The Podcast List

Many of these can be found on Apple, Spotify or other streaming choices. Some offer text transcripts and video options. Visit each website to find out how to listen.

by Angela Gartner

Empowered by Hope Podcast

Disability Visibility

This is life from a disabled lens. Disability Visibility is a podcast hosted by Alice Wong from San Francisco and features conversations on politics, culture and media with people who have disabilities. If you’re interested in disability rights, social justice and intersectionality, this show might be for you. The podcast is a production of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to recording, amplifying, and sharing disability media and culture.

Text transcripts and links for each episode are available at: disabilityvisibilityproject. com/podcast. Twitter: @DisVisibility

Raising a child with medical complexities is often lonely, scary and overwhelming. Join Emily K. Whiting and Ashlyn Thompson, two parents of children with rare medical complexities, to get help and grow with them into empowered advocates for kids. Find a community of support, encouragement, education and resources, equipping you to navigate your child’s medical complexities with hope. To get more personal support, connect with them directly at charlotteshopefoundation.org.

The Friends for Life Podcast friendsforliferc.com/podcast

This podcast dives deep into the topic of developmental disabilities and also discusses topics such as hard work, motivation and entrepreneurship for those who are disabled.

Junkyard Mayhem with Squirmy and Grubs

Shane and Hannah are on a mission to change the way society understands disability and relationships. Shane is disabled and uses a wheelchair; Hannah is non-disabled and performs all of Shane’s daily care. On their popular YouTube channel with over 1 million subscribers, the married couple shares a raw and unfiltered look into their interabled love. squirmyandgrubs.com/junkyardmayhem

OOD Works

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) is a state agency that empowers people with disabilities through employment, disability determinations and independence. Join Kim Jump as she interviews unique individuals who discovered OOD Works. ood.ohio.gov or visit podcasts.apple.com/ us/podcast/ood-works

Ohio DD Talks

Ohio DD Talks is a podcast series featuring stories and conversations with Ohioans with developmental disabilities about current issues that are important to them. Advocates Nathan Turner and Marci Straughter are the hosts. All episodes are found on their YouTube channel and several audio streaming services. ddc.ohio.gov/media-and-news/ ohio-dd-talks-podcast

OCALI’s Inspiring Change

Hear stories and connections from Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence’s (OCALI) ongoing work of inspiring change and promoting access for people with disabilities. ocali.org/project/inspiringchange-podcast

TALK Down Syndrome

This podcast was created to show the world how Down syndrome is truly amazing. With the goal of inspiring and supporting life stories, each episode is a unique interview that provides real life experiences about our loved ones, shared by you. The podcast is there to TALK (Teach, Advocate, Listen, and Kindness). instagram.com/ talkdownsyndromepodcast

The Autism Dad

This podcast is from Rob Gorski, known as The Autism Dad. If you’re a parent or caregiver raising a child with autism, a child with ADHD, or a child with a disability, this podcast is for you. He highlights parent and autistic voices on this show because there’s so much to learn from each other. He talks about topics that apply to your life with the help of experts, parents, and autistic voices. New episodes released every Monday. theautismdad.com

Adapting Toys So Everyone Can Play

by Angela Gartner

At a recent workshop, National Council of Jewish Women/Cleveland (NCJW/CLE) members worked at soldering after disassembling battery-operated toys in order to attach a switch so it can be more accessible to people with special needs.

They were under the supervision of RePlay for Kids, a nonprofit organization that has been repairing and adapting toys that serve children with disabilities in the community.

Natalie Wardega, director of operations at RePlay for Kids, said they have held about 130 workshops like the one NCJW/CLE members attended. They have different options, including for organizations that want to host workshops, to families who want to learn how to adapt toys, to schools that are interested in getting students involved.

Wardega says they even have workshops for adapted power wheel cars for kids with disabilities, replacing a foot pedal for a more accessible option. In addition to adapting toys, as part of its volunteer work, RePlay for Kids also repairs toys for agencies.

“We work with county boards, hospitals, school districts, teachers and families,” she says. “When we host these workshops, the volunteers do not have to have any technical background. We train them, teach them how to open up a toy (and share steps on how to place the switches). We have a video and hands-on training to show them how to do it.”

She says the toys are put through a quality test before being handed out to families and other agencies.

“Over the years we’ve grown, and now we give away about 2,000 adapted toys and switches each year,” she says.

RePlay for Kids receives all different types of battery-powered toys, from new to gently used. She adds it’s not just for little kids, they serve from ages birth to 26.

“For these children who receive the toys, it’s the first step for them to learn the cause-and-effect relationship,” Wardega says. “A lot of kids had someone do something for them. They are learning to intentionally do things for themselves. That’s the motivation, and these toys are there to motivate them to do that.”

If you would like to host or attend an upcoming workshop, find an adapted lending library, donate toys to a drive or host a drive, visit replayforkids.org. Also, view their calendar for the latest workshop events and more.