Breaking The Ice - Let’s Talk Inclusion Podcast

Join host Steve Nearman of The Great Blizzards Special Hockey and guests Ralph Marziale and Gerry Letourneau as they discuss the Marziale Foundation and RI Special Hockey.

A near-death experience led a former minor hockey player from Cranston, RI, to a life of breathless charitable giving. One of the recipients of Ralph Marziale's Marziale Foundation is the Providence Junior Bears, a USA Hockey special needs ice hockey team out of Pawtucket, RI. Tune in to a very lively discussion of how the lives of Ralph Marziale and Junior Bears Founder/Director Gerry Letourneau intersected for the greater good.

Marziale Foundation

Providence Junior Bears - RI Special Hockey

Join host Steve Nearman and guest Ashley Waring, OHC Family Engagement Director, The Arc of Massachusetts. What's the best way to assure that our medical and dental providers have empathy and understanding of our loved ones special needs? Train the professionals. We discuss with former librarian Ashley Waring her Operation House Call, a program which educates future healthcare professionals by turning families into teachers. Families host visits with medical and nursing students, particularly families who live within 30 minutes of Boston and Worcester.
Operation House Call

Join host Steve Nearman as he catches up with Mike Eruzione, captain of the Miracle on Ice Olympic Gold medal team and Trustee of Winthrop Charities.

We talk about life before, during and after the 6-month buildup to the Olympic Games and how life unfolded afterward and the importance of his family and friends.

Spoiler alert - at 71, he still is in great shape to chase his grandson around - on the ice!

Join host Steve Nearman and his guest Danielle Graziano as they discuss what REAL inclusion looks like versus how it's often practiced — the gap between compliance and culture.

Coming from the perspective of what inclusion means from both sides of the table — as a Weymouth School Committee member (Vice Chair, Budget Subcommittee Chair) and as a parent of two teens with diverse support needs.

Spoiler Alert - you, too, can get involved in a SEPAC and affect the educational trajectory of yours and others children.

Host - Steve Nearman
Guest - Evan Delahanty, Founder of Peaceful Fruits

In this episode, host Steve Nearman of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion and guest Evan Delahanty , Founder and CEO of Peaceful Fruits LLC, discuss how people with intellectual disabilities want to work and feel valued.

They explore Evan's journey founding Peaceful Fruits in Akron, Ohio, with a dedicated special needs workforce. Evan shares valuable lessons from his time in the Amazon with the Peace Corps and his mission to create healthy, all-natural snacks while supporting his local community and the indigenous harvesters in the Amazon.

Alert - this podcast has a bittersweet ending

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Peaceful Fruits

Please join host Steve Nearman of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion and guest Trevor Levine, Owner/President of Premise Mortgage LLC to learn more about Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) have been around since before World War II. Initially, they were common as a means to provide affordable housing options, often built on the same lot as a primary residence. This practice allowed homeowners to accommodate extended family or generate rental income.

ADUs have grown in popularity especially more recently with the increasing lack of affordable housing and the Commonwealth passing legislation in the Affordable Homes Account which took effect January 31, 2025. Homeowners are now building ADUs for elderly parents and recently-graduated kids. But what about using ADUs to address the housing crisis in the special needs community, where there is a major lack of housing options. We do a deep dive into the viability of ADUs.

Trevor Levine, Owner/President of Premise Mortgage, LLC

Host Steve Nearman and guest Lauren S. Henry of Lauren Henry Sensory Design of Delray Beach, FL, talk about how you go from being a singing performer on cruise lines to designing sensory-friendly spaces for special needs people, elderly citizens, schools, corporations and people with PTSD.

The bottom line - WE all suffer from overstimulation but in many cases it's a choice - where and how you live, where and how you work, where you go to school and how you manage a multitude of senses in your daily life.

Lauren Henry Sensory Design

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Please join host Steve Nearman and guest Nicole Young - endearingly known as "The Plymouth Trash Lady," a South Shore, Plymouth-born autistic mom of three autistic children - as they dive into candid, unfiltered conversations about Nicole's own late diagnosis with autism, the everyday challenges and triumphs of raising three autistic kids, and her adventurous world of trash removal.

You can find Nicole Young (The Plymouth Trash Lady) at the links below:

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Join host Steve Nearman of Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion and guest Nora Bent of @thearcofmass as they discuss the recently passed Massachusetts law establishing the statewide Blue Envelope Program. In this episode, we explore how the initiative evolved from an idea into legislation, the advocacy role played by The Arc of Massachusetts, and how the program fosters safer, more successful encounters between law enforcement officers and autistic drivers or passengers during traffic stops.

Click links below for more information. Request a Blue Envelope Blue Envelope Program Information Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll Press Release

Living with epilepsy and autism, Megan has given back to the local police for their kindness during her early years. Find out how on Episode 18 of the Breaking The Ice - Let's Talk Inclusion podcast. Joining host Steve Nearman are his guests: Megan Richardson, Board Secretary, Hingham Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association Ryan O'Shea, Deputy Chief, @hinghampolice We discuss her work with the Citizen's Police Academy of which she is a graduate and

We discuss her work with the Citizen's Police Academy of which she is a graduate and its alumni group of which she is a Board Secretary and the positive relationship she has developed with the police department and the inclusive community through her sensory kits.

How does the upcoming Island Autism Gala on June 19th aid in providing services to its autism community, including day and residual programing?

