S2 Episode 11 with Bronson Layton
My name is Bronson Layton. I am originally from Ragland, Alabama, but I now live in South Carolina. I am twenty-five years old. I graduated from Ragland High School in 2016. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English at Jacksonville State University in 2020, and a Master’s Degree in English from the same university in […]
S2 Episode 10 with Jackie Schuld
Jackie Schuld is an autistic art therapist specializing in newly identified autistics and those who suspect they might be autistic. She is also an artist and essayist. She writes about mental health topics daily and pairs each essay with an art piece on Medium (@JackieSchuld). You can learn more about her creative and professional work […]
S2 Episode 9 with Dr. Gabrielle Ficchi
Dr. Gabrielle Ficchi is a licensed therapist and certified rehabilitation counselor. Gabrielle has 10 years of counseling experience. As a counselor, her specialty focuses on individuals with disabilities, specifically disability adjustment, health, and wellness promotion, and disability identity. In addition, her personal experience with a disability helps her relate to the participants’ experiences. Gabrielle’s work […]
S2 Episode 8 with Nicholas Viselli
Nicholas Viselli (Artistic Director) joined Theater Breaking Through Barriers in 1997 and is deeply humbled to continue the company’s legacy, started by his predecessor, TBTB’s founding Artistic Director, Ike Schambelan. As an actor, Nick has performed in over 30 TBTB productions during the past 25 years. He has also directed several plays for TBTB and […]
S2 Episode 7 with Emily Ladau
Emily Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, storyteller, and digital communications consultant whose career began at the age of 10 when she appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street to educate children about her life with a physical disability. Her writing has been published in outlets including The New York Times, CNN, Vice, […]
S2 Episode 6 with Mariette Bates
Mariette J. Bates retired in August of 2022 from her position as Distinguished Lecturer and Academic Director of the Disability Studies Program at CUNY’s School of Professional Studies. Dr. Bates began her career as an advocate for the institutionalized mentally ill, before becoming the Program Director at One to One, a foundation started by Geraldo […]
S2 Episode 5 with Tony Coehlo
The Honorable Tony Coelho is a retired U.S. Congressman from California, a former House of Representative Majority Whip, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman and the principal author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 22 years old, Mr. Coelho has spent his entire adult life helping advance the lives of […]
S2 Episode 4 with Tom Olin
“My photos are my children. Choosing ‘favorites’ is difficult. The totality of photos in my archive highlights some of the important events, the difficult, often dangerous work, and the passionate, dedicated people who time and again put their voices and bodies in the way of injustice – three-plus decades of effort that lead to the […]
S2 Episode 3 with Tina Bauschatz
Tina Bauschatz is the Founder and Director of the Reading Therapy Center of Southern Arizona. She is a reading expert who specializes in teaching neurodivergent children – from autism to dyslexia – how to read. “I founded The Reading Therapy Center in 2019 to address a need in the community for children with challenges to […]
Season 2 Episode 2 with Isaac Zablocki
Isaac Zablocki is the Director of film programs at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. He attended film school at Columbia University and went on to work at Miramax films. Previously, he produced and directed feature films and developed film educational programs for the Department of Education. Since 2004, Isaac has been developing film programs at […]