In this inspiring episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike talks with John Cooper, a physical therapist assistant with 18 years of experience, about his journey into physical therapy and his passion for working with lower-limb amputees.
John shares how his grandfather’s recovery from brain surgery sparked his career, and how close collaboration with prosthetists helps him address the real-world challenges amputees face every day. He explains why patience matters in rehab, why quality beats quantity in therapy sessions, and how setbacks can become powerful turning points.
The conversation also explores:
• The importance of honest patient–therapist communication
• What John learned traveling with a former below-the-knee amputee patient
• Accessibility gaps and the need for stronger support systems
• His advocacy work, including planning an Amputee Awareness Night at a baseball game
• A touching success story helping an elderly patient regain mobility
• His future goals in wound care and rehabilitation
This episode offers a meaningful look at amputee care from the therapy side — highlighting teamwork, empathy, and the power of human connection in recovery.
Whether you’re an amputee, caregiver, healthcare professional, or ally, John’s story delivers insight, encouragement, and practical perspective.
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Sometimes, the biggest changes don't happen in a lab—they happen with a few carefully chosen words. In this episode of the We're Not Stumped podcast, I want to personally thank the LN-4 Hand Project (https://ln4handproject.org/) for updating its mission statement to better reflect the entire upper limb limb loss community. For many years, organizations have understandably focused on a specific group of individuals. But recognizing and including everyone living with upper limb loss and limb difference sends a powerful message: you belong, your story matters, and you are seen. As someone born without a right hand, this change means a great deal to me personally, and I believe it represents an important step toward greater inclusion across our community.
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.
