Walk and Roll Live-Disability Stories

On this episode of Walk and Roll Live – Disability Stories, Doug and Addie sit down with legendary adaptive sports coach Carl Vereen, founder of the Rolling Cubs Junior Wheelchair Basketball Team.

Carl shares his incredible journey from coaching championship teams in Michigan to creating new opportunities for youth athletes with disabilities here in the Inland Empire. Since founding the Rolling Cubs in 2018, Carl has built a powerh...

At just five years old, Suhrab Zarifi’s life was forever changed when a bomb blast in war-torn Afghanistan left him paralyzed. What could have been a story of loss became a story of unbreakable spirit. In this moving episode of Walk and Roll Live – Disability Stories, hosts Doug Vincent and Addie Rich sit down with Suhrab to reflect on his childhood, the challenges of growing up with a disability in Afghanistan, and the incredible ...

When a construction accident took his left arm in 1980, Willie Stewart thought his best days were behind him. What followed instead was a transformation few could imagine. From quitting life to conquering it, Willie became a world-class endurance athlete, a Paralympic medalist, and a beacon of resilience for adaptive athletes everywhere.

In this compelling episode of Walk and Roll Live – Disability Stories, hosts Doug and Addie sit...

In this illuminating episode of Walk and Roll Live – Disability Stories, Doug and Addie sit down with leaders from the San Francisco Disability Business Alliance (SFDBA) — the first organization in the Bay Area dedicated entirely to supporting entrepreneurs with disabilities.

From helping people with disabilities start and grow their own businesses to breaking down barriers in access to capital and inclusion, SFDBA is proving that ...

In this powerful episode of Walk and Roll Live, Doug Vincent and Addie Rich sit down with lifelong educator Rita Duran and her devoted daughter to share a story of perseverance, purpose, and love.

After 38 years of teaching and a life filled with running marathons, supporting students, and giving back to her community, Rita’s world changed following a life-altering accident that forced her into medical retirement. But her story did...

In this uplifting episode of Walk and Roll Live, hosts Doug and Addie sit down with Jeff Mitchell, a man whose life took a dramatic turn but whose determination and positivity never wavered. Jeff shares his journey from a successful career and active lifestyle to facing a life-altering injury that changed everything — except his spirit.

With honesty and humor, Jeff talks about the early days of recovery, learning to adapt, and how ...

In the latest episode of Walk and Roll Live, hosts Doug and Addie welcome members of the Workpower team—Angel, Brandi, Linda, and Neshama—for the debut of Workpower Leadership & Communication Strategies for Employers. Developed as part of Kidpower International and supported by Ability Central, this free online resource is designed to help employers and workplace leaders strengthen communication, inclusion, and leadership for p...

In September, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Rehabilitation Act into law. While much of the Act focused on vocational training and services, one section—Section 504—quietly broke new ground. It became the first U.S. civil rights law to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in federally funded programs.

In this week’s episode of Walk and Roll Live – This Week in Disability History, we explore the origins...

In this powerful episode of Walk and Roll Live, we sit down with Bob Millsap to hear his incredible story of perseverance through unimaginable challenges. From losing his fiancée at a young age, to building a life and family with his wife Shelly, to navigating career highs and devastating setbacks, Bob’s journey is one of resilience and faith. After nearly losing Shelly to a freak explosion, becoming her caregiver, and later surviv...

September, 1971, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, became the stage for the very first Special Olympics Winter Games. With 500 athletes from the U.S. and Canada, this groundbreaking event showcased the talent, joy, and determination of people with intellectual disabilities in skiing, skating, and other winter sports.

This week on Walk and Roll Live – This Week in Disability History, We explore how the Games not only transformed public p...

At just three years old, Kat’s life was forever changed by a car accident that left her a quadriplegic and full of unanswered questions. For nearly three decades, she carried the weight of what she didn’t know—until she began searching for the missing pieces of her story. What she uncovered not only reshaped her understanding of survival but also gave her the courage to live boldly.

Now at 31, Kat is rewriting her life on her own t...

In September, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) into law. This landmark legislation provided federal funding to schools serving low-income students and laid the foundation for later reforms that extended educational rights to students with disabilities.

In this second episode of our new series, This Week in Disability History, we explore how the ESEA opened doors for inclusiv...

On this episode of Walk and Roll Live – Disability Stories, we sit down with Jose “Junior” Dominguez, who was diagnosed at just five years old with dermatomyositis, a rare autoimmune disease that mostly affects older adults but can be especially dangerous in children. Now, 38 years later, Jose shares his journey of growing up with this condition, the challenges and victories along the way, and how love from his girlfriend, his daug...

This episode marks the launch of our new series, This Week in Disability History. Each week, we’ll revisit a milestone that shaped the path toward equality and access for people with disabilities. On September 4, 1957, nine courageous Black students—known as the Little Rock Nine—integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Their bravery, and the national battle that followed, reshaped the civil rights landscape and open...

In this brand new episode of Walk and Roll Live – Disability Stories, hosts Doug Vincent and Addie Rich sit down with Gilmar Arana, a 25-year-old athlete and advocate who was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus in Guatemala City. At just eight years old, Gilmar moved to the United States and discovered adaptive sports through Rancho Los Amigos.

From his early days under Coach Rick Tirambulo to competing at the Division 3 Wheel...

Jeff Whittle spent years behind the microphone as a DJ, newsman, and sportscaster. Today, he’s traded in the airwaves for dumbbells and resistance bands. As the founder of Silver Strong Fitness, Jeff helps older adults and people with disabilities regain their strength, restore mobility, and stay active—whether in his gym or through online sessions around the world. In this episode of Walk and Roll Live, Doug reconnects with his fo...

In this episode of Walk and Roll Live – Disability Stories, we welcome back Jen Larios to continue her powerful conversation about living with multiple sclerosis. The first time Jen joined us, she shared her two-year struggle to get an M.S. diagnosis and what it was like living with an invisible disability. Now, as she spends more time using a wheelchair, Jen opens up about how her life has changed — from how people see her to how ...

On this episode of Walk and Roll Live, we welcome back Brandi and introduce Neshama as we continue our deep dive into invisible disabilities. Neshama opens up about living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Sensory Processing Disorder, while Brandi shares her experiences with a rare nerve disease, being Hard of Hearing, fibromyalgia, and learning disabilities.

Both women reveal the daily challenges they face—often i...

In this episode of Walk and Roll Live, we continue our exploration of invisible disabilities with guest Therese Adjivon-Theodore, who shares her journey living with Sickle Cell Anemia. From her earliest memories to the challenges she faces each day, Therese opens up about the physical, emotional, and social realities of a condition that often goes unseen. She also educates us on what Sickle Cell is, how it’s managed, and what she w...