Keri Gray: Bridging Disability and Racial Justice

Being Heumann: Sian Heder on Judy Heumann's Legacy & Disability Power

Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Sian Heder, director of Being Heumann, joins Dr. Victor Pineda to explore the power of storytelling in preserving disability history and advancing disability justice. Inspired by the life of Judy Heumann — one of the most influential leaders of the disability rights movement and a mentor to Dr. Pineda — Being Heumann brings to life the activists whose courage transformed civil rights history. Sian reflects on the responsibility of telling this story, collaborating with disabled creatives, and bringing authenticity to the screen, along with the lasting legacy of the 504 Sit-In and the Independent Living Movement. Together, Victor and Sian discuss how film can preserve history, elevate disabled voices, and strengthen the movement for a more accessible and inclusive future. Subscribe to The Independent, produced by the Center for Independent Living (CIL), for more conversations on disability justice, leadership, and the future of inclusive communities. Support Our Work Support the work of CIL and help sustain conversations like this. Donate: https://thecil.org/donate/ [https://thecil.org/donate/] Photo courtesy of Apple.

Mayor Adena Ishii: Disability Justice, Belonging & Local Leadership

Mayor Adena Ishii of Berkeley — the birthplace of the independent living movement — joins Dr. Victor Pineda to explore what it means to lead a city through the lens of disability justice, belonging, and community care. Mayor Ishii reflects on her journey into public service, the values that shape her leadership, and how Berkeley's legacy of activism continues to inform its future. Together, they discuss what belonging means in city governance, the challenges disabled residents face amid housing, economic, and climate crises, how disability justice intersects with housing, racial, and climate justice, and what it takes for cities to become more responsive, accessible, and accountable. Subscribe to The Independent, produced by the Center for Independent Living (CIL), for more conversations on disability justice, leadership, and the future of inclusive communities. Support Our Work Support the work of CIL and help sustain conversations like this. Donate: https://thecil.org/donate/ [https://thecil.org/donate/]

Jonathan Kaufman: Reframing Disability, Leadership & Innovation

Jonathan Kaufman — founder of J Kaufman Consulting, licensed psychotherapist, executive coach, and thought leader at the intersection of leadership and disability inclusion — joins Dr. Victor Pineda for a conversation that reframes disability not as a limitation, but as a lens for innovation, strategy, and belonging. Born with cerebral palsy, Jonathan brings a perspective that bridges personal experience with business insight, helping organizations move beyond compliance toward meaningful culture change. Together, they explore how disability shapes identity and leadership, the concept of "Accessibility Intelligence" and why inclusion must go beyond checklists, how organizations can rethink culture and psychological safety, and why interdependence and community are essential to building resilient systems and workplaces. Subscribe to The Independent, produced by the Center for Independent Living (CIL), for more conversations on disability justice, leadership, and the future of access. Support Our Work Support the work of CIL and help sustain conversations like this. Donate: https://thecil.org/donate/ [https://thecil.org/donate/]

Vilissa Thompson: Intersectional Justice — Race, Gender & Disability

Vilissa Thompson — disability justice advocate, writer, and founder of Ramp Your Voice! — joins Dr. Victor Pineda for a candid conversation on intersectionality, identity, and power. With her signature clarity and conviction, Vilissa shares the experiences that shaped her work: navigating the world as a Black disabled woman, challenging systems that overlook marginalized voices, and creating space where intersectionality is the foundation, not an afterthought. She reflects on the origins of #DisabilityTooWhite, the impact it sparked, and the ongoing work to transform representation, policy, and power. Together, they explore how lived experience fuels advocacy, what it means to center those most often excluded, and why movements for justice must reckon with race, gender, and disability together. This thoughtful, energizing conversation continues the mission of The Independent: elevating voices with lived expertise, honoring resilience, and building a deeper sense of belonging across our communities. Support Our Work If you believe in disability justice, community empowerment, and the stories we uplift on The Independent, please consider supporting our work. Donate: https://thecil.org/donate/ [https://thecil.org/donate/]

Ed Roberts, An Independent Man, and the Movement — with Author Scot Danforth

Scot Danforth, author of An Independent Man: Ed Roberts and the Fight for Disability Rights (University of California Press), joins Dr. Victor Pineda to explore who Ed Roberts really was, beyond the history most people know. Ed Roberts helped ignite the independent living movement — from organizing with the Rolling Quads at UC Berkeley to founding the first Center for Independent Living. Scot and Victor trace his journey from polio survivor to movement architect, the birth of peer-led independent living services, how grassroots activism shaped milestones like the 504 Sit-Ins and the ADA, and why independence is rooted in self-determination — and sustained through interdependence. An Independent Man offers a powerful, human portrait of how a movement grows — and how leadership grounded in community can reshape policy and culture. Subscribe to The Independent, produced by the Center for Independent Living (CIL), for more conversations on disability justice, leadership, and the future of access. Support Our Work Support the work of CIL and help sustain stories like this. Donate: https://thecil.org/donate/ [https://thecil.org/donate/]