The Inclusive Dad with Sarah St. Louis - Season 2 Episode 6

The Inclusive Dad

In this episode of The Inclusive Dad podcast, host AAron interviews Sarah St. Louis, a certified ADA coordinator. They discuss Sarah’s work in advocating for more inclusive public spaces, including her involvement in Changing Spaces Minnesota, which advocates for adult-sized changing tables in public restrooms. Sarah shares her personal journey into the world of disability advocacy following her son’s accident, and the importance of empathy and education in creating inclusive environments. The conversation highlights the role of architects in either enabling or dismantling barriers for people with disabilities.

Key Takeaways:

Changing Spaces: Sarah co-founded Changing Spaces Minnesota to advocate for adult-sized changing tables in public restrooms.

Inclusive Architecture: Architects can reduce barriers by designing more inclusive spaces, like gender-neutral restrooms and ramps.

Personal Journey: Sarah’s advocacy began after her son sustained a traumatic brain injury, leading her to a new purpose in life.

Empathy Through Education: Educating people about disability fosters empathy and drives change in community design.

Beyond ADA: The ADA sets a minimum standard; true inclusion requires going beyond compliance.

Sarah’s definition of inclusion:

Inclusion is when those with disabilities are folded into the community without questioning whether they belong or not. Inclusion is love, acceptance and thriving.

Sarah’s Bio:

Sarah is a Project Manager of Architecture for MG2 and has been in various roles in the architectural profession for almost 20 years.

Sarah is an active member of AIA MN as an Associate Member. Sarah is also a Partners in Policymaking graduate specializing in Disability Studies and Advocacy, Public Policy, and Community Leadership.

Sarah is a Disability Rights Advocate and is involved with numerous groups, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals to create a more inclusive world for those with disabilities such as, Family Voices of MN as a trained support parent, specializing in trauma and a Director on their Board of Directors. Minnclusion, a neurodivergent nonprofit, as a consultant specializing in accessibility and traumatic brain injuries and worked with the Walker Art Center to create their Sensory Free Sundays for those with sensory sensitivities and other disabilities so that they can enjoy time at the art museum and participate in their communities. She also has done pro bono accessible designs for families of children with disabilities so that they are able to continue to live in their homes.

Sarah is also a Certified ADA Coordinator.

Sarah also works with local, state, and national leaders on disability policy by helping legislators/leaders create bills that benefit those with disabilities and their families, testifying in legislative hearings and educating current leaders and hopeful candidates on disability policy and needs and in 2023, after 4 years of work, got her Adult-Sized Changing Table bill signed into law by Governor Walz and now working with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry to write the code language for the changing tables to take effect in January of 2024.

Sarah co-founded the Changing Spaces Minnesota chapter with a fellow mom and advocate to continue the national effort to bring awareness and action on universal changing tables to bring human dignity across our state and nation for the disability community.

In addition to all of this, Sarah is the proud mom of 2 children with disabilities and is raising them to be strong self-advocates that will one day continue the mission of disability inclusion.

Connect with Sarah:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-st-louis-associate-aia-adac-11837011/

SPAM© Count:

Host:

Yes

Current Guest:

No

Cumulative Guest Stats:

Yes - 3

No - 2

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