One voice can start a movement! Fifteen years ago, Mom was blocked from continuing her education in neuroscience because of her medical device—me, her service dog. She made a promise then: no one else should have to face that fight alone. For nearly 15 years, we have advocated, educated, challenged barriers, and pushed for change. And we are finally watching that change take root. Today, we have completed an entire 8-module course with @citiprogram on service dog access and disability inclusion, including access in laboratory environments, that will be shared internationally across academic and clinical settings. We just completed an invited text book chapter for IGI Global’s Expanding Ethical Horizons in Human Research Studies addressing disability and service dog access in research and laboratory environments. And perhaps most importantly, we are hearing from service dog handlers entering the sciences all the time. Two years ago, we traveled to Trent University in Canada for a keynote, laboratory risk assessment, and discussion about service dog access. Today, Trent has FIVE service dog teams enrolled in its science programs. One of those students is taking molecular biology, forensic chemistry, toxicology, and crime scene investigation. And here is one of their adorable assistance dogs, proudly sporting @rexspecsk9 and one of our custom laboratory coats—boots coming soon! 🐾🥼🥽 This is what change looks like. What began 15 years ago as one student being told no has grown into something so much bigger. And now, through Sampson’s Legacy Foundation, we have the privilege of supporting the next generation of scientists with disabilities and their service dogs so they don't have to navigate these barriers alone. One voice can start a movement. But it takes a community to change a culture—and make that change last. Thank you for being part of that community. Your support is helping make this possible. We have only 5 days left in our fundraiser: givebutter.com/fund-scholars… Custom lab coats here: customdogcoats.com/labcoat

Thrilled to be in the studio today with the host of the "On Research" podcast with the @CITIProgram! We’re diving into Empower Ability Consulting’s disability advocacy work, the mission of Sampsons Legacy Foundation (SLF), and we’re joined by one of our amazing Fall 2025 SLF Science Service Dog Scholarship recipients! So excited to talk about what drives us every single day—changing lives, championing accessibility in science and travel, and showing up for people with disabilities wherever support is needed. You can help support our college scholarship program through charitable donations for people with disabilities at: sampsonslegacyfoundation.com… Spring 2026 Academic Scholarships open in January!

Mom finished a HUGE 18-month contracted course development for the @citiprogram Saturday that addresses: Understanding Disability, Service Dog’s 101, Service Dogs in Research and Laboratories, with First Responders, Natural Disaster Planning, Clinical Settings, Public Places, Public Transportation, many more through how to be a Self Advocate. The goal is it will become a mandatory course for all universities, research facilities, clinical settings, and government bodies. Me - I’m retired and living my Best! Life! Ever! Happy Monday!

Mom had lunch with someone yesterday who said that she thought the reason people don't accept Disabilities as a constructive part of society is the lack of respectful conversation about, interaction with, and education around Disabilities. When Mom was unexpectedly Disabled after an accident when she was 41 years old, there were many things she didn't understand about herself, and about the new way she needed to move throughout life and society. In essence, she didn't know HOW to be Disabled. She goes into a lot of detail on how that felt in her book, "Insistent," available in all major bookstores August 26th. Like many Disabled people, Mom never knew there was a word for what she was experiencing. It is called ableism. She was unprepared for the segregation, the exclusion, the prejudice, the bias, the assumptions, the behaviors, the discrimination, the inaccessibility, we could go on! Instead, she struggled. She struggled in daily life, trying to maneuver grocery shopping, going to a doctor, struggled in education, even simply getting gas for her car, when trying to navigate a society not designed for her, especially as a service dog handler. The very thing that made any of that possible. She was Disabled by Society. She was never taught how to manage as a Disabled person in a society where you are excluded time and time again. But ableism, well, it's there ingrained, it's always been there, entangled, embedded, deep-rooted, insert your preferred adjective here. Guiding and shaping our view of Disability and how we treat and act towards those experiencing it. Like many people, she didn't know what ableism was despite its impact on her, until she had had enough and swore no one else would experience what she did alone and developed Empower Ability Consulting (EAC). Like most of us, the reason for that was because we do not educate about Disability or the systemic oppression of Disabled people. Ableism. Mom is finishing up on a year long contract writing an entire course on Disability and Service Dogs with the @citiprogram. It is a course that will be offered to universities nationwide. It is a course needed! She covers understanding Disability, How to Self Advocate, and Service Dog Handlers in public, during emergency disasters and management planning, and so much more.