Two years ago, Erin Spineto sailed into the Florida Keys, tied her boat to the dock and headed into the Fiesta Key RV Resort restaurant. She wanted a burger and a Coke to regain the energy depleted during her 100-mile journey from Key Largo to Key West as captain of her own ship. “Did ... Read more
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Special Olympics Shriver Issue
Maria Shriver, Special Olympics athletes, Nelson Mandela, Eunice Shriver, guest and Timothy Shriver
China — Hearing Beauty
“What you can and can’t see is up to fate. I love my fate. She is closest to me; she is designed for me. She is the only door designed to close for me.” Zhou Yunpeng is a poet and folk singer. He was born in 1970 in the city of Shenyang, in China’s ... Read more
Music — America’s Got Landau!
America’s Got Talent sixth-season winner, Landau E. Murphy Jr., is the spokesperson for Everyone with Diabetes Counts (EDC) and appears in TV, radio and outdoor ads to promote diabetes awareness and prevention. Down and out one minute and within a series of unforgetable moments, feeling on top of the world. Since his win Landau ... Read more
Dr. Svendsen — Brilliant Neurology
From Parkinson’s to Lou Gehrig’s disease, Clive Svendsen, PhD, is finding ways to make neural stem cell biology more effective. Recently Svendsen, who is the director of the newly opened, state-of-the-art facility, Regenerative Medicine Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, spoke with ABILITY’s Chet Cooper and Lia Martirosyan in his new lab, ... Read more
Timothy Shriver — Special Olympics
Timothy Shriver is the chairman of Special Olympics, which provides year-round training and competition in 180 countries for millions of athletes with intellectual disabilities. His late mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founded the organization, and his father, Sargent Shriver, was a former US Ambassador to France. (President Kennedy was his uncle, and journalist Maria Shriver ... Read more
Work — EARN Inclusion
March 24, 2014, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) will implement new 503 regulations for federal contractors. Contractors with more than 100 employees will be required to set an aspirational goal to achieve a workforce inclusive of 7 percent of individuals with disabilities in each job category while businesses with fewer than ... Read more
Vet Owned — Mark Ellson
Mark Ellson’s tagline for his business is “creating a future for disabled veterans.” The president of the value-added reseller, JEMNI Inc. helps service disabled veteran-owned business (SDVOB), meet customers’ needs throughout the US. “I have a passion for helping veterans,” says Ellson, “and I’m committed to developing and launching a website that allows my ... Read more
An Excerpt From Islands and Insulin
The sound of the wind wakes me at 05:30 giving me enough time to get dressed, grab some food, and walk across the hundred meters of land to the Atlantic side of the island in time to catch the sunrise. It is just as beautiful as I had imagined. I zip my windbreaker up ... Read more
Mount Le Conte — To the Top!
It was that post-Christmas dinner hangover, when you’re so full it hurts to move. That evening Terry Tinnell’s family sat around having one of those pie-in-the-sky conversations, batting around the question: What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever visited? All eyes turned to Tinnell’s brother-in-law, Jim Myers, an avid outdoorsman who lives in Knoxville, ... Read more
Sheikha Fatima — Hebron Rehab
Journalism assignments come in various shapes and sizes. Sometimes we get asked to go to the trenches of the red carpet; endure the harsh environments of a phone interview; and at times, squint at the mysterious silhouette of a man during a Skype meeting. On occasion, we get an invite to cover a story ... Read more
DR. Tomaino — Music & Movies
I was honored to have my work highlighted in two feature films: Actress Julia Ormond portrayed a character based on my career as a music therapist in the 2011 movie, The Music Never Stopped, and my insights into music’s healing power inform the 1990 film Awakenings with Robert De Niro and Robin Williams. Both ... Read more
Nuthin’ to See Here
In the time it took to suck in half a breath, dozens of anti-lock braking systems-including the one on my motorcycle-activated, chirped and squealed. It was music to my ears, spoiled only by the smell of burning rubber and overheated brake pads. You might call this instrumental piece, “Brake Dancing in the New Millennium.” ... Read more
Cookie Monster!
This past holiday season I was knocked down by the flu TWICE…and I had a flu shot! So, how do I feel now? I feel like the flu shot was a useless pain in the arm! I also feel that getting the flu at the end of the year was a good omen I ... Read more
Slam into the Cockpit
After a lovely holiday with the folks in Florida, it was time to get back to reality. I had two kitties back home wondering where the hell Daddy went, and why he hadn’t at least called to check in. I also knew that Los Angeles shuts down when I leave town. (I wish, for ... Read more
Lights, Camera, Actress
When I worked on the SuperDeafy movie I met a lot of great people. One of them was the director and she was very nice! She said I had a natural talent for acting. She asked if I ever wanted to work with her again if something came up. Of course I said, “Yes.” ... Read more
Make a Commitment
Dear ABILITY readers, At the beginning of every new year, millions of Americans make resolutions to live better. They plan to eat healthier, lose weight, quit smoking and/or step up their volunteer work. As we begin 2014, I propose that we make an additional, collective resolution: to renew our commitment to creating employment opportunities ... Read more
