Episodes
Tuesday Sep 01, 2015
Defending the Basic Human Right to Water: Meet George McGraw, Founder of DIGDEEP
Tuesday Sep 01, 2015
Tuesday Sep 01, 2015
Recently Jason’s Connection’s Founder, Jason Harris, spoke with George McGraw, the Founder and Executive Director of DIGDEEP, an organization that is working with community and nonprofit leaders to bring improved water access to over 370 Navajo in New Mexico. They also have projects in Uganda, South Sudan, and Cameroon.
In this eye-opening interview, Mr. McGraw talks about the basic human right to water, how to defend it, what DIGDEEP does, and what everyone can do to help be part of the solution to this very serious problem.
“We really believe water is a basic human right. We should put people at the center…
let communities decide for themselves what kind of water access they want.”
Some facts to note:
-
Approximately 1.7 million Americans don’t have clean running water in their homes;
-
Water poverty affects 13% of Native Americans;
-
Water poverty affects people in Appalachia, migrants, and the urban homeless;
-
The average American uses 100 gallons of water per day, while people who experience water scarcity have to get by with 7 gallons or less;
-
80% of the global disease burden is caused in some way by unsafe water or sanitation.
"Communities rely on individual health and happiness to grow and flourish.
People can only come together as a community...
when they're happy and healthy at home."
George McGraw is the Founder and Executive Director of DIGDEEP. He has a simple goal: to change the way people think about water. He built DIGDEEP to defend access to clean water as a basic human right.
DIGDEEP is committed to defending the human right to water. They transform lives with clean water and safeguard human dignity. Each of their water projects is designed using a human rights-based approach, a practical model that integrates rights and dignity into the plans and processes of development. They treat each stakeholder holistically, using human rights principles to achieve outcomes like ownership, equity, participation, and rule of law. Recipient communities are not expected to be grateful – they’re expected to be proactive – empowered to defend their own rights in the future. They use their work to educate and empower people worldwide. DIGDEEP is changing the way people think about water, protecting water access as a human right through education and awareness.
For more information on DIGDEEP, please visit: http://www.digdeep.org/index.html
For more about the 4-Liter Challenge, please visit: https://4liters.org/
“The amount of water we have in the world is finite, so we’re all in this together.”
Tuesday Aug 25, 2015
Tuesday Aug 25, 2015
Recently Jason's Connection's Founder, Jason Harris, spoke with Jill Gibboney about proposed to changes to Medicare policy for those with lower limb prosthetics, and also about her social media campaign, the Handi-slap, calling out the abuse of handicapped parking spaces.
In this
interesting and informative interview, Ms. Gibboney talks about how the
ADA hasn't magically resolved all issues for people with disabilities,
and about why Medicare's policy for amputees is so important--since
private insurers usually follow Medicare's lead, it's important to make
sure their policies are forward thinking, not backward. Proposed changes
to Medicare have the potential to drastically diminish the standards of
prosthetic care for amputees. For a summary of the proposed changes,
please visit: http://www.amputee-coalition.org/advocacy-awareness/federal-issues/medicare-issue-alert/
"This idea that the ADA has taken care of everything is...false...
we still have a lot of work to do."
“Social media…gave me an opportunity to talk about my disability. It’s been a good learning experience for my friends and myself…it’s allowed me to talk very candidly about being disabled.”
Jill Gibboney is a wife, mom, office manager for a small marketing firm, social media maven, and only recently, an accidental advocate for people with disabilities, even though she was born without her right femur. She started social media accounts under the name the Handi-Slap, a humorous take on the very unfunny problem of people abusing handicapped parking, after successfully winning a battle with a construction dumpster via Twitter that was placed by the city at a handicapped meter in downtown Cincinnati.
To check out the Handi-Slap:
https://twitter.com/handi_slap
https://www.facebook.com/handislap
Tuesday Aug 18, 2015
Tuesday Aug 18, 2015
Recently Jason's Connection's Founder, Jason Harris, spoke with Toni Weaver, President of the PFLAG Council of Northern Illinois. In this insightful interview, Ms. Weaver discusses the history of PFLAG, how she became involved, and the group's three-fold mission of support, education, and advocacy.
