A former high school theater kid and aerobics instructor paralyzed in 1990, Katie Rodriguez Banister has been living life as a C5-6 quadriplegic for over 33 years. Post-injury, she found a passion for speaking and writing about SCI issues like managing/finding caregivers, and during Covid she decided to turn her autobiography into a play with the help of a friend. The end result “ROLL WITH IT! (film) disability, humor, hope and F-bombs” went on to be a hit in the St. Louis theater scene and was nominated for “Best New Play” and Katie also acts in it. The play shares her life’s ups and downs a ..read more

In episode 47, we share a conversation with Gabe Trujillo, a longtime digital producer at 12 News, NBC-affiliate in Phoenix. Gabe became paralyzed at the age of 14 by a rare form of polio, induced by an extreme asthma attack. After finally getting a diagnosis years after his injury, Gabe settled into his new life as a quadriplegic (with arm movement; no hand or leg mobility), and he decided to put all his energy into his studies. Gabe chose journalism as his career path, and the rest as they say is history. Listen in as he shares the interesting odd jobs he had before landing his dream job ..read more

In episode 46, we spoke with the only wheelchair-user orchestra violinist in the US, Amy Wang-Hiller. After moving to the US from China in 2012 to study music, this lifelong violinist saw both her professional and personal life expand in exciting ways. She landed multiple jobs with orchestras around the country, got married and moved to Texas (where she became a university violin teacher). Paralyzed by Ehlers Danlos syndrome and new to using a wheelchair, Amy also shares how playing from a wheelchair is different. Run-time is 32 minutes. – Visit Amy’s site – Amy’s IG  The post Life Aft ..read more

A quadriplegic, husband, father and community health worker, Casey Moore from Medford, Oregon shares his story. Paralyzed in 2000 in a diving accident, he was unsure of what life held for him, but he did his best to focus on the positive and pushed ahead, going on to marry the love of his life, having a son without the need of IVF and then finding a purposeful career – helping others with spinal cord injuries by becoming a community health worker. He also shares the awesome activities available at the Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection for those with paralysis living in the area. — Follow C ..read more

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and this year we will be highlighting a variety of disability employment success stories. Brandon Winfield, founder of the accessibility review app iAccessLife, is first up in our series. Paralyzed at the age of 14 in a motocross accident, he went on to become a self taught QA analyst and an app creator. His app, iAccessLife, lets people review the accessibility of any establishment they visit and is used in 35 countries. Listen via this link or below:     — Follow Brandon on IG The post Life After Paralysis Disability ..read more

Is Zumba a good workout for wheelchair-users? In this episode, we speak with wheelchair Zumba instructor Tennille Houston from Idaho who fills us in on why Zumba is a great workout for those who can’t walk. Also married with two teenagers, she became a wheelchair-user over 14 years ago due to pregnancy complications and went on to become a Zumba certified instructor after her injury. Tennille shares her wheelchair Zumba classes on various platforms. She teaches online classes 3 times a week via Zumba’s official site and she has over 150 Zumba workouts for wheelchair-users available on her You ..read more

Tim Taylor, a C5 quadriplegic from Pennsylvania, has experienced a lot since his injury nearly 20 years ago, and he has a lot to share in this episode. We talk with him about his car accident that resulted in the death of two individuals, how he made it through the depression that followed afterwards and how he ultimately found his calling since he was no longer able to pursue his previous career. —————————————————————————————————————————- From making money on his YouTube channel “This is Wheel Life” to flipping vintage items he finds at thrift restores and reselling them on eBay, he has ..read more

Do you know about John Dillon Park? A free & accessible campground located in New York state, this campground opened in 2006 and has multiple accessible amenities from 3 miles of accessible trails, accessible lean-tos, wheelchair charging stations, accessible fire pits and more. Jason Thurston, a returning guest and Outreach Coordinator for the park, as well as a C5-6 quadriplegic who camps independently, shares his story and why you should make it a point to visit John Dillon Park sometime in the future. Episode run-time is 44 minutes. Listen below or click here. See show links below. — I ..read more

If you’re looking for a dose of motivation, this is the podcast episode for you. Injured 5 years ago in a motorcycle accident, Bianca Faith Johnson went on to receive her law degree and is now an assistant college professor as well as an assistant preacher at her church, St. Albans.    To top it off, she’s also the newly crowned Ms. Wheelchair New York 2022. Only paralyzed 5 years, how has Bianca been able to find the strength to be so badass? She shares her thoughts on this topic and much more in this latest episode of Life After Paralysis. Listen via the player below or here. &n ..read more

If you get paid more to pour a cup of coffee at McDonald’s than be a caregiver, the system is surely unjust. Kevin Orr, a complete C4-5 quadriplegic from Mississippi and former police officer injured in 2009, has experienced a severe absence of caregivers since the pandemic began (with his mother becoming his full-time caregiver as a result). Tiffiny and Kevin discuss possible solutions to his dilemma, and the greater issue at hand. They also discuss his passion of mouth painting, and how painting objects with drip paint finally got him the attention of buyers. Listen time is 47 minutes. List ..read more