KPFA - Pushing Limits

Seniors and people with disabilities both advocate for home care, housing, and transportation but, for decades, only lonely voices urged the two groups to collaborate. . . until now!

Our guests this Friday, Christina Mills and Cynde Soto, talk about the factors that contributed to the historical division between senior and disability advocates as well as current efforts to build solidarity between both groups.

Christina is the director of the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging (C4A). Her organization works to educate government leaders on aging and disability-related policy and to advocate for a stronger social safety net. Cynde is a board member of the Long Beach chapter of the Gray Panthers. Since 1974, the chapter has advocated for social and economic justice for those with disabilities and older adults.

Also, we will feature information about a free online drum circle for those with disabilities and allies. It will be on Friday, December 5th, at 1 PST on Zoom. To sign up, email [email protected]

This episode of Pushing Limits is hosted and edited by Denny Daughters. It was written and produced by Jacob Lesner-Buxton.

Relevant Resources

Long Beach Gray Panthers

California Association of Area Agencies on Aging (C4A)

The post Partnership Between Senior and Disability Advocates – Pushing Limits – November 7, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

There’s been a haunting of political developments this month that directly impact the disability community—many deeply concerning. On this week’s Pushing Limits, co-producers Adrienne Lauby and Eddie Ytuarte break down the latest news and what it means for people living with disabilities nationwide. From more troubling moves by Trump to the silence of major disability organizations on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, we dig into what’s being said—and what isn’t (insert Michael Jackson ”Thriller” laugh)!

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

The post Political Wrap-Up – Pushing Limits – October 31, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 15 million people worldwide are living with a spinal cord injury (SCI). These injuries are often sudden and life-changing—leaving many newly injured individuals overwhelmed and searching for support.

On this week’s episode of Pushing Limits, we speak with Andrew Skinner, a man who decided to make that transition—from able-bodied to living with a spinal cord injury—a little easier for others traveling the same path. After his own injury in 2004, Andrew recognized a huge need for accessible equipment and resources for those newly injured.

What began as a small effort grew into the Triumph Foundation, now the largest disability-support nonprofit in Southern California. Since its founding in 2008, Triumph has impacted the lives of over 10,000 individuals with disabilities and provided more than $2 million in assistance to people facing financial hardship or gaps in medical coverage.

Tune in to hear Andrew’s story, the origins of Triumph Foundation, and how his work continues to empower the disability community today.

This program is hosted and produced by Bonnie Elliott. It was edited by Denny Daughters and Jacob Stanton. Additionally, recording assistance was provided by Jacob Lesner-Buxton.

The post ”Triumph“ for Spinal Cord Injured – Pushing Limits – October 24, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

Did you know that between 150 and 300 people died weekly from COVID during the summer of 2025 in the U.S.? If you were watching the mainstream media or getting news from the White House, this data may surprise you. According to them, COVID is old news and in the rearview mirror of history.

However, today’s guest and disability advocate Polly Garcia is committed to educating their community about the virus. In the interview, she will address how the disability community has been impacted by COVID and the steps organizations can take to begin to address the community trauma that came with the pandemic. Polly has worked at the Centers for Disease Control and with various communities throughout the United States on issues related to public health. She is also an artist and mindfulness practitioner, who is getting her master’s in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, & Peacebuilding.

Plus, stick around to the end to hear published poetry from M. S. Marquart.

This episode of Pushing Limits is produced by Jacob Lesner-Buxton and hosted and edited by Dominick Trevethan.

Links to information about today’s guests, information about COVID, and other public health issues created by Polly:

https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/i8rSk4bmpsY6E

Polly’s company – Cosmovisión LLC

https://www.pollygarcia.com/

Poems by M. S. Marquart

https://sites.google.com/view/msmarquart

If you’d like to join Jacob’s monthly zoom meeting, Nothing Without Us, please reach out to him at [email protected]

The post Telling the Truth about COVID = Act of Resistance – Pushing Limits – October 17, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

Executive actions, budget cuts, layoffs, and legislation—all within the first six months of the Trump administration—have severely curtailed disability rights and services, including access to Medicaid and the right to a free, appropriate public education.

That’s the finding of a recent report by the Center for American Progress, authored by Casey Doherty and Mia Ives-Rublee—who will be our live guests on Pushing Limits this week.

Co-producer and host Eddie Ytuarte comments: “The Trump regime is as intent on going after the disability community as it is on targeting non-White communities, universities, immigrants, and politically progressive people and organizations.” Don’t miss the rest of this important report reveal and discussion.

This program is produced and hosted by Eddie Ytuarte.

The post First Six Months – Lasting Damage – Pushing Limits – September 19, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

This Friday on Pushing Limits – Join hosts Adrienne Lauby and Eddie Ytuarte as they dig into the latest in disability political news. Adrienne and Eddie bring their sharp analysis and on-the-ground knowledge to the stories that matter most to the disability community.

