Inspiring Change Podcast

Episode 32: Everyone’s Game: Rethinking Accessibility in Sports Venues

Live sports should be for everyone! Hear how two major Ohio venues are creating accessible experiences where all fans can attend, enjoy, and belong.

Episode 31: This Music Will Continue to Play: A Conversation with Autism Center Program Director Amy Bixler Coffin

Megan and Simon chat with Amy Bixler Coffin, program director of the Autism Center at OCALI before her retirement in Summer 2025.

Episode 30: We Know What Works: Jim Taylor on Learning Styles, Community, Football, and 45+ Years in the Field of Autism

OCALI's friend Jim Taylor traveled over 3,500 miles from Glasgow, Scotland to Columbus, Ohio to attend OCALICONLINE - a virtual conference he could attend anywhere. Why?!

Episode 29: It's Not a Celebration of Ohio if All Ohioans Can't Come: Building a More Inclusive Fair Experience

The Autism Center at OCALI presents Connecting the Dots, a new series focused on raising awareness around autism and empowering communities.

Episode 28: Making Change In The World. And Out of It. Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen on Disability in Space

Intuitive Machine's Odysseus recently completed the U.S.'s first moon landing in 50 years.

Episode 27: Grace and Grit - A Conversation with Judy Heumann, Temple Grandin, and Haben Girma

Judy, Temple, and Haben come together for the first time to reflect on their work, contributions, and advocacy efforts over the years.

Episode 26: Small Gestures and True Wins: The A+B=C Equation

OCALI's Executive Director, Shawn Henry, discusses the necessary components of access and belonging when building community in closing remarks delivered at OCALICON.

Episode 25: There Is Strength In Every Community: A Conversation about Special Education in Rural and Urban Settings

The Rewind series continues with a dialogue about the current state of disability education in both rural and urban settings.

Episode 24: It's Really About Living Your Moments Well With Other People

Using a framework grounded in research, Tim Vogt, Danyetta Najoli, and Jill Mays share some thoughts, laughs, experiences, and recommendations for creating and supporting meaningful engagements.

Episode 23: We Get Stuff Done: A Conversation about Women and Autism

The Rewind series resumes with a candid conversation with two autistic women and the parent of a young woman with autism.

Episode 22: May the Power Be With You: The Margaret Burley Family Impact Award

Since 2016, OCALI has awarded the Margaret Burley Family Impact Award to a parent or professional who has made significant impact on the lives of families of those with disabilities.

Episode 21: Those Children Are Going to Be Very Different: The Ongoing Work of Building A Diverse and Inclusive Society

Sheila Graschinsky is the president and CEO of Fundación Ian, an organization in Buenos Aires focused on promoting a diverse and inclusive society.

Episode 20: The Smell of the Room is a Fire in My Nose: A Conversation on Autism and Trauma

Kim Clairy and Kelly Mahler challenge us to step beyond traditional thinking and understanding of trauma.

Episode 19: Baked Into the Process: Advancing Equitable Outcomes Through the Lens of Social Justice

Dr. Charles Barrett is a nationally-certified school psychologist, as well as a writer, musician, and teacher from Northern Virginia.

Episode 18: Inclusion is the Future: A Conversation with Dani Bowman

Dani Bowman is an animator, filmmaker, author, teacher, student, and entrepreneur from Southern California.

Episode 17: We Are All Able: A Conversation with LeDerick Horne on Vision, Inclusion, and Belonging

OCALI's Jen Bavry and Shawn Henry chat with poet, speaker, and advocate LeDerick Horne.

Episode 16: Gabby's Team: A Multiagency Approach to Transition

A conversation with Gabby Kozinski, a recent high school graduate from Bucyrus, OH, and the multi-agency group of professionals who have been her support team as she gets ready for the next phase in her journey.

Episode 15: It Gives You Teeth: Reflections on the 30-Year Anniversary of the ADA

We talk to D'Arcee Neal, Diana Mairose, and Mark Seifarth - three people from three different generations - about what the ADA means to them.

Episode 14: We Are the Ones We've Been Waiting For

Our second vodcast episode features Sarah Buffie's keynote address at the 2020 Transformation Summit.

Episode 13: We Are in This Together, and We Need to Stay Connected - How Ohio's Daily COVID-19 Update has Elevated Awareness About the Importance of Access - Audio Version

We chat with Marla Berkowitz, Lena Smith, and Christy Horne - the superstar team of ASL interpreters for Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's daily COVID-19 press conferences.

Episode 12: We Are in This Together, and We Need to Stay Connected - How Ohio's Daily COVID-19 Update has Elevated Awareness About the Importance of Access

Our first vodcast episode! We chat with Marla Berkowitz, Lena Smith, and Christy Horne.

Episode 11: An Inspiring Conversation with Kim Clairy and William Miller

Kim Clairy is an occupational therapist, consultant, poet, and self-advocate.

Episode 10: I Feel Like I'm in School All Over Again: More Tales from Home Schooling During A Global Pandemic

We chat with an intervention specialist and two parents about what it's like to try and educate and engage students while schools are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Episode 09: Pull Out the Christmas Lights and Create a Dance Studio: Direct Care and Residential Programs During a Global Pandemic

REM Ohio provides an array of supports and services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, most of which involve direct, face-to-face, hands-on, and physical proximity.

Episode 08: Words Matter: How Do You Deliver Special Education Services During a Worldwide Pandemic?

We chat with a multiple disabilities teacher and parent of a first grader and learn about their tag-team efforts to continue education during the school shut down.

Episode 07: The Crow Master

A conversation with Katie Robinson, accessible educational materials production specialist in the ATAEM Center at OCALI.

Episode 06: Playing Pictionary with Ketchup: A Conversation on Trauma, Connections, and Healing with Sarah Buffie, Soul Bird Consulting

We chat with Sarah Buffie about trauma's impact on the brain and body, cultivating intentional social practices during a period of isolation, and getting curious together.

Episode 05: It's Different for Girls: A Conversation with Four Women on the Spectrum

A panel discussion with four autistic women about their diagnosis, their work, their personal and professional relationships, and their communities.

Episode 04: An Inspiring Conversation with Alicia Shoults and Angela Krile of the Ohio State Fair

How do you 'dial back the fair' and create a sensory-friendly experience in an environment that can often trigger sensory overload?

Episode 03: An Inspiring Conversation with Kevin Miller

We catch up with director Kevin Miller from Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities at the ODNR park at the Ohio State Fair.

Episode 02: A Day at the Fair: The First Sensory Friendly Morning at the Ohio State Fair

It's her first time out in a big outing like this. She's non-verbal, and she's just loving it.

Episode 01: Shifting Expectations: Reflections on Ohio's Continued Transition Towards Community Employment and Individual Choice

'How do we build a better community together?' Many people with disabilities have historically found work in what are commonly referred to as sheltered workshops.

Episode 00: Inspiring Change Teaser

In our teaser episode, we get a quick taste from Episode 2 - "A Day at the Fair.' We chat with a few of the participants in the first ever sensory friendly morning at the Ohio State Fair.