PFLAG (Parents, families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) celebrates diversity and envisions a society that embraces everyone, including those of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Only with respect, dignity, and equality for all will we reach our full potential as human beings, individually and collectively. PFLAG promotes the well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten the ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG provides an opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity to create a society that respects human diversity.
PFLAG Council of Northern Illinois is a loose coalition of PFLAG chapters within the greater Chicago land area. It was formed in the late 1990s as a vehicle for unifying PFLAG’s presence and voice in Northern Illinois. Many chapters working together can accomplish far more than chapters acting individually. The Council provides a point of contact for media persons, community organizations that wish to work jointly with PFLAG, corporations that need speakers especially during Pride Month, and individuals seeking PFLAG’s assistance in a variety of areas. One phone call to the Council Helpline provides access to all of the chapters and resources that are available.
For more information, please visit: http://www.pflagillinois.org/ or https://community.pflag.org/Tuesday Aug 11, 2015
CHICAGO CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF THE ADA: Meet Risa Rifkind of ADA25 Chicago
Tuesday Aug 11, 2015
Tuesday Aug 11, 2015
Recently Jason's Connection's founder, Jason Harris, interviewed Risa Jaz Rifkind, Program Coordinator for ADA 25 Chicago, an organization that will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ADA in 2015 and leverage this historic milestone to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through building public awareness, as well as partner commitments in four key areas: education, employment, community inclusion, and technology.
In this interview, Ms. Rifkind discusses the ADA 25 Chicago program, its Disability Rights Museum on Wheels (DRMW), and the legacy of the ADA.
People with disabilities are our parents, children, coworkers, attorneys, doctors, teachers and our public officials.
Risa Jaz Rifkind is Program Coordinator – ADA 25 Chicago. Due to her experience as a little person, Risa has always been interested in accessibility, but started working in this field while at Johns Hopkins University where she studied travel and accessibility through the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Grant. After graduating from college, Risa moved to Chicago and worked at Open Doors Organization (ODO) as the Program Coordinator. While at ODO, she specialized in trainings for the aviation industry in regards to the Air Carrier Access Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2013, Risa joined the Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium (CCAC) as a Steering Committee Member, a position which she still holds today. The CCAC is a volunteer led group that offers monthly free programming to cultural institutions on how to make their services accessible to people with disabilities. In May 2015, Risa became the Program Coordinator for ADA 25 Chicago where she works with various partners to develop and execute their programs. She also serves as the accessibility expert on the team.
ADA 25 Chicago will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ADA in 2015 and leverage this historic milestone to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through building public awareness, as well as partner commitments in four key areas: education, employment, community inclusion and technology. ADA 25 Chicago will include educational, cultural, arts, sports and recreation events sponsored by our program partners, from organizations in the four key areas to create a lasting legacy throughout the Chicago region for people with disabilities.The Chicago Community Trust is the lead supporter of ADA 25 Chicago and has assembled Honorary and Steering Committees to lead this initiative with the region's leading civic, business, cultural, educational, community and disability rights organizations.
For more information on ADA 25 Chicago, please visit: http://ada25chicago.org/Tuesday Jul 07, 2015
Tuesday Jul 07, 2015
Recently Jason's Connection's founder, Jason Harris, talked with
with Melissa Spooner and Rachelle Kniffen of Leader Dogs for the Blind,
an organization whose mission is empowering people who are blind or
visually impaired with lifelong skills for safe and independent daily
travel.
In this fascinating interview, Ms. Kniffen and Ms. Spooner discuss Leader Dogs for the Blind, and their Prison Puppies Program.
"Once our clients get a Leader Dog, they gain the independence and confidence to go out and go places on their own. Our bottom line is expanding someone's independence."
