Discovering Disabilities in Dearborn

In our next episode we talked with Aimee and Christina from Services to Enhance Potential, also known as STEP. STEP is a non-profit organizations with various programs and initiatives to serve the disabilities community in the larger Southeast Michigan area and focus on helping people with disabilities gain employment and achieve satisfaction with their work. Aimee and Christina oversee a number of programs within STEP and have helped countless individuals during their time with the organization, watch or listen to the episode to learn more about all the work they do and the resources available. For more information, to get involved with, or any questions about STEP, you can contact Aimee at aszabo@stepcentral.org. Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

To kick off the rest of Season 2, we had the chance to talk with Ali Alabbas. Ali owns a media production company, Insight Media Productions and is a member of the non-profit organization, Talk To Muslims, which focuses on providing support to the local Muslim community and empowering individuals to develop their skills and passions. Along with all of this, he is a loving father to a son with autism and just last year, he and his wife decided to take a life-changing step and go to Panama to get his son stem cell therapy to help treat the symptoms of his autism. Tune in to our mid-season premiere to learn more about this emerging therapy and how Ali has navigated his life as a father, from wanting a sense of normalcy for his son, finding community resources, and accepting his son for who he is, no matter what others might have to say. Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

For the mid-season finale, we sat down with Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud to discuss what work is being done at the city-level for individuals with disabilities and what we can expect to see in the coming years. Mayor Hammoud comes from a public health background and has worked extensively to advocate for Dearborn and ensure everyone has the resources and accommodations they need to succeed. Listen in to hear our conversation on upcoming changes in the city and the work being done to provide individuals with disabilities more accommodations. Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

Amanda Ibrahim Bannoura, a proud mother and passionate writer. Amanda was diagnosed with a learning disability in first grade and because of the lack of awareness and visibility, immediately felt different from her classmates. Listen to Amanda's story to learn more about learning disabilities and better understand the experiences associated with them and how she was able to overcome all this to have a successful career. And tune in for a short excerpt from a book she's working on! Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

In this episode we are joined by Danny Anouti, pharmacist and founder of Panacea Compounding Pharmacy, a pharmacy dedicated to a holistic approach at medicine that creates custom prescriptions to suit each patient's needs. We discuss Danny's Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis at age 15, the effect it had on his life from walking to ultimately founding his own pharmacy to fill the gap he found in patient treatment for autoimmune disorders, like MS. Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

Join us for our conversation with Sallah Mohamed, as we discuss how he became a paraplegic doing something he enjoyed and the change that has had on his life - from strengthening his relationships and allowing him to start focusing on the most important things in his life. Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

In this episode we are joined by Ibrahim Hamed and his mother, Yasmeen. Ibrahim was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and autism early on in his life. In this episode Yasmeen talks about Ibrahim's journey growing up with disabilities. We get to know Ibrahim on a more personal level. Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

For our Season 1 finale we had the pleasure of speaking with Sarah Nassar, a law student at the University of Detroit Mercy and long-time advocate for people with disabilities. Sarah was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at a young age, which has shaped her life and experiences and become a huge advocate for disabilities from working towards better accommodations and inclusivity and one day hoping to enact change through law. Our conversation focuses on the progression of muscular dystrophy, law and disability, accommodations and discrimination in education, travel, advocating for change, and more. Make sure to follow us on Instagram @dreamdearborn to stay updated on our initiatives during this break and to find out when Season 2 will be released! __________________ Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

Mohamad Harb, a graduate student, with a Bachelor's degree in psychology joins us today to talk about his hearing disability. Throughout his childhood Mohamad developed hearing loss and gradually lost his hearing in both of his ears. This has shaped many of his experiences in life and we talk about his school accommodations, the deaf and hearing community, the prevalence of hearing disabilities, and his professional art career. Check out his art page on Instagram @hammoudiharbart. __________________ Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

Today we had a conversation with Corporal Brent King from the Dearborn Police Department, a well-known advocate for people with disabilities especially in the Dearborn community. We met him through a Blue Hands United Event for autism, representing the Dearborn Police Department. Cpl. King has worked on starting many initiatives within the Police Department to help accommodate and better understand the needs of those with disabilities and is hoping to expand these programs to other departments and groups.  We focused our conversation on what the Police Department can do for people with disabilities, their current initiatives to help them, as well as any future and potential initiatives to better help them, how they are treated by police offers, and what resources are available to people with disabilities by the department. __________________ Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

We had the pleasure of speaking with Mariam Alaouie, co-founder of Blue Hands United and Autism Behavioral Specialist at a local school district. Blue Hands United is a nonprofit organization that was created to help support families affected by autism, something dear to Mariam as a mom of 3 sons - 2 of whom have autism. Our conversation focused on the founding of Blue Hands United and the work they do in the community, raising kids with autism, parent involvement, community resources, and more. __________________ Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

We're joined by Jamila Sareini, a third year medical student, and Hassan Ayoub, an elcectrical engineer, in our latest episode to discuss parenting a newborn with a disability. Their son, Haidar, is now a year old and was born with Down Syndrome, which has caused many changes to their lives and has changed their perspective on things. Our conversation focuses on community resources, advocating for children with disabilities, medical care, and the communitiy's view on parents of children with disabilities. __________________ Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

In this episode we talk with Wahbeh Nuseibeh, owner of @elegance_florals on Instagram, a current student at Wayne State University working toward his Bachelor's degree in special education, and a student teacher at Henry Ford Elementary. We discuss Wahbeh's disability, Spina Bifida, and his experiences growing up with it, education accommodations, adaptive technologies, traveling with a wheelchair, how disabilities are viewed in the Middle East, and advocacy. __________________ Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

Tune in to hear the rest of the conversation with Sayed Qazwini. We end our conversation with a discussion on the accommodations mosques should offer, attitudes and mentalities towards disabilities, and more. Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw

Dearborn, Michigan is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in America. In this two-part episode, we speak with special guest, Sayed Mohammad Baqer Qazwini, to get a nuanced view of the Islamic perspective on disabilities. Sayed Qazwini graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Art in Sociology and is currently a scholar at the Islamic Institute of America, as well as an instructor and founder of the Al-Hujjah Islamic Seminary.  Throughout the episode, we discuss how various Islamic laws apply to disabilities, accommodations mosques should offer, attitudes and mentalities towards disabilities, and attending the Islamic Pilgrimage with a disability.  Background music: Jazz Music by Bensound https://www.bensound.com/ Promoted by https://bit.ly/2Z816Aa  Creative Commons — CC BY 4.0 https://goo.gl/9ezBZw