the journey is
not done yet for Americans with disabilities. We must continue

(02:20:46):
to work so that all people with disability have one
leg up on life.