In 2016 Maryland became the first state to require disability training for police officers. To assist in the training and program design, Lisa Schoenbrodt, Ph.D., chair of speech-language and hearing sciences, and Leah Saal, Ph.D., assistant professor of literacy, were awarded a $43,961, two-year grant from the Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD) for their innovative project, “Learning to Lead: Training Self-Advocate Educators for Law Enforcement.”

Not your typical seminar, the program implements role playing and improv. Additionally, to ensure authenticity, people with disabilities are the ones doing the teaching.

To discuss both her and Dr. Saal's innovative approach to police training, Dr. Schoenbrodt has been interviewed by WAMU 88.5. The interview covers their unique approach and talks with Patrick Chaney, one of the trainers working with the police. You can read the full interview and listen to the audio at wamu.org