In recent years, significant progress has been made in both disability rights and Krispjin Parsons LGBTQ+ visibility. However, the intersection of these identities remains an area that is often overlooked. On today’s show, we welcome Krispjin Parsons, a gay man on the autism spectrum, who shares his personal journey navigating life at the crossroads of queerness and neurodiversity. Through candid reflections on both the challenges and triumphs he’s experienced, Krispjin sheds light on the often-...
Jul 11, 2025•30 min
What would you do if your world slowly started going silent—and you didn’t know why? This week on Pushing Limits, we bring you the story of Claire, a young student in Utah who began losing her hearing in fifth grade, despite having no family history of disability. When Claire was in fifth grade, she noticed the hearing in her right ear dropped, followed by her left ear. Now entering ninth grade, Claire reflects on her journey of obtaining hearing aids, a cochlear implant, and how she and her mot...
Jul 04, 2025•30 min
What happens when the care you need to survive just isn’t available? Across the U.S., millions of disabled people are facing a growing caregiver shortage—a crisis that makes independent living harder, sometimes impossible. For those with complex physical disabilities like Spinal Muscular Atrophy, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Kevin Schaefer This week on Pushing Limits, we talk with Kevin Schaefer—a disability advocate, writer, and podcast host living with SMA. Kevin is the voice behind the podc...
Jun 27, 2025•30 min
What happens when psychiatric hospitals use restraints and drugs in ways that violate the rights of disabled patients? What does it mean when unhoused disabled people are forced to navigate city services from tents on the sidewalk? And is the Bay Area transit system finally listening to disabled riders? This Friday on Pushing Limits, Eddie Ytuarte and Talia Mariano take you on a fast-paced tour through some of the most pressing disability rights developments in California. From providing an upda...
Jun 20, 2025•30 min
This Friday on Pushing Limits, we dig into the escalating attacks on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) under the Trump administration. As backlash spreads nationwide, what does it mean for the disability community? Desiree Delonia Our guest, Desiree Delonia, Director of DEIA at Disability Rights California (DRC), joins us to unpack what DEIA really is, why it matters, and how DRC is pushing back against efforts to dismantle it. Plus, we will catch up with one of our past guests, Je...
Jun 13, 2025•30 min
On this edition of Pushing Limits, we speak with Grace Fisher — a gifted artist, founder of Santa Barbara’s Inclusive Arts Clubhouse, and owner of the Grace Fisher Foundation. At 17, Grace’s life changed overnight when she was paralyzed from the neck down by Acute Flaccid Myelitis, a rare polio-like illness. During her rehabilitation, she discovered adaptive music and art — a turning point that would shape her future. In 2023, driven by a vision of creativity and community, she opened the Grace ...
Jun 06, 2025•30 min
How far can a California private psychiatric hospital go in violating the rights and safety of people with disabilities—without being held accountable? A new report from Disability Rights California (DRC) shines a harsh light on College Hospital in Cerritos (CHC), revealing a disturbing pattern of inappropriate restraint and seclusion, as well as questionable use of involuntary emergency medications. These are not isolated incidents—they point to systemic problems affecting some of the state’s m...
May 30, 2025•30 min
We’re living in a world where our country’s leaders believe that people with learning disabilities will never pay taxes, go on a date, or hold a job. But if you ask people on the spectrum about their capabilities, you’ll likely hear a very different story. On today’s edition of Pushing Limits, we go straight to the source. We talk with Cristopher Campbell, an aspiring paramedic, student at Santa Rosa Junior College, and someone who lives with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He shares w...
May 02, 2025•30 min
Ever visit a museum and feel like it wasn’t built with you in mind? Struggled to read the exhibit text, navigate a gallery space, or find someone who could help — all while being told the place was “accessible”? You’re not alone. And change is possible. Maia Scott This week on Pushing Limits, we’re joined by Maia Scott, a blind educator and disability advocate who’s working to transform how museums serve people with disabilities. Maia recently launched her own consulting business that focuses on...
Apr 25, 2025•30 min
Struggling to get your landlord to install a ramp or let you keep a service animal? Ever been denied housing because of your disability, but weren’t sure what to do next? You’re not alone and there are protections in place. Angie Watson-Hajjem This week, Pushing Limits welcomes Angie Watson-Hajjem. She is the Fair Housing Coordinator of ECHO Fair Housing, which serves the San Francisco East Bay. Topics she will talk about include different forms of discrimination against people with disabilities...
