Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Bradford.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My journey really began as a mom. I have two neurodivergent kids, and when my oldest was diagnosed autistic at 18 months, I did what most parents do — I went looking for support, answers, community… and honestly, I didn’t find much that felt respectful, empowering, or inclusive. So I decided I’d become what I needed.
What started as learning how to advocate for my own child turned into speaking for families in my community, then into statewide work, and eventually global education and connection. I founded The SJ Childs Global Network, where we focus on inclusion, accessibility, and real-world supports for neurodivergent individuals and their families. I host The SJ Childs Show podcast, where I highlight autistic voices, educators, innovators, and everyday families. We’ve now passed 300+ episodes, and it’s become this movement of “learning from lived experience, not just textbooks.”
More recently, I founded Stream-Able Live, a first-of-its-kind accessibility-first streaming platform. It was born from the simple (and unfortunately very true) realization that even digital spaces — which should be the easiest places to make accessible — are often not built for everyone. Closed captioning is inconsistent, sign language interpretation is rarely built-in, and many platforms don’t work well for people with visual processing or sensory differences. So instead of waiting for Big Tech to care, I just started building it.
Today, I run both the nonprofit and the tech startup side-by-side: one focused on community empowerment and the other on changing the future of accessible media. And somehow in the middle of that, I still get to be a mom, a storyteller, and a connector.
If there’s a theme to my journey, it’s this:
When you don’t see the world you want your kids to inherit, you build it. Even if you have to be the first one to start
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh, definitely not a smooth road — but honestly, that’s where the depth comes from.
Like a lot of parents in the neurodivergent community, I had to learn to advocate in the dark. There wasn’t a guidebook. There were no mentors waiting with a welcome banner. There was trial and error… and a lot of tears in parking lots after IEP meetings.
One of the biggest challenges was being taken seriously. As a mom, especially a young mom, you’re often dismissed as “emotional.” But when you’re fighting for access, rights, and dignity — emotion is data. It means you’re paying attention. So I had to learn how to speak both languages — the heart-centered language of lived experience and the structured, clinical language of professionals. I became bilingual in advocacy because I had to.
Then came the entrepreneurship obstacles. I wasn’t backed by investors. I didn’t have a trust fund. I was building this mission during nap times, late nights, and between therapy appointments. I was learning business, tech, media production, legal compliance, and nonprofit operations basically in real time. There were days the work felt bigger than me — and I kept going anyway.
But the hardest part?
Changing mindsets.
There are still outdated beliefs about autism and neurodivergence that are rooted in fear or misinformation. For a long time, I felt like I was pushing a boulder uphill trying to get people to see autistic individuals not as broken, but as brilliant — just in their own ways.
But every time one parent said, “Your message helped me understand my child for the first time,” or someone told their story on my podcast and felt seen — that was fuel.
So no, it hasn’t been easy. It’s been messy, stretching, clarifying, humbling, and deeply human.
But it also taught me this:
You don’t become a leader because you had a smooth road.
You become one because you kept walking it.
As you know, we’re big fans of SJ Childs Global Network. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The SJ Childs Global Network is an inclusion-focused organization dedicated to improving the lives of neurodivergent individuals and their families. We specialize in education, advocacy, accessible resources, and community support that is rooted in lived experience — not just theory.
We’re known for amplifying autistic voices and creating environments where neurodivergent people don’t have to mask who they are. Whether through our podcast (The SJ Childs Show), trainings, speaking engagements, school and organizational workshops, or our global community network, our goal is to help people understand one another with compassion and respect.
What sets us apart is that we don’t approach autism or neurodiversity as something to “fix.” We focus on connection, communication, dignity, and belonging. Our work supports both individuals and the people who love and care for them — because true inclusion happens when everyone shares the same language of understanding.
I’m proud that our brand reflects empowerment over pity, partnership over hierarchy, and visibility over silence. We create places where neurodivergent individuals are centered, celebrated, and heard.
In short:
We’re not just raising awareness — we’re building access, advocacy, and acceptance that actually translates into daily life.
What are your plans for the future?
Our future plans are rooted in scale, technology, and global connection.
The SJ Childs Global Network will continue expanding our education and advocacy programs, but the next chapter is about access on a larger stage.
We are developing Stream-Able Live, an accessibility-first streaming platform designed so every person — including people with sensory needs, motor differences, visual impairments, Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, and neurodivergent individuals — can fully participate in digital events, conferences, classrooms, and media. It’s inclusion built into the infrastructure, not added as an afterthought.
We’ll be partnering with schools, organizations, and global advocacy leaders to bring more universal design training, trauma-informed support, and lived-experience-centered education into communities worldwide.
I want to see a world where accessibility isn’t a special request — it’s the default.
Where neurodivergent people are not forced to fit in, but are welcomed as they are.
Long-term vision:
• A global network of neurodivergent-led educators and advocates
• Annual international summits that elevate unheard voices
• A fully accessible media ecosystem where everyone can learn, speak, and belong
We are building systems that last — not just for my children, but for every child that comes after.
Because the world we want doesn’t exist yet —
so we’re building it.
Pricing:
- Pricing varies depending on the program or partnership. We offer sliding scale options for families and flexible pricing for schools, organizations, and events. Our goal is to make support, education, and accessibility available to everyone — not limited by cost.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sjchilds.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjchildsllc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saragullihurbradford
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjchilds
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thesjchildsshow
