VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE # 271
AIR DATE: 03 24 2023
TRANSCRIPT

OPEN
((VO/NAT/SOT))
((Topic Banner))
In An Instant
((SOT))
((Devon Walker
Client, Split Second Fitness))
I had an impact with another football player directly on the top of my head. Freak accident, taking hits like that all my life. But that one incident, it went the wrong way, wrong degree, and I had a C4 fracture in my vertebrae and my neck.
((Animation Transition))
((Topic Banner))
ILL-ABILITIES
((SOT))
((Samuel Henrique “Samuka” da Silveira Lima
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))
Everyone has something special inside. You can do whatever you want. Don't stop yourself to believe your true potential.

((Animation Transition))
((Topic Banner))
Removing Obstacles
((SOT))
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
I never see people with disabilities go out. I'm like, “Yeah, people with disabilities don't go out because nobody wants to deal with the hassle and the unnecessary obstacles, right?”
((Open Animation))

BLOCK A


((PKG)) HOPE INTO ACTION
((TRT: 07:15))
((Topic Banner: Hope into Action))
((Reporter/Camera: Aaron Fedor))

((Producer: Kathleen McLaughlin))

((Editor: Kyle Dubiel))

((Map: New Orleans, Louisiana))
((Main characters: 1 male))
((Main characters: 3 male; 3 female))
((Blurb: Meet Mark Raymond Jr, the Founder of the Split Second Foundation + Fitness, the first rehab-based fitness center in the Gulf South, Raymond and his team are making a difference in their clients’ health and quality of life.))

