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Roma Downey Issue

ABILITY Magazine Cover Roma Downey issue

United Nations Update — 3rd Ad Hoc Meeting

Circa 2004 In the second session of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities, a resolution was adopted to establish a working group aimed at “preparing and presenting a [draft convention] that would be the basis for … Read more

Your Ticket To Work — What It Offers

Circa 2004 Michelle Patton is 36 years old and has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (also known as Brittle Bone disease). Michelle’s bones are so easily broken that a simple turn in a chair could lead to painful bone fractures. After being removed from her birth parents’ home as a result of abuse, she was adopted by a … Read more

Destination Travel — Athens, Greece

Circa 2004 The exotic Islands of Greece lure seasoned travelers from around the world with their siren song of extraordinary beauty and fascinating history. Of the 1,400 islands located in the Greek Aegean and Ionians Seas, 169 are inhabited, the most famous of which are Mykonos, Santorini Island and Naxos. Beyond the beaches of red, … Read more

Operation Smile — Volunteer Doctors Changing Lives

Circa 2004 In 1982, plastic surgeon Bill Magee and his wife Kathy, a nurse and clinical social worker, joined a group of U.S. doctors going to the Philippines to operate on children born with cleft lips and cleft palates. They were not prepared for what they encountered. Kathy recalls, “People pushed their babies at us, … Read more

Roma Downey — Touching Interview With An Angel

Circa 2004 For almost a decade, families across America gathered to watch angels Tess, Monica and Andrew help their human assignments face crossroads in their lives on PAX TV’s Touched By An Angel. Although the cameras have stopped rolling and the crew has long since moved on, one of the actors refused to hang up … Read more

Comedy Night — Stand-Up Comedy Scholarship

Circa 2004 Back in February I received an email from my friend Ed Heaton announcing the 5th Annual Norman G. Brooks Stand-Up Comedy Scholarship Competition, which is run by the California Governor’s Committee and the Media Access Office. I have been performing stand-up for 11 years and do not, as a rule, like competitions. Early … Read more

ADA — Reflections on the Americans with Disabilities Act

Circa 2004 July 26 marked the 14th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the landmark civil rights law designed to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability by employers, businesses, and governments across the country. Advocates for the disability community report that the ADA’s results have been mixed. Life Satisfaction Lower for People … Read more

Paralympic Progression — Athens 2004

Circa 2004 When the torch is lit for the 12th Paralympic Games, athletes representing countries from across the globe will join visions in Athens. It’s not a search for gold, silver or bronze. It’s not about winning versus losing. It’s unity, bringing individuals together as one to celebrate competition and heritage. It’s an opportunity to … Read more

Travis Mohr — Profile Of A Paralympic Athlete

Circa 2004 I’m a big goal-setter,” said Travis Mohr just after he walked off a jet that carried him from Hollywood, California, to Denver. He sat in Denver International Airport, cell phone next to his face, and listened patiently for the words, “Now boarding Denver to Colorado Springs.” The landing in Colorado Springs, Colorado, took … Read more

Acquainted With The Night — Book Excerpt

Circa 2004 It is an unusually chilly night in April. I am driving fast on a dark, nearly deserted highway, in an unfamiliar place, struggling to keep up with an ambulance in the headlights in front of me. My hands are steady enough if I grip the wheel hard. The ambulance is headed toward a … Read more

Views From The Hill — Interviews W/ Harkin & Langevin

Circa 2004 Senator Tom Harkin Senator Tom Harkin is no stranger to Capitol Hill. First elected to Congress in 1974, he served 10 years before his election to the Senate, where he is now serving his third term. An author of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Harkin has a long-standing history of commitment … Read more

ADA, Carter Center, UCP & Senator Dole

Circa 2004 ADA ON ALERT TEXAS GOP ATTACKS ADA As most of the country was celebrating the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Texas State Republican Party was finalizing a proposal to dismantle significant portions of it. In an unforeseen and surprising turn, an outrageous assault on the civil rights of people … Read more

Mental Health Parity — Where The Legislation Stands

Circa 2004 Current estimates are that 44 million Americans—15 to 18 percent of the population, including nearly 10 million children—experience significant symptoms from a diagnosable mental illness. In addition, mental health interplays with many physical ailments. It is estimated that 50 to 70 percent of visits to primary care physicians are for medical complaints stemming … Read more

Humor Therapy — Karaoke

Circa 2004 It seemed like a good restaurant. I was as hungry as a low-carb dieter. There’s nothing like filling your belly over a nice, quiet meal. However, my pipe dream soon became a nightmare. Suddenly, the lights dimmed. Maybe the local power plant was overloaded; after all, this is California. No such luck. Before … Read more