We are a Radio Show that airs on Groovy 105.7FM every Saturday at 9:00am and Sunday at 4:00pm. After it airs live on the radio, we release the full show onto our Podcast platforms at the beginning of every week. We’re currently on Spotify, Apple, and iHeart Radio Podcasts!

“The Hidden Workforce” is about the positive impact that people who live with different abilities make to the workforce and the world around them.

On our show, you will hear:

• Stories from people who live with a massive variety of different abilities who are breaking stigmas and shattering the glass ceilings placed over them. We have had CEOs, business owners, actors, actresses, authors, community contributors, survivors, and more who live with disabilities of all types and severities on our show sharing their stories and how they are where they are today.

• Leaders from nonprofits all over the state of Oklahoma, Nationwide, and Worldwide who are serving people who live with disabilities.

• Representatives from State agencies such as DRS, DDS, and more on the programs and services they offer to serve people with disabilities.

• Service Providers and Provider Agencies.

• Inclusive Employers and Employees Ready to Work for Inclusive Employers

• and so much more!

What Did We Hear Last Week?

Last week we kicked off our first show from the NABIS Live collaborative podcast series with Dr. Johnny Lifshitz as he shared with us about the future of brain injury research, service delivery, and the new era of innovation in the field of brain injury research.

“Dr. Jonathan Lifshitz, PhD, has an extensive background in neuroscience, with continuous training in experimental models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their clinical application. He trained at the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center, University of Pennsylvania Head Injury Center and Virginia Commonwealth University Commonwealth Center on Brain Injury. He was a tenured faculty member and independent investigator at the University of Kentucky Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Research Center. In Phoenix, he led the Neurotrauma & Social Impact research team as a joint venture between the College of Medicine – Phoenix and the Phoenix VA Health Care System. He is currently a member of the Michigan Neuroscience Institute and a Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan.” (https://braininjurysummit2026.org/speaker/jonathan-lifshitz-phd/). 

Check out this episode on Spotify, Apple, or iHeart Radio to listen to it anytime you need a podcast fix!

What is Slated for This Week’s Show?

This week, we’re continuing our series of shows from the NABIS Live collaborative podcast series on Episode 228 of The Hidden Workforce!

Let’s welcome back Dr. Johnny Lifshitz! In this episode, Dr. Lifshitz shares with us about a difficult yet important topic to address in the field of Brain Injury- Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence related Traumatic Brain Injury.

“Jonathan Lifshitz, PhD, leads the Neurotrauma & Social Impact research team as a joint venture between the University of Michigan Concussion Center, Michigan Medicine Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. He is appointed as a Michigan Impact Professor, a tenured Professor, and VA Research Health Scientist. Research projects focus on investigative, restorative, and regenerative treatments for traumatic brain injury as it develops into chronic neurodegenerative disease. We investigate domestic violence, child abuse, gender imbalance, marital norms, and Veteran mental health, with focus on inflammation and circuit reorganization to detect and intervene. The goal is to train generations of investigators to apply rigorous data to work for social impact, including health and medical outcomes. He leads local, state, and federal funded projects, including ones on cognitive rehabilitation, cardiovascular risk factors, vital imaging, neuroinflammation, and TBI during pregnancy. Currently, he is the scientific director for regional and national consortia to understand TBI arising from domestic violence…” (https://experts.umich.edu/13576-jonny-lifshitz)

You do not want to miss this show!

Tune in this weekend on Groovy 105.7 Saturday at 9:00am or Sunday at 4:00pm, or tune in to hear the show on Spotify, Apple, or iHeart Radio.

Open Ears Open Opportunities, Inc.

Open Ears Open Opportunities, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit offering a customized approach to giving people with disabilities a voice and skill-building opportunity through various disciplines of media education training, enabling and empowering them to learn how to manage their social media, create content, and share their stories through radio, video, social media, professional production experiences, podcasting, and more. 

Open Ears Open Opportunities, Inc.’s Mission is to transform perceptions of people with different abilities through media representation.

OEOO’s Vision is to see a community and world where people with different abilities’ stories are heard, equitable opportunity and access are given to them in media and the workforce, and for inclusion to be a first response, not a last resort.

The Hidden Workforce is produced by members of OEOO, so we are advocating for inclusion in the workforce while an inclusive workforce makes our radio show and podcast happen!

To learn more about OEOO’s programs visit: https://openearsopenopportunities.org/

If you or someone you know would like to get involved with OEOO, please email [email protected].

If you would like to donate, click the button below!

Our Podcast is a Resource!

If you are searching for answers on a resource to help serve you, your child, or loved one who lives with a different ability- if you are a parent or caregiver- if you are a service provider or provider agency- if you need community… Chances are, there is an answer in one of our shows!!

So What are You Waiting for?!

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