August 20, 2025 • 16 mins
Dan McConchie shattered expectations when he became the first paraplegic elected to the Illinois state legislature. His remarkable journey from military service to groundbreaking political advocacy unfolds in this raw, candid conversation recorded at the Abilities Expo in Chicago.
McConchie's story begins with military service as Army infantry and military police from 1989 to 1998. Life changed dramatically when a hit-and-run motorcycle accident left him with a spinal cord injury in 2007. With extraordinary resilience, he rebuilt his life only to face another devastating setback—breaking his back a second time during adaptive skiing, which worsened his injury from T12 to T9. Rather than surrender to circumstance, McConchie channeled his experiences into public service.
During eight and a half years in the Illinois Senate, McConchie transformed accessibility in government. Now leading a nonprofit focused on accessibility policy nationwide, McConchie continues fighting for practical solutions to everyday challenges faced by people with disabilities.
The conversation delves into shared experiences of isolation and the profound importance of finding community among others who understand disability challenges. Through it all, McConchie's message resonates clearly: "How can I make the world a better place today with the powers that I've got?" His work proves that advocacy, education, and representation are powerful tools for creating a more accessible and inclusive society. Subscribe to Life to the Max for more conversations that challenge perceptions and inspire action.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up, guys?
As you can see, we're not inthe studio at home.
We're actually at the AbilitiesExpo in Chicago and this
podcast is going to be a littledifferent.
It's going to be like aspeedcast.
The sound is not going to be asgreat because of how wide open
this space is, but I hope youguys enjoy it.
(00:22):
Please enjoy this Life to theMax speedcast.
What is up, everybody?
It is the Life to the Maxpodcast.
We are at the Abilities Expo inSchaumburg, illinois.
(00:43):
It is June 20th 2025.
And today, today, I have thefirst paraplegic to ever be
elected into Congress.
Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Into the state legislature here in Illinois
State legislature in Illinois.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
What's your name, sir ?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Dan McConkie.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Dan McConkie.
Well, I need to know about you,man.
What's your name, sir DanMcConkie?
Dan McConkie, well, I need toknow about you, man, what you
just said.
You were a vet, I am yep Army.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Army, absolutely Infantry, Infantry military
police Infantry too.
Yeah, I did both infantry andmilitary police, but I'll say I
like the infantry more.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
The camaraderie was great.
What year did you serve?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
So I was in the reserves.
I served from eight.
Let's see I served from 89 to98.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Wow, that's a long time.
So, and then you went MP orinfantry.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
I did.
I started off infantry, went MPand then ended up back in the
infantry.
Before the end I came back home.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Were you ever overseas?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I only spent a small stint in Panama after we tossed
out Noriega and kind of set thatcountry on the right track.
I did some road building theresecurity for road building but I
didn't get to see the big show.
I'm a little disappointed inthat actually.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, me too.
So I was training to be aranger in the 101st Airborne
Division and basically I wasyeah, like I was, high speed.
You know what high speed means?
Right, yeah.
So, I was like I ran like a fourminute 19 mile, like a 30
(02:35):
minute five mile.
I was an expert shooter, so Iwas in a sniper scout platoon so
I was just like really tryingto, like you know, get somewhere
and unfortunately I was in acar accident.
I wasn't driving, I was cominghome to see my family for my
birthday.
(02:55):
It was three days after mybirthday.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
And.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
I woke up in the hospital like three days later.
I couldn't feel anything,couldn't breathe, couldn't do
anything.
And then here I am, nine yearslater, talking to the first
paraplegic who was elected tolegislation in Illinois.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yep, that's right, that's right.
Well, I am so sorry about yourstory.
I mean, it does happen to somany of us, right?
So many people here at this expothat we're at, who have similar
stories.
My story is that I was I rode amotorcycle and my wife wanted
me to sell the motorcycle and Iignored her, to my detriment.
(03:38):
Right and one day I was drivingover to a friend's house and I
woke up two weeks later I'd beenin a hit and run accident.
I was going through anintersection, a car had turned
on a red light, came straightinto the left lane which I was
in and pushed me and my bikeinto oncoming traffic.
And so I woke up two weekslater with a spinal cord injury.
(04:00):
I'd broken five vertebrae in mylower back.
Cord injury.
I'd broken five vertebrae in mylower back.
I'd broken my clavicle, sixribs, my shoulder blade from top
to bottom, which I'm told isreally hard to do Deflated left
lung.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, I was really screwed up for a while.
It took about a year before Iwas really kind of back at it
again.
