Roadtrip Nation's Being You Defies Stigma Surrounding Learning Disabilities

Roughly 1 in 5 people struggle with learning and attention issues (LAIs) like ADHD or dyslexia. While it may seem like a lonely and overwhelming journey, they are not alone.

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In fact, many big name CEOs, political figures, authors, athletes and entertainers in the United States have LAIs but have found ways to pursue their passions in life.

Being You is a new hour-long special from Roadtrip Nation that defies the limits of success often placed on those struggling with learning and attention issues. Sometimes these limits are placed by the individuals themselves, forming a seemingly-impossible battle with self-acceptance.

Road-trippers Nicole, Stephanie and Noah
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For Stephanie, Noah and Nicole, it felt like their LAIs took control of their identities at a young age and began to define what they could even accomplish in life. Growing up, people used to tell Stephanie that she would never graduate college due to her nonverbal processing disorder. For 18-year-old Noah, it was difficult to be vocal about his dyslexia and ADHD throughout high school. After working a 9-to-5 office job since graduation, 23-year-old Nicole recently quit her job to discover the possibilities beyond her dyspraxia and dyslexia.

With their bags packed and questions in hand, these brave road-trippers travel from coast-to-coast interviewing mentors and professionals who have walked in their shoes. They learn to look past their labels and discover empowerment through their LAIs. Following inspiring advice from Academy Award-winning producer Peggy Stern, to CEO of Eye to Eye David Flink, and television host Howie Mandel, the trio discovers that they are actually a part of a larger community promoting the practice of self-acceptance and the idea of "being yourself".

“I want to exist fully in having a learning disability, and I want to exist fully as who I am," says Stephanie. "And I want people to know that. I don’t need to be a role model--you don’t need to be like me--but just know that I’m out there. People are out there who are like you. You’re not alone.”

Media Contact
Loureen Ayyoub, loureen@roadtripnation.com
Christina Reagan, creagan@kqed.org

Funding
Being You is made possible by:
The Poses Family Foundation through its support of Understood.org
The Oak Foundation

Websites and Social Media
DOWNLOAD THE SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT HERE.
Website: roadtripnation.com
Education Site: roadtripnation.org
Twitter: twitter.com/RoadtripNation
Facebook: facebook.com/RoadtripNation
YouTube: youtube.com/roadtripnation

About Roadtrip Nation
Roadtrip Nation started in 2001 when three friends fresh out of college weren't sure what to do with their lives. Their solution? To road-trip around the country and ask people who do what they love how they got to where they are today. What started as a road trip sparked an annual documentary series, a number of books, online tools, and an educational organization—all dedicated to helping individuals define their own roads in life. In 2009, Roadtrip Nation expanded into education with the creation of The Roadtrip Nation Experience, a project-based self-discovery curriculum designed to help students explore their identities and find careers aligned with their interests. Today, Roadtrip Nation continues to empower individuals to create meaningful lives doing what they love. To learn more about Roadtrip Nation, visit www.roadtripnation.com. For more information about Roadtrip Nation in education, visit www.roadtripnation.org.

About KQED Public Television

KQED Public Television, one of the country’s most popular public television stations, brings the values of public media to homes around the Bay Area with EMMY® Award–winning programming that inspires, informs and entertains. KQED produces local series like Check, Please! Bay Area, Truly CA, San Francisco Opera and ImageMakers, as well as popular programs for national broadcast such as Jacques Pepin: Heart & Soul and Film School Shorts. KQED also distributes programming, including Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope, Roadtrip Nation and Joanne Weir Gets Fresh, to public media stations across the country. KQED Public Television channels are KQED 9 (San Francisco/Bay Area, also available in HD), KQED Plus (Bay Area, also available in HD) and KQET (Monterey/Salinas). KQED also offers digital channels available via XFINITY and over-the-air, each with distinct quality programming: KQED World, KQED Life, KQED Kids and KQED V-me (Spanish language).

About American Public Television
APT (APTonline.org) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. Since 2004, APT has distributed approximately half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots, A Ripple of Hope, Rick Steves' Europe, Newsline, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope, America's Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia's Italy, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, Midsomer Murders, Moyers & Company, Doc Martin, Rosemary & Thyme, BBC World News, The Rat Pack: Live and Swingin’, Johnny Mathis: Wonderful, Wonderful! and John Denver: The Wildlife Concert. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched and nationally distributed Create® – the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. APT is also a partner in the WORLD™ channel expansion project including its web presence at WORLDcompass.org. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org. For more information on Create, visit CreateTV.com.