Grassroots Advocacy Network Live Streams
The United Spinal Association Advocacy Network Facebook page now includes monthly live streams that bring in guest advocates from all over the United States to cover various topics on the Grassroots Advocacy Network. The goals of these live streams are to increase engagement, collaboration, and communication throughout the Advocacy Network, while also keeping advocates informed of available resources and toolkits, upcoming events, registrations, state rolls, action alerts, and district mobilization. To take part in the live streams where you have the opportunity to ask questions and contribute to the conversation, please follow the opens in a new windowAdvocacy Network on Facebook. If you haven’t already, opens in a new windowplease join our Grassroots Advocacy Network.
Advocacy Network Video Archives
Dani Izzie | February 15, 2023
You may know Dani Izzie from her award-winning documentary film, opens in a new windowDani's Twins. As one of the very few quadriplegic women who gave birth to twins, the film covers the topics of disability, pregnancy, adaptive parenthood, and normalizing disability. Dani is also the opens in a new windowUnited Spinal Association of Virginia Chapter Advocacy Coordinator, Founder of Access Social, a opens in a new windowDisability Lifestyle and Culture Blogger, and creator of opens in a new windowQuad Squad, which is a private Facebook support group for quadriplegic women. Watch to hear about Dani’s experiences as a mother, as an advocate, and as a disabled female entrepreneur on a mission to normalize disability.
Michele Lee | January 18, 2023
Senior Public Affairs Manager on Accessibility at Cruise, Michele Lee, shares her insight and experience with leading the accessibility efforts at this autonomous vehicle (AV) company that is "building the world's most advanced self-driving vehicles." Michele talks about how these AVs can improve accessible transportation. Along with her work involving universal access to transportation, Michele is passionate about employment and healthcare for the disability community.
Wendy Elliott-Vandivier | December 14, 2022
Wendy Elliott-Vandivier has been advocating since the young age of five-years-old. Along with taking on the role of Co-President and Chapter Advocacy Coordinator for the United Spinal Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter, Wendy is also an artist and author. Listen in as Wendy discusses her lifetime of advocacy experience, her desire to create more change and awareness with access to air travel, employment for the disability community, home and community based services (HCBS), and how she melds her art and autobiographical cartoons with her advocacy efforts.
Tiffiny Carlson | November 16, 2022
Tiffiny is the Executive Director of opens in a new windowSPINALpedia, which is an online resource for living an active life with a disability. Listen in to learn more about SPINALpedia and other resource pages that Tiffiny helps to run on Facebook, which are opens in a new windowSpinal Cord Injury Newly Injured and opens in a new windowDisability Employment Resources. Tiffiny has years of experience as a blogger and columnist for the disability community, and she will be sharing her spinal cord injury journey that started at a young age. This is a great opportunity to hear about resources and support that are available for the disability community.
Ali Ingersoll | October 12, 2022
Ali is the first returning guest on the Meet an Advocate Live Stream. She was recently crowned 2023 Miss Wheelchair America and she talks about her journey to this achievement. We also discuss National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and her new role at Open Inclusion as the Global Community Development Lead. Ali shares her experience at United Spinal's 2022 Roll on Capitol Hill, and her continued advocacy efforts for the SCI/D and wheelchair user community.
Jeff Pagels | September 21, 2022
Jeff Pagels is a United Spinal advocate from Wisconsin, a medal winning U.S. Paralympian, a published author, and a record setting mountain climber. As a former employee at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and an avid outdoorsman, Jeff knows his way around accessible outdoor recreation and has a wealth of information on this topic. Tune in to hear about Jeff’s experiences and learn how you can become more involved in outdoor access and making outdoor recreation accessible to all! You can also read about Jeff's life in his book, opens in a new windowAlways Climb Higher!
Brandon Winfield | August 17, 2022
Brandon Winfield, CEO/Founder of iAccess Life and Board Member for Wheels of Happiness, talks about his journey after sustaining a spinal cord injury at the age of 14, from a motocross accident. Listen to Brandon's experience and advice about advocacy and becoming a successful entrepreneur. His iAccess Life app allows users with disabilities and their friends and family to rate, review and research places based on their accessibility. Brandon also shares how he still fulfills that need for speed and competition!
