🎙️ Podcasts By Dr. Kirk Adams: Interview with John B. Grimes, Survivor Inspiring Resilience, Author, Destiny is Debatable https://drkirkadams.com/podcasts-by-dr-kirk-adams-01-29-2026/ In this candid episode of Podcasts by Dr. Kirk Adams, Dr. Adams talks with John B. Grimes about the life-altering night in 1998 when, as a 19-year-old Texas Tech student, Grimes contracted meningococcal disease and woke up in the hospital days later blind, disoriented, and relearning basic functions, walking, talking, swallowing, while also navigating lasting neurological impacts. Grimes explains why he once called himself "ambiguously blind," describes the role the Texas Commission for the Blind played in reopening his world (from accessible coursework to practical support), and reflects on the fear and grief he initially resisted, until later counseling helped him begin processing the change. The conversation also centers on Grimes' forthcoming memoir, Destiny Is Debatable, releasing February 7, 2026, chosen to mark the anniversary of the day he entered the hospital, and the core message behind the title: that life's trajectory isn't fixed, and waiting rarely makes hard things easier. He shares how he built a career in the family insurance business (and how remote work became a major accessibility advantage), sprinkles in a few "college-kid" stories, and looks ahead to deeper work in meningitis advocacy, including the foundation he helped launch, Shots for Meningitis. Dr. Adams closes by encouraging listeners to connect, follow Grimes online, and pick up the book. TRANSCRIPT: Advertisement: This podcast brought to you by Pneuma Solutions. Advertisement: I can't see it. Advertisement: ADA Title II has a real compliance deadline. April 2026. Public entities are required to make their digital content accessible, including websites, PDFs, reports, applications, and public records. If a document cannot be read with a screen reader, it is not compliant and if it is not compliant, blind people are still being denied equal access. For a clear explanation of what the rule requires, visit www.title2.info. It's one of the leading resources explaining what agencies must do and when. This message is brought to you by Pneuma Solutions, we have remediated hundreds of thousands of pages in days, not months or years, aligned with WCAG 2 AA guidelines at a fraction of traditional costs. Accessibility isn't a privilege, it's a right. Now that you know, ask your agencies a simple question, are your documents actually accessible? Podcast Commentator: Welcome to podcasts by Doctor Kirk Adams, where we bring you powerful conversations with leading voices in disability rights, employment and inclusion. Our guests share their expertise, experiences and strategies to inspire action and create a more inclusive world. If you're passionate about social justice or want to make a difference, you're in the right place. Let's dive in with your host, Doctor Kirk Adams. Dr. Kirk Adams: Welcome, everybody, to podcasts by Doctor Kirk Adams. I am that Doctor Kirk Adams talking to you from my home office in Seattle, Washington. And today I have the pleasure of talking with a person I've gotten to know fairly well from a distance and very very inspired by by what he's doing with, with his life. And I'd like to welcome John B Grimes. He is the author of the forthcoming memoir Destiny Is debatable. Coming out soon and available. Available to all of you very soon. And, John, welcome. John B. Grimes: Howdy. Kirk. Great to be here. Dr. Kirk Adams: Yeah. Is that the Texas? The howdy. John B. Grimes: That's it. You got it. Yeah. Dr. Kirk Adams: Good, good. Well John B. Grimes: Well, my wife's an Aggie, so that kind of. Oh, yeah, I guess it. That's what they say. Whether right or wrong, I just kind of adopted it as my own. I'm not an Aggie myself, so. Well, you can hold all the jokes back, but. Dr. Kirk Adams: Yeah, well, we talked about that because my wife grew up in a tiny town named Caldwell, Texas, that if you're driving from Austin to College Station drive through it. And we were there for Thanksgiving and we stayed at we stayed in College Station. So we got a lot a lot of Aggie vibe there around Thanksgiving time. John B. Grimes: Oh boy. There's a lot of Aggie vibe down there. Yeah. It's strong, it's strong. Dr. Kirk Adams: It is. So for those of you who don't know me, just very briefly again, I'm Kirk Adams. I'm the immediate past president and CEO of the American Foundation for the blind AFB, which was Helen Keller's organization. And I did get to go sit at her desk whenever I needed inspiration. When we moved to New York and worked in those offices. And prior to that, I was the president and CEO of the Lighthouse for the blind, Inc. here in Seattle, which employs many hundreds of blind and deaf blind people in businesses, including aerospace manufacturing for all the Boeing Boeing aircraft. So very interesting organization for the last three and a half...
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