It took about a year and thenout, and then I just started
partying because my girlfriendleft me.
Dude, that was tough.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Like the hospital setting is tough man.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And were you paraplegic always?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So interestingly enough.
So I was able-bod-bodied,obviously up until I broke my
back, but I don't know if you'vemet anybody quite like me in
that I've broken my back twice.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
So my first accident I just told you about, right.
And then I was doing back in2017, I guess it was, I was
maybe 20, early 2018.
I was doing adaptive skiingwith the VA and I hit an ice
patch going down the hill andthe adaptive ski flipped
backwards.
I hit a tree and then I wentfrom being a T12 to a T9 and I
(05:16):
had to go through all that stuffall over again.
Yeah, I had to have the backrefused and extended, so yeah,
you know similar situation withme About three years ago.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I was, I went through septic shock and I almost died
and I was like in the hospitalagain.
I was like fuck, I have to dothis all over again, couldn't
eat, couldn't drink, couldn'tmove.
I couldn't eat a lot and I wasa bunch of opioids, prescribed,
a bunch of opioids, and theyripped it off like a band-aid.
(05:51):
So I was going throughwithdrawal as well.
So, like I mean like similarstories, different like settings
, obviously, but very similar.
So here's the big question whatgot you into politics?
Speaker 2 (06:05):
So I've kind of always been in politics.
Actually, when I was going toschool I was actually studying
to be a pastor of all things,interestingly enough, and during
that time I ended up going to arally.
It was a presidential rally.
I kind of I really gotinterested in politics.
When you graduate college, youdon't know what to do with your
life.
You go to grad school.
So I did that and during thattime, I started working on
(06:29):
public policy related issueshaving to do with bioethics, end
of life questions, stuff likethat.
Ended up doing that almost 20years and gosh it was so I was
injured 2007.
And then it was 2015.
I had some local people come upto me and say, hey, we're
interested in you running foroffice.
And I said, hey, I really likebeing married.
(06:52):
No, thank you.
And they kept asking.
They kept asking, and I said,well, maybe she won't notice,
she won't notice, and eventuallyI did.
I ended up running for the statehouse and then ended up being
called one day during thatcampaign by the state senator
saying he was stepping down,ended up running against two
(07:13):
other people, winning a veryheavily contested three-way
primary.
And, yeah, that put me into thelegislature, which,
interestingly enough, theCapitol building here in
Illinois is not very accessible,as you might guess Really.
Well, it's really old right,and so they had to completely
remodel one of the committeerooms at the price of $1.6
(07:35):
million just so I would be ableto get into it, and there was a
lot of things that just arestill not accessible to this day
.
And there was a lot of thingsthat just are still not
accessible to this day.
But I spent about eight and ahalf years in the Senate, really
had the time of my life,wonderful experience, being able
(07:56):
to help all kinds of people notjust from my district but
across my state.
And as I got to the end of mycareer I started actually doing
emphasizing working on stuffwith people with disabilities
actually doing emphasizingworking on stuff with people
with disabilities.
And we passed legislation to dokind of all kinds of cool stuff
with that helping make surethat people with disabilities
are guaranteed an accessibleparking space at condominium
buildings, which they weren'tbefore.
Making sure that disabledveterans, if they have to modify
(08:17):
their home, they can't becharged those permit fees from
the village to put ramps in orjust make the bathroom
accessible.
That's now illegal here inIllinois.
So I've been able to do somereally cool stuff and really
excited and I left earlier thisyear to actually start a
nonprofit working onaccessibility public policy
stuff, primarily at state andlocal level, but across the
(08:40):
country state and local level,but across the country.
And part of the reason why I'mhere at this expo and chatting
with you is we want to hearpeople's stories and know how we
can best help them.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
That's really amazing , man, like you're helping out
our community, because a lot oflike I was just explaining this
a few podcasts ago because I'vebeen like rolling, but like
You've been busy here podcasts-ago because I've been rolling.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
You've been busy here today.
I've been watching, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So everyone feels alone.
Yeah, when they're disabled,amputees, they feel alone.
Paralyzed people, they feelalone, but then they don't
realize that there is this hugecommunity that is trying to
change the status quo of whatdisability is.
You remind me a lot ofChristopher Reeves, because he
(09:33):
was fighting politics with stemcell research.
Thank God for him, because westill can do stem cell research
because of him, because he wasfighting Congress.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
You know, the first thing that made me feel like I
was in a group, that I belongedafter my accident it was very
isolating, obviously, as youknow right.
