Скачать или смотреть Remarkable World Commentary Episode #64: Interview with Alexander Barrasso, Policy Advisor

Remarkable World Commentary Episode #64: Interview with Alexander Barrasso, Policy Advisor https://donnajodhan.com/rwc-12-02-2025/


In this far-reaching episode of Remarkable World Commentary, Donna J. Jodhan welcomes retired U.S. diplomat and six-time U.S. blind chess champion Alex Barrasso (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbarrasso/) for a conversation that spans childhood, global diplomacy, disability rights, and the power of persistence. Alex traces his journey from growing up blind in a tight-knit Italian immigrant family in multicultural New York, complete with daring solo bike rides, to the moment a State Department recruiter convinced him that a life in the Foreign Service was possible. He recounts postings in countries including Colombia, Singapore, Thailand, the Czech Republic, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, sharing stories of advocating for guide dog access in Singapore, connecting with schools for the blind abroad, helping secure a $13.1 billion defense sale that supported tens of thousands of U.S. jobs, and negotiating the release of a detained family in a foreign language on short notice. Along the way, he and Donna compare notes on inaccessible exams, the emotional toll of being told "no," and the stubborn optimism it takes to keep pushing.


The discussion also dives into the less visible side of Alex's career: attitudinal and institutional barriers within his own government, being quietly passed over for assignments, and being barred from high-profile events like aircraft carrier visits simply because of blindness. He explains how he led by listening first and speaking last, inviting honest questions about disability, and using tools like JAWS, Braille displays, embossers, and full-time human assistance to do his job at the highest levels. As chair of the State Department's Disability Action Group, he helped advance accessible housing initiatives and championed the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, training hundreds of staff to better support colleagues with non-apparent disabilities. Alex also shares how chess, learned at age 11 thanks to one inclusive coach, has shaped his decision-making, resilience, and sense of community, from embassy pizza-and-chess nights to mentoring blind students through the U.S. Blind Chess Association. He closes with a powerful message: don't be afraid to pursue ambitious goals, actively seek and lean on allies, take care of your physical and mental health, and be clear and assertive about the accommodations you need so that, like him and Donna, you can prove that a blind life in high-stakes leadership is not easy, but absolutely doable.


TRANSCRIPT


Podcast Commentator: Greetings.


Podcast Commentator: Donna J Jodhan, LLB, ACSP and MBA invites you to listen to her biweekly podcast, Remarkable World Commentary. Here, Donna shares some of her innermost thoughts, insights, perspectives, and more with her listeners. Donna focuses on topics that directly affect the future of kids, especially kids with disabilities. Donna is a blind advocate, author, site loss coach, dinner mystery producer, writer, entrepreneur, law graduate, and podcast commentator. She has decades of lived experiences, knowledge, skills, and expertise in access technology and information as someone who has been internationally recognized for her work and roles, she just wants to make things better than possible.


Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Hello everybody, and welcome to another episode of Remarkable World Commentary. I am Donna Jodhan, a lifelong disability advocate and one who sees the world mainly through sound, touch and stubborn optimism. I am a law graduate, accessibility consultant, author, lifelong barrier buster who also happens to be blind. You may know me from a few headline moments, as in November 2010, I won the Landmark Charter case that forced the Canadian government to make its websites accessible to every Canadian, not just the sighted ones. And in July of 2019, I co-led the Accessible Canada Act with more than two dozen disability groups to turn equal access into federal law and most recently, on June 3rd, 2022. I was greatly humbled by Her Late Majesty's Platinum Jubilee Award for tireless commitment to removing barriers. When I'm not in a courtroom or in a committee room or in a pottery studio, you will find me coaching kids with vision loss, producing audio mysteries, or helping tech companies to make their gadgets talk back in plain language. Everything I do circles one goal to turn accessibility from an afterthought into everyday Big brothers, I invite you to think of this show as our shared workbench where policy meets lived experience and lived experience sparks fresh ideas. Now, before we jump into today's conversation, let me shine a spotlight on today's guest, a change maker whose work is as every bit as remarkable as the world that we are trying to build. Alex Barrasso, I'd like to welcome you to my Remarkable World Commentary podcast. So, ...