Category: D&I Series

October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month, and as part of our ongoing Diversity & Inclusion Series, we invited disability advocate and writer Nina Tame to speak with Arrow resident Hazel Gumm about living with spina bifida. They discuss mobility and independence, ableism, and a happy life.   Spina bifida is a rare birth defect that occurs […]

To recognize Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October, we invited Erin Suelmann to talk with Arrow resident Teresa Saunders. Suelmann is the Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis. Her organization services about 2,200 individuals with Down syndrome and their families to ensure their health, happiness, and equity through their whole […]

Associate Professor at Arizona State University Alex Aviña wasn’t surprised when we reached out to him to talk about Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15). Every September, his inbox is flooded with similar requests. On the other side, when Arrow resident Conchita Colopy was given the information about the conversation, it was the […]

Iris Waichler, medical social worker and author of the award-winning book “Role Reversal,” sat for an interview with Elaine Letcher, Arrow Senior Living resident, to discuss ageism. Waichler has 40 years of experience as a social worker and has written and published many articles.  According to Waichler, ageism isn’t exclusive to the United States, but […]

To celebrate Be Kind to Humankind Week (August 25th-31st), Arrow resident Gail Smothers sat down with Orly Wahba to discuss kindness. Wahba is an educator, community activist, author of Kindness Boomerang, and founder of Life Vest Inside, a non-profit organization dedicated to infusing kindness in the world. Throughout their laugh-filled, enthusiastic conversation, Smothers and Wahba […]

As a company, Arrow Senior Living has made learning about and celebrating our unique differences a part of our company culture. So much so that, in recent years, it has become an extension of our core values. And now, going on our second year, Arrow has expanded beyond yearly diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops to […]

Allison Paolini is an assistant professor of school counseling and Director of Arkansas State University’s School Counseling Program. She sat down with Arrow resident Ralph Griffin to speak about gun violence, its causes, what can be done about it, and more.  Gun violence is a pervasive, worldwide global epidemic, Paolini says. That being said, school […]

In August 2022, teacher, writer, storyteller, and children’s librarian George Shannon sat for a Zoom interview with Norita Cannon, a resident of an Arrow Senior Living community, to talk about what makes a family and how the definition of a family has changed. Shannon has written many notable picture books including Tomorrow’s Alphabet, Lizard’s Guest, […]

On Disability Independence Day (July 26th) 2021, Arrow community resident Nancy Bartlett met with blogger and entrepreneur Alex Dacy (social media handle: @wheelchair_rapunzel) to discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act and Disability Independence. Through her social media presence, Dacy works to change the perception of what life looks like as a disabled person.  Bartlett and […]

In July 2022, Krystle Hickman, an artist, community scientist, conservation photographer, TEDx speaker, and founder of BeeSip, sat down with Arrow Senior Living resident Carol Bales. They discussed bees and their important role in the ecosystem.  Hickman specializes in melittology, the study of bees. Her primary focus is through artful photography. Bales, a gardener, photographer, […]

Arrow community resident Tony Stephenson sat down with Catherine O’Donnell, Professor of History at Arizona State University, for a conversation on the Constitution and American Revolution.   O’Donnell began the discussion by clarifying what we are celebrating on the Fourth of July: It’s not the celebration of an achievement but rather of a beginning. After long […]

Dr. Maureen O’Connor is a Neuropsychologist who works with patients and families in a clinical setting, typically older adults worried about their memory and thinking. She was interviewed by Don Bobula, a resident of an Arrow senior living community, who has experienced, first-hand, how dementia can affect a loved one and a relationship.  When it […]