The Office of Federal Contracts Compliance Program (OFCCP) recently released its final rules for changes in the regulations pertaining to Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA). For the estimated 200,000 or more federal contractors in theUS, these rule changes mean increased affirmative action requirements relating ... Read more
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Andrea Bocelli Issue
Articles in the Andrea Bocelli Issue; Implementing the Final Rule; Ashley Fiolek — Worth the Flight Delay; Humor — Park at Your Own Risk; Geri Jewell — Breath Addiction; Long Haul Paul — Keeping Cool; Shereen Alnowais — Corporate Social Responsibility; ComEd — Providing Energy; OrCam — Point the Way!; John Williams — What Else You Got?; Ballet — The Art of Sassoon; China’s Mao Di — Clap Happy; Andrea Bocelli — Singing to the Top; John A. Gardner PhD — His ViewPlus More; ask EARN — Regulations; ABILITY’s Crossword Puzzle; Events and Conferences.
OrCam — Point the Way!
Imagine a person with low vision walk into a coffee shop, order from a wall menu and then sit down to read a newspaper. Or that same individual producing the right fare amount for a taxi to the airport, and then reading the flight-board to find their gate for departure. While these examples might ... Read more
ComEd — Providing Energy
ComEd is a division of the Exelon Corporation, an energy provider to 70 percent of the state of Illinois, where it recently launched the first energy efficiency program of its kind geared toward people with disabilities. Across the “Prairie State,” tens of thousands of individuals with developmental disabilities are responsible for their energy usage, ... Read more
Keeping Cool
Heat is a four-letter word for those of us who have multiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, a common way to test for MS years ago was to toss the patient into a hot tub and see what stewed. Known as the “Hot Bath Method,” a person with MS symptoms was observed while in a ... Read more
Breath Addiction
Face it: humans have addictive personalities. Our very first addiction is to breathing. I can just see myself at a 12-step meeting confessing: “My name is Geri, and I am a breath addict. I took my first breath at 8:34 a.m. on September 13, 1956, and I’ve been taking breaths ever since. I even ... Read more
Park at Your Own Risk
I feel I must revisit an age-old topic: abuse of the handicap parking space. Lately, I’m finding these things are like a girlfriend. Every time I need one, they’re all taken. Is it me, or does everyone now possess one of those blue and white placards hanging from their rearview mirror? It’s getting to ... Read more
Worth the Flight Delay
My dad and I were approached by Red Bull and other companies to take part in a remake of the famous motorcycle film, On Any Sunday. We were excited. The movie was supposed to show my dad and I riding together and having a good time, which is how I first got started in ... Read more
Implementing the Final Rule
Dear ABILITY readers, In the 23 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, we have seen significant progress in increasing the accessibility of the built environment in the United States, as well as in improving access in our telecommunications, technology and transportation infrastructures. More importantly, the ADA has given ... Read more
Ballet — The Art of Sassoon
On a misty Sunday afternoon in San Francisco, ABILITY’s David Zimmerman transcended a flight of steps to the second floor of an elegant duplex. He was invited for tea, but also about to take a journey into the life of former prima ballerina Janet Sassoon. She’s performed around the world, and is a former ... Read more
Shereen Alnowais — Corporate Social Responsibility
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the most significant oil producers in the world. Since declaring independence from the United Kingdom in 1971, the UAE has relied on its hydrocarbons to support its economy. Today its oil and natural gas makes the UAE one of the world’s wealthiest nations, ranking it eighth ... Read more
John A. Gardner PhD — His ViewPlus More
When John A. Gardner, PhD went blind at 48 owing to complications from eye surgery, he had to figure out how to do his job as a professor and physicist at Oregon State University. But it was rude awakening, trying to do his research without the aid of assistive technology. So out of frustration, ... Read more
China’s Mao Di — Clap Happy
Music lovers close their eyes to savor a performance, which seems to make the melody and charm linger. But if all the actors on stage had their eyes closed during a performance how would that affect the audience? In fact, there is a troupe in Tianjin, China, where most of the actors perform with ... Read more
John Williams — What Else You Got?
Dealing daily with stuttering is a tough struggle. In addition, coping daily with Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, severe back pain, mobility loss and fatigue increase are overwhelming. So overwhelming that I ponder these questions daily: Is this life worth living? My answer thus far is yes with reservations. My reservations are: How much ... Read more
Andrea Bocelli — Singing to the Top
Do you remember the moments in your life that shaped the person you are today? Where is your drive derived from? Andrea Bocelli has felt a connection to music for as long as he can remember. Singing lessons weren’t handed to Bocelli, he paid for them by making money playing the piano at local ... Read more
