Hidden Disability Advocate | Speaker | Author | Adventurer
“You use that as an excuse for everything,” she said. We were on the phone, and I was struggling to speak, stumbling and just getting words wrong. She teased me about it, and I told her it was because of … Read More »
Last September was a dream come true. As a professional speaker at colleges, it was logically a goal to speak at my alma mater, and I finally had the chance to do so. Not only did I get to speak … Read More »
My busy season has yielded some great ideas. More than ever, I’m actively revising and tweaking my presentations before each college visit. These changes come out of things like Q&A sessions, special advance requests, ad libs while I’m speaking … … Read More »
I want to talk about stigma. When I do my presentations, I actually come out and outright reject the word stigma, because the actual definition is something like, “a mark of disgrace.” Yeah, that this someone has an actual mark … Read More »
I’ve finished a marathon. In the last 12 weeks, I spoke in 5 states: at 11 college campuses and 1 Native pueblo. I debuted a brand new program and customized existing programs for unique audiences, like non-native-English speakers and veterans. … Read More »
I had so much fun making my other documinitary, I was looking for a next opportunity. What better than maybe my coolest speaking experience ever? I spoke at the Pueblo of Jemez, a sovereign nation in New Mexico, last month. … Read More »
I’ve been playing with making little movies to get ready to promote my book that’s coming out this month, and I thought it would be fun to try making mini documentaries of my adventures. Here’s my first attempt. It was … Read More »
Chapter 1. What the Heck? Invisible disabilities – talk about ruining a totally cool word by plopping it against a word that’s utterly depressing. Invisibility has been a fabled superpower since our childhoods. It ranks in the Top 5 Most … Read More »
Universal design is most widely known for inspiring ramps, curb cuts, and elevators that help people with mobility restrictions get around in our world. It means, literally, design for all. But as is often the case regarding people with disabilities, … Read More »
I can attribute a single action by my friend Phil for the end of my comedy career, my teaching career, and a marriage. It became so that when he greeted me, he’d never say “Hi”; he always just said, “I’m … Read More »