New: Birmingham-based disability advocacy consulting services + podcast

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Although one in four adults lives with a disability, about 73% of businesses still fail to meet accessibility standards outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act over 30 years ago.

Birmingham is uniquely positioned to tackle this gap, thanks to the world-class disability advocacy expertise here at Lakeshore Foundation. The organization has launched two big initiatives on this front—a new podcast and Lakeshore Consulting Services for businesses and fellow nonprofits.

Read on to see how Lakeshore Foundation is using these two approaches to raise awareness and transform it into action.

Storytelling to raise awareness + inspire action

Businesses and communities suffer when they do not include disabled people in planning, funding and leadership conversations. Meanwhile, funding cuts continue to impact programs that support disabled people.

To inspire change, Lakeshore launched the “Nothing Without Us” podcast in 2025. Episodes feature advocates, policymakers, artists, athletes and nonprofit leaders.

Podcast host Alie B. Gorrie puts it plainly:

“Still, in 2026, when we discuss inclusion, disability is the last minority group to get a seat at the table. And often when that seat is given, the table is not even accessible. The biggest tool that we have in the advocacy space is storytelling. Once people know better, they can be emboldened to take action, to be allies.”
_{“Nothing Without Us” Host Alie B. Gorrie}

Where to find the ‘Nothing Without Us’ podcast

You can catch up on all of the “Nothing Without Us” podcasts on your favorite podcasting platform. Subscribe to catch all the new episodes and share episodes that move you.

Here are just a few highlights so far:

• John Kemp, Esq., Lakeshore CEO and national disability justice leader
• Micaela Connery on disability-forward housing
• Kevin Spencer, Ph. D on magic therapy
• Chris Biggins shares about para-alpine ski racing
• TOM Global on open-source assistive technology + 3-D printing

Season two this year will expand its reach, Gorrie says, teasing an episode with Joe Delagrave, head coach for USA Wheelchair Rugby, calling it “a joy to record.”

Lakeshore Consulting Services to spark action

To help businesses and nonprofits move from intent to implementation of accessibility plans and advocacy, the organization introduced Lakeshore Consulting Services in January 2026.

“Besides increasing accessibility and inclusion being the right thing to do, it’s also a smart business decision. The global disability market represents more than $18 trillion in spending power.”
_{Lakeshore Foundation Director of Community Health Allison Tubbs}

A few examples of consulting areas are:

• Accessibility audits + needs assessments
• Training, education, program design + adaptation
• Inclusive communication + advocacy campaigns
• Nonprofit support across HR, accounting, IT accessibility + evaluation

No project is too big or small, and the first step is always a discovery session, followed by a custom-built plan, Tubbs says.

Birmingham-based global impact

Deeply rooted in Birmingham for 100 years, Lakeshore continues to evolve its offerings toward its mission to empower people with disabilities to live healthy, active and independent lives.

“Lakeshore Consulting Services draws directly from decades of real-world expertise at the Lakeshore Foundation, where we’ve built our brand on creating inclusive spaces and programs. We’ve been asked many times about replicating what we do here at Lakeshore. Our consulting service gives us a solid platform to share this knowledge and teach businesses how to attract and retain customers and talent with disabilities, while assisting nonprofits in strengthening their own platforms.”
_{Lakeshore Foundation CEO John D. Kemp}

Visit Lakeshore Foundation’s website to learn more about Consulting Services, explore partnerships and subscribe to “Nothing Without Us.”

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