What’s the difference between being born with a limb loss and losing a limb later in life?
In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland (born without a right hand) breaks down the emotional, physical, and social differences between congenital limb loss and adult amputation—two very different starting points that often lead to the same powerful resilience.
Mike shares personal experiences, insights from recent guest interviews like Stevia Walker (who became an amputee in 2023), and stories from others who’ve learned to adapt and thrive no matter how their journey began.
Whether you’ve lived with a limb difference your whole life, recently became an amputee, or support someone who has—this episode is for you.
More about Mike Bolland: Limb Loss Speaker
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What happens when disability advocates from across the country come together to shape the future of independent living and accessibility? In this solo episode of We're Not Stumped, I share my personal reflections after attending the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., where I represented Ability360 as a member of its Board of Directors. From celebrating ADA36: We Won't Go Back to hearing powerful stories from advocates, policymakers, and leaders in the disability community, the conference reinforced why protecting and advancing disability rights remains so important.
In this episode of We're Not Stumped, Mike Bolland sits down with Karen Morales, a wheelchair user and leader of Fora Travel's Accessibility Initiative, to discuss how the travel industry can become more inclusive for everyone. After becoming a wheelchair user in 2020, Karen quickly discovered that planning an accessible trip often meant endless phone calls, unanswered questions, and uncertainty about whether hotels, transportation, and attractions would truly meet her needs. Rather than accepting those challenges, she helped create an initiative that's training hundreds of travel advisors to better serve travelers with disabilities and other accessibility needs.
What if success isn't measured by where you finish—but by having the courage to start? After more than 35 years away from professional bowling, I returned to compete in the PBA60 World Series of Bowling at age 61. I knew the odds weren't in my favor. My body had changed. The equipment had changed. The competition had changed. But this episode isn't really about bowling. It's about the voice inside all of us that says we're too old, too late, or not good enough to chase something that matters. In this solo episode of We're Not Stumped, I share the emotions behind my comeback, the challenges I faced on the lanes, and the unexpected lesson that came from finishing far below where I had hoped. That lesson became a phrase I can't stop thinking about: Take the Shot Anyway. Because you don't need the perfect hand. You just need the courage to use the one you've been dealt.
