Accessibility Accelerator: The Podcast

Michal (Moked) Rimon, Chief Executive Officer of AccessIsrael, is a visionary leader and global advocate for accessibility and inclusion.Under Michal’s leadership, Access Israel has becomeIsrael’s foremost authority in advancing equal access for people with disabilities and older adults, shaping a society where inclusion is embedded in every aspect of life. Michal credits much of her commitment to being a keeperof all her sisters and brothers to the values and discipline instilled during her formative years at the Ramaz School, where she graduated at the top of her class. She began her career representing Israel on the worldstage as spokesperson for two Ambassadors at the Israeli Mission to the United Nations. She later practiced law in leading technology corporations including M-Systems and SanDisk, gaining deep expertise in legal, corporate, and international affairs.In 2007, Michal joined Access Israel as General Counsel.She soon established and led the organization’s Education and Training Department, creating groundbreaking programs that transformed awareness and practice across government, business, and civil society. Her appointment as Chief Executive Officer in 2011 marked a period of remarkable growth, expanding Access Israel’s national and international influence.Michal is the founder and driving force behind the multi-award-winning Purple Vest Mission, an innovative model of inclusiveemergency preparedness that has evolved into a global movement. The mission has trained thousands of volunteers and built international networks of experts committed to dignity, safety, and inclusion in times of crisis.Michal holds a Law Degree from the Hebrew University ofJerusalem and an MBA from Zicklin Business School in New York City.Two weeks ago, Michal Rimon and Access Israel FounderYuval Wagner were named People of the Year 2025,w by Yediot Achronot, Israel’s largest daily newspaper, recognizing her outstanding impact on society and her unwavering commitment to building a world where accessibility is a fundamental human right.

Jake Weiner is the Founder and CEO of ZOOZ Fitness, one of the nation’s leading adaptive fitness organizations dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities through personalized,inclusive, and science-based training.With professional roots in special education and personal training and a degree in Psychology and Marketing, Jake saw firsthand how traditional fitness environments often failed to accommodate neurodiverse and physically disabled individuals. In response, he launched ZOOZ with a mission to reimagine what fitness could look like when accessibility, and dignity are at the center.Over the last decade, Jake has trained hundreds of athletes of all ages and ability levels, developing programs that support functional strength, mobility, emotional regulation, and overall quality of life. His approach is built on patience, trust, and the belief that every athlete deserves a program tailored to their unique strengths and goals — not the other way around.Under Jake’s leadership, ZOOZ Fitness has expanded into a state-of-the-art 11,000 sq. ft. facility, offering personal training, adaptive classes, sensory-friendly spaces, and community programming. ZOOZ is now recognized as a model for inclusive fitness nationwide, drawing interest from therapists, educators, and families looking for environments where disabled athletes can thrive.Beyond the gym, Jake is a sought-after collaborator and educator, partnering with schools, nonprofits, and media organizations to promote disability inclusion and adaptive movement. His work continues to advance the understanding that fitness is not just physical — it’s social, emotional, and deeply tied to mental health.ZOOZ website: https://www.zoozfitness.com/ZOOZ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoozfitness/ZOOZTube Videos:l:  https://www.youtube.com/@zooztubefitness577ZOOZ competes in Spartan Race, Temecula, CA (mentioned in podcast):  https://tinyurl.com/ZOOZSpartan 