Leader Dogs for the Blind empowers people who are blind, visually impaired or Deaf-Blind with skills for a lifetime of independent travel, opening doors that may seem to have closed with the loss of sight. Thanks to the generosity of their dedicated supporters, all programs are provided free to clients, including meals and housing during training, travel and equipment. Leader Dog programs are crafted to address individual situations and adapt to clients’ changing needs at any point in their lives. From youth camp to orientation and mobility cane training through guide dog training and GPS technology integration, Leader Dog’s programs give clients the confidence and skills they need to live independent lives. Leader Dog is recognized as a “Best In America” Charity by the Independent Charities of America (ICA).
Over the past 13 years, Leader Dog has been raising puppies in correctional facilities in several states including Iowa and Michigan with great success. These Future Leader Dogs are trained by inmates who, while incarcerated, have been model prisoners and demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that they could be trusted to provide 24-7 care to an eight-week old puppy through its twelfth month of life. Puppies raised in the prison are afforded a unique opportunity in an environment where their very presence is rehabilitative. More importantly, puppies raised in the prison have fewer health and behavioral issues as evaluated by our veterinary care team, and more often successfully complete their guide dog training at Leader Dog’s 14-acre campus. Puppies raised in correctional facilities have a great success rate with over 65 percent going on to graduate with their human partner from the Leader Dog’s guide dog training program. The average Future Leader Dog raised in a home only manages to succeed at graduating from our guide dog training program 39 percent of the time.
For more information on Leader Dogs for the Blind, please visit: http://www.leaderdog.org/
Tuesday Jun 30, 2015
Tuesday Jun 30, 2015
i.d.e.a.l. Magazine founder, publisher, and CEO--Zarifa Roberson (Image: Provided)
Recently Jason's Connection's Founder, Jason Harris, talked with Zarifa Roberson, the CEO, Founder, and Publisher of i.d.e.a.l Magazine, and a tireless advocate for those with disabilities. Ms. Roberson herself was born with a disability, but she does not let it dictate her life.
In this fascinating interview, Zarifa talks about her life and work, and reflects on what life is like for people with disabilities.
"We [i.d.e.a.l. Magazine] make sure people with disabilities have a platform for their voices to be heard
...to express their concerns, and celebrate their lives."
i.d.e.a.l. Magazine is an award-winning for magazine for urban young people with disabilities. i.d.e.a.l. is an acronym for Individuals with Disabilities Express About Life. Their mission is to promote positive images of people with disabilities in society. They also try to eliminate negative stereotypes among the disability community.
For more information on i.d.e.a.l. magazine, please visit: http://itsanidealworld.com/
And always visit us at http://www.jasonsconnection.org/
Tuesday Jun 16, 2015
Tuesday Jun 16, 2015
Recently Jason's Connection's Content Director, Ericka McIntyre, had a chat with Angela Ostholthoff, Training Coordinator for The Recovery Center of Hamilton County, a consumer run organization that supports residents of Hamilton County (Ohio) who are working on their recovery from mental health disorders.
Before coming to The Recovery Center, Angela Ostholthoff was the Coordinator for Phoenix Place and a Corrections Officer for Clermont County Juvenile Detention Center. She has been actively involved in the consumer movement since 1999 as an advocate for persons with mental illness.
"Recovery is possible...we really emphasize the recovery model, that despite having an illness, you are still an individual...we really emphasize that you are somebody other than just your mental illness"
The Recovery Center's mission is to offer an environment of learning that promotes wellness and personal growth designed to empower individuals in recovery to live meaningful lives in the community. Their goal is to be a stepping stone to a fulfilling and successful life beyond the mental health community...to help individuals develop natural supports in their community that initially enhance, but eventually replace, the peer support that we offer. They offer classes and programs in various subject areas. Their staff is comprised of consumers in the latter stages of recovery who will serve as role models to others in the mental health system. Core competencies you will see from staff at the Recovery Center are compassion, empathy, and respect along with excellent listening and interpersonal skills. Most of their staff, and many of their volunteers are Certified Peer Specialists.
