Diverse Radio for Minnesota’s Communities

17 Unique Stations from Border to Border

Sharon Van Winkle: Find your passion and do it!

I lost my job as a computer programmer after a car crash that left me paralyzed from the waist down. Losing my job actually worked out well for me, because it freed me up to pursue wheelchair sports. That led to me being on the USA Women’s Para Olympic Team. I feel good about that.

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Ken Rodgers: Blindness is just one part of me

There was a time when people with disabilities were kept behind closed doors. Being seen living my life to the fullest is important to me.

I became blind 30 years ago, at the time, I did not know what being blind would mean for my life. Now, I’m comfortable in my world. It’s important for others to see me taking public transportation, walking downtown, sitting in a restaurant. That’s how I encourage others, by just being “me”.


Sam Jasmine: Persuading others to “give me a shot”

As a job seeker, I have faced doors shutting and opportunities evaporating even before I had the chance to prove myself, all because I am blind. But I have a strategy.

I have learned how to effectively overcome this by sitting down with a potential employer and having a conversation about their fears. Then I share my fears. This builds a bridge, in place of a closed door.


Darlene Zangara: We All need to be at the table

People with hearing loss are twenty percent of the population, but we are often forgotten, overlooked, and left out of important public dialogues and policy decisions.

As the Executive Director for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing, I ensure that we are at the table and part of the conversation, so our voices are heard when it comes to important policies that effect all our lives.


Jeff Bangsberg: I found my american dream

More than 45 years ago, my life changed dramatically when I broke my neck, causing me to have to deal with a severe disability as a young person.

Living at home with a personal care assistant, rather than in a nursing home, allowed me to pursue and fulfill my dream of graduating from college and building a thriving career slowly but surely.


Adonia Kyle: Black People Are Left Out

When it comes to the disability conversation, a ton of people are left out; a lot of those people are black people.

For a long time, I felt invisible to my health care providers. My brain misfires and I have episodes of shaking and stuttering and not being able to speak. Doctors told me “this is not real”. I finally got an accurate diagnosis when one of them insisted I get the right tests. It should not be such a struggle, but many people like me face it every day.


Karen Thorud: Not Enough Opportunities For Work

There’s not enough opportunities for people with disabilities to work in theater. There’s not enough opportunity to even try out. Some theater places won’t even look at you because you have a disability. They’ll say, “Yeah, you have a disability, forget it.”


Lisa Kidder: I Feel Like Nobody Sometimes

As a college student, I face barriers to information. If printed material is not available electronically so that I can access it with my screen reader, I feel separated and unequal.

It wears on my self-esteem; I’ve experienced it so much. I feel that I’m the one educating others.


John Lee Clark: The Joy Of Being DeafBlind

Sure, we’re discriminated against, and yes, we face many challenges, but what I am is fine. What does need changing is the world. We’re not immune to the pain and frustration of coming up against a locked door.


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