AUCD Network Narratives

Stephanie Meredith is a lend faculty and letter case medical outreach director. Her roles include creating and disseminating information about genetic conditions and building relationships between national leaders in the disability and medical communities.
She is the author of the nationally recommended “Understanding a Down Syndrome Diagnosis”, and co-author of “Diagnosis to: A Pregnant Mother’s Guide to Down Syndrome”, and “Welcoming a Newborn with Down Syndrome: A New Parent’s Guide”.
She joins the podcast to share why genetics is such a complex issue in the disability field. She also shares how she infuses her work in genetics with her work in advocacy.
Stephanie discusses how she helps clinicians confront ableism and racism in the history of eugenics, why it’s key to having an action plan to bring people together, and what needs to happen to bring together the disability and genetics community.
Listen in to hear more about her perspectives on ethics, genetics, and eugenics.
This episode is funded by the Administration for Community Living through technical assistance contract # HHSP75P00121C00057. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Administration on Community Living, US Department of Health and Human Services, or the US Government.

Produced by Adode Media; a full-service podcast production agency.

When it comes to creating change within our network and communities, it is important to make sure that our resources are culturally and linguistically appropriate. Maribel Hernandez does just that in her important role at the Mind Institute. She was born in Mexico and moved to the United States 26 years ago. Today, she’s a proud mother of 2 sons ages 19 and 21, who are both autistic young adults.

In this thoughtful conversation, Jeiri and Maribel discuss the hardest thing Maribel had to learn when she first adapted to this world of service and the new language that came with it. Maribel shares the value and comfort she found in her support group, especially as a Hispanic woman. Together, they discuss a dream situation in which families and individuals will have access to information in a careful step-by-step process after receiving a diagnosis, so they can avoid the anxiety and confusion that Googling can bring.

Maribel also shares her experience as a mom and how she empowers her sons to be fully themselves and while finding happiness. She shares ways in which she encourages, celebrates, and supports her sons so they will feel happy and confident. Finally, Maribel shares what fun looks like from her community to her home, especially during the difficult times of the pandemic.

This is a heartfelt and thoughtful episode where Maribel shares her knowledge and experience. Tune in and gain an inside look at how she supports her family, community, as well as the legacy she wants to leave for generations to come.
View all episodes and transcripts at http://www.aucd.org/podcast
This episode was funded by the Administration for Community Living through technical assistance contract # HHSP233201600066C. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Administration on Community Living, the US Department of Health and Human Services, or the US Government.

Produced by Adode Media; a full-service podcast production agency.

Being truly inclusive of ALL, including people living at the intersections of marginalized racial, ethnic, and other social identities and cultural factors is important to the AUCD Network. But it’s one thing to talk the talk, and another thing entirely to walk it.

Jeiri is joined by Jacy Farkas and Timotheus Gordon for a conversation all about finding multicultural opportunities and creating true diversity, equity, and inclusion within the AUCD Network. Jacy is an assistant director at the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities at the University of Arizona. She is also the chair of the AUCD Multicultural council. Timotheus is an African-American male autistic research associate at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute on Disability and Human Development. He is also one of the co-founders of the Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition.

They embark on a conversation all about paving the way for diversity, equity, and inclusion within their communities. Jacy opens up about what motivates her to push things forward across the AUCD network. She also shares her personal struggles when it comes to creating change. Timotheus shares his journey to becoming a disability advocate and the ways in which our community can pay it forward by creating opportunities for people of color with disabilities.

From how building meaningful relationships can open up more opportunities, to advice for people of color within the AUCD network who aim for growth, Jacy and Timotheus share their best tips, resources, and stories so that you can do the same. Tune in, get inspired, and let’s pave the way for true and meaningful change.
View all episodes and transcripts at http://www.aucd.org/podcast
This episode was funded by the Administration for Community Living through technical assistance contract # HHSP233201600066C. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Administration on Community Living, US Department of Health and Human Services, or the US Government.

Produced by Adode Media; a full-service podcast production agency.

Being in charge of a huge network with a large reach is a daunting task. You have to be extremely mindful of the different cultural ties of each individual and their communities, and you need to make sure that you’re serving while being respectful of different cultural rules and traditions.

Kiriko Takahashi is the Interim Director of the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa with 20+ years of experience in working with people with disabilities. Originally from Japan, Kiriko came to the US to study the intersection of neurodevelopment and societal influence. She is also incredibly passionate about supporting individuals with disabilities.

Jeiri sits down with Kiriko to have a conversation about navigating and supporting a multicultural and diverse space. Kiriko shares her experiences in creating a mutually beneficial space in Hawai’i, covering projects in many different regions with many different cultures. She also shares her expert advice on reaching and connecting with people in isolated communities with different cultural identities and traditions.

Kiriko offers insight into the delicate balance of rights and responsibilities in different cultures and what self-advocacy might look like in these situations. She discusses the importance of interdisciplinary training, interdisciplinary team development, and courses on multiculturalism and disability in order to create culturally relevant programs.

If you’re interested in what a multicultural awareness and approach could look like in terms of relationship building, advocacy, and support, this conversation with Kiriko is for you. Listen to Kiriko’s experiences and her incredible advice as it pertains to being sensitive and respectful towards multicultural spaces in the face of advocacy and service delivery.

View all episodes and transcripts at http://www.aucd.org/podcast
This episode was funded by the Administration for Community Living through technical assistance contract # HHSP233201600066C. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Administration on Community Living, US Department of Health and Human Services, or the US Government.

Produced by Adode Media; a full-service podcast production agency.

When it comes to creating a self-advocacy curriculum, teamwork really does make the dream work. It takes a deep and patient understanding of the history and culture of the many walks of life. Jairo Arana joins the AUCD Network Narratives podcast today to share his advice on how we can improve self-advocacy curriculums within our programs.

Jairo’s journey in self-advocacy began after being diagnosed late in life with autism and taking a three-day intensive pipeline leadership training program. This sparked his self-advocacy journey which eventually led him to become the full-time clinical program coordinator at the Mailman Center for Child Development.

In this episode, Jairo shares his personal story of self-advocacy, leadership, and impact. He opens up about his creative passion for telling stories and the arts. He talks about the importance of seeing diversity and inclusion in his favorite shows and how this has impacted the stories he wants to tell. Jairo takes you behind the scenes of his leadership program and how finding his mentor impacted his work and self-advocacy journey.

Listen to Jairo’s story as he shares important stories about self-advocacy, his journey through his late diagnosis, what he would tell his younger self today, and why learning the history, understanding the culture, and teamwork is the way to a more empathetic and inclusive future.

View all episodes and transcripts at http://www.aucd.org/podcast
This episode was funded partially by the Administration for Community Living through technical assistance contract # HHSP233201600066C. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Administration on Community Living, US Department of Health and Human Services, or the US Government.
This podcast episode is provided in partial fulfillment of tasks outlined in a cooperative agreement (#UA5MC11068) between AUCD and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of MCHB, the Health Resources Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or the U.S. Government.

Produced by Adode Media; a full-service podcast production agency.