What did it take for blind people to gain access to computers before modern day screen readers and smartphones? Join Denny Daughters as he talks with Mike Tanner, a blind educator who teaches blind and visually impaired students in Southern California, about the evolution of adaptive technology for the blind. 

From the first scanning and reading machines of the 1970s to groundbreaking devices like the Apple IIe, VersaBraille, and early PCs, they explore the innovations that opened the door to education, employment, and independence. 

This first installment traces the history of adaptive technology from the early 1970s through about 1990. It’s the beginning of a series exploring the evolution of technology that has transformed life for blind people. 

This program is hosted, produced, and edited by Denny Daughters. 

For a full program transcription, click here

The post The History of Adaptive Technology for the Blind (Part 1) – Pushing Limits – July 31, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

This episode of Pushing Limits is produced by Jacob Lesner-Buxton, voiced by Adrienne Lauby and edited by Adrienne Lauby & Denny Daughters.  Conference audio was provided by Jen Chassmam-Brown.   You can access all the conference presentations HERE.

For a full transcription of this program, click here

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Celebrate the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

THE ORGANIZERS ARE LOOKING FOR DANCERS, MUSICIANS, POETS, AND OTHER PEOPLE TO PERFORM.

THE FIRST 30 PEOPLE WHO SIGN UP WILL RECEIVE A $30 DOLLAR DOORDASH GIFT CARD!!

To sign up and to request accommodations, e-mail [email protected]

———————————-

An Effort to Increase Connection Between People with Disabilities and Able-Bodied People

The group will explore questions like:

“When did you know you didn’t have a disability?”

Attendance is limited to 40 people.

The post Disability, Violence & Race – Pushing Limits – July 17, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

How do you produce radio when you can’t see the screen? Or when you only have the use of a few fingers? 

This week on Pushing Limits, producers Dominick Trevethan and Denny Daughters take you behind the microphone to share how they edit audio, produce radio, and overcome barriers using assistive technology and adaptive techniques. 

They also discuss why authentic disability representation matters—not just in front of the microphone as guests, but behind the scenes as producers and editors. 

This program was produced and edited by Denny Daughters and Dominick Trevethan. It is hosted by Dominick Trevethan. 

Relevant Resources: 

Here’s the app Dominick uses to control his laptop: https://apps.apple.com/app/id629019487

Here’s the screen reader Denny uses: https://www.nvaccess.org/

For a full program transcription, click here

The post The Art of Accessible Editing – Pushing Limits – July 10, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

Will we return to the bad old days of existence in substandard hospitals and nursing homes?  Or will we fight to preserve our lives in the community? Sadly, this is not a rhetorical question.  

In 1999, the United States Supreme Court passed the Olmstead decision determining that people with disabilities should not be forced into institutions when they can be safely and appropriately supported in community settings. Or, in other words, people with mental and other disabilities no longer had to be incarcerated in oppressive institutions when they could reside in whatever type of community living was most appropriate to the individual. 

But in a memo issued in June, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel upended that guidance. It argued that neither the Americans with Disabilities Act, nor Section 504, two major disability rights laws, requires states to provide services in the most mainstream setting.  

Pushing Limits on Friday, July 3 interviews Eric Harris, Associate Executive Director of External Affairs for Disability Rights California, to discuss Olmstead and the threat against it. 

This Program is hosted and produced by Eddie Ytuarte. 

Click here for a relevant article. For more info on our guest click here or read below: 

Eric Harris is DRC’s Associate Executive Director of External Affairs with an extensive career working closely with disability leaders, community members, and elected officials throughout the country to progress change for the disability community.

Harris brings significant local, state and federal policy experience, having worked for Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the Democratic National Committee and the California and Hawaii State NAACP. 

Mr. Harris has led discussions on disability pride, inclusion and access on platforms throughout the country. He has spoken at Harvard Law School, the University of California at Berkeley School of Medicine and at the White House.  

Harris started his time at DRC in 2019 working in the legislation and estrategic partnerships and community engagement units. He served on the State Independent Living Council as a Governor Newsom appointee and as a board member for the Resources for Independent Living in Sacramento. He grew up in Sacramento, California and was an elite wheelchair basketball player. 

“Creating public policy that improves the lives of disabled people has been my life’s mission. I look forward to working closely with intersectional disability leaders throughout the state to improve the lives of all people with disabilities.” 

For a full program transcription, click here

The post Olmstead Under Threat – Pushing Limits – July 3, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

If you’re wondering through the Trump fog, we have some help for you.  There are so many problems, so many alarms, so many changes. . . how can anyone take it all in and get out the front door in the morning.

So, today, we bring you key stories of disability in MAGA Land.  We’ve sorted through the headlines, checked for overlooked news, and found the disability context you need to make sense of it all.

