Walk And Roll Live Podcast: Amplifying The Voices Of The Disabled Community

 More than any other art form, I believe that podcasting creates a strong sense of community among listeners. No other podcast exemplifies that insight better than Walk And Roll Live - Disability Stories.

It's no too often that a podcast has a vision and a mission statement. Here is the vision statement: "Walk and Roll Live - Disability Stories is dedicated to amplifying the voices of the disability community by sharing real, raw, and inspiring stories of resilience, advocacy, and independence. Our mission is to educate, empower, and connect individuals of all abilities by fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs within the disability experience. Through engaging conversations, we strive to break barriers, challenge misconceptions, and celebrate the diverse journeys of those who walk, roll, and thrive in their own unique ways."

The mission statement is more compact but just as powerful. "Walk and Roll Live is a podcast dedicated to giving a voice to the disabled community. Life, Limitless."

Any discussion of this podcast starts with its creator Doug Vincent, who is a role model for the quote: "You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage."

Doug describes his childhood: "I’m one of four kids born to George and Eva Vincent. My dad was originally from the Midwest and came to California during World War II to join the Navy. One of his brothers did the same, and before long, the whole family ended up out here. He met my mom on the Central Coast. She’s a first-generation American—her parents came over from the Azores."

Doug continues: "Back in the mid-1950s, there was no polio vaccine yet. I was born in 1955, right after my older brother in ’54. My sister’s the oldest, and our little brother hadn’t come along yet. One night, my mom put me and my brother to bed, and in the morning, she found we hadn’t moved. We’d both been stricken with polio. My sister was fine."

"We were quarantined for a few months, and eventually, the family moved to Santa Barbara so we could get better care. We were really blessed with two amazing parents who raised us just like typical kids. Santa Barbara is where my little brother joined the family, and we all had chores, had to pitch in, and didn’t get any special treatment."

Doug eventually moved to San Luis Obispo and started part-time at a radio station. He moved up quickly as the station evolved, and over the years he worked at a few different stations on the Central Coast before relocating to the Inland Empire—Riverside/San Bernardino—where he's lived for over 40 years now. he worked for a few stations here, staying at the last one for 24 years.

Over time, Doug started doing voice-over work for local ad agencies. Then the internet came along, and suddenly clients could find him online through platforms that help match talent with gigs. He started providing on-hold messages for businesses and any other audio services they needed.

Radio stations often work closely with service organizations like the March of Dimes or Easter Seals—groups that helped his family when Doug and his brother were kids. That connection between giving back and his radio career sparked his lifelong passion for volunteering. These days, Doug is on the board of three different organizations.

Doug actually started Walk And Roll Live - Disability Stories over a decade ago.

Doug recounts: "The first couple of episodes were just me telling my story, then my brother's, since we shared the same experience from two different perspectives. I did a few more, but then work got hectic, and I didn’t want to keep going unless I could really commit."

"Once I retired in 2018, I had more time. Back in the day, I had access to phone interview equipment through the station, but now that was tricky—until COVID came along and changed everything," Doug explains. Suddenly, everyone was using Zoom. I figured out how to pull the audio, and that opened the door to getting the podcast going again. In May 2023, I found a co-host, and we relaunched. I also love that there's nobody to tell me what to do. All the creative decisions are mine, and I love it."

Doug explains how Addie became his podcast co-host. "When I was in radio in San Luis Obispo, my co-host Addie Rich was a young lady who was the poster child for the local March of Dimes. As a volunteer, I met her and her family and became close friends. I moved away to Southern California, and we did our best to keep in touch, but as happens many times friends can drift out of your life."

Doug continues: "At the Abilities Expo years later, we reconnected, and when my previous co-host got too busy with his outside endeavors, I asked, and she accepted, to be my new co-host. She has been an absolute wonderful addition to the show." 

Born in 1979, several months premature and diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, Addie Rich's journey has been one of determination and joy from the very beginning.

 At just four years old, she became the March of Dimes poster child, and in 1991, Addie made medical history as one of the first Dorsal Rhizotomy patients at UCI, where she had to relearn to walk and regain motor function through intensive physical therapy, supported by a tremendous best friend who literally and figuratively pushed her through workouts.