Find out on this episode of the Breaking the Ice Lets Talk Inclusion podcast.

Joining host Steve Nearman are his guests:

Brooke Avakian, Board Chair, Island Autism

Kate DeVane, Executive Director, Island Autism

Jen Woods, Special Education and Transitions teacher, Martha's Vineyard High School

In addition to talking about the fundraiser, we also discuss the symbiotic relationship between Martha's Vineyard schools and Island Autism, including students making dog treats, working with horses and hanging out with chickens!

It's no secret that people in the medical community don't always get it right.

They told the parents of Andrew Roberts when he was a baby that he would never speak.

On this episode of the Breaking The Ice - Let’s Talk Inclusion podcast, host Steve Nearman discusses Andrew's recent graduation from Ithaca College's Sport Media program.

He received an autism diagnosis shortly before his second birthday and is the first and youngest Flutie Foundation Fellow, only 14 years of age when he started with the organization.

As a junior announcer for the Boston Red Sox, Andrew’s fandom grew over the years, and when he was 10 years old, (after borrowing a book at the library called “How to Start a Blog”), he started his own sports website, bostonsportsmania. com. It now has over 750 posts.

On the podcast, Andrew discusses his time at Ithaca and his incredible depth of sports media work in just 22 years of life.

How does Second Summer Cycle help raise thousands of dollars for charities on Cape Cod? Find out on the Breaking The Ice - Let’s Talk Inclusion podcast!

On this episode, host Steve Nearman sits down with Andi Genser, Organizer of Second Summer Cycle Charity Rides and Robert Goydas, Great Blizz supporter and past rider.

This show takes a deep dive into Andi's long and passionate career of championing those in need, especially women who need supports. And her long love affair with bicycling which came together during her years at the helm of Cape Cod non-profit We Can. Plus a sit-in by Blizz fundraiser Robert Goydas, on the staff of our production company Marshfield Community Media, as he reviews his successful Second Summer ride last year.

The Blizz again will be participating, along with 18 other non-profits, on September 13. Learn more: Secondsummercycle.com

What happens when your loved one with special needs turns 22? It’s major quandry, but one of the places to turn to is Plymouth County Family Support (PCFS).

Find out more on this episode of the Breaking The Ice - Let’s Talk Inclusion podcast, hosted by Jim Coughlin, Executive Director of PCFS, with Dakota Phillips, Agency with Choice Coordinator.

They discuss what their function is, along with upcoming programs, services, and resources for adults ages 22 and over who have aged out of the school system. PCFS serves the numerous towns of Plymouth County.

How did the tearing down of a pride flag turn into a popular community event?

On this episode of the Breaking The Ice - Let’s Talk Inclusion podcast, host Steve Nearman sits down with Darcee Edwards, organizer of the 6th annual "Don't Hide the Pride" event next month in Hanover, MA.

A member of Hanover Pride, a mother of three and full-time school nurse, Ms. Edwards explains how the event, which celebrates Pride Month, germinated from the tearing down of a pride flag at Hanover High School in June 2021.

Within days, the Hanover Board of Selectmen chose "to turn a hurtful incident into a unique moment for reflection leading to growth," including the creation of a Pride event which took place shortly after and ever since.

The discussion also delves into the world of LGBTQ+ people and the world around them, which is becoming more and more harsh. The Blizz has welcomed LGBTQ+ players since its inception.

Host Steve Nearman sits down with MA Sen. Dylan Fernades, who discusses legislation he is sponsoring for our community, including a cleaner environment and a focus on autism services and housing.

Nora Bent, Director of Government Affairs & Strategic Partnerships for the ARC of Massachusetts, discusses the PROTECT Act Amendment #6, which the ARC is strongly advocating for.

Rapidly evolving federal immigration policies and expanded enforcement actions are creating fear and instability across immigrant communities in Massachusetts. These developments are affecting not only immigrant families, but also the families of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism who rely on an already-strained human service workforce, of which immigrants make up a huge percentage of staff.

This amendment seeks to include disability programs as "sensitive spaces" to protect a critical segment of the disabilities workforce.

What was it like to be in the crowd when Bobby Orr scored that unforgettable overtime goal in the 1970 Stanley Cup playoffs? Listen to find out!

Host Steve Nearman sits down with two major Great Blizz supporters, Skip Frieling and Dick Thibeau, as they look forward to their inductions into the USA 80+ Hockey Hall of Fame on Sept 25 and 26 in Superior, CO.

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

On this episode, host Holly Flanagan sits down with Paris Flynn, Best Buddies Program Manager in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and Jake Quinn, Best Buddies Ambassador and Leader. They discuss friendship, leadership and inclusion, the latest on Best Buddies, and the upcoming Hyannisport Challenge on May 30th with New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

Host Steve Nearman sits down with three members of the Dougie Marathon Team from the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism as they are in final preparations for Monday's Boston Marathon. They share their experiences and offer tips for a successful finish.

Our guest Ray LeBlanc, director and coach of the East Coast Jumbos special hockey team and Disabilities Representative for Massachusetts Hockey, sits down with host Steve Nearman to discuss the recent Adaptive Hockey Day event, and dives into the six incredible disciplines of adaptive hockey: warrior hockey, blind hockey, deaf hockey, sled hockey, stand-up amputee hockey, and special hockey. It's an inspiring conversation about inclusion, innovation, and the growing world of adaptive hockey.