Pete McCauley

Founded in 1963, Kaposia is a Minnesota nonprofit agency based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area, providing customized employment services for people with disabilities and retirement …

Megan Russell has supported Jay as a direct support professional (DSP) for the past 10 years. In this episode, Megan talks about her experience at the NADSP Advocacy Symposium where she learned …

A quiet revolution began over a decade ago in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where the spirit of innovation transforms lives at Black Hills Works . At the heart of this change is the Technology …

This video describes practical ways to support students with significant cognitive disabilities as they grow in their writing skills. It also describes the types of supports a parent can ask for …

In this episode, Jeff Gentry from JVS Boston shares a story of how an inclusive group work experience turned into a permanent job for a transition student.

This video describes ways parents of students with disabilities can help their child with the foundations of reading while at home. The video discusses why it is important to focus on foundations …

A profile of Best Buy employee Tamir Tsogsbaatar. This video is a companion to Tamir's personal story in the book Community Living and Participation for People With Intellectual and Developmental …

In this episode, host Katrina Simon speaks with graduating student Joe Carr, who shares his “etiquette rules.” Carr talks about his advocacy work and his plans moving forward as he finishes his …

As a leader for decades in connecting people to competitive, integrated employment, Kaposia, an employment services provider in Minnesota, has upended the traditional job search process. Instead …

Nikki Villavicencio of Advocating Change Together in Minnesota, joins Impact managing editor Janet Stewart in the ICI studio for a discussion about disability justice and solidarity in advocating …

In this episode, Jill Eastman from our podcast partner, the University of Massachusetts-Boston's Institute for Community Inclusion, shares a story about supporting a jobseeker to customize a job …

Issue editors talk about the end of subminimum wages for people with disabilities, and about what will take the place of sheltered workshops. A concerning lack of migration from these workshops to …

In this episode, Jessica Stejskal from TSE, Inc. shares how she supported a jobseeker to look beyond working in grocery stores to pursue a job working with children and found an employer that is …

Nick Smith is a master of looking past the barriers and seeing the possibilities. As a seasoned direct support professional (DSP), he has developed the skill of really listening to what the people …

Direct support professionals (DSPs) are accustomed to speaking up for the wants and needs of the people they support. In this episode, Nick Smith shares his story of speaking up for himself and …

In this episode, Danny Brady from Reach for Resources shares a story about a job search that got off to a rocky start but eventually resulted in a job and better training for managers at a chain …

Leigh Anne McKingsley, senior director at The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability, talks with Janet Stewart, Impact' s managing editor, about intersectional issues involving …

"In Our Own Words: Improving Care for People with Disabilities" is a two-part series produced by Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid's Minnesota Disability Law Center. It is a series of insightful interviews …

In this episode, Dominique Berg, an employment services consultant, shares a story about overcoming concerns from a person's support team and supporting a jobseeker to find a job at a nursing home …

Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education Consortium (MIHEC) director Mary Hauff and Lead State Advisor on Systems Change Dupree Edwards talk about MIHEC and the importance of being a lifelong learner— …

Lonely? You're not alone. Loneliness has plenty of company these days, and it hits people with and without disabilities in alarming numbers. Just having a disability, particularly an intellectual …

Lindsey Mullis speaks with Impact managing editor Janet Stewart about the lack of training for caregivers to provide social-sexual supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabiliti…

In this episode, Brenda Albright from Lifeworks shares a story about supporting a person who had to leave a long-term, stable job to start an entirely new career after a mental health event.

Julie Sowash chats with Impact Managing Editor Janet Stewart about her work with employers to hire people with disabilities. Her company, Disability Solutions, has found jobs for more than 8,000 …

Katrina is joined by Matt McClean who talks about identity and the intersectionality of living as a disabled transgender man. We talk a little bit about the fears that trans people must contend …

Frontline Initiative author LeAnn Bieber talks about how using tools such as a Health Care Person-Centered Profile and a one-page description can make a positive difference in how a medical …

Pauline Bosma, founder of the Rainbow Support Groups of Massachusetts, and Oscar Hughes, then a Boston University doctoral candidate, share how they worked with others to create a resource guide …

Nathan Perry started drinking in his 30s to mask problems in his relationship with his parents. Eventually, he realized he didn't have control over his alcohol use and he started a long road to …

Host Chet Tschetter discusses what “A Closer Look” is and what the listeners can expect. In this podcast, we will talk with the authors of recent issues of Frontline Initiative and really dig in …

In this episode, Cynthia Capota from Reach for Resources shares how watching a jobseeker put together complicated Lego creations helped her recognize skills he had that filled a need of a furniture…

Host Katrina Simons is joined by Brian Begin for a conversation about Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act—a provision that allows employers to pay subminimum wages to workers with …

