By Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed. As we turn the final page on 2021 and open a new chapter on 2022, it’s my sincere hope that we all experience a new year full of inclusion and life-changing possibilities. While I am a pragmatic realist, planning for the best but preparing for the worst, I think this
By Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed. As we enter another holiday season, the optimist in me wants to be filled with the magic, hope, and inspiration that usually comes this time of year. However, I must admit to being torn. The specter of COVID hanging like a cloud over us and the divisiveness around how to
Kaizen literally translates to Kai (change) and Zen (good). It is a Japanese word that describes constant and never-ending improvement. Many business experts believe that it was this philosophy that pulled Japan up from the ashes and rubble of World War II to become an economic powerhouse within a generation. It means living with a
By Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed. This may not come as a surprise to some, but I have a disability AND my physical needs and carnal urges have not been disabled at all! Dare I admit it? My brothers, sisters, and non-binary siblings in the disability community—those who use wheelchairs, have missing limbs, can’t see or
By Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed. While much of the world is riveted on the start of the 2021 Olympic Games going on in Tokyo, the use of cardboard beds for Olympians, the shorts worn by the Norwegian women’s beach handball team, and the concerns over Covid on the rise, very few people outside of the
School’s Out for Summer. But That Does Not Mean We Stop Learning… By Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed. If you are a student, you are happy about the school year coming to an end. If you are a parent or guardian, maybe not so much. For approximately the last 500 days or so, the specter of
Sesame Street continues to teach the world about authentic inclusion and true Diversity. By Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
There is good news and bad news when it comes to digital equity and how organizations prep for making their digital assets accessible and usable to people who have disabilities. The good news is that many organizations are beginning to appreciate everything that goes into “baking” digital equity and authentic inclusion into their design and
Nothing about us without us! Regardless of the challenges around authentic inclusion, people who have disabilities are part of the solution. By Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed. As had been true during his campaign run, President-elect Joe Biden seems to be making good on his promise of focusing on diversity and authentic inclusion. As evidenced by
As many of you know, I am a person who just happens to be blind. For some, it is not immediately obvious that I am, in fact, totally blind and not just visually impaired. Whenever I am out and about walking with my guide dog Vaughn, I am usually asked if I am training the
