Podcast offers up an inclusive voice for those living with disabilities

WASHINGTON, D.C. (InvestigateTV) — A young man with a disability created his own job after struggling to find one himself. And that idea is now employing other disabled teens and adults.

Disability is recognized as one of the world’s largest, most diverse and only minority group that anyone can become a part of at any time due to accident, illness or aging, according to the National Disability Rights Network.

Experts estimate about 11% of the U.S. workforce has a disability, according to the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability.

Glenda Fu Smith is So Kids SOAR’s executive director. The nonprofit began sports clinics for children with disabilities in 2009. As the children grew into young adults, So Kids SOAR adapted and started a program to teach them job skills.

“Our mission is to empower youth with physical and developmental disabilities to strive, own, achieve, and realize their potential,” Smith said.

People with disabilities face unemployment rates twice as high as others, according to federal data. A goal of So Kids SOAR’s vocational program is to close that gap.

It often takes a village to work on a creative endeavor, including podcast.

Michael Simmons is a co-host of the So Kids SOAR podcast. He is a graduate of a vocational program run by the nonprofit So Kids SOAR and the podcast was his idea.

“I thought it sounded fun and also that it would be a nice way to improve in my storytelling and public speaking skills,” Simmons said.

Simmons said hosting the podcast has been helpful because not only does he get to hear about his guests, but he can work on producing the show as well.

Patrick Green, 27, is a graduate of the program and a podcast guest. He said the program helped him overcome interview anxiety.

“I was nervous at first, but once I did the mock interviews and for a real job, it didn’t make us nervous at all,” Green said. “I was able to go in and ace it, no problem.”

His mother, Kendra Green, said she saw the transformation.

“Patrick went in there and he did an interview with them absolutely no hesitation, and he came out with a huge smile on his face,” she said.

Smith said the podcast represents a new direction for the organization.

“Just seeing him believe in himself and also see it through to fruition. For us, it just makes us feel like we’re doing something right in this world and that what we are doing is making progress and changes for these young adults,” Smith said.

Smith hopes to see the podcast as a “new entrepreneurship program” for the nonprofit.

“Something that hopefully Michael can really take ownership of in the future and it can be its own podcasting company solely employed by young adults with disabilities,” Smith said.

Smith said the podcast could serve as a model for other organizations.

“This doesn’t need to be the only podcasting company for people with disabilities,” she said. “I think it’s really replicable and hopefully it changes the narrative around disability employment in general.”