Scott Caan Issue

ABILITY Magazine Cover Scott Caan issue

Articles in the Scott Caan issue; Humor — I Do?; Ashley’s Column — Breaking News; ABILITY House — Laura’s Story; Sen. Tom Harkin — SSA Backlog; Bonner Paddock — King of the Mountain; Adam Lee — Inspiration Through Inflation; Conan’s Concussion Junction — Head Injury for Dummies; Bad Boys — EEOC Tackles Job Discrimination; Straight From the Heart — Vascular Disease and You; Pluck O’ The Irish — Exploring the Emerald Isle; Taking the Sky — Paraplegic Adventurer Flies Again; USBLN — Business Leadership Celebrates Disability; Scott Caan — Entertainer Makes Waves for Autism; Blue Cross — Insurance Expert on Health Care; The Skinny On Obesity— Breaking Down the BMI; Tap Into Your Potential — An Excerpt from Wise Mind; ABILITY’s Crossword Puzzle; Events and Conferences

Scott Caan — Entertainer Makes Waves for Autism

Circa 2009 Though he shares the rugged good looks of his father James, actor Scott Caan has steadily made his own way in Hollywood, with roles in films like Ocean’s Eleven, Gone in Sixty Seconds, and in HBO’s hit series Entourage. He’s also proven himself as a writer-director, with credits including “Dallas 362”, “The ... Read more

Bonner Paddock — King of the Mountain

Circa 2009 Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is a tremendous achievement for anyone. With challenges ranging from severe altitude sickness to sub-zero temperatures, it’s a mammoth (19,340 ft.) undertaking that had never before been conquered by anyone with cerebral palsy (CP). Then came Bonner Paddock. With corporate sponsorship, a small film crew, and a remarkable amount ... Read more

The Skinny On Obesity— Breaking Down the BMI

Circa 2009 About 66% of adults and 31% of children in the United States are either overweight or obese. This has led to a rise in obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes among adults and, increasingly, among obese children. While being obese can change how we look and how we fit (or don’t ... Read more

Concussion Junction — Head Injury for Dummies

Circa 2009 What year is it? What’ya’ mean “what year is it?” If you happen to strike your head so hard that you feel you need medical attention, as Conan O’Brien did recently, the doctor will ask you a series of seemingly silly questions—that is, if you’re cognizant enough for them to seem silly. ... Read more

Adam Lee — Inspiration Through Inflation

Circa 2009 Adam Lee has an uncommon hobby. Describing himself as a “balloon twister,” the 22-year-old from Olympia, WA, has successfully parlayed the skill of making balloon characters into something of a one-man franchise. Where others might struggle to fashion a dog or a giraffe out of a balloon, Lee tackles more complex subjects, ... Read more

Ashley’s Column — Breaking News

Circa 2009 Well, my motocross season has come to an end and now I am on a long break. The women’s race series consisted of eight races and we just wrapped up the final round at a track in Pennsylvania called Steel City. My last round of racing didn’t end quietly—it went out with ... Read more

Humor — I Do?

Circa 2009 With the divorce rate over fifty percent, should people get married? I say, why not? What the hell else is there to do? Really…What else is there to do? You can’t play football your whole life (I don’t care how big a girl you are). You can’t hit the bars every night. ... Read more

Sen. Tom Harkin — SSA Backlog

Circa 2009 SSA: PROGRESS IN THE BACKLOG Dear ABILITY readers, The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently announced that it had reduced the backlog in disability claims for the first time since 1999 and will end the year with fewer disability hearings pending than in the previous year. For those living with disabilities, waiting for ... Read more

Bad Boys — EEOC Tackles Job Discrimination

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. The following are recent cases brought about from the EEOC. 99 RESTAURANT AND PUB FRANCHISE SUED FOR DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION AND RETALIATION Restaurant Fired Server Who Complained About Harassment, Federal Agency Charges. A Trevose, PA restaurant franchise violated the Americans with Disabilities ... Read more

Straight From The Heart — Vascular Disease and You

Circa 2009 Peripheral Vascular Disease, also known as PVD, is a common condition affecting the arteries. Development of PVD can double the risks of heart and brain disease, heart attack and stroke. Treatment of the disease is a frequent undertaking of vascular surgeons across the globe. To become a vascular surgeon, one typically must ... Read more

Pluck O’ The Irish — Exploring the Emerald Isle

Circa 2009 Thanks to an invitation from the Tourist Board of Ireland, ABILITY Magazine recently explored the warm hospitality, lush landscape (and flavorful beverages) of the emerald isle, all on the eve of Lance Armstrong’s cancer summit in Dublin. What the Tourist Board didn’t know, however, is that one of our new contributing writers, ... Read more

Taking The Sky — Paraplegic Adventurer Flies Again

Circa 2009 After a paragliding accident over the mountains of Brazil left him with T-11 and T-12 vertebrae fractures, Lois Neubauer found himself confronted with the sobering thought he may not be able to walk again. But for Neubauer, it was even more important that he regain a way to fly. “I know that ... Read more

Blue Cross — Insurance Expert Dishes on Health Care

Circa 2009 Health care coverage in America is dominating conversation nationwide, becoming a defining focus of the Obama administration, and registering as an issue of contention across political parties. With the country largely divided about the proper role of government in health care coverage, ABILITY Magazine’s Chet Cooper sat down for a talk with ... Read more

Tap Into Your Potential — An Excerpt from Wise Mind

Circe 2009 “..if you believe in turning to God for guidance, you can use mindfulness meditation to set aside distractions and listen to the divine wisdom…” Creativity, Mindfulness, and Change (Introduction) As a young man growing up in Boston in the late 1960s, I spent much of my time in Cambridge’s Harvard Square, where ... Read more

ABILITY House — Laura’s Story

Circa 2009 It’s a hot, humid summer day in Ocala, Florida, and Durren Omans is helping build a house for a woman he just met. Darting from one window to the next of what is at this point only a wooden skeleton of a home, Omans nails supports to each window, stopping only to ... Read more