Think Inclusive

Rasheera Dopson — Author, disability justice activist, researcher, and MPH student at Morehouse School of Medicine whose work explores the intersection of race, gender, and disability. She founded Beauty With a Twist in 2016 to build community among women and girls with disabilities and hosts the WomanHood & Disability podcast, creating a safe, intersectional space that bridges disabled and no...

Matt (he/him) — Disability advocate (legal name withheld in the episode), graduate of Wake Forest University, podcaster, and independent contractor. He lives with cerebral palsy and discusses the tightrope of earning income while maintaining essential Medicaid benefits. He also co-hosts the actual‑play Dungeons & Dragons podcast With Rolls and No Luck under the alias “Samurai Fooks.” Shirene H...

Ira Eidle (Decatur, GA) is an autistic self‑advocate and curator of Autistic Archive , a growing collection that preserves and teaches the history of the neurodiversity movement. He earned a B.A. in Theater & Performance Studies from Kennesaw State University, completed the 2020 Autism Campus Inclusion program with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), and founded the student group Neurod...

Haley Moss (she/her) — autistic attorney, author, artist, and advocate based in Miami, Florida. Known as Florida’s first openly autistic attorney, Haley now works as an educator and consultant to corporations and nonprofits on neurodiversity and disability inclusion, and is a frequent commentator on disability rights. Her books include Great Minds Think Differently , Neurodiversity for Lawyers and...

Lisa Drennan — inclusion expert, trainer, consultant, and founder of Merge Inclusion Consulting. She draws on 37 years of leadership supporting people with disabilities and helps community organizations (like YMCAs, rec programs, camps, libraries, and faith groups) build inclusive cultures where everyone has a meaningful role. Host Tim Villegas talks with Lisa Drennan about moving inclusion beyond...

Alida Miranda-Wolff is the CEO and founder of Ethos, a consultancy firm specializing in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) transformation. She is notable for her book, "Cultures of Belonging: Building Inclusive Organizations that Last," which explores strategies for fostering inclusive environments. Alida's background spans higher education at the University of Chicago, non-profit...

King Williams — Atlanta-based journalist and filmmaker who traces CRT’s history, explains how cases like Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson reveal the gap between what is legal and what is moral, and describes how groups like the United Daughters of the Confederacy shaped school narratives in the South. Alida Miranda-Wolff — CEO and founder of Ethos, clarifies what CRT is (and isn’t), outlines core...

Diana Pastora Carson is an educator of 30+ years who has taught at both the elementary and university levels. She’s a consultant and trainer on disability and diversity, a board alum of Disability Rights California and current board member of Disability Voices United . She hosts the Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters podcast and is the author of Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disabili...

Greta Harrison is the creator and host of the Born Fabulous Podcast . A passionate advocate for inclusive education, Greta is a mother of two daughters—her youngest has Down syndrome and autism. Her journey has been shaped by a commitment to learning, community involvement, and storytelling. Greta’s podcast amplifies the voices of self-advocates and their families, showcasing the power of inclusio...

Dr. Zerek Mayes — Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at a private school in Chicago, Illinois. Dena Slanda — Faculty at the University of Central Florida, working on teacher preparation grants through the Office of Special Education Programs. Lindsey Pike — Doctoral candidate at the University of Central Florida in Exceptional Education, focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion at th...

Amanda Darrow — Director of Youth, Family, and Education at the Utah Pride Center. She holds an M.Ed. and a B.S. in Clinical & Counseling Psychology from Westminster College (Salt Lake City). Her work focuses on helping homes, schools, and community spaces become more inclusive for LGBTQIA+ youth and families, and educating current and future generations about the community. Shamby Polychronis...

Host — Tim Villegas Host of Think Inclusive, framing this “best of” episode and guiding four featured conversations on inclusion. Lou Brown Co‑founder of TASH; this previously unpublished 2019 clip covers “ultimate functioning,” vertical and horizontal teaming, and why inclusive, integrated settings matter for learning and behavior. Katie Novak Universal Design for Learning (UDL) expert and former...

