You know when there is something that just makes you all giddy inside? Well, this is one of those times! I'm launching a YouTube channel called, disABLED+Empowered, which is laser-focused on empowering disabled individuals (and their families and support systems) with information that can lead to meaningful action.
Over the past 20 years, I've met the most incredible people who have taught me, shaped me, and well, have collectively molded me into the professional that I am today. Actually, it's this cumulative knowledge and expertise that people seek when they reach out to me for help. Unfortunately, I'm just a single person with so many hours in the day. So, I've been playing around with the idea of sharing my knowledge and the process by which I obtain information and integrate it into my thinking on a larger platform (enter, YouTube). It is my hope that giving you a voyeuristic peek into these long-form dialogues drives insight and ignites action that can make a meaningful change that is right...for you.
I always encourage my clients to experiment and to throw things at the wall to see if they stick (and to throw them a few more times if they don't stick the first time). This promotes curiosity instead of judgment and allows us to take risks, and thus to grow and make a difference. Well, it's high time that I took my own advice. So, I'm jumping in with both feet. Here we go...GERONIMO!
To kick things off, I interview Dr. Stuart Stofferahn and Jessi Sandberg from the Nebraska Transition College (NTC). This grassroots transition program is a gem. We talk about its humble beginnings, it's vision to fit into anyone's pocket to be used anywhere, and like all good conversations, we go off-the-rails and stumble upon Stuart's spirit animal. Stuart and Jessi are engaging and delightful, and their passion and expertise for helping young adults with disabilities find a joyful way of life is evident. After doing this interview, I knew that I was on the right path with this YouTube experiment. There are people like Stuart and Jessi all over the world and maybe these videos can help people make the right connections with the right people at the right time (whoa, I think I just became a life planning match-maker...cool).
Ok, so get comfortable and grab a snack. You're in for a treat!
Oh yeah, remember that I'm new at this YouTube thing. So, uh, Stuart's handsome face may be blocked some of the time (ok, a lot of time) with subtitles. Look, not having subtitles isn't an option because these videos have to be accessible to all. I'm such a newb. Sorry, Stuart. Thanks for taking one for the team!
Timestamps are in the YouTube description.
If you're interested in the Nebraska Transition College, check out: https://www.nebraskatransitioncollege.org/
Reach out to Dr. Stofferahn at [email protected].
For a full transcript, click here.