Addie's academic journey led her to an undergraduate degree in English, followed by teaching Language Arts to middle schoolers through Teach for America – which moved her to Georgia, despite the fact that she had never left California before. She later earned a Master's in Forensic Psychology before finding her way to her current career in accounting and business management. Though seemingly different from her earlier professional path, Addie sees the common thread: "At the root of it all is the business of people and improving their lives and livelihood."

When not interviewing fascinating guests from all walks of life, Addie tends to her plants, adventures with her husband, writes, cooks, crafts, or spends time with her three beloved dogs.

Let's talk about the podcast, Walk And Roll Live - Disability Stories. 

First, the show has been releasing regular episodes since May 2023. Doug Vincent is a superb host because of his natural ability and decades of broadcasting and voice-over work. As Doug endorsed, Addie Ross is a terrific co-host, and their chemistry is evident. 

Episodes run about an hour, and Vincent and Rich are careful, well-prepared interviewers. Attracting guests has never been a problem for the show. Doug says: "That part’s been easy, honestly. I’ve been involved with many organizations that serve the disabled community, so I’ve met plenty of people with incredible stories. Instagram has also been a great resource—there are so many amazing influencers and advocates in the disabled community, and many have been on the show. I also attend adaptive sports events and other community gatherings, meet folks there, and invite them to join. I’ve got a list of potential guests that could keep the show going for another year—even if I stopped asking today."

Some of my favorite episodes include the October 1, 2024, show when Ruth Maldonaldo shared the inspiring story behind EZ Mobility, the challenges people with disabilities face in finding the right medical equipment, and how her company is making a difference in their lives.

On the September 3, 2024, show, Eddie Flores, a Spina Bifida survivor who has faced life's ups, downs, twists, and turns head-on, was featured. On the show, Eddie opened up about the good, the bad, and the ugly moments that have shaped his journey.

The November 14, 2023 show with Shawn Fluke, a former thrill-seeker who was living an exciting life, was tragic and uplifting.  From skateboarding to snowboarding, Shawn Fluke lived for the adrenaline until a life-altering snowboarding accident changed everything. Through the challenges, he found resilience and guidance from a fellow quadriplegic, emerging as a prominent advocate and the host of "Live to Roll," his own empowering podcast.

Recently, Doug Vincent was a guest on Pathways to Healing, the compelling podcast from The Perfect Step, hosted by Cody Norman and Logan Frye.

In this powerful episode, Doug opened up about his personal journey as a polio survivor and how that experience shaped his passion for advocacy and storytelling within the disability community. From his early years walking with braces and crutches, to his transition to a wheelchair later in life, Doug reflects on the lessons, challenges, and triumphs that have fueled his mission. The conversation also spends some time talking about his career in radio.

Doug Vincent is also close friends with Forrest Kelly, creator and host of the Best 5 Minute Wine podcast. Both men share an extensive broadcasting background, which explains their superb hosting skills.

Doug says: "Forrest and I go way back—we worked together at the station, where I spent 24 years. We hit it off right away and became fast friends. If I had a live broadcast, he was there to back me up, and I’d do the same for him. We bounced ideas off each other all the time and just had that creative chemistry. We lost touch for a while but reconnected in the past year and a half. Now we share this passion for podcasting and storytelling, and it’s been great teaming up again."

Today, Doug lives in North Rialto, California. He has a daughter from a previous marriage and a six-year-old granddaughter, whom Doug calls "the light of my life."  Most of Doug's extended family still lives near San Luis Obispo.

Doug says, "I hope people hear that folks with disabilities are just people—just like everyone else. We’ve got the same hopes and dreams, face the same setbacks and triumphs. Really, we’re more alike than we are different."

Doug observes: "What’s also clear, and kind of beautiful, is how two people with the same disability can have completely different lives and perspectives. That uniqueness really comes through in the show. I also hope it provides a kind of healing for the person telling their story—and insight for the person listening to it."

Check out Walk And Roll Live - Disability Stories. A well-known quote goes: “Abled does not mean enabled. Disabled does not mean less abled.”