Essential Voices with Wilmer Valderrama

When Six Feet Is Too Far

Rachel Barstow works every day to provide quality and caring education to students with disabilities and while promoting disability visibility. When the pandemic hit, Rachel’s center had to figure out how to adapt a tactile learning environment to a virtual setting. Rachel and the center were able to work in person even before vaccines thanks to the extraordinary efforts they took to keep their students and staff safe. Round table guests: Model, producer and Deaf advocate Nyle DiMarco and Shawn Ullman, Senior Director of National Initiatives at the Arc. Learn more about Children’s Center for Communication: <a href="https://cccbsd.org/">https://cccbsd.org</a>Learn more about The Nyle DiMarco Foundation: <a href="https://nyledimarcofoundation.com">https://nyledimarcofoundation.com</a>Learn more about The Arc: <a href="https://thearc.org">https://thearc.org</a>Episode transcript: <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pc7-VVf6-SWw90z8l4ESYq2h1YfqxUmSXNhZcMopUD4/edit?usp=sharing">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pc7-VVf6-SWw90z8l4ESYq2h1YfqxUmSXNhZcMopUD4/edit?usp=sharing</a> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

The Covid-19 pandemic introduced the term “Essential Workers” for a class of people who existed before and will persist long after the virus is gone. Vital to society, but rarely heard from, this “essential” class is often hit hardest by the imbalances and injustices of our culture. In each episode, host Wilmer Valderrama will have intimate conversations with people on the frontlines of the food system, transportation, child-care and other workers who are so often overlooked. That conversation leads to a round-table discussion with activists and politically-active celebrities, discussing themes, issues and areas of needed change. The show seeks to reveal the invisible connections between all of us.