Click here for the Transcript

These are the stories in this episode, with links to our sources:

https://sjdr.se/articles/10.16993/sjdr.1002

https://www.hi-us.org/en/news/lebanon-people-with-disabilities-forgotten-victims-of-the-crisis

https://www.hi-us.org/en/escalating-amputation-crisis-in-gaza-amid-severe-prosthetics-shortage

https://www.the74million.org/article/splitting-up-special-ed-and-civil-rights-will-dilute-services-for-students-experts-say/

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/rfk-jr-disability-special-education-hhs-kennedy-autism/?ref=disability-thinking-weekday.ghost.io

https://tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/please-offer-me-a-seat

https://hdsunflower.com/

https://www.nokidhungry.org/blog/why-more-snap-work-requirements-will-harm-families-and-increase-hunger

https://web.charityengine.net/Default.aspx?tsid=40811

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/10/24/ssi-social-security-benefits-will-rise-next-year/31698/

8.  Olmstead Under Attack

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/trump-doj-memo-olmstead-psychiatric-disabilities-institutions-mental-health/?ref=disability-thinking-weekday.ghost.io

https://mailchi.mp/c57f2fa9c907/alert-executive-branchs-assault-on-the-integration-mandate?ref=disability-thinking-weekday.ghost.io

These important stories were not able to fit into this episode, read the sources below for more information about them:

https://pestakeholder.org/reports/private-equity-in-intellectual-and-developmental-disability-services/

https://adawatch.org/category/disability-rights-justice-news/

https://prismreports.org/2025/12/08/gaza-disabled-palestinians-disabilities/

https://heller.brandeis.edu/community-living-policy/research-policy/publications/titles/caregivers-w-disabilities.html

https://disability-thinking-weekday.ghost.io/4-20-26-caregiving-and-a-look-back-at-winter/

Photo Credit: @presentedbyjo.

This program produced and hosted by Eddie Ytuarte and Adrienne Lauby.

The post Pushing Limits – Disability In MAGA Land – June, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

We’ve spun a lot of records and told a lot of stories—but there’s still more to discover. And speaking of…  

Join Denny Daughters on Friday, June 19, at 2:30 pm for another installment of Musicians With Disabilities. This time, Denny explores the stories and music of artists affected by blindness, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. Discover how these performers continued to create and leave their mark on music despite the obstacles they faced.  

Along the way, you might learn something new about the artists and groups behind the songs. Featuring music from the 1960s through the 1990s, this program offers a unique blend of great music and fascinating stories.  

This show was hosted edited and produced by Denny Daughters. 

The post Musicians With All Types of Disabilities – Pushing Limits – June 19, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

This Friday, Pushing Limits talks to “The Last Person on IHSS.”  

This Friday afternoon at 2:30, Pushing Limits presents a radio play entitled “The Last Person on IHSS.”  

It’s the year 2036, three years since California eliminated its In-Home Supportive Services program, commonly known as IHSS. Since 1973, this program has allowed people with disabilities to choose the individual they want to assist them with daily living and provides the funds to hire them. In the years since the program was eliminated, several funds had been set up to pay caregivers. However, due to the failing economy, these funds soon ran out. People were also encouraged to volunteer their time to care for those with disabilities, while former IHSS recipients were told to use their savings to pay for care. However, month after month, more people with disabilities ran out of funding, forcing them into institutions. After much research, the Pushing Limits team identified Betty Adler of Berkeley, CA, as the last person enrolled in the IHSS program to live independently. For the past three years, the 80-year-old Adler has been using her inheritance and personal savings to keep her 42-year-old caregiver, Amy, employed. However, Betty’s money has run out.   

We interviewed Betty on the eve of her entering a nursing home to find out about her life as the last person on IHSS. Come join us to hear an episode from the future that we hope to never see.   

After the play, we’ll return to 2026 and rebroadcast some important information about current Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund initiatives, including the intersections of disability with immigration policy, physician-assisted suicide, and reproductive rights. 

The Last Person on IHSS stars:   

Denny Daughters  

Kelly Kivlahan  

Emily Bridges  

Dominick Trevethan  

Jennifer Chassman Browne

Joni Gold  

The script was written by the cast, Jacob Lesner-Buxton, and Collin Thoma and was produced by Jacob Lesner-Buxton. Editing was done by Denny Daughters and Dominick Trevethan.  

If you are inspired by the play, you can e-mail your legislators your thoughts on the IHSS program at https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/ 

For a full program transcription, click here

The post The Last Person on IHSS – Pushing Limits – June 12, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

Pushing Limits continues its coverage of disability issues in the Middle East, particularly as tensions and military conflict continue to affect the region. 

This Friday, June 5, our focus turns to Lebanon. We’ll examine the state of disability rights in the country, the availability of services and support for people with disabilities, and the challenges faced by the large population of Syrian refugees living there. 

Joining us is Hannah Guedenet, U.S. Executive Director of Humanity & Inclusion, an international organization that recently released a report on disability in Lebanon. She’ll discuss the report’s findings, and disability in Lebanon as Israeli Defense forces constantly occupy more of the country. 

Hannah Guedenet joined Humanity & Inclusion as the U.S. Executive Director in November 2024. She brings more than 15 years of experience in strategic communications and program management to drive global health and food security initiatives. Passionate about impactful storytelling and stakeholder engagement, she excels in enhancing visibility and building sustainable partnerships. She began her international development career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea.

This program is hosted and produced by Eddie Ytuarte.

The post The State of Disability in Lebanon – Pushing Limits – June 5, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

Join Denny Daughters this Friday on Pushing Limits. He interviewed Pushing Limits collective member Jacob Stanton on March 21st of this year. At the time, Stanton was a U.S. citizen living in Israel. He shares his experiences living in a foreign country, teaching students English, and what life is like for people with disabilities in Israel. He also discusses a couple of side projects he has been working on. Plus, stick around until the end of the show to hear how he has readjusted to life back here in the States. 

This show was hosted, edited, and produced by Denny Daughters. 

The article Denny refers to can be found here

For a full program transcription, click here

The post Jacob’s Stories From Overseas – Pushing Limits – May 29, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.

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 – May 15, 2026 appeared first on KPFA.