Disability Empowerment Now

Chris Desborough is the Community Outreach Director for the city of Tucson and Director of Disability Pride Tucson. Disability Pride Day coincides with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This United Nations initiative was created to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society. This annual event features disability resources, performers...

John R. McFarlane is an Actor with Polio and a Polio Advocate. John and Keith talk about Polio Advocacy, traveling the world, and John's personal experience living with Polio. They talk about the importance of living life and embracing the "Polio family."  BEGIN: Thought I would just share a bit about myself.  As you may have seen or know, I enjoyed an extensive commercial career but for the past...

Temple Grandin Ph. D. is a renowned autism spokesperson, author and animal behaviorist and an academic. She is a designer of livestock handling facilities and a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She returns to Disability Empowerment Now to talk with Keith about her books “The Autism Brain” and “Visual Thinking.” She also discusses the importance of jobs for the Autism commu...

Jenny Sichel is a 2016 Rio Paralympic Silver Medalist and 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Coach for Team USA in the sport of rowing. She was a USRowing National Team member for seven years and in that time won five international silver medals. When she’s not on the water, Jenny is passionate about destigmatizing mental health and is a strong advocate for independent living of people with disabilities. She c...

Andrew Gurza is the host of Disability After Dark, a podcast that looks at disability stories and started in 2016. Andrew and Keith bond about their podcast experiences and they also bond over their shared disability. Andrew talks about the origins of Disability After Dark and the overall message it aims to bring to the community. Keith and Andrew also discuss the importance of having hosts with d...

C. Quintana is a Queer Playwright and a Television Writer for Orphan Black: Echoes. CQ talks to Keith about working in television and on the Orphan Black series. They talk about how they first met, catch up on each other’s accomplishments and discuss the importance of representation in the world of television. Season 4 Ep 3   Disability Empowerment Now is produced by Pascal Albright.

Liv Mammone (she/her) is an editor and poet from Long Island. Her poetry has appeared with Button Poetry, The Poetry Foundation, The Medical Journal of Australia, and in many places. In 2017, she competed for Union Square Slam as the first disabled woman to be on a New York national poetry slam team She was also a finalist in the Capturing Fire National Poetry Slam in 2017. A Brooklyn Poets Fellow...

Megan Lummus is an openly autistic stage and film director and Katherine McCrackin is an openly autistic actor. Each with their own unique background, they talk to Keith about their love of theater and the stage. They also discuss the importance of diversity and representation on the stage and in the directors chair, their individual disability journeys, and how they got involved in their advocacy...

Behind the Scenes Mini-Season Eileen Castro, who has been a creative producer with DEN for one year, helps with the Spanish transcripts and focuses on uploading podcast episodes to all streaming platforms and the official website, as well as creating and sending out newsletters. Nicole Feltman, who has been with the team since Season 1, around three years, is the head of Social Media, creating gra...

Behind the Scenes Mini Season Isa Barnard is the Spanish transcript writer and the website designer for Disability Empowerment Now. Pascal Albright is the producer of the podcast and videocast and credited with the creation of the newsletter. Both team members help Keith with the overall project and talk about their start with DEN and the work they do to keep the podcast going. Pascal listens to e...

Alexandra Pere is a digital media professional and content “wizard”. When she’s not engrossed in the latest documentary, she’s writing for the University of Arizona College of Engineering. She’s a long-time wildcat with a bachelor’s in science journalism and religious studies and a master’s in journalism. Alex is a professional storyteller engaging in best practices for marketing, content developm...

We’re Back! Disability Empowerment Now Returns for Season 4 September 2024! Join me Keith Murfee-DeConcini as I continue on this journey of advocacy, this time exploring the theme of Disability Advocacy and Employment with guests like Paralympian Jenny Sichel, Former Senator Tom Harkin, Program Manager at Google Elaine Carroll and more! Also hear from some returning favorites like Actor Kurt Yaege...

Eric Renderking Fisk is the creator of The Fedora Chronicles, a website focused on vintage and retro culture, especially related to the 1930s-1950s. He is passionate about classic movies, film noir, and pulp fiction. Through his work on the site, Eric shares his love for the aesthetics and values of this era, providing a unique perspective on both historical and modern pop culture. He also produce...

Liz Weber (they/them) is an autistic freelance AEA stage manager and audio engineer/ designer who has a passion for justice and equality especially in the theater spaces that they work.  Most recently, they worked on the stage management and accessibility teams of How To Dance in Ohio on Broadway. The Access Team of How to Dance in Ohio won a 2024 Special Drama Desk highlighting their efforts to b...

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...