In this solo episode, Diana speaks from her heart about the distinctions she advocates for within any disability awareness endeavors, and why long-term, traditional disability awareness practices are unproductive and even harmful. She encourages listeners to reflect on their "why", and ensure that their disability awareness endeavors revolve around societal responsiveness to individual needs being met, creating spaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging.  Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Free Resource - How to Talk with Kids about Disability Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Trifold Laminated Resource: Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In this episode, Diana discusses the correlation between real life situations that she and other individuals and their family members find themselves in due to lack of societal commitment to their well-being, and the social paradigm focus of going Beyond Awareness vs. traditional disability awareness. She concludes with encouragement to listeners to take steps toward going Beyond Awareness so that we can begin making progress toward access to well-being for all.    Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Free Resource - How to Talk with Kids about Disability Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Trifold Laminated Resource: Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In this episode, Diana has a conversation with Dr. Leah Kelley, author of The Person Who Arrives: Connecting Disability Studies and Educational Practice for Teachers, Parents, and Others. They discuss the importance of creating belonging, community, and connection in the classroom, understanding the breadth of diversity when it comes to inclusion, and how the disability experience intersects with so many other lived experiences that are important to bring to the table.  Dr. Leah Kelley   Links Mentioned or Related The Person Who Arrives Book Thirty Days of Autism Blog Hannah Arendt - Natality   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Free Resource - How to Talk with Kids about Disability Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Trifold Laminated Resource: Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In this episode, Diana has a conversation with Dr. Shelley Moore. Shelley is a Canadian educator and an expert on special education who also has taught in the U.S. She is the author of One Without the Other, which I've read a couple times, as well as her upcoming book, All for One, which I look forward to reading. Shelly is a teacher researcher, YouTuber and extraordinary speaker. She advocates for inclusive education and seeks to reform iep programs to better suit the needs of individual students. Shelley is so well-informed as it relates to disability diversity and educational policies related to students with disabilities, both in the US and in Canada. And she's brilliant and talented and funny, and really just a good human. Shelley and I discussed the concept of inclusion and she distinguished between mainstreaming, integration, and inclusion with a real sense of belonging in one's community. She compares the intent of LRE (least restrictive environment) with what we have been doing in public education, as well as individuals with disabilities and families as the intended beneficiaries of a continuum of services. Shelley also shares on a personal level of what her "why" is, and some fun rapid-fire questions at the end of the interview. I hope you'll enjoy this episode as much as I did! Dr. Shelley Moore DrShelleyMoore.com   Links Mentioned or Related BlogSomeMoore  Five Moore Minutes Five Moore Minutes YouTube One without the Other Book All for One Book Dan Habib Herb Lovett - Learning to Listen Book   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Free Resource - How to Talk with Kids about Disability Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Trifold Laminated Resource: Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In this episode, Diana leads listeners through guidelines for leading a disability awareness event from a social model lens. She tells the story of how she used to conduct disability awareness using traditional, outdated models. And she shares how her learnings and experiences have transformed her focus, and has taken her "beyond awareness." She includes a walkthrough of McMillin Elementary School's Beyond Awareness Celebration, and interviews leaders and participants throughout the planning, implementing, and reflection process.  Special thanks to McMillin Elementary School in Chula Vista, California. Thank you to Andrea Galang and Liza Tuscano, for continuing our McMillin tradition with so much enthusiasm and care. Thank you to all the administration, staff, families, and students for embracing these opportunities for new learning and growth throughout the years.  And mostly, thank you to all the guest presenters for generously sharing your time and energy with students, staff and families. Links Mentioned or Related Diana's Trifold Laminated Guide, Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.) Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book "Beyond Awareness" - Diana's Digital Course Andrea's Free Resource - Recorded Interviews with Guest Presenters Diana's Free 5 Fundamentals PosterInspiration Porn Episode with Dr. Toni Saia Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Free Resource - How to Talk with Kids about Disability Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Brand New Resource! Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In this episode, Diana interviews Richard Rieman, founder of Imagination Storybooks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing rich and fully accessible reading experiences to children who are blind, low vision, deaf, hard-of-hearing, neurodiverse, and all children.  Richard Rieman Bio     Links Mentioned or Related   Imagination Storybooks  Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) free classroom resources Storybooks Club   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Free Resource - How to Talk with Kids about Disability Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Brand New Resource! Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In this episode, Danny Whitty and his sister, Tara, talk with Diana about the importance of spelling to communicate, communication regulation partners, and their sibling relationship. This is an emotional episode, as Diana, Tara and Danny connect and relate to one another with raw authenticity and love. If you are curious about autism, and especially non or minimally-speaking autistic communicators, then come right in and allow your world view of autism to be impacted in an irreversible way.  Note: In this episode, Danny is typing on a laminated letter board. His sister, Tara, reads out loud the letters as he types. And at times, Danny's is able to speak his own words. These moments of Danny's communication are magical. Although it may sound different than you are used to hearing in interviews and podcast episodes, I have not edited out those moments. They are authentically, Danny's communication. These letters and Danny's spoken words are also reflected in the transcript.    Links Mentioned or Related Danny Whitty  Leo in Bloom Dawn Marie Gavin Founder of Spellers Center San Diego Johnny Perez at Spellers Center San Diego Elizabeth Vossler Executive Director of I-ASC International Association for Spelling to Communicate   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Brand New Resource! Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In This Episode Qudsiya Naqui Bio Diana interviews Qudsiya Naqui, lawyer, disability justice activist, and podcast host of Down to the Struts. In this episode, Qudsiya shares about her journey to embracing her blind identity, her disability identity, and the disability community that brought her into the fold. She speaks to the isolation felt when in her younger years, she was excluded from participation in school activities simply because people did see her need for access, nor her right to access. Finally, Qudsiya shares about many great leaders and authors who have provided a sense of community, support, and mentorship in her podcast, as well as in her personal growth and enrichment.  Down to the Struts Website You can follow Down to the Struts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.   Links Mentioned or Related DownToTheStruts@gmail.com Alice Wong - Disability Visibility Project Podcast, Disability Visibility book, Year of the Tiger book Down to the Struts Interview with Alice Wong Thomas Reid - Reid My Mind Radio Podcast Cheryl Green - Pigeonhole Podcast Down to the Struts Interview with Thomas Reid and Cheryl Green Down to the Struts Interview with Sean Collins, Vox Editor Arielle Silverman - Just Human: The Quest for Disability Wisdom, Respect, and Inclusion Down to the Struts Podcast Interview with Dr. Arielle Silverman Down to the Struts Podcast Interview with Dr. Sara Acevedo Leah Lakshmi Piepzna Samarasinha - The Future is Disabled, & Care Work Jennifer Natalia Fink - All Our Families Intersectional Insights Podcast The Heumann Perspective Podcast Bhavna Mehta Down to the Struts Podcast episode Conchita Hernandez Legoretta Melissa Lomax Justice Shorter Children's Book We Move Together   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Brand New Resource! Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In This Episode So often there is a disconnect between what parents and students want and need, and what school systems offer students. In this episode, Diana talks with Shubha Bala, a parent of a pre-schooler. In spite of his young age, Shubha and her partner have already felt disappointment and frustration with their son's school experience. We discuss some of the ideological differences that have been at the heart of the embattled territory between family and school.  My hope with providing a forum for Shubha to voice her perspectives, concerns, and successes is that my esteemed colleagues would gain a new understanding and appreciation for the love and commitment that guides families in advocating for their children. And with this new understanding, a renewed commitment to embracing the big picture in the scheme of long-term life quality for our individual students and their families. Furthermore, may those of us in the education field recognize that we are sometimes unintentionally vilified not through any fault of our own, but by our automatic association with an education system that is often outdated and inherently ableist and oppressive, both to students and educators. It is also my hope that this interview with Shubha will provide families hope and a sense of validation, community, and empowerment.  