It's very isolating.
Shortly after I had gotten intothe Senate, I had the
opportunity to be able to honorthe Paralympians here in
Illinois, at the University ofIllinois, at one of the football
(10:07):
games, be able to take them outonto the football field and
have tens of thousands of peoplecheer for them.
And I was going from thebreakfast that we had over to
the football arena, which wasnext door, and I'm following
behind this column of peopleathletes in wheelchairs and
they're looking for the samething I'm looking for.
(10:29):
They're looking for, you know,the concrete that's a little bit
out of whack, that I don't wantto hit the wrong way, you know,
and don't get too far to theedge, and stuff like this.
And I suddenly had that feelingof, oh, these people are like
me, right, they have similartypes of issues and problems and
interests, but it's hard.
You have to seek out that kindof community in order to really
(10:53):
be able to find it.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
For me I was only friends with like two people who
are in wheelchairs, because itwas hard for me, because I was
like like two people who are inwheelchairs.
Because it was hard for mebecause I, I was like I'm this
soldier that used to run likefastest hell shoot.
I was active, I freaking waswith girls.
You know, like I, I like, likeI, I don't accept this position,
(11:19):
like with dabdo and grief don'taccept it.
But I accept, like uh, waitingfor secure, waiting for
something to happen.
So I know a lot is happening inthis medical injury world which
I'm super excited about and I'msuper happy to meet someone
like you today because you'vedone a lot, a lot for the
(11:45):
disability community in Illinoisand I appreciate that.
I really do, because I thinkIllinois is pretty good when it
comes to disabilities as far asChicago.
It's pretty ADA accessible andeverything.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, we do a lot of things right, there's still
places of improvement that weought to do, and I do hope and
pray that there is a cure that'sable to come along that's
helping both of us, as we know.
Hope and pray that there is acure that's able to come along
that's helping both of us.
As we know, that day isn'ttoday, and so my mission today
is all right.
How can I make the world abetter place today with the
(12:27):
powers that I've got, you know,with the opportunity to have
that right?
Let's not sit and waste time inthat process.
You're doing that.
Thank you so much for yourwillingness to be able to do
this and put yourself out there.
I know it means a lot to a lotof people it does.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
It means a lot for you being on the show man.
It really does.
I'm super excited for this tocome out.
Hopefully one day we can do afull podcast, if you're
interested.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
I don't know if you're local.
I'm local here in Chicagolandarea, but then I'll come to you.
My house is successful by theway too, I'm guessing, so
Awesome Thanks to you.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
The permits are there , but it was great talking to
you.
I do have one thing to ask you.
Sure, so when it comes topeople who are handicapped and
they get the placard, that getsabused.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, it does get abused.
Sometimes it's hard to findparking because you know you see
people who are, you knowthey're able-bodied and borrowed
grandmas right, and they getout of the states.
You know I get reallyfrustrated at sometimes if I go
to an event.
You know a concert.
I went to ACDC here a few weeksago at Soldier Field and I'm
(13:51):
with these people in this ADAbox and I'm looking at them and
I'm like like why are you here?
You're standing up in front ofme.
My legs don't work at all, thatisn't possible.
And you are not just in the box, you're standing up and
standing up in front of me.
What the heck man.
We need to be helping peoplewith disabilities and making
(14:15):
sure that it isn't abused.
A lot of work still to do.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah, I'm trying to think would there be a different
placard?
Speaker 2 (14:23):
So I've thought about that.
We should actually put togethersomething where, you know, so
the UK and France both have adisability card.
Okay, so it's like your placard, but it's a card and you can
use it and you get, you get adiscount, you get to go, for you
know, free into museums orthings like that.
Right, you know, but it's alsofor for stuff like accessibility
(14:47):
at a stadium or a concert orsomething like that.
I think we should be havingthat discussion.
I know some people in thedisability community have a
problem with that.
They don't want to feel likethey have to prove their
disability.
But I'm actually kind of gladthat we have limits on
accessible parking and that notjust anybody can park there and
(15:07):
claim they have a disability,but you have to have a doctor
sign off on it.
Let's talk about that for otherthings that I mean, because it
just isn't possible to attend ashow, it's just not possible to
do certain things unless there'saccessible, you know
accessibility options put in.
And you know we need to makesure that those rights are
protected.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
We need to make sure to figure out what the
definition of accessible is forthese concerts.
You know, like wheelchairaccessible, not handicap
accessible.
You know, like wheelchairaccessible, not standing up
accessible, you know.
