The University of Toledo
01/24/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/24/2025 02:07
Faculty-Hosted Podcast Wins National Media Award
Faculty-Hosted Podcast Wins National Media Award
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) is recognizing a local podcast highlighting the stories of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with its 2025 Media Award.
Telling It Our Way, launched in collaboration with WGTE Public Media in August 2023, is hosted by The University of Toledo's Dr. Rebecca Monteleone, an assistant professor in the Disability Studies Program, and Dr. Ally Day, a former associate professor in the department who is now a research navigator for MaineHealth.
Dr. Rebecca Monteleone, an assistant professor in the Disability Studies Program, co-hosts the award-winning Telling It Our Way podcast on WGTE.
"People with intellectual and developmental disabilities have unique and important stories to share, but historically, the public hasn't always been listening," Monteleone said. "We started Telling It Our Way to create a platform for these perspectives to reach new audiences. We're so grateful for this national recognition and to our partners at WGTE for their support in making this podcast, and we can't wait to bring audiences more."
Telling It Our Way brings together stories that are written and performed by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Themed episodes tackle a wide variety of topics, ranging from romantic relationships to work experiences to grief.
Telling It Our Way is produced under WGTE's Voices Around Us initiative, which invites local content creators to collaborate on podcasts that celebrate voices and stories from Toledo, northwest Ohio and beyond. Voices Around Us is supported in part by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated by the City of Toledo and the Lucas County Commissioners and administered by The Arts Commission.
Telling It Our Way and other Voices Around Us podcasts are available on WGTE's website and mobile app as well as all major streaming platforms.
AAIDD is an interdisciplinary membership organization that promotes progressive policies, sound research, effective practices and universal human rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It presents a series of awards annually to honor individuals, organizations or media who have made outstanding contributions to the field.
Monteleone and Day are set to receive the 2025 Media Award on behalf of Telling It Our Way at the association's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in June.