Inclusive Recreation

By Brittany Dejean, AbleThrive Join AbleThrive on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd to celebrate abilities with the #ThisIsHowI campaign. The campaign kicks off on this day and showcases life with a disability to hgihlight what’s possible. We encourage people all over the world to take photos and/or 10-20 second videos of the…

Hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to California’s famed coastline each year to enjoy its spectacular scenery and abundant recreational opportunities. But visiting broad sandy beaches and steep, rocky bluffs can be challenging for people who need a fairly level, firm path of travel—be they wheelchair riders, parents pushing strollers or people who use canes…

Finding ways for people with disabilities to enjoy the great outdoors in Northern California just got a whole lot easier with the launch of the new Bay Area Outreach and Recreational Program’s (BORP) website, Access Northern California. This web-based guide provides detailed accessibility information on more than 100 entries under the headings, “Explore,” “Play” and “Sleep” and includes…

By Barbara & Jim Twardowski When our son, who lives across the country, agreed to spend part of his vacation time with us, we began looking for wheelchair accessible accommodations at the beach. Finding a hotel room with a roll-in shower and two beds can be difficult. Sharing a cramped hotel room with your adult…

By Regina Rosenthal, PT, MA As a physical therapist, health coach and author I strongly relate to Abilities Expo’s mission, “to connect the disability community to live and online resources that promote greater independence.” Personal and professional experience showed me the importance of self-awareness and education about simple, cost-effective self-care practices for caregivers and individuals…

By Stephanie Alves, Founder/Designer ABL Denim Welcome to our Abilities community fashion blog from one of your own. Do you like the title? I love double entendres. But it’s true—design does matter. It affects us in measurable and immeasurable ways. Our environments are so important. And so are our clothes. Because society is concerned with…

By Debra Kerper, Easy Access Travel It is often said that taking a child to Disneyland for the first time and experiencing the Magic Kingdom through their eyes is the best way to see it. After sailing more than 80 cruises, I am convinced that taking over 100 people on their first cruise is also…

By Wendy McPherson, Organic Gardener/Horticulturalist Last Sunday morning, I was up with the birds (the early ones) and buzzing around my backyard turning it into a movie set. This is Los Angeles, after all, and I suspect that the rest of the world thinks that’s what we do in L.A. It was the second morning of our “shoot” (that’s movie…

By Greg Smith, Sr., The Strength Coach If you are a baseball fan, surely you have experienced watching the “Fan Cam” during the Major League Baseball television broadcasts. Between innings, the television camera focuses on regular people enjoying their time at the ballpark. It opens showing a young couple on a date, unaware of their five seconds…

By Marty Schultz, Blindfold Games Video games have dominated popular culture with no sign of slowing down. This is true not only for children, but people of all ages and demographics. The vast majority of these games, however, are centered around spectacular visuals and graphics. As gaming continues to gain popularity, Blindfold Games has dedicated itself to bringing…

By Michael Lenox, Illinois Chess Vets My name is Michael Lenox, Chief Petty Officer Submarine/Diver USN (Ret). I am currently the Founder/President of Illinois Chess Vets NFP, a Board member for Illinois Chess Association NFP, and a committee member for the US Chess Federation (USCF) Special Needs and Circumstance Committee. Twelve years ago, I had a major stroke…