So I think we do have a lot ofwork to do, but hey, man, it's
been great having you on.
Is there anything you wouldlike to say to the people out
(15:46):
there?
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Hey, you know what?
Thanks for listening to Max.
Keep it up, spread the word,get some other people to listen
to.
It's just through educationthat we're going to make this
world a better place for peoplewho have disabilities of all
types.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Absolutely and for everybody listening to this
contest, please like, commentand subscribe and, as always,
take it by the throat.
Thank you, I try to keep itcool, all you lames keep it
bogus.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
I head on a swivel looking out for the locusts.
I'm on ten soles trying to tap.
What's up, guys?
As you can see, we're not inthe studio at home.
We're actually at the AbilitiesExpo in Chicago and this
podcast is going to be a littledifferent.
It's going to be like aspeedcast.
The sound is not going to be asgreat because of how wide open
this space is, but I hope youguys enjoy it.
(00:22):
Please enjoy this Life to theMax speedcast.
What is up, everybody?
It is the Life to the Maxpodcast.
We are at the Abilities Expo inSchaumburg, illinois.
(00:43):
It is June 20th 2025.
And today, today, I have thefirst paraplegic to ever be
elected into Congress.
Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Into the state legislature here in Illinois
State legislature in Illinois.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
What's your name, sir ?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Dan McConkie.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Dan McConkie.
Well, I need to know about you,man.
What's your name, sir DanMcConkie?
Dan McConkie, well, I need toknow about you, man, what you
just said.
You were a vet, I am yep Army.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Army, absolutely Infantry, Infantry military
police Infantry too.
Yeah, I did both infantry andmilitary police, but I'll say I
like the infantry more.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
The camaraderie was great.
What year did you serve?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
So I was in the reserves.
I served from eight.
Let's see I served from 89 to98.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Wow, that's a long time.
So, and then you went MP orinfantry.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
I did.
I started off infantry, went MPand then ended up back in the
infantry.
Before the end I came back home.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Were you ever overseas?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I only spent a small stint in Panama after we tossed
out Noriega and kind of set thatcountry on the right track.
I did some road building theresecurity for road building but I
didn't get to see the big show.
I'm a little disappointed inthat actually.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, me too.
So I was training to be aranger in the 101st Airborne
Division and basically I wasyeah, like I was, high speed.
You know what high speed means?
Right, yeah.
So, I was like I ran like a fourminute 19 mile, like a 30
(02:35):
minute five mile.
I was an expert shooter, so Iwas in a sniper scout platoon so
I was just like really tryingto, like you know, get somewhere
and unfortunately I was in acar accident.
I wasn't driving, I was cominghome to see my family for my
birthday.
(02:55):
It was three days after mybirthday.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
And.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
I woke up in the hospital like three days later.
I couldn't feel anything,couldn't breathe, couldn't do
anything.
And then here I am, nine yearslater, talking to the first
paraplegic who was elected tolegislation in Illinois.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yep, that's right, that's right.
Well, I am so sorry about yourstory.
I mean, it does happen to somany of us, right?
So many people here at this expothat we're at, who have similar
stories.
My story is that I was I rode amotorcycle and my wife wanted
me to sell the motorcycle and Iignored her, to my detriment.
(03:38):
Right and one day I was drivingover to a friend's house and I
woke up two weeks later I'd beenin a hit and run accident.
I was going through anintersection, a car had turned
on a red light, came straightinto the left lane which I was
in and pushed me and my bikeinto oncoming traffic.
And so I woke up two weekslater with a spinal cord injury.
(04:00):
I'd broken five vertebrae in mylower back.
Cord injury.
I'd broken five vertebrae in mylower back.
I'd broken my clavicle, sixribs, my shoulder blade from top
to bottom, which I'm told isreally hard to do Deflated left
lung.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, I was really screwed up for a while.
It took about a year before Iwas really kind of back at it
again.
It took about a year and thenout, and then I just started
partying because my girlfriendleft me.
Dude, that was tough.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Like the hospital setting is tough man.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
And were you paraplegic always?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So interestingly enough.
So I was able-bod-bodied,obviously up until I broke my
back, but I don't know if you'vemet anybody quite like me in
that I've broken my back twice.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
So my first accident I just told you about, right.
And then I was doing back in2017, I guess it was, I was
maybe 20, early 2018.
I was doing adaptive skiingwith the VA and I hit an ice
patch going down the hill andthe adaptive ski flipped
backwards.
