Human Potential At Work

José M Alvarez joins the program to discuss the efforts that he is making to create programs that make technology more accessible for persons with disabilities. José also shares how he empowers his students by teaching them coding skills and how he has created software and apps that can teach skills in an accessible way.  He also shares his most recent efforts which involve starting a foundation to help develop the next generation of programmers. 

Nipun Malhotra joins the program from India to discuss his journey of being diagnosed with a disability called arthrogryposis which causes the muscles in the arms and legs to be underdeveloped. Nipun shares how he decided to sit up for his rights in 2012, starting the Nipman Foundation that works in the area of health and advocacy for Persons with Disabilities. 

Joyce Bender from Bender Consulting Services discusses the efforts that she has made in providing employers with reliable talent, as well as giving well-trained individuals with disabilities the chance to display their abilities and enhance their lives through solid careers. Joyce also shares how she is using her program "Disability Matters" to document the history of the disability community. 

TEDx speaker Kate Nicholson discusses her journey with chronic pain, and how opioid treatment helped her in her healing process. Kate discusses how, on the right dose of pain medicine, she drafted the current regulations under the ADA, coordinated with the White House and supervised thousands of cases by hundreds of attorneys across the country from a screen and well-camouflaged bed.  Kate shares her thoughts on opioid treatment for chronic pain and the need to factor in the needs of those with chronic pain in the conversation around opioids and addiction. 

This episode features a 3 way conversation with Debra, her producer Doug Foresta, and Paige Mayer from Eturi as they discuss the challenges and opportunities that arise from parenting in the digital age. Paige discusses the benefits of Eturi's parental control app "Our Pact" which allows users to locate their children and block screen time on mobile devices. Doug shares stories from his experience with his 12 year old son, and Debra reveals the challenges she has had negotiating mobile phone usage with her daughter. Discover why these digital challenges are ones that we all face, and how we can both enjoy the benefits of technology and set healthy limits to ensure that we are living a full life. 

Nurse Practitioner and podcaster Cindy Kennedy joins the program to discuss her journey of living with chronic Lyme Disease and the challenges that she had to overcome in getting diagnosed and finding the appropriate treatment. Cindy shares tips for diagnosis and treatment, and shares advise for those who may be experiencing disabling symptoms as a result of the disease. 

Ryan Eder, Founder and CEO of IncludeFitness™, shares the work that his company is doing digitizing physical medicine, rehabilitation and wellness to achieve better outcomes at lower costs. 

Murteza Khan from the Bangladesh Business and Disability Network discusses the efforts the organization is making in bringing together employers who are committed to developing a more disability inclusive work force in Bangladesh. 

Debra is joined by Doug Foresta, producer of Human Potential at Work, as they reflect on what they are most grateful for over the past year. Doug and Debra also discuss the evolution of the show, and where they see the program heading over the next year. Discover some of the biggest takeaways from the past year's episodes and topics. 

Claudia Guardiola from Movimiento Congruencia joins the program to discuss the initiatives that they are taking to help increase disability inclusion in Mexico, and to make sure that people with disabilities are included in the conversation. Discover how they are sharing best practices with other countries and which companies are leading the way when it comes to B2B disability inclusion in Mexico. 

Teresa Shea Booher, David Bray and Layli Suel join the program to discuss why we need positive change agents across organizations and sectors. Discover why change that matters is done not by any one person, but by change agents who are willing to step out across sectors and to demonstrate a way to move forward and what you can do to help make a difference. 

David Bray and Mei Lin Fung from People Centered Internet join the program to discuss how the internet can be used for social good and the efforts they are making to help billions of new users connect to the internet. Discover a broader definition of accessibility and the importance of how the internet can be used to bring people together and how the private sector, public sector and individuals can combine forces to humanize the internet.   

Richard Schatzberg, Advisory Board Chair for Ruh Global, discusses his thoughts about the need to unite the disability community, and the role that social media can play in doing so. Richard also shares why he thinks it is crucial to make the business case for engaging the disability community, and gives some examples of brands who are doing this effectively, and the payoff for their efforts. 

Cerina Vincent, who stars on the #1 most watched Disney Channel comedy series "Stuck In The Middle" joins the program to discuss the evolution of her career, and the importance of finding a personal definition of success. Cerina also shares her experience of being cast in the film "Broken Memories" a romantic drama centering around the issue of Alzheimers. 

Roy Andersen joins the program to discuss the importance of inclusion in education and how to remove the blocks that keep students from learning. Roy shares his own experiences of struggling as a young student and what it taught him about how education needs to change. Roy explains his perspective on what intelligence is, how children learn and why and how we must change the school experience to provide the future global society with a new model citizen.

Jamey Edwards, CEO of Cloudbreak Health, shares the work he's been doing to humanize and fix the healthcare system in the US. Discover how Cloudbreak is providing innovative solutions that allow for greater ease of access for patients, better communication between providers, and empowerment of patients, providers and hospitals. 

Leadership coach and speaker Kelly Meerbott joins the program to discuss how she helps her clients grow and become the best version of themselves. Kelly also shares the practices that she uses for her own personal growth and discusses her work with Ken's Krew, an organization that helps persons with disabilities to successfully enter the workforce and find meaningful employment. 

August de los Reyes, head of design and research at Pinterest, discusses accessibility through better design, and why he left his position as the lead designer of XBox to work at Pinterest. August discusses the ways in which Pinterest empowers its users, and shares real world examples and stories that illustrate the transformative power of Pinterest. August also discusses disability as a design problem and why better design benefits everyone. 

Sensory design consultant and workshop facilitator Alastair Somerville, joins the program to discuss how inclusive design benefits everyone, not only persons with disabilities. Alastair shares his thoughts about how to improve design and make it more responsive for all, as shares stories from his own design projects. 

This episode features a conversation with Engineer Suhail Al-Almaee as he describes the innovative efforts that Saudi Arabia is undertaking in the area of disability inclusion. Discover how Saudi Arabia is changing the paradigm and becoming a world class leader when it comes to creating a culture of disability inclusion.