Episode 14: Inclusivity Through Disability

When you host a podcast like this, one of the benefits is having really interesting conversations with people you barely know, and ones that have been in your life for ages. The latter happened recently when I got a call from an old college friend who is a listener and told me I had to absolutely have today’s guest on the show. 

My friend, Nicolette, has two elementary-aged boys who are fun-loving football fanatics, but what I love most is their insatiable curiosity, stoked by two really great parents who instilled values in them that will last a lifetime. Nicolette’s call was to tell me about another mom at school whose daughter has a disability and who decided to make sure that not just her family and close friends knew how to talk about it, but how her entire school system learned about, talked about, and thought about people with different abilities. 

Now as a parent of young children, I often wonder how I will address my children when they harmlessly blurt out a question about someone they see who maybe looks different than them. What impressed me so much about the education my friend’s children received is that now, when her boys see someone with different abilities, is simply no big deal because EVERYONE is different. 

So without further ado, joining me on the show today is Ashley Matts, Director of Building Bridges, a classroom-based educational program that teaches kids about people with disabilities through immersive, hands-on experiences. Kids in grades K-5 get to understand, interact, and hear firsthand about what it’s like to have a physical, mental, or learning disability in a way that’s thought-provoking, honest, and educational. Wouldn’t it be great to live in a world where people with disabilities are just people with different abilities? Ashley’s program might just make that happen.