I hit a tree and then I wentfrom being a T12 to a T9 and I
(05:16):
had to go through all that stuffall over again.
Yeah, I had to have the backrefused and extended, so yeah,
you know similar situation withme About three years ago.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I was, I went through septic shock and I almost died
and I was like in the hospitalagain.
I was like fuck, I have to dothis all over again, couldn't
eat, couldn't drink, couldn'tmove.
I couldn't eat a lot and I wasa bunch of opioids, prescribed,
a bunch of opioids, and theyripped it off like a band-aid.
(05:51):
So I was going throughwithdrawal as well.
So, like I mean like similarstories, different like settings
, obviously, but very similar.
So here's the big question whatgot you into politics?
Speaker 2 (06:05):
So I've kind of always been in politics.
Actually, when I was going toschool I was actually studying
to be a pastor of all things,interestingly enough, and during
that time I ended up going to arally.
It was a presidential rally.
I kind of I really gotinterested in politics.
When you graduate college, youdon't know what to do with your
life.
You go to grad school.
So I did that and during thattime, I started working on
(06:29):
public policy related issueshaving to do with bioethics, end
of life questions, stuff likethat.
Ended up doing that almost 20years and gosh it was so I was
injured 2007.
And then it was 2015.
I had some local people come upto me and say, hey, we're
interested in you running foroffice.
And I said, hey, I really likebeing married.
(06:52):
No, thank you.
And they kept asking.
They kept asking, and I said,well, maybe she won't notice,
she won't notice, and eventuallyI did.
I ended up running for the statehouse and then ended up being
called one day during thatcampaign by the state senator
saying he was stepping down,ended up running against two
(07:13):
other people, winning a veryheavily contested three-way
primary.
And, yeah, that put me into thelegislature, which,
interestingly enough, theCapitol building here in
Illinois is not very accessible,as you might guess Really.
Well, it's really old right,and so they had to completely
remodel one of the committeerooms at the price of $1.6
(07:35):
million just so I would be ableto get into it, and there was a
lot of things that just arestill not accessible to this day
.
And there was a lot of thingsthat just are still not
accessible to this day.
But I spent about eight and ahalf years in the Senate, really
had the time of my life,wonderful experience, being able
(07:56):
to help all kinds of people notjust from my district but
across my state.
And as I got to the end of mycareer I started actually doing
emphasizing working on stuffwith people with disabilities
actually doing emphasizingworking on stuff with people
with disabilities.
And we passed legislation to dokind of all kinds of cool stuff
with that helping make surethat people with disabilities
are guaranteed an accessibleparking space at condominium
buildings, which they weren'tbefore.
Making sure that disabledveterans, if they have to modify
(08:17):
their home, they can't becharged those permit fees from
the village to put ramps in orjust make the bathroom
accessible.
That's now illegal here inIllinois.
So I've been able to do somereally cool stuff and really
excited and I left earlier thisyear to actually start a
nonprofit working onaccessibility public policy
stuff, primarily at state andlocal level, but across the
(08:40):
country state and local level,but across the country.
And part of the reason why I'mhere at this expo and chatting
with you is we want to hearpeople's stories and know how we
can best help them.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
That's really amazing , man, like you're helping out
our community, because a lot oflike I was just explaining this
a few podcasts ago because I'vebeen like rolling, but like
You've been busy here podcasts-ago because I've been rolling.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
You've been busy here today.
I've been watching, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So everyone feels alone.
Yeah, when they're disabled,amputees, they feel alone.
Paralyzed people, they feelalone, but then they don't
realize that there is this hugecommunity that is trying to
change the status quo of whatdisability is.
You remind me a lot ofChristopher Reeves, because he
(09:33):
was fighting politics with stemcell research.
Thank God for him, because westill can do stem cell research
because of him, because he wasfighting Congress.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
You know, the first thing that made me feel like I
was in a group, that I belongedafter my accident it was very
isolating, obviously, as youknow right.
It's very isolating.
Shortly after I had gotten intothe Senate, I had the
opportunity to be able to honorthe Paralympians here in
Illinois, at the University ofIllinois, at one of the football
(10:07):
games, be able to take them outonto the football field and
have tens of thousands of peoplecheer for them.
And I was going from thebreakfast that we had over to
the football arena, which wasnext door, and I'm following
behind this column of peopleathletes in wheelchairs and
they're looking for the samething I'm looking for.
(10:29):
They're looking for, you know,the concrete that's a little bit
out of whack, that I don't wantto hit the wrong way, you know,
and don't get too far to theedge, and stuff like this.
