Author name: MCIE

Tim Villegas reflects on the year 2023 and discusses what has gone well and what can be improved upon in the coming year. Tim shares his accomplishments, including finishing “Inclusion Stories” and being part of the Inclusion Today group. He expresses a desire to hear more from listeners and invites them to suggest topics for future episodes. Tim expresses gratitude for the support and feedback from listeners. The episode ends with holiday wishes and a happy New Year’s greeting.

Arthur Aston, host of the Inclusion Think Tank podcast by the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education (NJCIE), shares his personal story and discusses the importance of inclusive education. He emphasizes the need for students with disabilities to be included in the conversation and highlights the impact of sharing personal experiences. Arthur encourages educators to start somewhere and stay dedicated to the process, as inclusive education takes time. He also mentions the value of hearing from students themselves and the impact of supportive teachers and school nurses.

Heather Avis, author and advocate for individuals with Down syndrome, emphasizes the importance of intentional inclusion and the need for a shift in the narrative around disability. She shares personal experiences as a parent and highlights the power of storytelling to change perceptions and create spaces of belonging. Heather also addresses the challenges of advocating for inclusion and the ongoing work needed to dismantle ableism.

This week, we are bringing you a feed drop from UDL in 15 Minutes by Loui Lord Nelson *** The ultimate UDL question is “what does UDL look like?” Loui shares how her new tool, The UDL Gears, helps UDL users in all fields and around the world shift that question to, “What are the

About the Guest(s): Arielle Hobbs is the founder of The Lion League, a nonprofit organization that focuses on promoting inclusion in schools. She is a passionate advocate for inclusive education and has dedicated her work to creating a curriculum that teaches students how to be more inclusive with their disabled peers. Arielle is a thinker

About the Guest(s): Emily Ladau: Emily is a passionate disability rights activist, public speaker, writer, and digital communications consultant. She is the editor-in-chief of a blog for an organization called Rooted in Rights and has worked on various projects related to disability accessibility. Emily believes in making ideas and concepts readily accessible to people with

About the Guest(s): Julia Bascom is the Executive Director at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). She has extensive experience in disability rights advocacy and has served on various boards and councils related to disability equality. Julia is autistic herself and is dedicated to promoting the rights and inclusion of autistic individuals. Episode Summary: In

About the Guest(s): Audri Gomez has been in the field of special education since 2000. She has worked as a resource specialist and in self-contained classrooms in the K-12 setting for the Newport Mesa Unified School District. Currently, she is an adjunct professor for the Department of Special Education at Chapman University. Aja McKee has

About the Guest(s): Debbie Taub is the Director of Research at Keystone Alternate Assessment. With a background as a classroom teacher and school forms specialist, she has extensive experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Debbie has contributed to the field of educating children with complex needs through