Anthony Ianni is a national motivational speaker and autism self‑advocate, and the first known NCAA Division I men’s basketball player with an autism diagnosis. He played for the Michigan State Spartans , earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Michigan State, and is the author of Centered: Autism, Basketball, and One Athlete’s Dreams . He’s also a husband and dad to two sons, Knox and Nash....

Howard Shane, Ph. D. — Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Autism Language Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. A pioneer in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), Dr. Shane has designed numerous computer applications for people with disabilities, holds two U.S. patents, and has been recognized by national organizations for lifetime contributions to clini...

Karrie Shogren — Director of the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities and Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. Sheida Raley — Assistant Research Professor at the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities and Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. In this episode, Tim Villegas ta...

Dr. Jenna Rufo is an author, educator, and inclusive education consultant who founded empowerED School Solutions to help districts implement inclusive practices. She previously served as a special education administrator, director, and assistant superintendent, after beginning her career as an inclusion facilitator. Her work is deeply informed by her sister, Nina, who has multiple disabilities. Dr...

Michael McSheehan is the owner and lead technical assistance provider at Evolve and Effect, LLC. He partners with schools, districts, and state agencies nationwide to strengthen inclusive education by braiding MTSS (Multi‑Tiered System of Support) and UDL (Universal Design for Learning). His path started in speech‑language pathology with a focus on augmentative and alternative communication, and g...

Janice Fialka — Author, social worker, and longtime activist; mom of two adult children, including Micah, who lives interdependently in Syracuse and was featured in the film Intelligent Lives . (Emma—her daughter—is a school principal in Boston.) Sara Jo Soldovieri — Doctoral student at Syracuse University studying inclusive special education; inclusive special educator by training; previously cre...

Emily Ladau — Disability rights activist, writer, and speaker; editor‑in‑chief of the Rooted in Rights blog; co‑host of The Accessible Stall podcast; and author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally . Emily Ladau joins Tim Villegas to unpack what meaningful allyship to disabled people looks like in everyday life, why language matters, and how multiple disabil...

Genia Stephen — founder and host of the Good Things In Life podcast. She supports families to help kids with intellectual disabilities build inclusive lives at home, school, and in the community. She’s also a midwife with 10+ years’ experience working with families, including those welcoming a child with a disability. Tim talks with Genia Stephen about why podcasting is her go‑to way to bring disa...

Eric Garcia is a journalist and the author of We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation . He has worked at The Washington Post , The Hill , Roll Call , National Journal , and MarketWatch ; his writing has appeared in The New Republic , The Daily Beast , The American Prospect , and Salon . He currently serves as Senior D.C. Correspondent for The Independent and is active on X/Twitter at @E...

Marilyn Friend — Renowned expert on co‑teaching and inclusive practices; author of practitioner books including Co‑Teach and Specially Designed Instruction for Co‑Teaching . She emphasizes co‑teaching as a service delivery option that embeds specially designed instruction in general education classrooms. Learn more at coteach.com or reach her at marilynfriend@marilynfriend.com . Host Tim Villegas...

Sarah Wishart is the Creative Director at EachOther, a UK human-rights journalism charity, where she leads both the editorial and film teams. With a background in theatre/performance and communications in the education/media space, she focuses on storytelling that centers lived experience. In 2020 she launched Excluded , a youth-led feature documentary about school exclusion in the UK that elevate...

Wyatt Oroke (often “Mr. O”) is a nationally recognized Baltimore educator known for his work in social justice and literacy. He teaches 7th–8th grade English and Honors English at City Springs Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore City. Honors include 2020 Baltimore City Teacher of the Year and 2021 Maryland Teacher of the Year , with additional recognition from Johns Hopkins, the University of Ba...

Melissa McCullough is the Director of Early Childhood for the East Moline school district in Illinois, a pre‑K–8 district of about 2,700 students with roughly 200 children in its early childhood program. She started her career as a school social worker in an inclusion‑first district, brings that mindset to her current role, and is also a parent of three boys who are hard of hearing—experience that...