My 2014 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Blog – Bridge II Sports

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Ashley Thomas, Founder and Executive Director of Bridge II Sports, is herself a member of the US National Parakayak team.

Ashley Thomas, Founder and Executive Director of Bridge II Sports, is herself a member of the US National Parakayak team.


On September 11 of this year, I attended the second annual Triangle (NC) Business Journal’s Leaders in Diversity awards luncheon. I met one of the outstanding and inspirational award winners in the nonprofit leadership category, Ashley Thomas, Founder and Executive Director of Bridge II Sports. I felt she would be perfect to interview for my this year’s October National Disability Employment Awareness Month blog.


STAN: “First, Ashley, could you tell me a little about what Bridge II Sports is all about?”
ASHLEY: “Sure, Bridge II Sports (BIIS), provides adapted sports programs for people with physical disabilities. Our programs serve both youth and adults, as well as military. Often when one is injured, or is born with disabilities, there are no opportunities for active, healthy sports options. We decided to open a door to this niche. BIIS uses adapted sports to develop confidence in the heart and mind that empowers athleticism and confidence!


STAN: “What inspired you to start and build this organization?”
ASHLEY: “As a child, born with Spina Bifida, I was ambulatory, but not an efficient runner nor did I have balance. Once I got into a wheelchair, I discovered that I no longer had fatigue, new energy was discovered, and that chair that “binds – wheelchair bound”, became the tool that set me free! I began to explore if there was wheelchair racing on the internet. I found a coach from Arizona, who told me how to train over the internet! That is what got me going. It was such a joy to have freedom in movement, set a goal, train, accomplish my 1st 5K in 29:32! This made me think that every child should have this opportunity. I guess to make is short, it was so liberating and empowering to me, I felt like others should have the opportunity.”


A basketball game being played in Wake County, NC

A basketball game being played in Wake County, NC


STAN: “Since I am a diversity and career consultant, I often write and blog about workplace diversity and career development. What do you feel is the connection between engaging people with disabilities in sports and preparing them and empowering them to succeed in the work place?”
AHSLEY: Great question! Physical activity, social interaction on the playground, at parties, boy scouts, girl scouts, church groups, etc., are huge arenas where social development, self-confidence, personal identity, begin to form. When one has a mobility limit, I find that there are many areas that just did not get a change to develop. Creating accountability for those with physical challenge is hard to create….unless the one who is setting the standard also has a limit. Our programs set the standard of being on time, yes we know it may take you longer, to accomplish a task, but, the world works on time. We help understand what it means to be a team player. So often a child with disabilities does not get that opportunity, and become very self-focused. This is not a harsh criticism, but and outcome when so much is focused on the brokenness – multiple doctor visits, PT, OT, social worker, ….. Sometimes a kid just needs to be a kid. When accountability, goal setting, team mindedness, is incorporated into the programs, we have developed people who will be great employees! Everyone has a limit, I wanted the folks how have physical limits to have the same ability for development using sports as those who are able to walk, see, move!


STAN: “Is there anything else you want to tell me about Bridge II Sports or yourself?”
ASHLEY: BIIS is a non-profit that functions by many volunteers and donors. I would like to invite folks to learn more about our programs and get involved. Please consider becoming a part of the 360 Club (Link) and sponsor a program so children and adults with disabilities can play!


Many thanks to Ashley for strengthening our community and help so many people though her fine work and organization! Do check out the amazing wide variety of sports programs offered, from indoor to outdoor, individual, team and even extreme!

Also, here is a link to last year’s blog about another fine leader and organization: Sandy Moonert and Enable America.

My Meeting with US Cabinet Member Labor Secretary Thomas Perez

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This blog is loaded with links to useful resources – please explore and use them (bold underlined)

US Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (right) making a point in the meeting coordinated by Center for Faith-Based Partnerships Rev. Phil Tom (left)

US Labor Secretary Thomas Perez (right) making a point in the meeting coordinated by Center for Faith-Based Partnerships Rev. Phil Tom (left)


On Tuesday, September 16th, I had the special privilege of representing the North Carolina Council of Churches in a meeting of 13 American “faith leaders” with the United States Labor Secretary Thomas Perez.

The meeting, coordinated by the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, was to discuss what the US government administration and Department of Labor are doing to protect workers and provide greater economic opportunities for all. This was my first time meeting with someone so senior level in the US government. And I also viewed the discussion through my lens of being a diversity and career management consultant.

I was extremely impressed with Secretary Perez’s heartfelt commitment to addressing poverty and increasing job opportunities in the USA. And he listened with deep intent to all the participants and demonstrated he heard all of our comments when he synthesized the key issues we discussed.

I shared that the NC Council of Churches has a long history of advocating for social justice including economic justice. My points:
• We have provided educational materials and advocacy around “living wage” since minimum wage is far below what people, especially working single parents, need to live.
• That we tie economic discussions to racial justice since it is minorities that are often the hardest hit with economic difficulties
• That given that NC has a large agricultural economic component, I detailed the various projects we have done around farm workers and immigrant rights.
I also noted that I was elected NC Council of Churches President as an out gay man, that the LGBT community often suffers economic hardship and workplace discrimination in states that do not offer legal protection, and that there are a huge number of people of faith who believe LGBT protections are the right thing to do.

Blog author Stan Kimer (background) listens as Rev Sekinah Hamlin (foreground), another NC Council of Churches former President and now with the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative, shares some points.

Blog author Stan Kimer (background) listens as Rev Sekinah Hamlin (foreground), another NC Council of Churches former President and now with the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative, shares some points.


Secretary Perez listened intently and took a lot of notes as each of the 13 faith leaders spoke. He consolidated all that he heard and offered the following summary remarks: (a few of these items are from his opening remarks too)
• It is important to provide vocation training for inmates nearing the end of their sentences, providing them a second chance and assisting them of becoming productive members of society instead of returning to prison
• We need to increasing opportunities for women, noting that the USA is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not legislate paid leave for new mothers. In addition, lack of subsidized child care for low income working mothers often force them to make hard choices.
• Need to continue to work on raising minimum wage (link to a blog by meeting attendee Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block) to provide a living income
• Faith organizations can start “job clubs” for helpful networking and leverage the 2500 American Job Centers across the country. Some of these are even located in prison locations to assist with re-entry.
• There are grants available to faith organizations to assist with skills development, inmate re-entry programs, etc.
• One important role of faith groups are to be a voice for those with no voice and those unable to speak out
• He does understand the LGBT employment issue and supports having a national ENDA (Employment non-discrimination act.) Protection for LGBT people based upon what state they live in is not fair.
• Immigration reform has a strong impact on economic issues, and is one area that all faith groups from conservative to progressive support.

In closing, Secretary Perez asked that we do not leave the meeting as pessimists, that the facts are on our side and we can continue to work for positive progression in these issues. Civil rights is about persistence and we need to diligently persist in these areas. And he expressed deep gratitude for all our work.

In mid-October, I will write a follow on blog to discuss the unfortunate growing culture of poverty in the United States, and what business leaders can do to address it.