Allison is a three-time Emmy-nominated journalist, filmmaker, writer, and disability advocate whose latest documentary, Meandering Scars, world premiered at the Dances With Films Festival in Los Angeles. She is the co-founder of BirdMine, a production company committed to amplifying underrepresented voices — particularly those in the disability community — through narrative and documentary storytelling. At BirdMine, Allison writes, directs, and produces films that aim to challenge perceptions and inspire social change. In addition to Meandering Scars, Allison co-wrote and co-directed the award-winning short film Thirteen, a deeply personal narrative inspired by her mother and profoundly disabled sister. Thirteen has screened internationally, including at the Austin Film Festival, Austin Jewish Film Festival, and the California Women’s Film Festival, and is now distributed educationally through New Day Films. Allison’s storytelling roots are in journalism. Over the course of her reporting career, she worked in multiple newsrooms across the country and wrote for digital outlets including Forbes Women, Healthy Women, and Business Insider. Her reporting — often focused on disability rights, mental health, and social justice — earned her a Catalyst for Change award from The Arc of Virginia and multiple Emmy nominations, including one for an investigative series exposing abuse at an assisted living facility. Driven by her lived experience as the sister of a profoundly disabled woman, Allison has dedicated her career to ensuring people with disabilities are not only seen, but portrayed with dignity, authenticity, and humanity. Whether through the lens of a camera or the written word, her goal remains the same: to elevate the voices of those too often overlooked. Off set, Allison’s coaching and creating content at ZOOZ Fitness, a gym for people with disabilities—or curled up at home with her husband and their kitty. A link to THIRTEEN's trailer/distribution: https://www.newday.com/films/thirteen Meandering Scars website: https://www.meanderingscars.com/ Meandering Scars trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8WQ_E9p1Po Instagram: @birdminestories @meanderingscars @thirteen_short_film  Website: https://www.birdmine.com/

Sarah Todd Hammer (goes by "Sarah Todd" as a double name) is a 23-year-old three-time published author, speaker, and disability advocate and consultant. When Sarah Todd was eight years old, she became paralyzed from the neck down. She has regained the ability to walk, but she still has partial paralysis in her arms and hands.​​​​​Sarah Todd co-wrote and published her memoirs about herdisability journey at 11, 14, and 17 years old. In September 2019, Sarah Todd modeled Kohl's Adaptive in New York Fashion Week. She has also modeled Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive in a virtual adaptive fashion show and been featured inZappos Adaptive modeling campaigns. She has a following of over 350,000 people on her Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube accounts, where she shares her life as adisabled individual in a fun, positive manner. Sarah Todd has a B.S. from Davidson College in Psychologyand Communication Studies. She holds a certification as a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC). She has been featured in national media, including People Magazine, Newsweek, ABC Nightline, andmore.  --Sarah Todd Hammer (she/her)3-time published author, speaker, disability advocatewww.sarahtoddhammer.com@SarahToddHammer | LinkedInNote: I go by “Sarah Todd” as a double name.Website: www.sarahtoddhammer.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sarahtoddhammerInsagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahtoddhammer/?hl=enTik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahtoddhammer?lang=en

Accessibility Accelerator: The Podcast is excited to welcome athlete and published author, Farryl and her mother Alexis (the best ‘pep-talker).Farryl is deeply rooted in family, living with her parents, Pete and Alexis, and her younger brother, Evan. Together, they share a love for traveling, attending Yankee games, and skiing during the winter months with the Adaptive Sports Foundation. Their summers are often spent making cherished memories at a sleep-away camp nestled in the beautiful Catskills.When she’s not on the move, Farryl is a passionate country musicenthusiast and an avid reader with a strong love for writing. Her writing isn’t just a hobby—it’s a calling. Farryl aspires to continue her journey as an author, with the dream of inspiring others through her stories. Her dedicationto both her athletic pursuits and creative endeavors is a testament to her drive and passion for making a meaningful impact on the world.

ABOUT accessibleGOAs featured on the Today Show, ⁠accessibleGO.com⁠ is a travel site for people with disabilities that offers bookings, reviews, and community information. With over 120,000 signups to date, accessibleGO was awarded first place by ⁠booking.com⁠ in a regional travel startup competition and has been featured in Bloomberg News, NYTimes,Boston Globe, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, AARP and Thrillist.  accessibleGO recently expanded beyond hotels to add wheelchair van rentals, mobility rentals, cars with hand controls, flights and accessible rides. About Miriam EljasAs a Silicon Valley native, Miriam is serial entrepreneur who founded and exited a media company in NYC as her first foray into the startup world. Following the sale of her first company, she became a business development manager for OurCrowd, working with portfolio companies to help with growth.  She left to start her next venture when the idea for accessibleGO emerged as a tribute to her late mother who was a wheelchair user and had Multiple Sclerosis.    Articles   BloombergWired Magazine  Thrillist Boston GlobeConde Nast Traveller