((MUSIC/NATS))
Yeah, let’s go. Push. Two.
((Mark Raymond Jr.
Founder & CEO, Split Second Foundation))
Split Second Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to breaking barriers for people with disabilities. And how we do that is by creating resources and programs for people to improve their quality of life. Split Second Fitness is the first rehab-based fitness center in the Gulf South, specifically for people who've had paralysis, amputations, or some type of neurological condition, although now we're seeing people even in like the aging population.
((Courtesy: The Split Second Foundation, Inc.))
The significance was again, a lot of these people were going through health-related situations and being really put in a box with how many visitations they got from insurance. And once they were discharged, they had no place to go to continue their
((end Courtesy))
recovery and rehab journey. We've become that place.
((Mark Raymond Jr.
Founder & CEO, Split Second Foundation))
Unfortunately, rehab isn't just a linear, like you're done in nine months kind of thing, right?
((NATS))
We did it on the mat. We did it just pushing up. There you go. Push up. There you go.
((Mark Raymond Jr.
Founder & CEO, Split Second Foundation))
We founded Split Second Foundation in April of 2018. We opened the first fitness center in February of 2021. It started with me. July 4th, 2016. I had a diving accident that left me a C4 [cervical spinal cord] quadriplegic. Dove in the shallow water and had a burst fracture at the C5 [cervical spine] level in my neck. Woke up in the hospital three weeks later, on a ventilator, to the news that I was paralyzed and may never walk, may never breathe on my own again.
((Courtesy: The Split Second Foundation, Inc.))
I had a really strong support system, and even in my darkest days, they didn't let me get too down. We, after the first year here in New Orleans, we went to Sacramento to check out a facility
((end Courtesy))
similar to what we operate now. And that was where I really like saw the importance of community, the importance of having a space that was for, for me and seeing other people like me thriving, especially immediately after that, still dealing with some of the grief and the depression.
((Mark Raymond Jr.
Founder & CEO, Split Second Foundation))
That, I think, was where I saw like that light in the darkness. And I wanted to be able to provide that light to everybody else here that didn't have it.
((NATS))
((Quanteria “Q” Williams-Porche
Director, Split Second Fitness))
Bye, Elijah. Happy Birthday.
((Eliajah Hartley
Client, Split Second))
Thank you.
((Quanteria “Q” Williams-Porche
Director, Split Second Fitness))
That community part has been great for everyone. And then I enjoy when that happens, when people connect, because it means more to be able to see what resources are out there and what someone else has been through and how they're navigating. And so someone with a stroke who's three years out, versus someone who just had a stroke three months ago, they're able to connect with each other and talk. And, you know, one encourages the other. And so that part's really great for me.
((Mark Raymond Jr.
Founder & CEO, Split Second Foundation))
Well, right now, Split Second Foundation operates two programs and they're very unique: Split Second Fitness and Split Second Cares. The director of Split Second Fitness is a physical therapist by training, and the rest of our staff are either kinesiology background, physical therapy background, or occupational therapy background. The Split Second Cares program, our director is an occupational therapist by training, but underneath that umbrella but underneath that umbrella and really the full understanding of what she brings is mental health, community resource, and how to help people manage the beginnings of this, and think of like a life plan.
((NATS))
((Dr. Mary Delahoussaye
Director, Split Second Cares))
We were stretching it out. We kind of just hang out here for a moment, get weight bearing.
((Devon Walker
Client, Split Second Fitness))
I actually met Mark when he was first injured. I had been injured for a few years already. We met at Touro Hospital where we used to do therapy at, and ever since then, I mean, he's been, he’s a great guy. I played football for Tulane University and on September 10th, I was playing, in 2012, Tulane versus Tulsa, Oklahoma. Had an impact with another football player directly on the top of my head. Freak accident, taking hits like that all of my life. But that one incident, it went the wrong way, wrong degree, and I had a C4 fracture in my vertebrae and my neck.
My favorite therapist is Mary Delahoussaye, Doctor Mary Delahoussaye. Come on over here.
((Dr. Mary Delahoussaye
Director, Split Second Cares))
She and I have been working together since our days at Touro. This gym really improves the quality of my life. It's here with the staff and the crew here, able to offer accessible equipment for me to use, unlike other gyms, which is more like you work out on your own. Obviously, people in my condition can't do that, but you still need to be able to work out, to stretch, to honestly to keep our bodies in shape and just to keep the maintenance up, I guess, you could say. You know the old saying, “If you don't use it, you lose it.”
((NATS))
On the side you’re moving. Strong side. Strong side, but my feet are pointing towards the...
((Eliajah Hartley
Client, Split Second Fitness))
Here, it's really cool because like they focus on the things that I really need to focus on. Like today, I was working on floor transfers. So, if I fall at home, I'm kind of screwed because there's nobody else at home to pick me up. I'm just laying on the ground until 911 [emergency response] comes around. And so, by working on something very specific like floor transfers, then they gave me a time frame. In like three weeks, I should be able to get up on my own.
((Courtesy: The Split Second Foundation, Inc.))
((Antoinette Oubre Rich
Caregiver))
The social interaction is helpful. I'd love to see more gyms like ((end Courtesy))
Split Second in the community because it gives people with disabilities a glimmer of hope that they can get back to normal activities.
((Mark Raymond Jr.
Founder & CEO, Split Second Foundation))
My great-grandfather was a civil rights attorney and from the 1920s to the 1940s, he was the only Black practicing attorney in the state of Louisiana. I think being in that shadow has…and growing in that family and understanding the legacy and the importance of public service, has definitely inspired some of the work that I've done. Anybody's life can change in a split second. Mine did, and now we're trying to impact all of those who have these same instances. And every day, somebody's life is changed in a split second.
((NATS/MUSIC))


TEASE
((VO/NAT/SOT))
Coming up…
((Topic Banner))
ILL-ABILITIES
((SOT))
((Jacob “Kujo” Lyons
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))

People like me that can't hear or people like us that have

maybe one left limb or some other disability, a crutch or wheelchair, can participate at their highest level of ability and make equal contribution to the art form.


BREAK ONE
((Bird Migration Tech))
BUMP IN ((ANIM))

BLOCK B


((PKG)) ILL-ABILITIES
((TRT: 07:34))
((Topic Banner: ILL-ABILITIES))
((Reporter/Producer: Marsha James))
((Camera: Phil Alexiou))
((Editors: Randall Taylor, Phil Alexiou))
((Map: Washington, DC))
((Main characters: 7 male))
((NATS))

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

No Excuses. No Limits.
No Excuses. No Limits.

((Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))
We got this. Okay, guys. Kill it. Enjoy yourselves. Have fun, most important thing. One, two, three.... Let’s go.

((NATS/MUSIC))

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

((Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))
On the stage, there are seven dancers representing six different countries with incredible abilities. We have one simple message that's helped us overcome a lot of challenging moments throughout our lives.

