MyCounterpane founder Kate Milliken spoke with Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and MSer Jason DaSilva to discuss his film When I Walk, his life after his Emmy win, and the many projects he’s taken on since his film debuted and the whirlwind that followed.

The film follows DaSilva as he is diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis and goes from walking with a cane to a walker, and then, a wheelchair.

The film is deeply personal, but don’t think you have to have MS to truly appreciate DaSilva’s purpose and theme.

DaSilva explains,

“[The film] is supposed to touch people with MS, but without MS as well. The larger theme is the idea of triumph over tragedy. Those past things that are difficult, in MS or otherwise, there is a way out. And there is a way to do things differently and learn from the challenges and mistakes and redefine your life and your trajectory. Which isn’t always what you think it’s going to be in a way that’s positive.”

What does one do when faced with a growing disability? Jason DaSilva decided to take his life into his own hands, literally. Today he is working on a new film and is the founder of a non-profit organization called AXS Lab, Inc, which aims to serve those with disabilities through media, arts, and technology.

In 2011, he created AXS Map, which aims to provide information with the most accessible and wheelchair-friendly locations around the word. AXS Map is powered by the people so if you see something, say something! (Mobility needs are not only for those in wheelchairs. Think parents with strollers, too.)

Watch the interview above and if Jason has inspired you like he has us, leave a comment with your thoughts below.