Please feel free to share this episode far and wide to help me take our communities Beyond Awareness!  Shubha Bala's Website   Links Mentioned or Related Shubhazine Sins Invalid PDF of Keira Gets a Talker Order a paper copy of Keira Gets a Talker Editable Canva Template of Keira Gets a Talker Gestalt Processing Neider Family Blog Curious George Gets a Talker All Neurotypes Website & Summer Camp    Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Brand New Resource! Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In This Episode In this episode, Diana interviews her long-time favorite, internationally-known, badass disability rights activist, widely known as the "Mother of the Disability Rights Movement," Judy Heumann. They discuss the importance of acknowledging our interdependence within the disability rights movement, and the importance of including disabled people within other social movements. Judy talks about what we should be focused on when it comes to disability awareness, and language related to disability, and how we should be thinking about inclusivity not just for students with disabilities, but for all marginalized groups. Finally, Diana and Judy have some fun with rapid fire questions at the end of the interview! *Chingona means "Badass" in Spanish   Judith Heumann Bio & Website    Links Mentioned or Related Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution The Heumann Perspective Podcast Crip Camp Netflix Documentary Website Crip Camp Netflix Documentary Free on You Tube "Inspiration Porn" Defined by Stella Young TEDxTalk Judy's Interview with Ady Barkan and Nick Bruckman on The Heumann Perspective Ady Barkan, (Ady's "Be a Hero" campaign) Nick Bruckman "Not Going Quietly" Film Itzhak Perlman World Class Violinist Ali Stroker Actress Marlee Matlin Actress   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Brand New Resource! Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Special edition podcast cover in honor of Judy Heumann. Color photo of Judy Heumann, a woman with short brown hair, smiling, wearing glasses, and a royal blue blouse with burgundy flowers, while holding up her two books, Being Heumann, and Rolling Warrior, on her lap. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed. Podcast Guest: Judy Heumann."    

In This Episode In this episode, Maya shares her journey to embracing her identity as a person who stutters and as a disabled person. She shares about her work in verbal diversity, and gives guidance to educators and families about how to approach the topic of, respond to, and support people who stutter. My favorite quote from this episode is: "Your unique rhythm is what makes you, you." Maya Chupkov Bio   Links Mentioned Proud Stutter Website National Stuttering Awareness Week (2nd week of May annually) International Stuttering Awareness Day (October 22nd annually) American Institute on Stuttering (AIS) The Clearing (Album by Jerome Ellis) Maya's social handle is ProudStutter on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Brand New Resource! Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In this episode Keah Brown shares about her journey from self-hate, rooted in a moment in time when another child made fun of her, to self-love. She shares how this has inspired her work, including children's book, Sam's Super Seats, and young adult novel, The Pretty One. Our conversation explores societal narratives about disability and the impact of those narratives in the lives of people with disabilities. I love that Keah considers herself a "fan of life." This episode is uplifting and thought-provoking. This is an episode you want to share with young people as well.    Keah Brown Bio   Links Mentioned Sam's Super Seats The Pretty One Keah Brown TEDx Talk You Are the Best Thing - Tarana Burke and Brene Brown  The Secret Summer Promise #DisabledAndCute Keah on Instagram Keah on Facebook KeahBrown.com   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Brand New Resource: Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In this episode Deanna Parvin Yadollahi shares their journey of self-discovery, self-love, and ensuing advocacy for access, not just for themself, but for the range of diverse humans within their learning community, and the wider community. A wealth of experiences and knowledge, Deanna broadens our understanding of the many meanings of access, and why access is so important. I hope you will benefit from Deanna's insight as much as I have.    