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Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ?

Danny Combs: Building Opportunities In Autism Employment

20 Apr 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What progress has been made in autism employment since the last conversation?

6.241 - 11.59 Unknown

Welcome to Why Not Me? Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide.

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Chapter 2: How is the Colorado Disability Opportunity Office funded?

12.21 - 24.77 Unknown

Hosted by Tony Miator. Broadcasting from the heart of Music City, USA, Nashville, Tennessee. Join us as our guests share their raw, howlful stories.

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Chapter 3: What is Buildable and how will it operate in Nashville?

25.412 - 53.2 Unknown

Some will spark laughter, others will move you to tears. These real life journeys inspire, connect, and remind you that you're never alone. We're igniting a global movement to empower everyone to make a lasting difference by fostering deep awareness, unwavering acceptance, and profound understanding of autism and mental health.

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53.22 - 60.126 Unknown

Tune in, be inspired, and join us in transforming the world one story at a time.

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Chapter 4: What challenges are faced in expanding trade-based careers for autistic individuals?

60.106 - 64.252 Unknown

Hi, I'm Tony Mantor.

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Chapter 5: How do policy barriers affect autism employment opportunities?

64.652 - 81.456 Unknown

Welcome to Why Not Me? Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide. Before we jump in, if you haven't already, I invite you to tap follow. It only takes a couple of seconds and it helps this show reach more families who need to hear these conversations. Thanks for being here.

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Chapter 6: What role do nonprofits play in autism employment initiatives?

81.436 - 104.128 Unknown

Our guest today is someone who's been doing incredible work in the autism community, especially when it comes to employment and opportunity. Danny Combs has been deeply involved in helping create real jobs and real pathways for autistic individuals through his work with TAC. He's also involved with initiatives through the state of Colorado that focus on neurodiversity in the workplace.

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Chapter 7: How can employer perceptions of autism be improved?

104.589 - 127.74 Unknown

The last time Danny and I spoke, we talked about the vision of building meaningful employment opportunities for autistic individuals. Today, we're going to revisit that conversation, talk about the progress that's been made, and look ahead at where things are going. So before we dive into our episode, we'll be back with an uninterrupted show right after a word from our sponsors.

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128.261 - 129.803 Unknown

Thanks for joining us today.

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Chapter 8: What is the long-term vision for autism employment and care?

129.783 - 132.806 Danny Combs

Yeah, I've been looking forward to it. I'm so glad we were able to connect.

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132.987 - 137.532 Unknown

Yes, me too. Give us a little information on what you've been up to since we last chatted.

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137.772 - 155.031 Danny Combs

Yeah, I mean, it's hard to believe last time we had spoken. Last time you and I had the chance and privilege to connect, I was honored to have received a Congressional Medal of Honor Society Citizen Honor Award for my work with the autism community, specifically here in Colorado with TACT and the Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce and a book that I had written and

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155.011 - 163.442 Danny Combs

I have since, since I had spoken to you, I ended up getting appointed by the governor here in Colorado to work for a new office called the Colorado Disability Opportunity Office.

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163.803 - 166.226 Unknown

That's awesome. Tell us a little bit more about it.

166.246 - 183.349 Danny Combs

It's really pretty fantastic in the sense that Colorado became one of the first states to have a disability policy advisor, where most states to the governor will have somebody that advises them on education, transportation, housing, all those kind of things. However, not disability, which seems kind of surprising. Colorado does.

183.73 - 202.551 Danny Combs

And as this governor's term has been coming to an end, he wanted to make sure that kept going. And so they ended up making a whole new state office to do just that. They didn't want to raise taxes to do it. And so they got really creative in the way they went around it as they ended up reissuing historic license plates here in Colorado.

202.531 - 226.311 Danny Combs

so not like you know in tennessee you would have if you're a ut fan the volunteers you have a tennessee titans plate or a disabled veterans plate or something along that they have that here in colorado too nothing like that they took historic plates from the 50s the 60s etc and brought them back and said okay the one that's really popular for us is an all black plate with white lettering it's very simple looks a lot like the black and yellow out in california

226.291 - 245.355 Danny Combs

If you'd like this license plate, you can do it. It's 25 bucks. Well, people turns out really like historic things like that, but it's clean and simple and not branded with this favorite sports team or cause. It's now generating about a million and a half bucks a month for us. $25 a pop. That's great. Which is just wild. It's fantastic.

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