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Over the past thirty years a new generation of people with disabilities has come of age. The historic passage of the “Americans with Disabilities Act” and the adoption of similar laws around the globe have encouraged people with disabilities to travel and enjoy public activities in greater numbers than ever before.
It is no secret, however, that despite the ADA, there is still much work to be done, particularly when it comes to providing customer service to people with disabilities. There is often a huge gap between a willingness to provide service and the expertise, or “comfort level” in doing so.
“Connecting” people with disabilities to those with out is simple really. It’s about creating opportunities to reach out to one another and look for ways to share stories, experiences, and knowledge. With that, attitudinal barriers are reduced fostering better understanding and increased comfort levels amongst all concerned. We like to think of this as a kaleidoscope of change. The benefits of such a change are innumerable.
Consider Steve your resource for bringing people together to help promote disability awareness through:
- Disability Etiquette 101
- Workshops: customer service for people with disabilities
- Literary readings and discussions
- Keynotes
- Talks and workshops on college campuses
View this partial list of appearances….
Planet of the Blind 
Dear Cynthia: that’s “Harley” in my book jacket photo. He’s my guide dog Caitlyn’s best friend. We adopted him from a shelter and he’s quite the little character. I’m sending my rainbow bridge prayer for Gizmo!
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Dear Mr. Kuusisto,
After watching an interview with you regarding your book Have Dog, Will Travel, I went to my library’s website to reserve a copy. It took nearly three month to get through prior holds, but last week I finally got the copy. As I always do, I opened the front and back jacket to read about the story, as I walked by to my car from the library. I was surprised to see your picture on the back jacket.
I was surprised, partly because your story was about a Labrador, not a Shihzu, but mainly because less than a week before that, I had said goodbye to my beloved Shihzu, Gizmo, who had been my constant companion from six weeks old until he passed at thirteen-and-a-half. The day before checking the book out, I’d been walking and talking to my pet. I told him I knew he’s been suffering and that it was his time to go, but I told him that I could find some peace in knowing that he was okay. “Show me a sign,” I said, “just some kind of sign.”
And then I saw your book jacket. Your dog could be Gizmo’s identical twin. To me, that was the sign I needed that my dog was doing fine. So in addition to thoroughly enjoying your story and learning much from it, I found a peace that I was sorely missing. Thank you for both.
KInd Regards,
Cynthia Todd
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I just read “Have Dog, Will Travel”! I loved your book, the writing was fun, interesting,emotional,and inspiring!
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How am I able to get information about when and where you will be speaking in the Phoenix, AZ area and if I would be permitted to attend.
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Hi Buddy,
I am putting together a proposal for an event that I would like you to speak at. Please contact me so I can tell you more about it.
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