Deanna Parvin Yadollahi (they/them) Bio Deanna Parvin Yadollahi (they/them) is a FAT, DISABLED, NEURODIVERGENT, MAD, non-binary, diasporic mixed-race Iranian and Toltec-Mexican community activist, organizer, and dog parent with 8 years of disability justice scholar-art-activism about collaboratively undoing ABLEISM and INTERSECTING OPPRESSIONS, especially as it relates to COLLECTIVE ACCESSIBILITY. They hope to enact institutional change and radical reimagination that will lead to more supportive and just realities through community-building, resource-creating, presenting, writing, and via Deanna’s Creative Access Consulting practice. Their work is based in deep appreciation for DISABILITY JUSTICE, which is INTERSECTIONAL and CALLS FOR CROSS-MOVEMENT SOLIDARITY as well as COMMUNITY-ADVOCATED ACCESSIBILITY PRACTICES. Deanna studied Disability Studies at the graduate level, and most highly values knowledge that is co-created within their communities. Deanna acknowledges, with respect, that they are a settler on the unceded, traditional lands of the KIZH NATION. They support the LANDBACK MOVEMENT, CLIMATE JUSTICE, acknowledging historic oppression and intergenerational trauma, and dismantling its continuations today. At this time, you can visit DEANNA’S WORKING DRAFT WEBSITE (BIT.LY/D-Y-SCHOLARSHIP)!   Links Mentioned Aimi Hamraie - Building Access: Universal Design and the Politics of Disability (free online book) Deanna's LinkedIn Learning Course:  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Film Talila Lewis (no gender pronouns) Working Definition of Ableism Abled Advocators Article A Resolution in Support of Inclusion and Accessibility for Students with Disabilities Adrienne Maree Brown - Pleasure Activism Alice Sheppard - Intersectional Disability Arts Manifesto    Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Brand New Resource: Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

Allison C. Carey is a Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Shippensburg University and director of the Master’s Program in Organizational Development and Leadership. She co-authored Allies and Obstacles: Disability Activism and Parents of Children with Disabilities (Temple University Press, 2020), and authored Disability and the Sociological Imagination (Sage, 2022) and On the Margins of Citizenship: Intellectual Disability and Civil Rights in Twentieth Century America. She is co-series editor of Research in Social Science and Disability and has co-edited several volumes for that series, as well as co-editing Disability Incarcerated: Disability and Imprisonment in the United States and Canada. In 2021, she was awarded the Outstanding Career in the Sociology of Disability award from the Disability and Society section of American Sociological Association. She can be reached at accare@ship.edu. Pamela Block's Bio & Contact information  Richard K. Scotch is Professor of Sociology and Public Policy at the University of Texas at Dallas. His teaching includes courses on medical sociology, social stratification, and social and health policy, while his research focuses on social policy and social movements related to disability, health, and education. He currently serves as Program Head of the Sociology and Public Health Program and the Criminology and Criminal Justice Program in the School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences. Dr. Scotch’s most recent book, Allies and Obstacles: Disability Activism and Parents of Children with Disabilities was coauthored with Allison Carey and Pam Block and published by Temple University Press. In this episode we discuss the history of parent-led disability advocacy organizations and their relationships to and interactions with organizations led by people with disabilities. We also discussed how this history relates to current mindsets about disability, collaborative efforts between parent organizations and disabled activists, as well as tensions among these groups. If you are an educator, this will give you insight into some reasons why parents, educators, and disabled activists might have differing perspectives. If you are a parent, not only will you be validated, but also empowered with new information.    Links or Resources Mentioned   Allies and Obstacles: Disability Activism and Parents of Children with Disabilities - Note: Allies and Obstacles won an Outstanding Publication Award from the Disability & Society section of the American Sociological Association and the Scholarly Achievement Award from the North Central Sociological Society. Discount 30% off all Temple University Press books using the code FALLTUP through October 30, 2022. Black Disability Politics by Sami Schalk Crip Kinship: The Disability Justice & Art Activism of Sins Invalid by Shayda Kafai Just Care: The Messy Entanglements of Disability, Dependence, and Desire by Akemi Nishida United for Communication Choice Diana's Blog Post on Family Matters: Commitment to Inclusive Living   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Brand New Resource: Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."  

Megan Gross Nancy Brundrett In this episode, Diana shares a conversation about inclusive schools with Teacher on Special Assignment, Megan Gross, and Classified on Special Assignment, Nancy Brundrett, educators in the Poway Unified School District. Megan and Nancy discuss their district's journey toward inclusive practices, including their highlights and challenges. Their passion and candidness is both refreshing and inspiring of hope for educators learning through inclusion.  Links Mentioned   Supporting Inclusive Practices (The SIP Project) Kristin Brooks Kevin Schaefer WISH Charter Schools Chime Institute El Dorado SELPAs   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."  