Apr 18, 2025•30 min
Does the very system that supports you hold you back? There are a plethora of concerns regarding this administration and Social Security. Social Security is a life and death support in our community. Accordingly, disabled advocates have tried to improve Social Security for literally decades with limited success. We don’t have a choice, as we defend this Social Security, we must work to improve it. Did you know Social Security resource limits haven’t been updated since 1989? The SSI Savings Penal...
Apr 11, 2025•30 min
What are some ways that tests are adapted for blind and visually impaired students? Why do some advocate for students to do math on an abacus rather than a brailler? What’s the difference between the two? This week on Pushing Limits, join Denny Daughters as he discusses testing blind students with Mike Tanner. Mike, who lives with blindness himself, has been teaching blind and visually impaired students for 15 years in Southern California. Having been a teacher for over 30 years, we talk about h...
Apr 04, 2025•30 min
In California, 2.3 million people are covered by Medicaid. In addition to covering medical care, the program also helps with transportation costs, in-home care, and access to other community support for persons with disabilities and older adults. But that support is in jeopardy. Currently, Congress is trying to cut this program by $800 billion, which would lead to a major reduction in services. Our guest on this week’s program of Pushing Limits is healthcare advocate and Youtuber Jane Hash. She ...
Mar 28, 2025•30 min
A vital legal protection for people with disabilities is under attack. But a coalition from 15 states is fighting back, filing a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration’s attempt to gut Section 504 of the federal code. This crucial regulation has been a cornerstone in the battle against discrimination in employment, housing, and more. Claudia Center, legal director at the Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund, joins us to break down what’s at stake and how this legal battle could impact ...
Mar 21, 2025•30 min
Despite epilepsy being the fourth most common neurological condition, affecting one in twenty-six people globally, there’s a widespread lack of awareness surrounding this disability. This is in large part due to its low visibility in daily life. Many individuals living with epilepsy exhibit little to no visible symptoms that would signal their epilepsy to the people around them. Such is the case with the two guests on this week’s program, Hanna Wight and Mary Cadd. When most people think of a se...
Mar 14, 2025•30 min
If you are not worried about programs that come from the Federal government, you are not paying attention. Supports for people with disabilities are on the chopping block, everything from Food Stamps to Meals on Wheels to Social Security and Medi-Care. All of it is under threat from the heavy hand of Elon Musk. For our brothers and sisters overseas, these threats became a nightmare in actuality with the Trump Administration’s “Stop Work” order for all International Aid on January 28. Disabled ch...
Feb 14, 2025•30 min
Welcome back to Trump’s America and another round of attacks against people with disabilities. In the past week we saw Trump try to blame our community for the crash of American Eagle Flight 534. Trump’s comments came less than 48 hours after his administration tried to freeze federal funding for many disability organizations, as well as programs like Medi-Cal and Section 8. With all this chaos, it’s understandable if you want to hide in the bedroom watching reality television for the next four ...
Feb 07, 2025•30 min
When tough times fall on us, we often learn who is really in our corner. However, if Dominick & Uriel push came to shove, would you trust your friend to help you use the restroom? Would they even be willing to do so? On this program of Pushing Limits, one of our very own producers shares his experiences in this exact situation along with his IHSS provider and best-friend. Join us as Dominick Trevethan and Uriel Ruelas discuss their unique friendship. They will be sharing all of the Activitie...
Jan 31, 2025•30 min
January is a month often filled with new gym membership, NFL playoffs, and even snow. Before COVID, we didn’t associate it with debilitating and devastating illnesses, but COVID-19 changed that. In January of 2020, “Joyful” Joni Gold was the fourth person in her small community to get covid and, for her, this month will never be the same. Living in Los Osos, California with a population of 14,485, Joni faced life-threatening challenges. In a community with few medical providers, she needed quali...
Jan 24, 2025•30 min
On this week’s program, Pushing Limits is diving into the heart of the Bay Area disability community with two local guests who are making a mighty impact. First, we’ll hear from Scott Simpson, President of the Board of Directors for KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now) San Francisco. KEEN empowers children with disabilities through swimming and a variety of other adaptive sports. Learn how this innovative program builds confidence, fosters friendships, and inspires joy for kids and their families. Dr....
