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PathAbleAI.com/podcast

In this debut episode of the PathAble Pod, Burt Brooks sits down with longtime friend and frequent collaborator Adam Tyree to discuss the intersection of filmmaking, disability, and the relentless pursuit of creative dreams. As a filmmaker and wheelchair user based in Los Angeles, Adam shares his lived experience navigating an industry that is often "welcoming" in spirit but physically inaccessible in practice.

From the snowy, hilly challenges of college life at Montclair to winning a prestigious DGA award, Adam opens up about the "disability tax"—the hidden costs of time, energy, and willpower required to simply show up. Together, Burt and Adam explore the psychological toll of constant "what happened?" inquiries and the vital importance of fostering a culture of true consideration rather than just meeting the bare minimum of compliance.

www.adamtyree.com

• The LA Leap: Why Adam moved across the country to escape New Jersey winters and how climate impacts mobility and mental health.

• The "Disability Tax": A candid look at how time functions as a currency for wheelchair users, from finding parking to set preparation.

• Film Set Realities: The physical barriers of cables and staircases, and the need for dedicated accessibility roles on production crews.

• "The Places We Won't Walk": Adam discusses his latest short film and how he uses visual storytelling to express the pride, independence, and frustration of the disability experience.

• A Call for Consideration: Why "unlocking" empathy in others is the first step toward systemic change in employment and creative spaces.

The conversation explores the "scarcity mindset" often found in service sectors and proposes a shift toward collaborative innovation. Jake and Brooks candidly discuss the "double-edged sword" of AI, addressing both the threats of algorithmic bias in hiring and the potential for ethical tools to automate administrative burnout, allowing human advocates to focus on meaningful connection.

The Mission of Pathable AI: Shifting focus from being a "tech company" to being people within the disability community solving tangible problems with specialized tools.

Overcoming Executive Dysfunction: How tangible consequences and a connection to "craft" help neurodivergent individuals find purpose and focus in their work.

The Problem with "Universal" Tools: Why massive platforms like Salesforce or HubSpot often fail the disability community and the need for "surgical," purpose-built software.

Agency vs. Independence: A powerful look at how care programs can unintentionally strip participants of their agency and how technology can restore active participation in one's own care plan.

Real-World Friction: Jake shares a personal story of how a "two-box" data entry glitch nearly cut off his family’s SNAP benefits, highlighting the high stakes of poor software design.

Marius shares the powerful moment his stepdaughter said "mama" for the first time after seven years, catalyzed by iPad-based training—igniting his mission to leverage technology for the disability community. Learn about Pletly's family-centric approach to care coordination, the stark differences between European and American healthcare innovation, and why transparency in disability care remains controversial.

From co-designing solutions with universities to launching Empathy Tech events at Lincoln Financial Field, Marius reveals the challenges of building impact-driven companies while navigating resistance from some providers. The conversation tackles uncomfortable truths about accountability, the power of person-centered design, and why seeing people with disabilities as full humans—not spreadsheets—changes everything.

Key Topics:

• Building accessible technology from lived experience
• Care coordination for people with cognitive disabilities
• International market differences in disability services
• Transparency and accountability in caregiving
• The intersection of family support and professional care
• Empathy Tech movement and community building

Perfect for disability advocates, caregivers, health tech innovators, and anyone passionate about inclusive design and authentic human connection.

https://pletly.com/

www.pathableai.com/podcast

Episode Length: ~47 minutes

We discuss the role of AI in language learning for neurodiverse audiences and how to make this technology more accessible for all. 

https://meetreed.ai/ https://www.reedforall.org/ https://pathableai.com/podcast

This episode lays out the show’s mission: candid conversations, real solutions worth paying attention to, and action-oriented takeaways. Listeners are invited to share stories and join a community focused on making accessibility real and useful.