PHASE-Industries is a day and employment provider serving people with disabilities in rural Minnesota. In 2024, PHASE-Industries ended its center-based, subminimum wage service model and is …

Michelle Murphy left the corporate world 19 years ago and became a direct support professional (DSP) when her sister strongly suggested she come to work with her at her workshop job. Michelle is …

Kathy Ware introduces us to herself and her adult child. Kathy and Katrina talk about how systems and disabilities interact—for good and for NOT so good. This is the first part of a two-part …

Hosts Brian and Sherry are joined in the studio by their Institute on Community Integration colleague, Kathia Fernandez. Kathia shares a story from her time as an employment consultant when she …

When adults want a relationship with each other, they should make choices together about what the relationship should look like. This consent helps both people feel good about the relationship. …

This short video is based on a visit of 18 Bhutanese professionals and parents to Minnesota. It highlights an international collaboration between the Royal Thimphu College in Bhutan, the University…

For people with developmental disabilities, being a sexual self-advocate is about speaking up for what they want in their lives, how they dress, and having relationships and sexual experiences. It …

This video describes ways parents of students with significant cognitive disabilities can help their child expand reading skills while at home. The video discusses why it is important to focus on …

In the second episode of Job Match Makers, Brian and Sherry are joined by their Minnesota Transformation Initiative colleague, Don Lavin. Don explains how he left his cousin Vinny behind in New …

DSP Anthony Grindstaff, Larry Williams, and Susan Arwood share how enabling technology has changed Larry’s life for the better and how a visit from the Tennessee Governor’s wife, Maria Lee, …

This video is the first in an empowerment series for self-advocates. This educational set of videos highlights the importance of providing information to people with developmental disabilities and …

"I was hollow..." That's how Ann describes the loneliness she felt when her brother moved away for a new job. In this episode, Ann and some of the rest of the Shervheim family share how they deal …

This short video provides an overview of the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO).

Two-time Frontline Initiative author Zoe Korengold, who is on the support response team (SRT) at Lionsgate Academy, reflects on how they handle situations with students who are experiencing big …

This video describes ways that parents with students with disabilities can help support their child’s communication development at home, and provides sources for more information.

The "2022 State of the Science Conference on Community Living: Engaging persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities from underserved racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groups in …

This video helps support parents of students with disabilities in establishing routines at home, in order to promote better behaviors and communications. It also provides other sources for more …

This video describes ways parents of students with disabilities can help their child with the foundations of math while at home. The video discusses why it is important to focus on foundations of …

Our guest is Amy Hewitt, Ph.D., director of the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota. Amy explains that as direct support professionals, you have to fight for what you …

"In Our Own Words: Improving Care for People with Disabilities" is a two-part series (Communication; Understanding) produced by Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid's Minnesota Disability Law Center. It is a …

Rise, Inc. is a Minnesota-based nonprofit agency that provides employment services in support of people with disabilities. In 2021, Rise decided to end piece-rate, center-based employment in favor …

This video provides parents and siblings of students with disabilities with tips on how they can support the development of communication skills of their child (or sibling) at home, and provides …

PHASE-Industries is a day- and employment-provider serving people with disabilities in rural Minnesota. In 2021, PHASE-Industries began the transition from a center-based, subminimum wage service …

This video describes ways parents of students with significant cognitive disabilities can help expand their child’s math skills at home. The video discusses why it is important to focus on math at …

A narrator and self-advocates explain that everyone's sexuality is unique to them, and that is true whether they have disabilities or not. There are different types of sexual feelings, and while …

Impact issue editors Julie Bershadsky, Marian Frattarola-Saulino, and BJ Stasio discuss the state of self-directed services for people with intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities. …

This 11-minute webinar addresses COVID-19 vaccinations for direct support professionals. Topics include: The reasons why people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are more vulnerable …

In our debut episode, host Katrina Simon is joined by Jillian Nelson as they discuss her experiences and work at the Minnesota Legislature for the Autism Society of Minnesota. Boldly Challenging …

This video describes easy ways for parents to check on their child's progress in academics and behavior while learning at home. It also suggests ways to talk to the school about a child's progress …

This video provides parents of students with disabilities, specifically those with the most significant cognitive disabilities, with tips on how to support their child’s standards-based instruction…

A noted expert on substance use disorder within the disability community, Elspeth Slayter joins The Conversation to talk about best practices and emerging questions. Her Impact article discusses …

Researcher and activist Simon Duffy talks with Janet Stewart, Impact managing editor, about self-direction efforts around the world. Duffy's current work around citizenship takes self-direction …

Impact goes on the road to Chicago to talk with self-advocate, activist, and writer T.J. Gordon, who created a story map to highlight people with disabilities living in different neighborhoods of …

For decades, Udac offered center-based employment opportunities that paid subminimum wages to employees with disabilities, which is legal under federal law. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spurred …