Disability Empowerment Now

Desmond Edwards is an Actor who played Remy in the Broadway Musical How to Dance in Ohio. Desmond and Keith talk about how the audition for the role and what the acting process is like on a big stage show. Desmond talks to Keith about the importance of How to Dance In Ohio and how it was preforming for the real Remy from the documentary. Desmond Luis Edwards (they/he/she) Broadway: How To Dance in...

Madison Kopec is a native of South Bend, IN, where she grew up performing in community theatre. Diagnosed with Autism  as a junior in high school presented challenges, but opportunities also manifested. In 2019 she was cast in the industry reading of, INDIGO- A New Musical, which led to its Regional premier in 2023. That was quickly followed by the industry reading of How to Dance In Ohio, that Re...

Ariel Reich is an NYC based Actor, Director and Mindfulness Artist. Most recently, she performed in the Broadway National Tour of The Band’s Visit. As a performer, Ariel has appeared on stages such as Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Dolby, among others. On screen, she appears in the film The Reunion, Love Online, as well as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Younger, and The Deuce. In addition to...

REBEKAH GREER MELOCIK is a lyricist and book-writer. Her work with composer-collaborator, Jacob Yandura, includes THE LAST QUEEN OF CANAAN (book: Harrison David Rivers), WRINGER (dir: Stephen Brackett), THE TOWER and HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO (dir: Sammi Cannold) which premiered on Broadway Dec 10, 2023. Recognitions and residencies include: SPACE on Ryder Farm residency, Jonathan Larson Grant finalist...

Nicole D’Angelo (they/she) is a music director, actor, and multi-instrumentalist in the NJ/NYC area. A recovering classical musician, they majored in piano and bass clarinet at Montclair State University before pursuing musical theater full time. Nicole recently made their Broadway debut as assistant music director and script consultant for the new musical How to Dance in Ohio, for which they won...

Alaina is a Mainer who works with adults with intellectual disabilities through Community Case Management and as an Ed Technology in special education.   She attended the College of Santa Fe in New Mexico where she met many inspiring and enlightening individuals.  In her spare time Alaina enjoys puzzling, concerts, traveling, creating ideas for stories and long discussions about anything.    Alain...

JACOB YANDURA makes his Broadway debut as a composer with How to Dance in Ohio. Jacob’s first musical with lyricist-collaborator Rebekah Greer Melocik, Wringer, debuted Off-Broadway at New York City Center Stage II in 2016 (directed by Stephen Brackett; based on Jerry Spinelli’s novel). His other projects include The Last Queen of Canaan (book by Harrison David Rivers) and The Tower. Jacob holds a...

Tobias Forrest is a performer with a disability with a background in accessible consulting and MS in psychology. He won the Christopher Reeve Acting Award for the film ”Daruma” and has credits including “The Academy Awards”, “Media Access Awards”, ”Law & Order: Organized Crime”, “How To Get Away With Murder”, “Queen Sugar” and many others. He has also done voiceover for animation as well as audio...

Seattle singer-songwriter Halley Greg first rose to acclaim during the blind auditions on Season 20 of The Voice. John Legend called her slowed-down, piano ballad version of Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird” “poetic” and “beautifully crafted,” and the performance earned her a spot on Team Kelly. Her appearance on the show coincided with the release of her debut album, American Harlot, a feminist r...

Jordan is a BAFTA & RTS winning drama director from Yorkshire with a disability (cerebral palsy); he has over 70 hours of broadcast TV credits and first trained through the Channel 4’s 4Talent scheme & won BAFTA Breakthrough 2020. Jordan directed BBC1’s groundbreaking drama, multi RTS winning, Ralph & Katie – the first drama to feature 2 learning disabled lead actors, a project seen as pioneering...

Kat Stratford and Heath Butrum are two sickeningly cute political activists who have made careers out of trying to create a better world through politics. Kat, who is Deaf but uses hearing aids, is a former candidate for state house, and currently works for the City of Tucson in addressing the emergency of houselessness and housing insecurity. Heath is the Campaigns Director for Rural Arizona Enga...

Steve Way is a 33-year-old actor, comedian, writer, and speaker. He was born with Muscular Dystrophy and is an activist for disability rights and universal healthcare.  Steve can be seen in the Hulu show Ramy and the HBO stand up special Ramy Youssef: More Feelings. Disability Empowerment Now is produced by Pascal Albright. Find the transcript here.

