Inclusion is Breaking Through on Spokane Radio

Associate producer Zack Glass

​A new and innovative radio program airing on Spokane’s KXLY FM/AM is broadcast from Northwest Center’s Employment Services offices in Spokane. Breaking Through is a 30-minute show produced by Don Gillespie, a community employment services manager with more than 30 years of broadcasting experience. Gillespie uses the program to share stories that promote equal opportunities for children and adults with disabilities.

“I want to report about businesses who hire people with disabilities and demonstrate that an inclusive workforce benefits everyone,” Gillespie says. “We also want to let people know, especially business owners, ‘Hey, you don’t need to be frightened about hiring people with disabilities. It’s excellent for business.’”
 
The program also features inclusion success stories behind the scenes: Breaking Through’s Associate Producer Zack Glass conducts on-air interviews and edits audio stories—and happens to have a disability. The Breaking Through staff is also developing a program for Transition Services students to make the leap into employment with media skills and digital resumes.

Breaking Through was created by Gillespie and made possible by an innovation Award from Northwest Center. Gillespie used the grant to build a small but capable broadcast suite of computer software, hardware and recording equipment. His next goal is to expand beyond Sunday morning to a larger audience. “We will turn this into a podcast; there’s huge potential here,” he says.
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Breaking Through airs Sundays on KXLY FM/AM in Spokane from 5:30-6 a.m., with a livestream at KXLY.com. You can also find the show at nwcenter.org/breakingthrough.
 
Have a story idea for Breaking Through? Contact Tod Steward at tsteward@nwcenter.org. ​