In this inspiring episode of IDD Health Matters with Dr. Craig Escudé, we welcome Tony Thomas, Executive Director of Welcome House in Cleveland, Ohio. With over 24 years of leadership experience, Tony shares his remarkable journey into the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) — from a life-changing family discovery to a lifelong career dedicated to empowering individuals and advancing health equity.

Tony discusses how frontline Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are the heart of the disability services field, his innovative initiatives to improve healthcare access for people with IDD, and how Welcome House is creating clear career pathways for DSPs, including specialized medical support roles. He also talks about the urgent need to address workforce shortages and improve wages for caregivers.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, building a meaningful career, or learning how true inclusion transforms lives, this episode is packed with wisdom, hope, and practical ideas for the future of IDD services.

🎙 Topics Covered:

• Tony's personal journey into disability services

• The importance of DSP career growth and training

• Innovative healthcare solutions for people with disabilities

• Advocacy for higher wages and better workforce support

• Why working in this field is both rewarding and life-changing

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#IDDHealthMatters #DisabilityAdvocacy #DirectSupportProfessionals #DevelopmentalDisabilities #HealthEquity #DSPCareers #Inclusion #WelcomeHouse #HealthcareAccess

In this episode of IDD Health Matters, Dr. Craig Escudé sits down with Dr. Alice Bacherini, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Perugia in Italy, to explore how psychological research is helping dismantle biases in healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Dr. Bacherini discusses her groundbreaking work developing tools to measure erroneous assumptions and self-efficacy among physicians when treating individuals with IDD. Together, they dive into how clinician attitudes impact health equity, the role of social dominance orientation in perpetuating stereotypes, and why direct interaction and inclusive communication are essential to better care outcomes.

Tune in to hear why IDD-specific training—especially hands-on experiences—can shift perspectives and improve quality of care. Dr. Bacherini also shares where to find her published scale, the Beliefs About Adults with ID (BAAID), and her three key pieces of advice for creating a more inclusive healthcare system.

Learn more at: replacingrisk.com
Career opportunities with Friends for Life: friendsforliferc.com

🎧 IDD Health Matters is a joint production of Friends for Life and IntellectAbility.

In this powerful episode of IDD Health Matters, Dr. Craig Escudé sits down with longtime civil rights attorney, disability advocate, and former Acting Administrator of the Administration for Community Living, Alison Barkoff. Now serving as the Hirsch Health Law and Policy Professor at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, Alison shares her personal journey rooted in her experiences as a sibling of a person with an intellectual disability—and how that shaped her life’s mission to advance health equity, civil rights, and inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Together, they explore:

• The historic update to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act—modernizing anti-discrimination protections in healthcare for the first time in nearly 50 years.

• The hard truths about ableism, medical bias, and discriminatory crisis standards of care exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The urgent need to incorporate clinical care curricula into medical and health professional training to eliminate health disparities for people with IDD.

• The challenges of navigating a fragmented service system—and why it's still worth the fight.

Alison also shares her top three calls to action for improving the lives of people with IDD: building personal connections, embracing inclusive healthcare reform, and confronting the systemic complexity with commitment and compassion.

If you're a healthcare professional, policymaker, or advocate looking to better understand the intersection of disability rights, healthcare, and public policy—this is an episode you don't want to miss.

🔗 Learn more about Alison Barkoff’s work and resources mentioned in the episode in the show notes.