Christina Trivigno is the Director of Digital Strategy at TDF, a New York City based not-for-profit service organization dedicated to breaking down barriers to the arts. She has over 10 years of experience working in the digital space and a lifetime of experience as a disability advocate. She has spoken and written about accessibility at organizations around the country including topics of transpo...

Anita Hollander has performed throughout Europe, Asia & US, at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, London’s West End, NY Shakespeare Festival, Goodman Theatre & White House. A Helen Hayes Award nominee, her solo musicals Still Standing and Spectacular Falls, have played Off-Broadway, nationally & internationally. Other Theatre work includes Ragtime, CATS  (Grizabella). On TV she’s Guest Starred on Welc...

Ann Marie has had a diverse and accomplished career in acting, with a range of roles spanning classical works like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Measure for Measure” to contemporary plays such as “The Unexpected Guest” and “The Fourth Wall.” Her versatility is evident in her ability to portray characters with different emotions and backgrounds. Her educational background is impressive, having g...

Erin Noon Kay is the CEO & Founder of Claiming Disability LLC.  She talks to Keith about her podcast journey, Disability Pride, all the partnerships her podcast works with and her advising work. She talks about the importance of Disability Pride and celebrating disabilities in the everyday. Keith and Erin talk about their struggles and their achievements, and how she has paved her future to be so...

S3 Episode 20: Keith and Margaux talk about TRAP, Therapeutic Riding of Tucson, which has been around since 1974 and is one of the first facilities to innovate the use of horses as treatment. They discuss her work with horses, how that impacts her and the community and how the therapy impacts patients. “Everything we do is evidence based”, Margaux said. She talks about her involvement and history...

S3 Episode 19: Erica Mones and Keith talk about how Mones got into film, her work on the Disney movie “Wish” and how Mones navigates that world. They discuss Mones other interests including vlogs and the YouTube landscape. Mones talks about running and her routine. They talk about the importance of writing and using blogs to share experiences. Mones talks about her journey and advocacy and shines...

S3 Ep 18: Rachel and Keith talk about stage life, starting with how they met on a musical theater production. Rachel talks about her experience on stage as a performer, how her career has taken off and the ups and downs of the musical theater industry. They recount memories of performances as well as stories of everyday life including relationships. Rachel talks about her passions about being on s...

This podcast episode contains explicit language, mature themes, and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast platform. We recommend that you use headphones and ensure your environment is appropriate for the content discussed. By c...

S3 Ep 16: Shari Bookstaff had fulfilled her lifelong childhood dreams and was a tenured marine biology professor near San Francisco. She was thriving in her career and her personal life when sporadic dizzy spells and nausea led to a diagnosed benign brain tumor. Even though this was a large tumor that had to be removed immediately, it would be an “easy, routine surgery.” Then, the unthinkable happ...

Andrew J. “Andy” Imparato began work in February of 2020 as the Executive Director of Disability Rights California (DRC) after a high-impact 26-year career in Washington, DC in disability advocacy and policy. DRC is a $44 million legal services agency with more than 320 staff and 26 offices that serve Californians with all types of disabilities across the age spectrum. Since joining DRC, Imparato...

Richard has a diverse background as an actor, director, musician, and in education. He has worked in Regional and New York theater, showcasing his skills in both administratively and creatively  — from Neil Simon to Shakespeare. In addition to his artistic pursuits. Richard serves on the Board of Directors for Theater Breaking Through Barriers, the only off-broadway professional theatre organizati...

Mr. Peter Hughes has a long career in athletics as a coach and administrator, as well as nonprofit, sales, and fund development. Since 2017, he has served as Director of Adaptive Athletics at the University of Arizona. UArizona’s Adaptive Athletics program is the largest program of its kind and has produced 40+ Paralympians. As director, he supervises a large professional staff and cultivates rela...

Rio Finnegan graduated in Film from Santa Fe University of Art & Design, to which he was awarded the Robert Redford Milagro Initiative Scholarship. In his time there he worked on many projects under many titles. Making films such as Hello World and 1-900 in his time there. 1-900 had the pleasure to be accepted into The El Paso Media Fest and The National Film Festival For Talented Youth and is sti...