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Peter is an excellent motivational speaker for caregivers! He knows how we feel and what we do, and he inspires us to do our best. Bring him back!"
Direct support worker
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
Peter Leidy uniquely combines humor, wisdom, experience, and an occasional song to help us learn ways to strengthen the connections and needed support among people with disabilities and the families, friends, and paid caregivers in their lives.
You may borrow him from Wisconsin, but we want him back!
Dennis Harkins, A Simpler Way
Peter, thanks again for the conference you presented.
It was truly one of the most inspiring conferences I've attended.
Amy Burns,
Nebraska Association of Community Professionals
"ACP, with the support of AAMR - Nebraska hosted the annual spring conference May 8 (Lincoln) and 9 (North Platte). Peter Leidy, a consultant, speaker and trainer in the human service field from Madison, Wisconsin spent the day with a record 150 participants in Lincoln and about 51 in North Platte.
Through songs, sharing personal experiences and the stories of people he has met along the way Peter challenged participants to consider what it means to do our best work. Throughout the day, there were opportunities for small groups to discuss the various issues and share personal stories as examples.
Peter's use of humor and original songs kept the group lively and tuned in to his message. Participants said that Peter was "inspirational", "powerful, brought home his message in a way that let you actually feel what he was saying, not just hear it", "one of the best, ever" and "made me really take a look at myself, and how I do my job!"
"I have enjoyed working with Peter Leidy for the past few years. He has spent much of his professional life working with and listening to people who provide direct support. His insights about what our system can do to better support them are illuminating and direct.
And he sings! It is hard for me to imagine anyone better able to sing about the foibles of our service system than Peter Leidy. That's right
-- to sing about our historical wrong doings, our professional arrogance, the funny ways we waste our time. And to do it in a way that makes me laugh over and over again.
But that's not the half of it.
In every stanza, in every song, I hear hope about this profession and helping professionals. Peter believes in the likes of you and me. He knows we are capable of helping people to live real lives in ordinary, everyday places. He sings about our potential. He sings about our possibility!"
"I first met Peter at our annual New Hampshire Direct Support Professional Conference in 2005. As the chairperson of the Planning Committee for the 2006 Conference
I recommended that we have Peter back for a second year as our keynote speaker because he masterfully validates our work and really 'walks the talk.' Peter truly understands what it takes to support people on a daily basis in a meaningful way --and the joyful spirit necessary to do the work well. Peter is an inspirational, insightful and entertaining speaker. Our Direct Support Professionals in NH gave him excellent ratings!"
Robin Carlson
Proud DSP of 22 years
Rochester, NH
"Peter Leidy is a wise guy. In the true sense of the words. Oh, he's funny enough. He's got a good voice and can make great music. But the fact
he understands the first responsibility of helping professionals is to treat the people they support like fellow human beings, not to get the progress sheets recorded, makes him a rare and wise guy in the world I know.
Thanks for the inspiration, Peter!"
David Moreau
Wayne, Maine
Poet and author of You Can Still Go to Hell and Other Truths About Being a Helping Professional
"Peter's singing keynote address at our annual Supported Life Conference received
rave reviews from attendees. He's a great presenter and performer, and his songs are right on target. Peter is also wonderful to work with -- organized, professional, and easy-going."
"Peter's many years of experience with individualized supports, and talents as a story teller, inspire staff to look at people with disabilities they support in a whole new light.
He helps staff understand new ways of contributing to people's success as community members."
On the release of
The Great Escape:
"At last! Peter's new CD! Took him long enough, but what a payoff for the long wait, starting with the title tune. It's based on the true adventures of the great Charlie Larson, an unsung hero until now. One of our favorites is "The Biter", a tribute to all of us who are known more by what we do than who we are.
The Great Escape includes 13 tunes in all, the last of which, "Coming Home", includes goosebumps free of charge."