((NATS))
((Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))
No Excuses.

No Limits.

((Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))
ILL-ABILITIES is a play on words. Everyone knows the word disability, right? What we want to do is want to take the word disability out the dictionary and replace it with the word ‘ILL-ABILITY’, because ‘ill’ literally means sick. But in hip hop, it means amazing and incredible. And so ILL-ABILITIES is all about amazing and incredible abilities.

((NATS/MUSIC))
((Redouan “Redo” Ait Chitt
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))

I’m Redo. I'm from the Netherlands and dancing with ILL-ABILITIES since 2010. My challenge is that I was born with a shorter right arm

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

and on my right hand, I only have two fingers.

((end Courtesy))

On my left hand, I only have three fingers instead of five fingers.

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

I was also born with a right leg that is shorter than my left and I'm wearing a prosthetic.

((end Courtesy))

((Sergio “Checho” Carvajal
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))
My name is Sergio David Miranda Carvajal.

((Courtesy: ILL-ABILITIES))

B-Boy [break dancing boy] Checho. I come from Chile. Many close-minded people live there.

((end Courtesy))

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

Tried to bully me every day and called me a monster many times. Tried to make me feel inferior.

((end Courtesy))

((Courtesy: ILL-ABILITIES))

But luckily for me, I had a superhero. My superhero

((end Courtesy))

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

is my mom.

((end Courtesy))

((Courtesy: True Colors Dance))

((Courtesy: ILL-ABILITIES))

((Lucas “Perninha” Machado
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))

So basically, ‘Perninha’ means in Portuguese, ‘little leg’.

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

And I was born with a short left leg.

((end Courtesy))

((Courtesy: True Colors Dance))

I started to dance in 2008 and this was really good for me

((end Courtesy))

to develop my style and develop my, my body condition and see how many possibilities I have.

((Courtesy: ILL-ABILITIES))

((Jacob “Kujo” Lyons
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))

What I appreciate about breaking or dance and hip hop culture is how welcoming and inclusive it has always been.

((end Courtesy))

People like me that can't hear or people like us that have

((Courtesy: ILL-ABILITIES))

maybe one left limb or some other disability, a crutch or wheelchair, can participate

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

at their highest level of ability and make equal contribution to the art form.
((NATS/MUSIC))

((Samuel Henrique “Samuka” da Silveira Lima
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))

Differently than some of my friends here, I wasn't born with my ill-ability. When I was younger, I discovered I had a cancer in my right leg. Can you imagine being 14 years old, losing a part of your body? What would you do? Yeah. At the time I was really sad. [I] was in a depression because before, my dream was to be a soccer player. You guys know Brazil.

((NATS: Audience))

Yeah.
((Samuel Henrique “Samuka” da Silveira Lima
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))

But after that, I was watching my dream taken away. Fortunately, I met hip hop, and it changed my life forever.

((end Courtesy))

((Courtesy: ILL-ABILITIES))

((NATS/MUSIC))

((Samuel Henrique “Samuka” da Silveira Lima
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))
Gave me hope, confidence and power. Everyone has something special inside. You can do whatever you want. So do it. Don't stop yourself to believe your true potential.

((end Courtesy))

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

The impossible is just an opportunity to explore. My style is like a strength style.

((end Courtesy))

I use a lot my upper body to dance.

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

((Sergio “Checho” Carvajal
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))
Actually, my arms is like my legs and it's a really interesting style to dance.
((Jung Soo “Krops” Lee
DJ & ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))

Well, I was one of the best young B-Boy break dancer in South Korea. I won a lot, a lot of awards, huge competitions such as ‘Battle of the Year’ and more. While I was practicing the next battle in France, I fall down with my neck and my body was totally paralyzed. My doctor says I was never going to wake up. I have to surgery seven times in the front and eight times at the back. I refused to believe what my doctor says. So, I rehabilitate every day. Every day. Miracle happened. My toes start to move little bit, little bit. And slowly, slowly, my body start to move. It took more than three year[s] to go out to my hospital by my walking. But guess what? I'm in Kennedy Center in D.C. to share my story for you guys.

