MOPD All Access

April is Occupational Therapy Month, and All Access welcomes to the podcast two occupational therapists to discuss their career paths and what you should know about this growing field. Thanks to Dr. Molly Bathje and Dr. Clarissa Stanhope for joining the show this month!   Stream podcast audio at mopdallaccess.podbean.com   Follow MOPD at mopdchicago on X, Facebook, Instagram and connect with us on LinkedIn.

There are 52,000 students with disabilities in Chicago Public Schools. Joining the podcast this month is Chief Josh Long of the CPS Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services, the department serving those students across the district, and Principal Stephanie Anderson of Vaughn Occupational High School. They talk about how CPS has expanded its offerings to serve high school aged and young adult students, and how schools are working with the Career Center to open pathways for young Chicagoans.     Watch this episode on YouTube with captions and ASL interpretation: https://youtu.be/dmvgIWKsZQw  Visit our website at cityofchicago.org/Disabilities.  Follow the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities on X and Instagram at @mopdchicago.  Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MOPDChicago Engage with our community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mopdchicago/

Looking for a new job in 2024? If you're a Chicago resident with a disability, check out the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities Career Center! Since 2022, the Career Center has been providing job search support and benefits counseling services to the people of Chicago. Any job seeker with a disability who is 16 or older can access these services at no cost. This podcast episode is a great introduction to the MOPD Career Center and how we can help you find your next job, set relevant goals and build your career.  Link to YouTube: (ASL Interpreted and Captioned version here) https://youtu.be/wyVxaKfHZ-k?si=6PSgJXxji1U0Bn2_

If you've visited the MOPD Central West Office recently, hopefully you’ve seen the mural installed and dedicated on our walls. We spoke to artist Sam Kirk, who created the mural (titled “We Are Proud,”) and poet Lily Diego-Johnson, whose poem “Disability Pride” appears in it, about creating art that reflects Chicago’s disabled community—and where they get their ideas. Hopefully you’ll be as inspired as we were!   Stream podcast audio at https://mopdallaccess.podbean.com/  Link to YouTube: (ASL Interpreted and Captioned version here) https://youtu.be/2s6ZRSP8RpM?si=kCK5erl0z6cLa60F  Check out an audio description of the “We Are Proud” mural: https://youtu.be/b7zGQjwLgCQ?si=j8k_YaZQq8YLJAsf   Follow MOPD at mopdchicago on X, Facebook and Instagram   Connect with us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mopdchicago/

In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Christina and Lauren welcome Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to the podcast to talk about creating employment opportunity for Chicagoans and how access and inclusion have been central to his career from the classroom to City Hall. They also ask him about the significance of his sign name, “Mayor Collaboration,” which was given to him by Chicago’s Deaf community.   Stream podcast audio at https://mopdallaccess.podbean.com/  Link to YouTube: (ASL Interpreted and Captioned version here) https://youtu.be/lhWbkoYyZ5c?si=Tqk05vAoM4hY-66O Follow MOPD at mopdchicago on X, Facebook and Instagram   Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mopdchicago/

In honor of National Service Dog Month, cohost Christina McGleam and MOPD colleague Carly Englander share their experiences with their service dogs Jade and Hiden. What should people know about getting a service animal? Why do service dog owners also get trained along with their dogs? And how do the service dogs know when it’s time to stop working?  Later, Lauren and Christina talk to Rolando Zavala about how service animals support veterans like him. Rolando worked with K9s for Veterans to train his rescue dog Blue to serve as a neurological service dog, and he shares how service animal access is opening up important conversations about mental health needs in the veteran community.     Watch this episode with ASL interpretation and captions on YouTube.

Wednesday, July 26th marked the 33rd anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This civil rights movement included a collaboration of thousands of people working together to increase access for people with disabilities. This episode will highlight aspects of Mike Ervin’s journey as part of ADAPT, which led and organized protests to make CTA buses accessible.  Other voices of the disability community share the impacts the law has made in their life, as well as the work still yet to be done.   Link to YouTube: (ASL Interpreted and Captioned version here) https://youtu.be/ihWzmTiLv40

It is common for people with disabilities to also be a part of a different marginalized community. This episode explores the challenges faced by MOPD Career Center job seeker, Ulysses Williams, as well as the work that Willette Benford, Chicago’s first Director of Re-entry, is doing to break down barriers for returning residents.   Learn more about Director Benford   Link to YouTube: (ASL Interpreted and Captioned version here) https://youtu.be/8UTQfzCq4LE

This episode provides background on the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities’ podcast project, MOPD’s Commissioner Rachel Arfa’s story, and the launch of MOPD's Career Center. Learn more about Commissioner Rachel Arfa   Link to YouTube: (ASL Interpreted and Captioned version here) https://youtu.be/nKcvcS3lU-Y