SUNDAY EDITION WITH ANTHONY CORONA
DAN KYSOR: A LIFE OF ADVOCACY, ADVENTURE, AND RECREATING YOURSELF
From the Front Lines of Disability Rights to Finding New Ways to Live, Learn, and Play
Some people spend their lives reporting on history. Others help make it.
Dan Kysor has done both.
In this wide-ranging, deeply personal, and frequently funny conversation, Anthony Corona sits down with journalist, disability rights advocate, technology pioneer, and author Dan Kysor to explore a remarkable life that has been anything but ordinary.
And while Dan’s newest book, Recreating Yourself: Accessible Activities for Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Adults, helped bring these two together, the conversation goes well beyond the pages of any one book.
Dan takes us back to his childhood, growing up blind with Leber congenital amaurosis, and shares stories about family, independence, sports, taking chances, and learning life’s lessons along the way.
We explore his memoir, Blind Like Me, including the contributions of his mother and how her recollections helped bring another perspective to the story of his early life.
Then we travel back to a remarkable period in American history.
As a disability rights journalist for Pacifica Radio in Berkeley and Metromedia Radio in New York, Dan covered the demonstrations and struggles that helped shape the modern disability rights movement.
He eventually worked alongside the legendary Judy Heumann at the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley.
And his personal perspective on Judy, someone he knew and worked with rather than simply admired from a distance, may surprise some listeners.
Dan also takes us behind the scenes of his years as Director of Governmental Affairs for the California Council of the Blind, where his advocacy helped advance important legislation involving tactile signage, guide dog protections, and services for blind Californians.
We explore his pioneering work creating the Global Blind Exchange, an information-sharing resource that existed before the World Wide Web became part of everyday life.
That leads to a fascinating discussion about the evolution of accessible technology, where we have made extraordinary progress, where barriers remain, and whether today’s innovations are always delivering the independence they promise.
Of course, we also talk about writing.
From his memoir to practical resources for everyday independence, Dan has never been particularly interested in writing books simply to fill shelves.
His latest project began with a very personal realization. At 70, he wanted to become more active, exercise, and explore new recreational opportunities. But finding accessible information and resources was far more difficult than it should have been.
So Dan did something about it.
The newly expanded second edition of Recreating Yourself explores accessible sports, recreation, hobbies, fitness, and creative pursuits for blind and low vision children and adults.
We’re talking about much more than traditional adaptive sports. From athletics and outdoor activities to creative interests and technology, Dan wants people to discover possibilities they may never have considered.
And perhaps most importantly, he wants people to get up, get out, get moving, and rediscover the joy of participating in life.
Throughout this conversation, Dan is generous with his stories, his knowledge, his experiences, and his humor. He speaks with the perspective of someone who has witnessed enormous change, helped bring some of it about, and still believes there is plenty of work worth doing.
This is a conversation about history, family, independence, advocacy, recreation, and the extraordinary possibilities that open up when we stop assuming that blindness determines what someone can or cannot do.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Dan Kysor is a retired journalist, disability rights advocate, and author based in Sacramento, California.
His career includes reporting for Pacifica Radio and Metromedia Radio, working with Judy Heumann at the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, serving as Director of Governmental Affairs for the California Council of the Blind, and founding the Global Blind Exchange.
His published books include:
Blind Like Me: The Danny Kysor Story
A Diabetic’s Guide to Shopping Common Grocery Stores
Recreating Yourself: Accessible Activities for Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Adults, now available in an expanded second edition.
The new edition is available through Audible, Amazon, Kindle, and Apple Books, with print and large-print options also available.
ABOUT SUNDAY EDITION
Sunday Edition with Anthony Corona is part of Anthony Corona Media, home of the Sunday Edition Family of Podcasts and Digital Media Content Services.
Through thoughtful conversations, compelling personal stories, technology, entertainment, and advocacy, Sunday Edition explores the people, ideas, and issues shaping our communities.
For more information, visit www.anthonycorona.com.
#SundayEdition #AnthonyCoronaMedia #DanKysor #RecreatingYourself #DisabilityRights #BlindAndLowVision #Accessibility #IndependentLiving #AdaptiveRecreation #AssistiveTechnology #DisabilityAdvocacy #Blindness #Podcast
pisode Notes
Notes go here
Support Sunday Edition with Anthony Corona by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/acb-sunday-edition
Find out more at https://acb-sunday-edition.pinecast.co
Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/acb-sunday-edition/5e03b0d9-2cd0-4810-ad54-25dbe583d9b9
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.