((end Courtesy))

((Courtesy: ILL-ABILITIES))

So, because of my injury, I don't feel the temperature of my lower body and I don't feel this finger sensitive.
((end Courtesy))

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

I start to do DJing as a rehabilitation.

((end Courtesy))

((Courtesy: True Colors Dance))

And now, I am one of the best hip hop and breaking DJ in South Korea also. The message I really want to share with you guys is mind, body and soul. If you truly believe something in your mind and act with your body, soul will follow. And then for sure,

((end Courtesy))

((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

miracle will happen. Thank you so much.

((NATS/MUSIC))

((Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli

ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))
Whether it's myself or any number of ILL-ABILITIES, when we share this idea behind ‘no excuses’.

((NATS: Audience))

- No limits.

((Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli Dancer
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))

What we really want to encourage is this idea of taking the time to learn to do things your own way. Once you start taking that time to learn to do that one thing

((end Courtesy))

((Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli Dancer
ILL-ABILITIES Dancer))
your way, you're going to start learning to believe in yourself. Once you start learning to believe in yourself, you'll have that confidence to put yourself out there, and then the community around you will believe in you. And that's when you'll see that

the possibilities become limitless. Take the time to believe in what you're doing.
((Courtesy: The Kennedy Center))

Just because something is different, it doesn't mean that it's wrong. You might change the world with something that you created by yourself. With that, one more time.

- No excuses.

((NATS: Audience))

- No limits.
((NATS/MUSIC))

TEASE
((VO/NAT/SOT))
Coming up…
((Topic Banner))
Removing Obstacles
((SOT))
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
On average, we're talking about 3% of the clientele that comes here has a disability, which may not seem like a big number but it really is a big number. The other night actually George came here with a dear

BREAK TWO
((UV Disinfecting Robots))
BUMP IN ((ANIM))