For more information on the Recovery Center, please visit: http://www.recoverycenterhc.org/And always visit us at http://www.jasonsconnection.org/
Tuesday Jun 09, 2015
Tuesday Jun 09, 2015
Recently Jason's Connection Founder, Jason Harris, sat down with filmmaker Alice Elliott. In this fascinating interview, Ms. Elliott shares her views on her life and work, and talks about a new film project she is working on, Miracle on 42nd Street.
Alice Elliott is the director, producer, and cinematographer on the Academy Award nominated film The Collector of Bedford Street, her first film in a trilogy of works on life with disability. The second film in that trilogy is the PBS award winning documentary, Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy. The film is an exploration of the remarkable bond of friendship and activism that sustained Diana Braun and Kathy Conour for forty years--a symbiotic relationship that defied Diana’s Down syndrome diagnosis and the limitations placed on Kathy by cerebral palsy. Both films have played at the Breaking Barriers Film Festival. The third film is an exploration of marriage between a couple with Down syndrome; The Dignity of Risk.
A media consultant for disability organizations, Alice enjoys creating and distributing films that change the world for people with disabilities. Last spring she directed ACTIVATE HERE!, a series of short videos to help people with developmental and intellectual disabilities learn to advocate for themselves. Each month her company, Welcome Change Productions, distributes relevant and well-made disability media through their Trusted Source newsletter. Her films are distributed through New Day Films, a filmmaker owned educational distribution cooperative. She is a teacher at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, a recipient of a 2012 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and a National Endowment for the Arts Grant.
For more information on Alice Elliott and her work, please visit: http://www.welcomechange.org/about/alice-elliott/Tuesday May 19, 2015
Tuesday May 19, 2015
Recently Jason Harris, Founder of Jason’s Connection, sat down with Susan Brownknight, Director of Development and Public Relations for LADD, Inc., an organization whose mission is to facilitate the education of adults with disabilities to realize their aspirations.
Ms. Brownknight is a tireless advocate for those with disabilities. In addition to her work at LADD, she is also Managing Director of the Cincinnati ReelAbilities Film Festival.
“There is strength in our differences and…assigning value to a person with a disability is not only the right thing to do, it really is the smart thing to do. It adds to the fabric of the community on a lot of levels.”
LADD, Inc., provides a variety of programs and services for people with disabilities, from young adults just leaving high school to older adults who qualify for senior services. Their community-based services are unique in the way they teach independent living skills that will help people become self-sufficient and less dependent on others.
ReelAbilities Film Festival is the largest festival in the country dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with different disabilities.
For more information about Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled, please visit: http://www.laddinc.org/
And always visit us at http://www.jasonsconnection.org/
Tuesday May 12, 2015
Tuesday May 12, 2015
Recently Jason's Connection's Content Director, Ericka McIntyre, sat down with Topher Wurts, the creator of Autism Village, a collection of apps to help families of children with autism, and autistic adults. Mr. Wurts was known in the world of business for bringing together marketing, technology, and teamwork. When his son Kirby was diagnosed with autism, he and his family became one of the 2.8 million families in the United States affected by autism. So, he invented Autism Village.
"We hope this is a tool that...creates more general awareness and acceptance [of autism] and that people learn more about autism...and be more inclusive of the autistic population by being more accepting of them."
Autism Village is a new nonprofit organization, that is launching a free, cross-platform, rating and review app to uniquely serve the growing autism community. Their goal is to launch a “Yelp for Autism” app in the next quarter.
Currently 1 in 68 children are born with an autistic spectrum disorder. Topher Wurts, founder and father of his autistic son Kirby, founded Autism Village to create practical day-to-day tools to help parents and families that are caring for Autistic children. The first tool Autism Village will release is the “The Autism Village App” which is a free service for all users where community members help to build the unique database of autism friendly services and places. This database will include ratings and reviews on businesses, organizations and places for “autism friendliness.”
For more information on Autism Village, please visit: http://autismvillage.com/.And always visit us at http://www.jasonsconnection.org/.