{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Still Working: Customized Employment in a Time of Change with Cary Griffin","description":"There\u2019s a particular kind of laughter that shows up when people have lived through enough systems change to know two things at once: that the work matters deeply\u2014and that taking ourselves too seriously won\u2019t get us very far. That spirit framed our recent conversation with Cary Griffin, a longtime leader and truth-teller in the field of customized employment. We came together to talk about what\u2019s shifting at the federal level, what those changes mean on the ground, and how individuals with disabilities and families can continue shaping meaningful employment journeys in an increasingly uncertain environment. The headlines can feel heavy. Policy priorities change. Funding structures wobble. Programs are renamed, restructured, or reduced. Families and self-advocates are often left translating vague language into very real, very personal decisions. And yet\u2014this conversation wasn\u2019t rooted in fear. It was rooted in perspective. Cary reminded us that customized employment was never about fitting people into tidy systems. It has always been about creativity, alignment, relationships, and listening deeply\u2014to individuals, to businesses, and to communities. Those fundamentals don\u2019t disappear when administrations change. In many ways, they become even more important. We talked about what it looks like to: Stay grounded when policy signals are confusing or discouraging Reframe employment as an evolving and meaningful journey rather than a fixed outcome Help individuals and families focus on strengths, contributions, and relationships instead of program limitations Keep joy, humor, and humanity at the center of serious work There was laughter\u2014real, unfiltered laughter\u2014because sometimes humor is how we tell the truth gently enough to hear it ourselves. ","author_name":"The Shining Beautiful Series Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/www.TheShiningBeautifulSeries.com","html":"