November is National Family Caregivers Month in the United States.   Our friend Kris Burbank is a spouse, parent of three adult children, caregiver, and certified coach committed to helping individuals create joy-filled and rewarding lives, both personally and professionally.   As the mother of three adult children, including one with severe cerebral palsy (who is beloved member of our Accessibility Accelerator Family and #AccessibleTogether Trekking Team), she particularly enjoys working with parents of individuals with disabilities, honoring their experiences and helping them determine their paths forward. After completing her coaching certification at Georgetown University, Kris co-authored the highly acclaimed book Embracing Another Normal: Resilience Stories and Strategies for Raising Children with Disabilities with Dr. Linda Hoopes. She brings her talents and experiences to coach and provide teachable moments, perspective, and encouragement to support the reader on their journey of the ups and downs of life. Her book is a must-read for all, as at some point in our lives, we will be a caretaker for someone or be cared for.

Eric Lipp, Founder/Executive Director of Open Doors Organization (ODO), founded ODO after experiencing restrictions people with disabilities face in everyday life.  Eric works as an advocate for accessible travel and tourism and is an expert in regulations around the world. He has worked with over 70 airports globally, 65 carriers globally, dozens of hotels and destinations across the world.  He frequently speaks at travel, tourism and transportation events internationally. Eric co-authored the Easy Access Chicago Guide and the accessible landing page at I Love NY.    Eric was appointed to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory board in 2022. He is also a member of the advisory boards at United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Royal Caribbean, PIT, SEA, MSP, ATL, PDX Airports, TravelAbility as well as Uber and Lyft. He was recently re-appointed to the TSA’s ASAC (Aviation Security Advisory Committee).    Eric initiated the groundbreaking 2002, 2005, 2015 & 2020 ODO/Harris Poll Studies on Travelers with Disabilities and works on access across all sectors of travel, tourism and transportation. 

John and Mark X. Cronin are the father-son team that created John’s Crazy Socks, a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. They bootstrapped their business into the world’s largest sock store earning them recognition as EY’s Entrepreneurs of the Year.    John is not only an entrepreneur, but he has also Down syndrome. Every day, John and Mark show what people with differing abilities can do – more than half their colleagues have a differing ability. They are fierce advocates for the rights of people with differing abilities having testified twice before the U.S. Congress, spoken at the United Nations and recorded two TEDx talks. They are members of the CEO Commission on Disability Employment. Their work has been featured on national broadcasts by CBS, ABC, CNBC, PBS, the BBC and Fox News.    They have built a business based on creating customer experiences and spreading happiness. John’s Crazy Socks has 240,000 Facebook followers and over 29,000 five-star reviews. John and Mark show their gratitude through their Giving Back program which has raised nearly $625,000 for their charity partners.  Most of all, they are spreading happiness one pair of socks at a time. 

Husnah Kukundakwe - Paralympian, Uganda Husnah made her Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and was the youngest athlete to compete at the Games, aged just 14. At Tokyo 2020 she became Uganda’s only second ever Paralympic swimmer.   As a result of her hard work, Husnah was awarded the 2019 “Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year” by the Uganda Swimming Federation and the 2019 “Most Disciplined Athlete of the Year” by the Uganda National Paralympic Committee. Furthermore, in 2019 Husnah was the youngest competitor to take part in the World Para Swimming Allianz Championship in London.   She strives to inspire many persons with disabilities and encourage engagement in parasports. As a role model, Husnah participated in the Allianz for Life Future Sessions, featured in the Malala Fund Assembly as one of the Game Changers of 2020, and is an IPC Youth Ambassador for the 2020 and 2021 editions of the United Through Sports Virtual Youth Festival.  She was also a judge for the 2021 UN SDG Action Awards.   She is an Ambassador for the Para Sport Movement and was named the IPC'S Power House by IPC President Mr. Andrew Parsons at the recently concluded IPC'S Athletes Forum in South Korea.   Husnah had a very impressive performance at the Manchester 2023 Allianz World Para Swimming Championships. She now holds African Para Swimming Records and qualified for her first Championship finals in 100m Breaststroke.   In 11 months, Husnaj will be representing Uganda at Paralympic Games in 2024   She is an Ambassador for the Para Sport Movement and was named the IPC'S Power House by IPC President Mr. Andrew Parsons at the recently concluded IPC'S Athletes Forum in South Korea.   Go Husnah!