Jan 17, 2025•30 min
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to take care of someone else with major physical needs? Just like any relationship, the caregiver-patient relationship is a two-way street. Usually we bring you the voice of the “patient” on our program, but today we’re mixing it up. During the interview, Dean talks about his clients. Some of them have different mobility disabilities; others have diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, and various injuries. One younger client hadn’t had a regu...
Jan 10, 2025•30 min
A half-hour radio show providing critical coverage of disability issues and bringing the insight of the grassroots disability movement to the general public. The post Pushing Limits – January 3, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.
Jan 03, 2025•30 min
As Bugs Bunny once said, “tha-that’s all folks!” 2024 has come to a close, and the Pushing Limits gang is looking forward to making next year even better. As we get ready to turn a new leaf, we invite you to join the crew as we look back at what we learned and appreciated about this year as we plan our goals out for next year. In this holiday special, host and producer Denny Daughters interviews all your favorite Pushing Limits producers, editors, script writers, and hosts. Plus, there’s a year-...
Dec 27, 2024•30 min
Victor McConnell Life is full of inconveniences, and it’s up to us as individuals to respond to those inconveniences. That’s how Victor McConnell looks at life anyways. Despite being born and orphaned in Russia without his entire left arm and shoulder, he is a successful IT consultant, photographer, and musician. On today’s program, we learn what it’s like to experience life without an arm. Plus, we get a taste of Victor’s optimism and spunk. Don’t miss the finale—where Victor lets his music do ...
Dec 20, 2024•30 min
Self-advocacy by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities has become a big part of the disability movement’s approach to this part of our community. Essentially it means that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities can and should be supported to speak for themselves, help make policy, serve on boards, and more. Sadly, too often organizations use the term “Self Advocate” simply to get grants or “street cred”. Today’s guest, Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson, helped make Se...
Nov 29, 2024•30 min
Did you know some of the most iconic musicians in history lived with disabilities? Beethoven composed masterpieces despite losing his hearing. Stevie Wonder, blind from infancy, redefined soul music. Rick Allen of Def Leppard turned a tragedy into triumph, playing the drums with one arm after a car accident. Accordingly, this Friday, November 22, Pushing Limits brings you a unique musical journey spotlighting incredible artists from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Explore how their creativity and ...
Nov 22, 2024•30 min
Erin Nguyen Neff You may be fortunate enough to live somewhere where strong advocacy by tenant groups has taken away a landlord’s ability to throw you out of your home for any reason whatsoever. It’s called “Just Cause Protection.” Sonoma County and Antioch recently adopted Just Cause ordinances and Alameda County has had Just Cause protection for many years. But, even with this protection, evictions still happen. Someday you may be the person who wakes up to a three-day eviction notice tacked t...
Nov 15, 2024•30 min
When you think of professional athletes, some of the names that come to mind may include the likes of LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tom Brady. However, athletes living with disabilities can be just as impressive as their able-bodied counterparts, yet they don’t seem to get the same level of attention. So in an effort to change this, on today’s program we are talking with a national power soccer champion. Ulices Arreola is a twenty-year-old who starts at wing for the LA Galaxy Power Soccer...
Nov 08, 2024•30 min
The rise of right-wing power in the U.S. is the culmination of a 50 year plan to seize the reins of government power in the U.S. It has succeeded in the Supreme Court and, who knows, could take the Presidency and both House and Senate at Tuesday’s election. As the plan becomes actualized, the Heritage Foundation has gifted us with the next step – a plan for a radical restructuring of our legal and regulatory bodies written in a document called Project 2025. Unless you are inclined to policy wonk...
Nov 01, 2024•30 min
When we think of disability, we often associate it with stereotypical signifiers such as wheelchairs, handicap placards, and walking canes. We see these things when we are in public and they communicate to us that the person these things belong to lives with a disability. But, what happens when we don’t see these signifiers That is exactly what we’re going to get into on this week’s program. Our guest this week is Theresa Rodgers and she lives with three invisible disabilities. They include Epst...
Oct 25, 2024•30 min