Richard Bagby | July 27, 2022
Richard Bagby, United Spinal's 2022 Finn Bullers Advocate of the Year award recipient and the Executive Director of United Spinal Association of Virginia, talks about his experience at the Roll on Capitol Hill. We also discuss his leadership role in helping to establish the opens in a new windowSheltering Arms Institute (SAI) as well as organizing a coalition of advocates and stakeholders to establish state legislation (H.B.241) which will allow for the provision of complex rehab technology (CRT) manual and power wheelchairs for Virginians residing in nursing facilities.
Monica Wiley | June 22, 2022
Monica is from Maryland and serves as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Project Manager for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). She also is the Vice Chair and Chapter Advocacy Coordinator for the D.C. Chapter of United Spinal. Monica shares her experiences at the 2022 Roll on Capitol Hill, what her responsibilities are as a DEI Project Manager, her view on employment, healthcare, and accessibility related to access to resources that will provide opportunities for professional development and success, and the impact that the advocacy network has had on her personally and professionally.
Rose Shrader | May 18, 2022
Rose Shrader is a United Spinal advocate from Indiana. Rose shares her experiences of working with a disability as a lecturer at Indiana State University, air travel as a quadriplegic, traveling to Costa Rica for a stem cell procedure, and the top issues where she wants to create more change and awareness.
David McCauley | April 13, 2022
David is an award winning mixed media artist living with paralysis based in St. Petersburg, FL. He is the founder of the Rise Up Gallery and The Little Haiti Laundromat Art Space. Listen to how and why he left Wall Street to begin his extremely successful career as an artist. David talks about his advocacy efforts and how he approaches inclusivity, universal design, accessibility, and the physical state of the human body through his adaptive mark making techniques. He is also on the Board of Directors and a crew member for the Impossible Dream Catamaran, which is a universally accessible 60' catamaran that can be fully operated by a person in a wheelchair. You can read more about David on his website opens in a new windowhttps://www.davidmccauleyart.com/.
Tina Pedersen | March 9, 2022
Rhode Island resident and disability advocate, Tina Pedersen, is the President/CEO/Founder of RAMP - Real Access Motivates Progress and she also serves as Vice Chair on the Governor's Commission on Disability. We discuss her advocacy work with issues such as accessible affordable housing, ADA compliancy with businesses, parking enforcement, and her weekly RAMP Podcast. Tina also talks about her role as USA Ambassador Mrs. Southern New England 2022!
Michele Lee | February 15, 2022
In this Meet an Advocate Live Stream, Michele Lee, Program Director for United Spinal's Ready to Roll Emergency Preparedness, Pathways to Employment, and VetsFirst Programs, talks about her role as Program Director, and her involvement with the Tech Access Initiative. We discuss disability employment and the resources that are available, including the Pathways to Employment JobPath. As a disability advocate, Michele, also shares her experiences with the lack of accessible and equitable transportation in Chicago.
Rick Hayden | January 12, 2022
In this live stream, Rick Hayden, Executive Director of the Spinal Network and the Western Regional Chapter Coordinator, shares his advocacy experiences and discusses topics surrounding inclusion and equality in the workplace, ableism, harassment and bullying, peer mentoring, and why joining the advocacy network is so important. Rick shares some great information and the impact that the advocacy network has had on him personally and professionally.
Ali Ingersoll | December 8, 2021
Ali Ingersoll is an advocate and volunteer for the North Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association (NCSCIA) and the newly crowned 2022 Ms. Wheelchair North Carolina. During our conversation we discuss health insurance approvals for durable medical equipment, a better system and coverage for caregivers, complex rehab technology, and women's health. Listen in for some great advocacy advice and to hear how the advocacy network has positively impacted her life.
Shannon Minnick | November 24, 2021
Shannon Minnick is the Deputy Director at Independence Now, Inc, which is one of the seven Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in the state of Maryland. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Metro DC Chapter of United Spinal. Some of the issues we discuss are women’s health, universal design, CILs, being a mother with a spinal cord injury, and so much more!