Dr. Toni Saia Bio In this episode, Dr. Toni Saia defines "Inspiration Porn" and provides examples of common misconceptions about the disability experience that are perpetuated through popular inspirational comments, memes, news stories, etc.  She challenges us to think about the origins of our tendency toward inspiration porn, to think about the difference between our intentions and the impact of what we say and do, and to find alternatives that respect the lived experiences of disabled people.    Links Mentioned   Stella Young TED Talk - "I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much"    Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website FREE RESOURCE - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

Dr. Christa Bialka Bio In this episode, Diana Pastora Carson and Dr. Christa Bialka discuss what research tells us about how we do or do not discuss disability in our classrooms, as well as what holds teachers back from having conversations about disability in schools. She implores us to begin talking about disability because "when you don't talk about disability, you're ignoring somebody's experience, and the barriers that they might encounter." But she says that when we talk about disability, it should be in the context of how it shows up in our society. For example, we should be talking about disability history and culture, and framing disability as a social identity.    Links Mentioned   Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body: https://rebekahtaussig.com/portfolio/sitting-pretty/ Imani Barbarin: https://crutchesandspice.com/ Dr. Mara Sapon-Shevin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5XdFt58gA4 Disability Equality Education: https://www.disabilityequalityeducation.org/resources Also, here’s another incredible, very user-friendly resource that we forgot to mention: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646508/demystifying-disability-by-emily-ladau/ Diana's Guidelines for Screening Classroom Books    Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."  

In this episode, Diana Pastora Carson shares her guidelines for selecting appropriate classroom books about disability in a way that aligns with Disability Studies in Education and the social model of disability, and in a way that is respectful of the many voices of disability. Some of Diana's Favorite Disability and Diversity Related Classroom Books We Move Together, Kelly Fritsch, Anne McGuire, Eduardo Trejos All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything, Annette Bay Pimentel Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights, Diana Pastora Carson Red: A Crayon's Story, Michael Hall One, Kathryn Otoshi Whoever You Are, Mem Fox It's Okay to Be Different, Todd Parr Only One You, Linda Kranz Pedro's Whale, Paula Kluth & Patrick Schwarz Coaster, Paula Kluth Can I Play Too? Mo Willems This is Our House, Michael Rosen Mama Zooms, Jane Cowen-Fletcher Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution, Judith Heumann, Kristen Joiner, et al Real, Carol Cujec & Peyton Goddard Black Disabled Art History 101, Leroy F. Moore, Jr. Sign Language for Kids, Lora Heller What's your favorite book that aligns with my Beyond Awareness Book Screening guidelines? Shoot me an email with your favorite title! Diana@GoBeyondAwareness.com   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."

In this episode, Diana Pastora Carson guides listeners through reflection of their perceptions of disability, and the results of having a negative outlook on disability vs. having a positive, respectful outlook on disability. She encourages educators to self-reflect, even when it feels uncomfortable, because in the end, we will be better for it, and our students with and without disabilities will reap long-term benefits from our mindset.  This is an episode you'll want to listen to whenever you're needing a boost to keep your eyes on the prize.  My Favorite Podcasts Amplify Inclusion Podcast Disability Visibility Project Podcast Down to the Struts Podcast Good Things in Life Podcast The Heumann Perspective Podcast The Accessible Stall Podcast Think Inclusive Podcast   Some of my Favorite Books Ableism: The Causes and Consequences of Disability Prejudice - Michelle Nario-Redmond Anatomy of Autism: A Pocket Guide for Educators, Parents, and Students - Diego Pena Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist - Judith Heumann Black Disabled Ancestors - Leroy Moore Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally - Emily Ladau Disability Visibility: First Person Stories from the 21st Century - Alice Wong Find Another Dream - Maysoon Zayid Golem Girl: A Memoir - Riva Lehrer Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law - Haben Girma No Pity: People with Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement - Joseph Shapiro The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me - Keah Brown The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal - Jonathan Mooney Undoing Ableism: Teaching About Disability in K-12 Classrooms You're Going to Love This Kid: Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom - Paula Kluth   Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."