Fighting to Stop Fighting: What Keeps Advocates Like Ryan Honick Going? ~ 1333

Ryan Honick is an award-winning disability advocate, professional persuader, and prominent speaker. Over the years, he has forged significant pathways in advocacy on Capitol Hill, within federal government parameters, nonprofit organizations, and expansive PR firms. Honick is recognized for his influential work in publicizing the challenges faced by individuals using rideshare apps with service dogs, which led to a noteworthy lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice. Currently matched with his second service dog, Lovey, Honick remains an indefatigable voice in the arena of disability rights, leveraging platforms like LinkedIn to share his narrative and insights. In this invigorating episode of Think Inclusive, host Tim Villegas is joined by remarkable disability advocate Ryan Honick. The spotlight is on Ryan's relentless decade-long fight against rideshare app discrimination towards service dog users, culminating in a Department of Justice lawsuit. Villegas delves into the parallels between Honick's personal advocacy experiences and the indispensable fight for inclusive practices within educational settings, resonating deeply with educators and families nationwide. Complete show notes and transcript: https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/figh... Chapters 00:00 Cold Open: Disability Access, DOJ Lawsuits, and Compliance Theater 01:11 Meet Ryan Honick: Disability Rights Advocate and Professional Persuader 03:27 Service Dogs and Rideshare Discrimination: A Decade of Fighting Uber and Lyft 07:30 Why Disability Advocacy Starts with Education: Building the 80% Coalition 18:22 Reasonable Accommodations Are Not Perks: Disability Rights in Schools and Workplaces 21:43 Disability Disclosure at Work and School: Risks, Stigma, and the Invisible Disability Gap 35:38 Inclusive Design Failures and Why Disabled People Must Be in the Room Where Decisions Happen 37:19 What Keeps Disability Advocates Going: Community, Pushback, and Meeting People Where They Are 43:51 Fighting So You Can Stop: Disability Employment, the ADA, and the Long Game of Inclusion 49:08 Mystery Question + Closing Thoughts: Belonging Is the Goal