Circa 2010 Writer and actor Jim Troesh will be the first to tell you he’s the best-connected quadriplegic working in Hollywood today. Then he’ll remind you he might just be the only one. But thanks to industry events like the NBC Diversity Showcase, an increase in representation and opportunity seems a slightly more attainable ... Read more
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Regina Hall Issue
Andrea Friedman — Sarah Palin and the Family Guy Feud
Circa 2010 When her guest role on Fox’s Family Guy drew criticism from former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, actress and activist Andrea Friedman found herself the focus of some unexpected publicity. But Friedman’s not about to let one negative review get her down. At her Santa Monica office, Friedman, along with her father Hal, ... Read more
Ashley’s Column — From Italy, With Love
Circa 2010 Since there are no races going on in the United States right now, some of my sponsors have had me out doing other fun things in while I wait for my training period to end and for my season to start. Last weekend my mom and I went to a NASCAR race ... Read more
EEOC Bad Boys — Schooling the Employers
Circa 2010 The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. The following are recent cases brought about from the EEOC. OLSTEN STAFFING SERVICES TO PAY $75,000 TO SETTLE EEOC DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION SUIT Nationwide Temp Agency Refused to Refer Deaf Worker in Wisconsin For Food Production Job Because of His ... Read more
ABILITY Awards — We Like You, We Really Like You
Circa 2010 For nearly twenty years, this publication has championed the emphasis of ability both inside and outside of the workplace. Now, with the ABILITY Magazine Best Practices Award, we are pleased to shed light on corporations who share in our core philosophy. This award is designed to single out and celebrate those business ... Read more
Winter Paralympics — A Snowy Sports Report
Circa 2010 The Paralympic Flame burned on an obelisk high over Whistler Village, honoring 600 elite athletes from 44 countries and celebrating the Vancouver, Canada, 2010 Winter Games. Between March 13 and March 23, athletes with disabilities competed in five sports: sledge hockey, wheelchair curling, alpine skiing, cross country skiing and biathlon. More than ... Read more
Children’s Mental Health — The Doctors are In
Circa 2010 When your child or teenager demonstrates emotional or behavioral challenges, the task of finding the appropriate mental health professional can be daunting. When your teenage daughter has just confessed that she has been taking diet pills and laxatives to lose weight, you might feel a little like Dorothy, unexpectedly thrown by a ... Read more
Beyond The Chair — Hangin’ with Drew’s Crew
Circa 2010 By age 29, Andrew Shelley had secured himself a solid education and a plum job as a systems engineer for an advanced technology corporation. But he still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing in his life: adventure. Defying his degenerative muscular disease, his 90-pound body and the skepticism of his ... Read more
Sarah Reinertsen —Excerpt from In a Single Bound
Circa 2010 Sarah Reinertsen is a motivational speaker who addresses corporate audiences across the country. As a world-class athlete, she competes in dozens of races every year. Sarah also leads a series of sports clinics and mentors other athletes with and without disabilities. She lives and trains in Orange County, California. This is an ... Read more
Chris Waddell — Pretty Tough Guy
Circa 2010 WADDELL ADDS “HALL OF FAME” TO RESUME OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS In conversation with Paralympic athlete Chris Waddell, you rarely get a true sense of his clout and achievements. He’s humble. He’s methodical with his words. He speaks of the things he’s still trying to do—like change attitudes about disability—more than he speaks of ... Read more
Amy Roloff — Cruising for a Cause
Circa 2010 As the big-hearted matriarch on The Learning Channel’s Little People, Big World, Amy Roloff navigates all of the responsibilities and challenges of raising a family while continuing to earn a slew of fans in the process. In addition to being a reality television star, Roloff is a soccer coach, a pre-school teacher ... Read more
ABILITY House — New Place Like Home
Circa 2010 “BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE!” You’ve probably heard this common phrase thousands of times. But add the word “disabilities” to the phrase (as in, “By people with disabilities, for people with disabilities”) and the phrase suddenly becomes much less common. However, if ABILITY Awareness has its way, that uncommon declaration will ... Read more
Regina Hall Interview with Chet Cooper
April/May 2010 Issue Though best known for her roles in the hit Scary Movie series and on television’s Ally McBeal, some of Regina Hall’s proudest work takes place well away from the glare of Hollywood. An avid volunteer for the care of senior citizens and an advocate for more public awareness of scleroderma, Hall, ... Read more
Harkin — The Benefits of Health Care
THE HEALTH REFORM LAW: MAJOR PROGRESS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES Dear ABILITY Readers, The new health reform law, signed by President Obama last month, includes provisions that offer important new protections and choices for individuals with disabilities. These provisions—for which I fought very hard— include, for example, prohibitions on denying insurance coverage based on ... Read more
Humor — Time’s A-Wastin’
Circa 2010 There’s some talk around town. Some very scary chatter. People say it is coming and will be here before we know it. I don’t want to alarm you but…the end of the world is just around the corner. I know. Isn’t it exciting? The good thing is, we have an exact date: ... Read more