And I suddenly had that feelingof, oh, these people are like
me, right, they have similartypes of issues and problems and
interests, but it's hard.
You have to seek out that kindof community in order to really
(10:53):
be able to find it.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
For me I was only friends with like two people who
are in wheelchairs, because itwas hard for me, because I was
like like two people who are inwheelchairs.
Because it was hard for mebecause I, I was like I'm this
soldier that used to run likefastest hell shoot.
I was active, I freaking waswith girls.
You know, like I, I like, likeI, I don't accept this position,
(11:19):
like with dabdo and grief don'taccept it.
But I accept, like uh, waitingfor secure, waiting for
something to happen.
So I know a lot is happening inthis medical injury world which
I'm super excited about and I'msuper happy to meet someone
like you today because you'vedone a lot, a lot for the
(11:45):
disability community in Illinoisand I appreciate that.
I really do, because I thinkIllinois is pretty good when it
comes to disabilities as far asChicago.
It's pretty ADA accessible andeverything.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, we do a lot of things right, there's still
places of improvement that weought to do, and I do hope and
pray that there is a cure that'sable to come along that's
helping both of us, as we know.
Hope and pray that there is acure that's able to come along
that's helping both of us.
As we know, that day isn'ttoday, and so my mission today
is all right.
How can I make the world abetter place today with the
(12:27):
powers that I've got, you know,with the opportunity to have
that right?
Let's not sit and waste time inthat process.
You're doing that.
Thank you so much for yourwillingness to be able to do
this and put yourself out there.
I know it means a lot to a lotof people it does.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
It means a lot for you being on the show man.
It really does.
I'm super excited for this tocome out.
Hopefully one day we can do afull podcast, if you're
interested.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
I don't know if you're local.
I'm local here in Chicagolandarea, but then I'll come to you.
My house is successful by theway too, I'm guessing, so
Awesome Thanks to you.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
The permits are there , but it was great talking to
you.
I do have one thing to ask you.
Sure, so when it comes topeople who are handicapped and
they get the placard, that getsabused.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, it does get abused.
Sometimes it's hard to findparking because you know you see
people who are, you knowthey're able-bodied and borrowed
grandmas right, and they getout of the states.
You know I get reallyfrustrated at sometimes if I go
to an event.
You know a concert.
I went to ACDC here a few weeksago at Soldier Field and I'm
(13:51):
with these people in this ADAbox and I'm looking at them and
I'm like like why are you here?
You're standing up in front ofme.
My legs don't work at all, thatisn't possible.
And you are not just in the box, you're standing up and
standing up in front of me.
What the heck man.
We need to be helping peoplewith disabilities and making
(14:15):
sure that it isn't abused.
A lot of work still to do.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah, I'm trying to think would there be a different
placard?
Speaker 2 (14:23):
So I've thought about that.
We should actually put togethersomething where, you know, so
the UK and France both have adisability card.
Okay, so it's like your placard, but it's a card and you can
use it and you get, you get adiscount, you get to go, for you
know, free into museums orthings like that.
Right, you know, but it's alsofor for stuff like accessibility
(14:47):
at a stadium or a concert orsomething like that.
I think we should be havingthat discussion.
I know some people in thedisability community have a
problem with that.
They don't want to feel likethey have to prove their
disability.
But I'm actually kind of gladthat we have limits on
accessible parking and that notjust anybody can park there and
(15:07):
claim they have a disability,but you have to have a doctor
sign off on it.
Let's talk about that for otherthings that I mean, because it
just isn't possible to attend ashow, it's just not possible to
do certain things unless there'saccessible, you know
accessibility options put in.
And you know we need to makesure that those rights are
protected.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
We need to make sure to figure out what the
definition of accessible is forthese concerts.
You know, like wheelchairaccessible, not handicap
accessible.
You know, like wheelchairaccessible, not standing up
accessible, you know.
So I think we do have a lot ofwork to do, but hey, man, it's
been great having you on.
Is there anything you wouldlike to say to the people out
(15:46):
there?
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Hey, you know what?
Thanks for listening to Max.
Keep it up, spread the word,get some other people to listen
to.
It's just through educationthat we're going to make this
world a better place for peoplewho have disabilities of all
types.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Absolutely and for everybody listening to this
contest, please like, commentand subscribe and, as always,
take it by the throat.
Thank you, I try to keep itcool, all you lames keep it
bogus.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
I head on a swivel looking out for the locusts.
I'm on ten soles trying to tap.
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