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Rollin’ Down Under: Sydney’s Top 5 Wheelchair Friendly Attractions
By Cory Lee, CurbFreeWithCoryLee.com Australia is one of the world’s most sought after travel and vacation destinations. Oftentimes that is great for ambulatory people, but wheelchair users might be hesitant to visit if tourist spots are not easily accessible with a wheelchair. Fortunately, Australia is also one of the most wheelchair friendly places in the world.…
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Transportation Initiatives That Improve Accessibility
By Adrian Johansen All people deserve the right to travel. But a disability can make it difficult to drive, fly or use public transportation. Fortunately, various transportation initiatives to improve accessibility for people with disabilities are underway. And these initiatives are making it easier than ever before for those with disabilities to get where they…
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Hot Tips for Cool Accessible Vacation Rentals
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…
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Seva Accupressure for Caregiver Stress Release
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…
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I (Don’t) Care
By Kathryn Carroll I didn’t care about the ADA when my large-print textbooks arrived in elementary school.My friends and I giggled about the fact that just one took up an entire desk. I didn’t care about the ADA while I listened to my mom argue on the phone with the bus company, explaining that I did not…
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Celebrating Our Unique Abilities
By Adam Farris, Younique Abilities Hello, my name is Adam. I was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in 1994 at the age of six. Later, in July of 2012, I was diagnosed with a form of autism called pervasive developmental disorder. As a child, I didn’t understand Tourette’s syndrome and would ask myself, “What it that?” My…
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Study Poised to Help People who Use AAC
By David J. Hajjar, M.S., CCC-SLP, Ohio University Individuals with acquired neurogenic disabilities and have complex communication needs can experience many challenges with community reengagement. After experiencing inpatient services focusing on restoration and improvement, transitioning to community-based services may seem inadequate. Some therapy services may drop off and individuals may become isolated due to diminished…
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Design Matters: Fall/Holiday 2014
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…
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The Joy of Cruising
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…
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Get Your Groove On!
Google “dance quotes” and you’ll get everything from poetic to cliché to biblical. So…to sum up…dance like no one is watching because there is a time to mourn and a time to dance, which is the hidden language of the soul. Hmmm, perhaps not. Abilities Expo fan favorite and Push Girl Auti Angel says, “Dancing is a…
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Lights! Camera! Garden!
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…
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The One-Handed Lady Golfer Empowers Community
Meet Gianna Rojas of Oak Ridge, New Jersey, known globally as the “One Handed Lady Golfer.” Yes, you read that right, Gianna was born with no fingers on her left hand, although you would never know it after 30 seconds of meeting her. But there is much more than meets the eye. Ten years ago,…