Developmental

Pitching an Adaptive Softball Article from the Stands

I’m squished on orange plastic bleachers. Grandparents are on one side of me, two of my sons on the other. My husband is wandering the gym with his camera. The lens is at least a foot long. He is seeking out the best angle. My knees keep hitting the back of the spectator in front … Read more

Caterina Scorsone Interview

Caterina Scorsone is a Canadian-American actress who has appeared in various films and television series, including her well known portrayal as Dr. Amelia Shepherd on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. In 2020, Scorsone won the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award from the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, recognizing her outstanding commitment to championing the rights and well-being of … Read more

Matthew Killian — Getting More Than a Kick Out of Karate

Matthew Killian, a 24-year-old student at Lawrence World Class Karate dojo in Fayetteville. He won two gold medals for Special Demonstration of kata and kumite at the 2023 Niagara Karate Championship and received an official Senate Commendation as well. For Matthew, karate was not only just a sport but a means to break down personal … Read more

Michelle Sie Whitten — the Force Behind the Global Down Syndrome Foundation

Michelle Sie Whitten, Co-founder, President, and CEO of Global Down syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL) is a friendly and intelligent force. Inspired by her daughter Sophia, who was born with Down syndrome, GLOBAL has had the same mission since its conception. They focus on spreading awareness that people with Down syndrome are important members of society and … Read more

Diana Elizabeth Jordan — In the Spotlight

Actor and self-described “artivist” Diana Elizabeth Jordan is having quite the moment. Her one-woman show, “Happily Ever After”, debuted at the Hollywood Fringe Festival last year. This year, she was selected out of thousands to take part in the WarnerMedia Access Talent Spotlight Program. Jordan, diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 2, which mildly affects … Read more

Andrea Friedman — Actress with Down syndrome and the R Word

ABILITY Magazine asked Andrea Friedman, actress with Down syndrome, about the R word.  (Read interview) Cooper: The other thing that’s happening right now is the controversy over what they call the R word. What is your– Andrea: Oh, yes. I know. Cooper: What is your thought about that? Andrea: About “retarded,” the R word? … Read more

Transitions – Aging with Cerebral Palsy

At 57, I am now entering yet another phase as I age with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, a fixed neurological condition affecting, in my case, mobility. More and more, I am experiencing the irritating, annoying and most assuredly painful implications of this lifelong condition. I am still uprightly mobile, much to the consternation of … Read more

Zach Anner Interview

YouTube phenomenon Zach Anner became a household name five years ago when he co-won Oprah Winfrey’s Reality TV competition, Your OWN Show: Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star. Though his wheelchair travel series, Rollin’ With Zach, was short lived, Anner has kept it moving. His YouTube channel has more than 300,000 subscribers, and … Read more

Jamie Brewer – American Horror Story

Recently, actress Jamie Brewer welcomed ABILITY’s contributing writer David S. Zimmerman into a sunny and peaceful backyard. Tucked away in a Hollywood, CA, enclave, the two spoke about her part as a clairvoyant witch on the megahit TV show, American Horror Story; her leadership of an important nonprofit organization, and her ultimate dream role. … Read more

The Cracks of Life – Geri Jewell

It was more than 20 years ago that Chet Cooper and actress Geri Jewell first met at her home in Southern California, when he went to interview her for this magazine. They reconnected recently at an assistive technology conference in San Diego, where she was the keynote speaker. Later, over dinner, she talked about … Read more

Young Actors Get Their Due

The secret life of success He was working as a clerk at the courthouse in Beverly Hills, CA. He had done a bit of acting in the past, but had nearly put his dreams of stardom on the shelf—for good. She was taking acting classes. And voice classes. And dance. Every day. But if the … Read more