Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities

17 Unique Stations from Border to Border

Keep Moving Forward a radio series featuring people with disabilities sharing perspectives, insights, and experiences
Supported by Minnesota Council On Disability
Keep Moving Forward explores what's better and what needs improvement for people with disabilities since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Together we keep moving toward full access and inclusion in all aspects of life.

This project is supported by Minnesota Council on Disability, The Minnesota Humanities Center and the Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Mai Thor: Knocking Down Insecurities

Sometimes I wonder, “Do I do this as good as my able-bodied counterparts?” Being a parent is a real learning experience. I told myself, “My insecurities about my disability are not going to hold me back from being a good mom to my kids.”

John Lee Clark: Awkward and Unneeded “Help”

We DeafBlind folks may be lucky in one respect; we don’t see people staring at us. We’re less burdened by what’s called the “Abled Gaze.”

Sometimes I get unwanted help. I’m walking along a wall instead of down the middle of a corridor, and people think I’m lost, and so they to try and correct what seems out of place. Abled people are unacquainted with people with disabilities, yet we make up a quarter of the population.

John Riddle: It’s Hard To Accomplish Things

“I used to be an artist before my injury, so it’s been a process to learn how to do the things I used to be able to do … because my hand shakes. But it is very rewarding to see the finished piece.”

Kate Eifrig: The Pain Of Mental Illness Is Real

It’s painful for people with mental illness to feel that you’re not sick enough to be taken seriously.

You don’t have to prove you’re hurt. This is an illness. That’s what I say when I’m talking to people about mental illness, but I have to say it to myself too.

Lisa Kidder: From Qualified to – “Just Blind”

Employers will say: you have an excellent resume, an excellent cover letter, but the problem is you’re blind. I go from being a qualified applicant to just: blind. And they don’t look past that.

George Shardlow: I’m The Expert On My Disability

The thing about disability is, you get angry because you feel isolated. It’s interesting to constantly be with people who are trying to be “nice,” while processing your own anger and frustration. Because for them it’s just one interaction, but for you, it’s 30 years of interactions.

Karen Thorud: Everybody Has A Disability

“Everybody has something that they can’t do well.

“People with disabilities were made to not give up. If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

 

Christine Morgan: Hearing Loss Is An Invisible Disability

Hearing loss is an invisible disability; we don’t use a wheelchair, we don’t use a white cane, we don’t have dark glasses. “Oh, but you do so well.” Well, I’m doing well because I’m looking at you, but the moment you turn your back and speak in a different direction, I’m not doing so well.

Mark Braun: Team Turns Tragedy Into Triumph

From the heartbreak of being a “throw away baby” to Paralympic Gold, Mark Braun understands the value of “team.” He can walk for only short distances, but he can run!

Margot Imdieke Cross: You Figure It Out

I remember going to the rock pile on the farm. My front caster fell off. My brother turned to me, and said, “You’re gonna have to pop a wheelie.” To this day, I am one of the best wheelie poppers.

Master Hinkle: You Can Always Try

You can’t do everything you want because there are limitations. There are physical limitations, there are mental limitations. But you can always try. You can’t always do, but you can always try. I think that’s the biggest thing I want to get across to people.

Supported by...

McKnight FoundationMN Legacy