Encouraging, educating and empowering people with all abilities. Building healthier relationships. Together we can all make a difference!

Journeys. Your Story. Your Journey. Your Hope. 1st & 3rd Wednesday of the month 10 am

Focus: Author

Piper Hutson

A photo of Piper Hutson

Piper A. Hutson, EdD, is distinguished in neurodiversity, art history, and education, blending these disciplines to promote inclusivity in art and urban spaces. Holding a Doctorate of Education, focusing on adult learning and art history, both in academic and professional fields as a Corporate Art Curator and as an Adjunct Professor at Lindenwood University. Her […]

Liam R. Findlay

A photo of Liam R. Findlay

Liam enjoys a career in the design and storytelling of immersive themed attractions, employing energy and creativity to provide memorable guest experiences. He specialises in ideas development and preliminary design, with particular experience in puzzle escape rooms and edutainment. For AromaPrime, themed scenting company for attractions, he uses his design experience to guide venues in […]

Victoria Moore

Victoria Moore smiling wearing tap gloves.

Victoria is a master tap instructor with over 40 years of sharing her love, knowledge, and expertise of tap dancing in dance conventions coast to coast in the U.S., as well as studio, and private settings. In 2018, Victoria realized that tap dance was singularly exclusive to non-disabled dancers, leaving those with disabilities and any […]

Annie Streit

Annie Streit has been a wheelchair user since a diving accident in May of 2005.  She has spoken to many groups about her accident, adapting to life in a wheelchair, and overcoming obstacles. She has a true passion for working with children and being an advocate for those with disabilities. She plans on being able […]

Lisa Louis

Lisa Louis and her son Sean smiling, standing on a hill by the sea.

Lisa Louis created HikingAutism.com, a guide for the millions of families like hers with an autistic family member to experience the joy of nature. HikingAutism features more than 170 hikes accompanied by 1,900 stunning nature photos. The outings range from five mile hikes on Mt. Tam in Marin County to rambles through the streets of […]

Samantha Maxwell

A picture of Samantha Maxwell in her power wheelchair smiling in front of a table.

Samantha Maxwell has written about her own experiences of living with mild Cerebral Palsy, with the setbacks and discriminative language received during her life. The book, titled CP Isn’t Me, is part autobiographical and part factual, and aims at breaking the stigma associated with disability. Samantha, who lives in Wrexham, shows that disability is no […]

George D. Williams

George D. Wiilliams is an Autism advocate and author who is passionate about issues related to adults on the spectrum. Working to educate employers about the many benefits of hiring adults on the spectrum. Writing will continue to focus on the comprehensive needs of the Autism population including housing, health care, financial planning, and employment.

Lya Badgley

Lya Badgley smiling, wearing a black leather jacket and white/grey curly hair.

Lya was born in Yangon, Myanmar. The child of a political scientist and a multimedia artist, she grew up in a household that encouraged critical thinking, curiosity, and creativity.She moved to the Pacific Northwest in the eighties, becoming a part of the Seattle arts and music scene.In the nineties, Lya opened a restaurant in Myanmar, […]

Michael Hingson

Michael Hingson wearing an off-white dress shirt with a gold and blue patterned necktie. Michael is shown feeling the face of his yellow Labrador retriever, Roselle.

On September 11, 2001, a blind man escaped the World Trade Center by walking down 78 flights of stairs with his guide dog. Days later, America fell in love with Mike and Roselle and the special bond that helped them both survive one of the country’s darkest days. Immediately after the 9-11 tragedy, Michael was […]

Penny Melville-Brown

Penny Melville-Brown presenting a dish she baked in a black pin-striped apron and magenta sweater.

I’m a survivor. Life has been about overcoming disasters and discovering new opportunities. In my mid-20s, my fiancé of six years was killed in a car crash. I had to pick myself up and find a new direction. The Royal Navy was the answer for a superb career of over 20 years: one of eight […]

Shai Anbar

Shai Anbar sitting on his front porch.

As a businessman-turned-aphasia advocate, Shai’s sole intention is to raise awareness about aphasia so that it becomes more than just a term in a medical textbook. He’s using a platform to shine the light on disability—specifically on aphasia—where resilience and inspiration are not always household names. Shai was born in Jerusalem, 1960. He lived and […]

Randi-Lee Bowslaugh

Randi_Lee Bowslaugh smiling wearing a black sweater, glasses and purple hair.

Randi-Lee was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, and from a young age, she had a passion for helping others. She attended Niagara College and graduated at the top of her class from Community and Justice Services after completing her placement at a recovery house for alcohol and drug addictions. Post-graduation, she worked at a […]

Jennifer Soames

Jennifer Soames smiling.

Jennifer Soames is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivor and advocate, author, certified yoga instructor, nutritional consultant, and former licensed holistic health practitioner. She is passionate about helping those affected by TBI get the information, care and support they need to live their best life, even with a new normal. She understands firsthand the pain, […]

Cort Schneider

Cort Schneider walking with his forearm crutches.

Cort is a dedicated, enthusiastic and passionate educator who has an extensive teaching and experience in Disability Services at the college level. In addition, has leadership experience and history of serving students in multiple capacities at the university level. Deep understanding of higher education policy, cultural diversity, and the role of community college in higher […]

John Bramblitt

John Bramblitt smiling in front of some of his paintings.

John Bramblitt is an artist living in Denton Texas, his art has been sold in over one hundred and twenty countries and he has appeared internationally in print, TV and radio. He has appeared on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, ABC, NBC, FOX, Discovery Channel and BBC Radio and TV to name a few […]

Lois Letchford

Lois Letchford smiling in front of a lighted background.

For the past twenty years, Lois Letchford has been a literacy problem solver. Specializing in teaching children who struggle with learning to read, her creative teaching methods vary depending on the reading ability of the student, employing age-appropriate, rather than reading-age-appropriate, material. Lois’s non-traditional background, multi-continental exposure, and passion for helping failing students equip her […]

Anthony Frisina

Anthony smiling wearing a blue shirt and glasses in his wheelchair.

Anthony Frisina has a passion for accessibility and inclusion. He is driven by a community in Hamilton, Ontario, where he was born and still calls home today. Born with Spina Bifida he was privileged to adapt a “person first” mentality in his early years, a mindset he currently embodies in his every day life. “Adversity […]

Mark Chartier

Mark Chartier with a diversity print featuring a group of multi-colored hands

Every day, I mentor students who must overcome serious challenges. But I know they can persevere, because I did. Growing up with Tourette’s syndrome, I had poor grades and demonstrated significant behaviors, but thanks to positive relationships with my educators, I was able to defy expectations and succeed in school. As an adult, I sustained […]