BLOCK C

((PKG)) CONTENTO - A RESTAURANT FOR EVERYONE
((TRT: 09:00))
((Previously aired April 2022))
((Topic Banner: Access for All))
((Reporter/Camera: Aaron Fedor))
((Producer/Photography: Kathleen McLaughlin))
((Editor: Kyle Dubiel))
((Map: New York City, New York))
((Main characters: 2 male))
((Sub characters: 1 male; 2 female))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Lauren Faraino
Visitor to New York City))
All right. Good here?
((Lauren’s Friend))
Oh, he’s already here.
((Lauren Faraino
Visitor to New York City))
Yeah.
((Lauran’s Friend))
Okay.
((Lauren Faraino
Visitor to New York City))
Oh. And look, I can actually pull up to the tables. Ah, a first.
((Lauren Faraino
Visitor to New York City))
Every time I travel to a new city, there's always a question about how accessible it will be, whether it's restaurants, storefronts, public transportation. And I think what I've found is that although the U.S. is viewed as being more accessible than other places across the world, that's not always the case.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
The ethos here for our Contento restaurant is barrier-free. We welcome everybody. Obviously, what started off as an agenda to really welcome people with disabilities, is not just limited to that. It's from people from all different backgrounds and that's what Contento is all about.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((George Gallego
Managing Partner, Contento))
We are in East Harlem, 88 East 111th street, and we're literally two blocks away from Central Park.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
Both myself and George, we’re both paraplegics and I was really blessed to have met him. I met him in 2003 when I had my car accident and I was assigned to him as a mentor. But not only was he a mentor in my adjustment from being able-bodied to having a disability, but he was there to really kind of coach me through what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
One day, he actually found this location and said, “Yannick, you need to work for yourself. You need to stop working for other people.” And I said, “Wow, this is a great location.” And, you know, he told me the rent. And I said, “Wow, this is unbelievable. What a dream come true.” He said, “Can I be a partner?” I said, “You want to be in the restaurant business?” He said, “I would love to. Yes.” Besides the fact that
((Courtesy: Contento))
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
we both had this love of food and wine and cocktails and most importantly people,
((end Courtesy))
we knew that this was an opportunity to really create something special and unique and really be the ones to say, “Hey, we're not trying to be the
first ones
((Courtesy: Contento))
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
that are incorporating a culture of accessibility and awareness but we certainly don't want to be the last ones.”
((end Courtesy))
So, if other restaurants and other businesses see the benefits of why it's important to be a barrier-free business, then that's great. Then we've already done our job. The 61 million Americans that actually have a disability, they have over $500 billion dollars in spending power.
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
Those are numbers you can't ignore. But yet we seem to be doing that.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
I never see people with disabilities go out. I'm like, “Yeah, people with disabilities don't go out because nobody wants to deal with the hassle and the unnecessary obstacles, right?”
((George Gallego
Managing Partner, Contento))
This space used to have a 10-foot [3m] step leading into it. It’s a huge undertaking because we had to completely demo the floor.
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
Yeah.
((George Gallego
Managing Partner, Contento))
So, we demo-ed the floor and made the entire space level to the sidewalk, right. I mean, you feel the incline when you're rolling in. So, there's a slight incline and then you have the space.
((George Gallego
Managing Partner, Contento))
So, there's a lot of things that you don't see, right? I mean, we have adaptive flatware upon requests which they're absolutely beautiful. You know, stainless steel so people can eat with dignity. It's not an afterthought. We have menus in braille. We have QR codes.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((George Gallego
Managing Partner, Contento))
But I think the one thing that you don't see, I know we live in this world of like everything has to be tangible, right? It's the culture. Really proudly say that everybody that works here is incredibly empathetic and just loving and they believe in the mission and the ethos of what we have here at Contento.
((NATS))
((Lauren Faraino
Visitor to New York City))
This is where we're going in. Yeah?
((Contento Host))
Hi, there.
((Lauren Faraino
Visitor to New York City))
Hi, how are you? Thank you. We have a reservation for 7:30.
((George Gallego
Managing Partner, Contento))
When we created Contento and this bar specifically, first of all, Yannick and I have been to tons of different places where we were either not allowed to enjoy a drink at the bar because the bar was too high, right? That's the average height of a bar, over on that end, or we just have to sit at a regular table away from the bar and just enjoy our drinks in a segmented fashion. So, what we want to do here at Contento is create a space where anyone, right, whether you have a disability physical, you don't have a disability, we wanted every individual to be able to just enjoy the moment, the conversation and everything that a bar has to offer. So, we lowered it.
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
For such a small space, we've got six people that are involved that have a disability here, how much is a very high number considering that we’re such a small staff.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Contento))
((Oscar Lorenzzi
Executive Chef/Managing Partner, Contento))
Our most popular dishes are the ceviche, for sure, the yuca, the crispy yuca, the panisse, the octopus, the short ribs, the katsu.
((Oscar Lorenzzi
Executive Chef/Managing Partner, Contento))
I always wanted to cook. My family's big, very big family and everybody has to contribute something when we get together. My mom is the 20th out of 20 siblings.
((Courtesy: Contento))
((Oscar Lorenzzi
Executive Chef/Managing Partner, Contento))
And saw how cooking brings people together.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
Wines of Impact are wines made by people from underrepresented populations. We have wines made by people with disabilities, wines made by the BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, people of color] community. We have a wine that we represent here at the restaurant that's made by a Native American. But also, they're also having a social impact.
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Directo, Contento))
What it means to create an accessible space? First off, you have to be willing to say, “I don't know everything and I'm willing to learn.”
((Yannick Benjamin
Beverage Director/Managing Director, Contento))
It's been a very humbling experience to see all the accolades, all the attention that we've been getting. And I can tell you as someone with the disability,
((end Courtesy))
just because I’m a paraplegic doesn't mean that I know what a person that's blind is going through or who’s hard of hearing or who has a developmental disability. I listen to them. We talk about it as a team and we say, “How can we make this experience better the next time they come?” And that's the bottom line.
((George Gallego
Managing Partner, Contento))
The future of Contento…
((Courtesy: Contento))
we put together a dream team here. And we've had so much success in this little bit of time, right? I think that moving forward,
((end Courtesy))
what we will need to do is create more spaces like this, not only throughout New York but hopefully, throughout the US and beyond. We would love to be able to see a more inclusive world within the hospitality industry. And I think that we've started something that could be a trend in America and in the world in general.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Text-over-Video:
In memory of Donna McGwinn, advocate for the disabled))
((MUSIC))

CLOSING BUMPER
((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect

BREAK THREE
((VR Experiencing Aging))
BUMP IN ((ANIM))

SHOW ENDS