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Latest news and stories
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A Broken System Makes It Hard to Get the Right Wheelchair
By Ann Eubank, UsersFirst I attend every Abilities Expo because it is the number one expo for people with disabilities and people who love people with disabilities. They have everything there: accessible vans and cars, the latest styles of wheelchairs, very cool accessories and lots of non-profit organizations offering advice and connection. If you can…
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Criptaedo Inspires Confidence and Independence
By Paul Brailer, Criptaedo My name is Paul Brailer. I am a black-belt from the Art of Karate in Barberton, Ohio and the creator of Criptaedo, a new martial art designed to educate the community of people with disabilities on self-defense and fitness. I haven’t always had high self-esteem and confidence. Being born with spina-bifida, growing…
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Making a Difference: Annie Hopkins’ Story and Vision for the World
By Chris Rohan, Abilities Expo Ambassador and Former Publisher of Disabled Dealer Magazine Annie Marie Hopkins took the world by storm during her short stay on earth. She made her presence felt when she was here, and her legacy and vision—embodied in her company 3E Love—continue to touch many lives throughout the world. What Annie may have…
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The Life and Times of Chris Rohan
What do you do when your whole life changes in an instant? How do you cope? What about your sense of self when everything is changing? Where can you turn? Ask Chris Rohan. She knows, because it has happened to her again and again. Just look; she has the stubborn grin to prove it. “I…
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Blindness and Cerebral Palsy Can’t Keep Teenaged Filmmaker from her Hollywood Dream
Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Harrington has a vision. Born with anophthalmia—without eyes—her vision does not depend on her ability to see. It is not hindered by her cerebral palsy or her eye prosthetics. Instead, this vision is what drives her to fulfill her Hollywood dreams and what caught the attention of award-winning independent filmmaker Tim Greene. Elizabeth’s current film project,…
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En Garde!
By John Martin, Fencing Star Academy One of the first sports to be included in the Paralympic program, Wheelchair Fencing made its debut in England in 1953 in the Stoke Mandeville Games, a competition especially for war veterans. The first countries to develop the sport were precisely those with a tradition in world fencing: England,…
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A Mother’s Journey Affirms There is No Limit to a Mother’s Love
What started off as an ordinary day in the life of Lisa Brodeur in November of 1997 took a turn for the devastating when a drunk driver claimed the life of her husband and paralyzed her 10-year-old son, Kyle. When that split second of impact inexorably changed the Brodeur family’s life, it set in motion…
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Partially Blind Skier with MS Set for 2014 Paralympic Games
By David Block Danelle Umstead of Park City Utah will be a key U.S. skier to watch for at the Paralympics in March in Sochi, Russia. The sight impaired Umstead left her mark at the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, when she and her fully sighted guide/husband Rob Umstead won two bronze medals in skiing;…
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Fighting Against Gravity for the Law
By Mike Ervin, Abilities Expo Ambassador Former Abilities Expo Chicago ambassador Linda Mastandrea always liked the idea of becoming a judge someday. But she hated the idea of doing what must be done to run a successful campaign to be elected to a seat on the bench. But when a vacancy occurred last summer in the 9th…
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Neurofeedback: The Happiness “Pill” for ADD, Autism, Depression and More
By Cristina Wood, M.A., M.F.T., Los Angeles Neurofeedback Neurofeedback has been known as a non-invasive treatment with successful results for problems related to ADHD/ADD, Autism Spectrum and addictions. It helps the brain to regulate itself in a way that the person treated is able to overcome whatever the deficit she/he has. Sometimes my clients come to…
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Never Giving Up
Donna Russo has danced since the age of ten. She began with ballet and tap and later added jazz and modern to her repertoire. She was diagnosed with Turners Syndrome at an early age, which has affected her growth. She is small in stature and stands only 4 feet, 3 inches tall. Although she auditioned for…
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Product Spotlight: Onit Ability Boards
With a design reminiscent of the outrigger canoes of ancient Southeast Asian maritime cultures, a new-to-market product has merged old and new technology to provide people with disabilities access to the open water. It was just last year that avid surfer and Hawaiian native Kawika Watt and his partner, James Rouse, embarked on an exciting…