Get off Your Knees

Born a congenital amputee, John Robinson has no hands. His arms stop at his elbows. His lower legs are attached to his hips without knees. He is 3’9’’ tall. As a child, John's parents had many worries: Would he be able to go to school? Could he hold a pencil? Could he ever support himself?

Yet, through his remarkable tenacity, talent and faith, John has succeeded in business and in building a family in a way that few may have expected from the outset. In this documentary from WMHT, we get to know a man who has made his way in a world not designed for those without the dexterity of typical arms and legs--a man who has gone on to lead what many would consider an ordinary life. Yet this ordinary life is actually extraordinary when one witnesses the determination required for John to do that which others take for granted, from driving a car to playing a round of golf.

People with disabilities are the nation’s most vulnerable demographic, and the obstacles they face in everyday life can seem overwhelming. John’s inspirational story teaches those of us with and without disabilities that, with the aid of a strong education and a few caring individuals, we can achieve that which may initially seem impossible.