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Latest news and stories
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How to Shop your Closet during a Pandemic
By Molly Farrell You’ve watched all the shows on Netflix, you’ve baked all the loaves of banana bread you care to, you’ve even taken up a new hobby during quarantine. Now what?! Have you shopped your closet yet? Even as the quarantine hopefully comes to an end, shopping your closet is a great life skill.…
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Connecting Mental Health to Overall Health for Folks with Disabilities
By Tracy S. Williams The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 1 in 4 adults live with a physical disability. While living with a physical disability is not necessarily a depressing state of affairs, there are situations that could frustrate people to the point that it may cause mental health concerns. The CDC also…
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3 Great Companion Pets (Other than Dogs) for Kids with Disabilities
By Johnathan David Children with disabilities love pets as much as anyone else. Having an animal companion can help a child with an intellectual disability become more social, learn responsibility and empathy, and offer comfort and love. Dogs are fantastic companions and support animals, but if allergies, expenses or lifestyle limitations prevent you from owning…
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Tips to Make Your Garden Accessible
By Andrew Herbert Gardening is a great way to spend time with your family and create a beautiful outdoor space. But, for some people, it can actually be a challenge. Disability-related barriers can make gardening very difficult, especially for those who have limited mobility. If you’re thinking about getting into gardening but aren’t sure how…
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Love Without End, Amen: The Story of Amy and her Dog, Neo
By Janis D. Gioia, MAEd When George Strait recorded the song Love Without End, Amen, he wasn’t singing about the bond between a rescued service dog and his handler, or how that love would change both of their lives forever. But if he knew Amy Fey (one of his biggest fans) and her service dog…
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A Message of Hope from Abilities Expo Ambassador Paul Lane
By Paul Amadeus Lane When we look at the tragic events that have rocked our nation, it shows that we cannot neglect members of our community that have been left behind due to race, disability, gender or sexual orientation. Discrimination has no place in our society Far too often we think that silence and ignoring…
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Rest in Peace, Angela Madsen
If you ever attended a California Abilities Expo, you probably had the pleasure of meeting Angela Madsen. The small army of rowing machines alongside RowOfLife, the boat that saw Angela through more than one ocean row, were tough to miss. She and her wife, Debra Bogan Madsen, were always warm and welcoming to the countless…
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Workplace Discrimination: What Qualifies as Reasonable Accommodation?
By Adrian Johansen What every American should know is that every employer in the U.S.—from small, mom-and-pop businesses to giant corporations—is bound by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and rules created by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC). If you have a disability, then you have rights that go beyond anti-discrimination law. Your employer needs to find…
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Lourdes Mack Joins Cast of ‘Disney Family Singalong’
By Lourdes Mack My name is Lourdes Mack, I am 18 years old, I was born with Spina Biffida, and I have had 16 surgeries. I recently had the opportunity to take part in the Disney Family Singalong as a dancer. I had gotten a call from both my agent, and my dance teacher was telling…
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Stuff to do When Cooped Up with COVID
Depending on your news source, some say the worst of the coronavirus is behind us, while others aren’t so sure. Either way, it ain’t over. So until our socializing can become less distant and until #StayAtHome morphs into #ImOuttaHere, we present for your consideration…some cool things to do while cooped up with COVID. Quarantine and…
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Coronavirus Feels a Lot Like my Everyday
By Keisha Greaves, Girls Chronically Rock Random bouts of dry coughs in the middle of the night. Phlegm. Unexpected shortness of breath. Weakness in the joints. That’s my normal. It’s what it looks like at my stage and type of muscular dystrophy. It also happens to be some of the underlying symptoms that’s taking the world’s…
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Highly Effective Job Management Tips for Single Moms with Disabilities
By Claudia Jeffrey Around 4.1 million to 9 million single parents in the US have some kind of physical disability. Making adjustments to the new normal is the toughest thing, especially if you are a single mommy. You have to work, cook, clean, and do household chores all by yourself, yet you have nobody to share their…