The idea for Innervision FM came to Johnson while he was taking public transportation. He recalled hearing children ask their parents questions like “Mom, why does he have a cane?” The parents would often tell their kids to be quiet and to not ask questions.
“Well, why not?” Johnson thought. So, he created Innervision FM to answer questions like the ones those children on the bus had and to share the voices of people living with disabilities. The nonprofit also provides broadcast training series to aspiring radio talent with disabilities in the Denver area.
[Related: How to talk about disability sensitively and avoid ableist tropes]
When he was in his early 20s, Johnson moved from Denver to Pasadena, California, where he met two media professionals who had disabilities. They worked for a local television station. One of them was legally blind and the other used a wheelchair. The two men inspired …