KPFA - Pushing Limits

Project 2025 calls for massive changes in our government, and as usual, massive change would bring massive problems for people with disabilities. We talk about the hidden, and not so hidden, effect of this plan on our community.

Project 2025, created by the Heritage Foundation has been called the blueprint for the next Trump administration. Within the document’s 900+ pages are calls for banning abortion, dismantling Medicare, taking down the Department of Education and giving the president the power to fire government employees who aren’t loyal to him.

Today we will hear perspectives on Project 2025 from four people with disabilities. Gianna Lacofano and Amanda Harrinauth will discuss the plan’s possible impact on people with autism, such as themselves. Donna Regal and Judy Jackon will also discuss the document from the perspective of an older adult with chronic health conditions. Additionally, Pushing Limits collective members will discuss what Project 2025 says about people with disabilities.

This program was produced by Jacob Lesner-Buxton, edited by Denny Daughters, and hosted by Talia Thompson-Mariano.

Links to information featured on today’s program:

California Alliance for Retired Americans: CARA

Copy of Project 2025

Register to vote in California

Ca easy voter guide

Website of Amanda Harrinauth

The post Project 2025 – Disability Issues, Pushing Limits – October 11, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

How would you live your life if you knew you were going to die by the time you were 30? Would that affect the choices you make, the relationships you have, the way you look at every day?

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a degenerative neuromuscular condition that is the number one genetic killer of babies. It is extremely rare and the probability of being born with it is about 0.0001. On today’s program, we’re going to learn all about this disease that until recently was not even being tested for.

Joining us is a 25-year-old entrepreneur and social media influencer, Victor Guerra. Victor lives with type two SMA and has made it his life’s mission to be a successful entrepreneur and SMA advocate. We will be talking with him about what it’s like to live knowing you won’t live a “normal life” and that you probably will not live past 30 years old.

Want to learn more about SMA? You can do so here

This program is hosted and produced by Dominick Trevethan with editing assistance from Denny Daughters.

Links to Victor’s work:

SMA Victor – Youtube Channel

Victor’s Instagram account

Victor’s website

Victor Guerra

The post SMA: A Deep Dive – Pushing Limits – October 4, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Please donate online at kpfa.org or by calling 1800-439-5732

The post Special Fund Drive Programming – September 27, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Today’s episode of Pushing Limits is preempted by fall 2024 special fund drive programming.

The post Special Fund Drive Programming appeared first on KPFA.

Today’s episode of Pushing Limits is preempted by a 2024 fall fund drive special.

The post Special Fall Fund Drive Programming appeared first on KPFA.

“Hola, mi nombre es Nohemy y hoy seré su intérprete”, or “Hello, my name is Nohemy and I’ll be your interpreter today”. That’s what Nohemy says to her clients as an interpreter for her local court system.

On this week’s program, she will be sharing with us how she found this career path despite living with a rare neuromuscular condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. We will also be discussing how it has affected her ability to work over her lengthy and diverse career given the fact that SMA is a degenerative disease, which until recently, had no treatment.

If you’d like to learn more about SMA, you can do so here.

This program was produced and hosted by Dominick Trevethan with editing assistance by Denny Daughters.

The post Interpreting Life With SMA – Pushing Limits – September 6, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Sometimes, the best way to get ready is to stay ready. Those of us in the disability community know especially well how life can throw us curveballs, and we’ve got to be ready for anything.

On that note, join us this Friday, August 30th, as we talk about emergency preparedness. Denny Daughters will interview Sheela Gunn who is an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at The Center For Independent Living here in Berkely. They talk about the differences between an emergency and a disaster. If it seems overwhelming to you, it doesn’t need to be. There are little things you can do to prepare for an emergency. They’ll discuss what to bring with you to an emergency shelter and share how to build a 72-hour emergency preparedness kit. Additionally, the lists that Denny uses can be found here.

To get in touch with The Center For Independent Living, their website is www.thecil.org

Their main phone number is (510) 841-4776

Sheela Gunn’s work number is (510) 422-5068

To email the emergency preparedness team: [email protected]

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

The post Emergency Preparedness – Pushing Limits – August 30, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Spoiler alert: the world is inaccessible. Often, those in the disability community and with access needs struggle to go where they want to when they want to. We often have our entire days planned out around our needs. Additionally, it’s difficult to decide to go somewhere if you don’t know how accessible it is. Our guest today is making an effort to fix this problem by using technology.

Elysia Everett is a technologist and founder of the free to use app and website, Friendly Like Me. Her app is review-based; it is similar to yelp, but specifically designed for people with access needs to use to rate and review businesses based on their accessibility. With a career in technology and law in her back pocket, she feels she is uniquely qualified to tackle this issue with the disability community.

Listen in as she describes her inspiration for starting Friendly Like Me, as well as the conversations that she has one on one with business owners. As she says, the biggest issue that she comes across is a lack of understanding, whether it be on an airline or within the walls of a brick-and-mortar building.

Additionally, if you would like to hear the full conversation after this program, feel free to listen to it on the podcast, The Disability Myth.

This program is hosted and produced by Dominick Trevethan.

The post Friendly Like Me – Pushing Limits – August 23, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Well, it’s time to dust off the old philosophy of ethics textbook. This week’s program takes a look at the Eugenics movement in the United States with Michael Rembis, Director of the Center for Disabilities at the University at Buffalo.

According to his profile on the University at Buffalo’s website, “Rembis’ research interests include the history of institutionalization, mad people’s history, and the history of eugenics. He has also studied and written about contemporary issues concerning mental health and mental illness and mass incarceration.”

Eugenicists frequently posed people with disabilities and non-white people as inferior, with devastating consequences including incarceration in institutions, and forced sterilization. Even ‘Progressive’ individuals backed various forms of the Eugenics movement. The Nazi regime under Hitler was influenced by American Eugenicists. Additionally, although Eugenics still has continuing effects, this week’s program will explore how the disability community has mobilized in combating this destructive movement.

This program is hosted by Edward Ytuarte.

The post Disability & Eugenics – Pushing Limits – August 16, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

Becoming a lawyer is probably one of the most difficult professions one could choose to pursue. For example, one must overcome a character and fitness exam as well as the notorious BAR exam. Now, imagine dedicating countless hours to studying law, fueled by a passion for justice and a dream of becoming an attorney, all while knowing that an unseen barrier could shatter that dream. This Friday, join us for a compelling and eye-opening program featuring Val U Baul French, a law student from Kansas who identifies as neurodivergent.

Val will share their journey through the demanding world of law school, shedding light on the unique challenges and instances of aversive ableism they face as a student with a disability. Tune in as Val discusses the very real possibility that, despite their hard work and dedication, their path to becoming a lawyer could be blocked if the bar association questions their mental competence. Don’t miss this important conversation about resilience, advocacy, and the fight for inclusivity in the legal profession.

This program is hosted by Talia Thompson-Mariano, produced by Jacob Lesner-Buxton, and edited by Dominick Trevethan and Denny Daughters.

The post Val VS The Bar – Pushing Limits – August 9, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.