Clint Cook | October 27, 2021
Listen in on this advocacy conversation with the Founder and President of the United Spinal Association Atlanta Chapter, Clint Cook. Clint discusses the top issues where he wants to see more change, including providing support for the underserved SCI/D community. You can also learn about all of the activities going on in the Atlanta Chapter, and Clint shares some great advice for new advocates, and the positive impact that the advocacy network has had on his life.
Hilary Muehlberger | September 15, 2021
Former Ms. Wheelchair America and member of the Greater Kansas City Spinal Cord Injury Association and advocate for United Spinal Association. We discuss her experiences with advocacy for the SCI community, her passion for adapted sports and wheelchair tennis, her time as Ms. Wheelchair America, and what she has planned to do in order to conquer one of her biggest fears now that the crown has been passed on.
Roy Tuscany | July 28, 2021
Listen in on this conversation with Roy Tuscany, the Founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization known as the High Fives Foundation. Roy talks about his own spinal cord injury and finding a way to pay it forward through his vision and work through this foundation. We also discussed the top three issues that he would like to create more awareness and change which include universal design for public buildings to provide and inclusive movement, more support towards adaptive athletes, and his thoughts on the use of the word “inspiration” in the SCI/D community.
Dallas Disbro | July 14, 2021
In this recorded live stream, Dallas Disbro, President of the United Spinal Metro DC Chapter talks about all of his advocacy experience ranging from being a board member, to treasurer, and now chapter President. Dallas also discusses various issues that he wants to create more change and awareness that includes making existing establishments more accessible, more grant opportunities, accessible transportation, and more public awareness around the differences in people with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and how others can interact with someone who has an SCI in regard to how they can help or not help in certain situations.
Natalie Barnhard | June 9, 2021
In this live stream we welcome the recipient of the United Spinal Association Finn Bullers Advocate of the Year Award, Natalie Barnhard. Natalie is the Chapter Leader for the United Spinal Western New York Chapter in Buffalo. She is also the founder of the Motion Project Foundation, and the grand opening of the Natalie Barnhard Center for Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation and Recovery will be taking place in September 2021. We discuss her advocacy experiences for the SCI/D community and how she ended up where she is today through hard work and determination.
Liza Riedel / June 2, 2021
Liza Riedel, the Founder and Executive Director for NextStep Orlando, discusses why she started NextStep Orlando, being a parent to a child with a spinal cord injury, and the top three issues that she wants there to be more change and awareness. Liza also talks about her responsibilities at NextStep and the specific skills that are vital for her job.
Advocacy & Policy Team | May 12, 2021
Watch this recording to listen to the entire Advocacy and Policy Team as they come together to discuss a variety of important topics that includes a preview of the upcoming 2021 Virtual Roll on Capitol Hill (June 14-16), how to do a Hill visit, Grassroots Advocacy Network Tools and Resources, the Advocacy Curriculum, the importance of broadband to the disability community, VetsFirst, 75th Anniversary Challenges, and the District Mobilization Initiative. In this live stream you will hear from Alex Bennewith, Steve Lieberman, Kent Keyser, Annie Streit, Ken Greenberg, and our Advocacy and Policy Intern, Kristina Ericson.
Tenesha Ulrich | April 21, 2021
Tenesha Ulrich, President of the NW Ohio United Spinal Chapter discusses her role as Chapter President and the various activities that the chapter has planned over the past year. Tenesha also talks about independent living, increased education and awareness about SCIs within the medical field, and the importance of networking and working together for advocacy efforts.
Brook McCall | April 14, 2021
This live stream is the first “Meet an Employee” episode. Brook McCall, Director of Tech Access and former Grassroots Advocacy Manager for the United Spinal Association shares why she started the Grassroots Advocacy Network and her goals for the network. We also discuss Brook’s current position as the Director of Tech Access, and the importance of technology for the SCI/D community.
Jeannie Pickard | April 7, 2021
Jeannie Pickard is the Co-founder and Executive Director of NextStep Atlanta Paralysis Recovery Center that offers activity-based therapy, adaptive fitness, and support. Jeannie shares her experience with the SCI/D community, what drove her and her husband to start NextStep Atlanta, and the amazing support she found in the group Warrior Momz.