Don’t miss this timely and important conversation.

Photos with attributions and some context for each:

All from Flickr

 1 Traveling Together

Disability Awareness Week, University of Illinois, Springfield Illinois

licensed as CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

https://www.californialaborsolutions.com/understanding-disability-discrimination/

Participants in USAID/Georgia’s Disability Advocacy Project, implemented by the Coalition for Independent Living. Photo Credit: Lasha Kuprashvili, Coalition For Independent Living.

This photo was a winner in the Democracy, Human Rights and Governance photo contest.

The post Disability Politics From The Frontlines – Pushing Limits – September 12, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

What if the only thing standing between you and a life-saving treatment was a price tag? For many living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, that’s the reality—Spinraza, one of three FDA approved treatments for SMA costs about $425,000 per injection. Beyond the medical challenges, families face crushing financial barriers and questions of accessibility that differ drastically from country to country.

This week, we hear from brothers Derek and Justin. Justin lives with SMA type 1, and Derek—his brother and caregiver—has transformed their experience into a mission. He founded SOAR, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the SMA community by providing community outreach and support. Under SOAR, Derek created the SMA Support Mates Program, which connects kids and young adults with older mentors who know exactly what it’s like to live with SMA.

Together, we talk about the urgent fight for affordable treatments, the stark contrast in accessibility between the U.S. and Vietnam, and how community can light the path forward.

This interview has been edited from an episode of The Disability Myth. If you would like to hear the longer program, check out the podcast episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.

This program is hosted and produced by Dominick Trevethan.

Useful links:

SOAR’s official website: https://www.sma-awareness.com/

SMA Support Mate Program: https://forms.gle/tdDS1iVPa27tbooq5

SOAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soar.sma_awareness?igsh=MWt4dTBmeW5uYzByYw==

The post SOAR: Advocating for SMA – Pushing Limits – September 5, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

What does it take to turn one of the nation’s largest disability communities into a

political force? In Detroit, where more than 30% of residents live with a disability, grassroots organizing has led to a groundbreaking victory: $8.4 million in the city’s 2025 budget is now dedicated to disability services.

Join Pushing Limits this Friday as we continue our 2-part series on role model disability organizations. We talk with grassroots disability movement leader, Ramiro Alvarez, Communications Director at Detroit Disability Power. Listen in as we discuss how the organization built collective strength over eight years and won real change for the community.

This episode is hosted by Adrienne Lauby and produced by Jacob Lesner-Buxton with editing assistance by Dominick Trevethan and Denny Daughters.

The post Disability Advocacy in the Motor City – Pushing Limits – August 29, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

Will our national system of Independent Living Centers be sabotaged or even destroyed during the Trump Administration? The Trump people have already made extreme cuts to community services, and most of our 403 local centers are heavily funded by the Federal Government. Will we end up funding our service centers with bake sales and lemonade stands?

Ami Hyten and Reyma McCoy Hyten, the co-directors of the Lois Curtis Center in Topeka, Kansas, have a better idea! Their organization is a physical and virtual hub for services, supports, and guidance that centers individuals with disabilities who experience marginalization within the disability community. They particularly include people of color, people who are homeless, and people who are system-involved. And, they don’t take any government funding. The Lois Curtis Center doesn’t have restrictions on who they can serve or the type of advocacy they engage in. Listen in as we talk to these two dynamic women about the benefits and downsides of working without Federal funding.

Speaking of providing information without government influence, we will also feature poets Jennifer Chassman-Brown and Marsha Cutting, who will speak honestly about living with a disability in 2025.

This episode is hosted by Dominick Trevethan. It was scripted and produced by Jacob Lesner-Buxton with editing assistance by Denny Daughters and Dominick Trevethan.

Also, here’s an excellent article about Federal cuts already in process!

The post Service Without The Feds – Pushing Limits – August 22, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

A second investigation by Disability Rights California (DRC) has once again revealed inhumane conditions at a southern California ICE detention center imprisoning immigrants. The facility is called Adelanto Detention Center and is owned and operated by a private company: The GEO Group.

DRC investigators found the following conditions:

This investigation comes at a time when ICE faces mounting accusations of mismanaging detention facilities, contracting with private operators that cut corners, and wrongfully detaining many immigrants — including some U.S. citizens.

Joining us to shed light on the investigation is DRC attorney Adeyinka Glover, formerly a Clients’ Rights Advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Adeyinka has also fought for housing rights, protection from domestic violence, guardianships, and environmental justice in the Central Valley. Her career is fueled by the belief that high-quality legal advocacy can help underserved populations including individuals, families, and communities not just survive, but thrive.

Adeyinka holds a J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Africana Studies from San Diego State University. When she’s not in the fight for justice, she enjoys traveling and exploring art in all its forms.

This program is produced and hosted by Eddie Ytuarte.

The post Disabled In ICE Detention Center – Pushing Limits – August 15, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.