Disability Empowerment Now

Nicholas Viselli (Artistic Director) joined Theater Breaking Through Barriers in 1997 and is deeply humbled to continue the company’s legacy, started by his predecessor, TBTB’s founding Artistic Director, Ike Schambelan. As an actor, Nick has performed in over 30 TBTB productions during the past 25 years. He has also directed several plays for TBTB and […]

Emily Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, storyteller, and digital communications consultant whose career began at the age of 10 when she appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street to educate children about her life with a physical disability. Her writing has been published in outlets including The New York Times, CNN, Vice, […]

Mariette J. Bates retired in August of 2022 from her position as Distinguished Lecturer and Academic Director of the Disability Studies Program at CUNY’s School of Professional Studies. Dr. Bates began her career as an advocate for the institutionalized mentally ill, before becoming the Program Director at One to One, a foundation started by Geraldo […]

The Honorable Tony Coelho is a retired U.S. Congressman from California, a former House of Representative Majority Whip, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman and the principal author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 22 years old, Mr. Coelho has spent his entire adult life helping advance the lives of […]

“My photos are my children. Choosing ‘favorites’ is difficult. The totality of photos in my archive highlights some of the important events, the difficult, often dangerous work, and the passionate, dedicated people who time and again put their voices and bodies in the way of injustice – three-plus decades of effort that lead to the […]

Tina Bauschatz is the Founder and Director of the Reading Therapy Center of Southern Arizona. She is a reading expert who specializes in teaching neurodivergent children – from autism to dyslexia – how to read. “I founded The Reading Therapy Center in 2019 to address a need in the community for children with challenges to […]

Isaac Zablocki is the Director of film programs at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. He attended film school at Columbia University and went on to work at Miramax films. Previously, he produced and directed feature films and developed film educational programs for the Department of Education. Since 2004, Isaac has been developing film programs at […]

Keith P. Jones is a 2021 Emmy award-winning musician, CEO, and President of Soul Touchin Experiences LLC. According to Jones’ website: “Keith P. Jones started SoulTouchin’ Experiences to bring a perspective to the issues of access inclusion and empowerment which affect himself as well as others who are persons with a disability. With involvement in […]

J.J. Rico is the Chief Executive Officer at the Arizona Center for Disability Law, the protection and advocacy agency in Arizona, providing free legal services to people with disabilities. Prior to becoming the CEO, J.J worked as ACDL’s litigation director and as a staff attorney. His legal work focused on the employment and access provisions […]

Brie is the Executive Director of the Autism Society of Southern Arizona (ASSA). She began as a volunteer on the marketing committee, lending her experience by working in publishing, eCommerce and digital marketing. After graduating from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism she began working in publishing at Harper’s Bazaar […]

Jon Meyers became Executive Director of the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council in March 2022, after serving as Executive Director of The Arc of Arizona since 2013. Jon’s background in the non-profit sector spans more than 30 years and ranges from the arts and education to social services and animal welfare.

Kyle Lininger is Vice President of Clinical Integration at Intermountain Centers. Concentrated areas of interest presently are public policy, non-profit management, behavior systems analysis, the Community Reinforcement Approach for Substance Use Disorders, and integrated value-based healthcare modeling and intervention.  In previous roles, Kyle has provided and overseen programs supporting  in-ho...

Jared Perkins is the CEO of Children’s Clinics, a Multi-Specialty Interdisciplinary medical center that provides comprehensive medical care for children with the most complex medical conditions in Southern Arizona.

Dennis DeConcini is a former United States Senator who served in public office at the same time the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was debated, crafted, and signed into law.

Kat Stratford is a single mom to a brilliant daughter and an extraordinary trans son. A twenty-year resident of Tucson, Kat is an outspoken advocate for victims of violent crime and has spent the last two years focused on policies that would help survivors of sexual and domestic violence. As a survivor herself, she is […]

Anita Altman is the co-founder of the ReelAbilities Film Festival, the largest festival in the U.S. dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with disabilities. Her vision provided the original foundation for ReelAbilities. She hoped that a film festival might be a worthwhile vehicle for sharing the […]

Episode 2 with Rep. Jennifer Longdon is out now on our website and on all streaming platforms! Jennifer Longdon is one of two elected members of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 24, which covers Central Phoenix and South Scottsdale. Paralyzed in a random shooting in 2004, Jennifer is an outspoken advocate for people with disabilities and strengthening laws to curb...

We are proud to present the first episode of the Disability Empowerment Now Podcast! Jovan Ruvalcaba is a Tucson-based attorney and disability rights advocate. We discuss his long-distance relationship, education, career, and the joy of traveling. You can find a transcript of this podcast episode by clicking this link: disability-empowerment-now.castos.com/episodes/episode-1-with-jovan-ruvalcaba.

The Disability Empowerment Now Podcast is launching at the end of April! Get to know your host, Keith Murfee-DeConcini, before the launch of the first episode on April 30th, 2022, by listening to this trailer. Thank you for listening and we will see you again at the end of April! Follow the podcast on Facebook, […]