Cindy Kolbe | March 17, 2021
Cindy Kolbe is a disability advocate, peer mentor, mother to a daughter with a spinal cord injury, and author of the Memoir Struggling with Serendipity. Tune in to hear about Cindy and her daughter Beth’s journey, and she also talks about changing the negative stereotypes of disability, understanding the potential and possibilities for those with a disability, and the need for widespread support for both the person with a disability and his or her family.
Jim Weber | March 10, 2021
In this recording, guest advocate Jim Weber, from San Diego, CA, joins us to discusses some of the top issues that he is passionate about and where he wants to see more change and awareness. Here we talk about ADA and travel reform, access to complex rehabilitation technology (CRT), and reforming social services to prevent people with disabilities from being trapped in poverty.
Luticha Doucette | February 24, 2021
Luticha Doucette, an advocate from Rochester, NY, discusses raising social security wage thresholds, universal healthcare, improving caregiver pay, accessible affordable housing, and the importance of broadband in the disability community. She also talks about one of her favorite hobbies, which is accessible fencing, and how you can get involved.
Karen Roy | February 10, 2021
United Spinal Louisiana Chapter Advocacy Representative, NuMotion Brand Ambassador, and 2019 Ms. Wheelchair America, Karen Roy, shares her insights on advocacy. She discusses her top three issues, which are the importance of standing devices, disability employment, and mental health.
Barb Zablotney | January 27, 2021
Tune in on this conversation with Barb Zablotney, 2018 Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania, to hear about her advocacy journey and efforts. Barb talks about topics that include coverage for manual wheelchair parts, accessible parking, and her personal experience with COVID recovery.
Josh Basile | January 20, 2021
Josh Basile, from Maryland, talks with me about his advocacy work. The topics that we discuss are disability employment, access to community support, and United Spinal’s Pathway to Employment. Tune in to listen in on Josh’s journey to becoming an advocate.
Quinn Brett | January 13, 2021
Quinn Brett, owner and operator of Dovetail Mountain Adventures, talks about her advocacy work in Colorado. The three top issues that Quinn wants to bring more awareness and change to are science and spinal cord injuries, backcountry accessible recreational opportunities, and access to bathroom supplies that are necessary but often denied or restricted.
Joe Stone | December 16, 2020
Here you can listen to my conversation with Joe Stone from Wyoming. We discuss why he became an advocate and the issues that he is passionate about, which include equal access to outdoor recreation and better access to durable medical equipment.
Rob Wudlick | December 9, 2020
Listen in on this conversation with Rob Wudlick, from Minnesota. We talk about his advocacy knowledge and experiences and the top three issues that he would like to work on in order to create change and awareness. These topics include spinal cord injury research for treatments, making adaptive fitness covered, and equality in regards to disability benefits.
Shelley Jaspering | December 2, 2020
In this live stream, I bring in my very first guest advocate, Shelly Jaspering, from Iowa. We discuss topics related to the Roll on Capitol Hill, State Rolls, in home care services, and her advocacy efforts in her home state of Iowa.
COVID-19 Advocacy Resources
This recording will guide you through the COVID-19 Advocacy Resources that can be found on the United Spinal Association website. The topics that are highlighted are Action Alerts, the Resource Center, Disability Rights, and the Virtual Advocacy in a Pandemic World Guide.
Advocacy in Action: A Toolkit for the Rolling Revolution
Here we take a look at the opens in a new windowAdvocacy Toolkitopens PDF file that can be found under the "Your Rights" tab on the United Spinal Association website. You can follow along as Annie highlights information throughout the toolkit that can help you on your advocacy journey.
What is this “District Mobilization” Term
Here we discuss District Mobilization, Action Alerts, and turning the map orange! Information is also provided on how to join the Grassroots Advocacy Network and filling out the District Mobilization form.
United Spinal Association Website Tour
Take a guided tour of the United Spinal Association website! You will learn where you need to go to find all the available resources to help with your advocacy efforts.
Live Stream Introduction
In this first live stream Grassroots Advocacy Manager, Annie Streit, introduces herself and her plans and goals for the United Spinal Association Advocacy Network Facebook page and live streams.