Apr/May 2014 Gary Busey has circled the rodeo many times, and always seems to climb back up on the bucking bronco whenever life throws him for a loop. He started out as an athlete and drummer, but then made his mark in Hollywood appearing on such shows as Gunsmoke and Law & Order, as ... Read more
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Gary Busey Issue
Articles in the Gary Busey Issue; Senator Harkin—The Reality of Restraints; Ashley Fiolek — Surprise!; Humor — Better Things to Do; Geri Jewell — Red Carpet; China — Limitless Art; Long Haul Paul — Two Week’s Notice; CSUN — Wonders of Technology; Special Olympics — Spread the Word; Doug Henry— A Day in the Dirt; Nao — Robot for Education; Music — Focal Dystonia; Gary Busey — Life’s Apprentice; Rings — Born to Act; EARN — Internships & Mentoring; ABILITY’s Crossword Puzzle; Events and Conferences.
The State of Dystonia
“You can’t buy a ticket to dystonia,” Billy McLaughlin jokingly tells audiences, but he certainly knows what it’s like to live there. The movement disorder that sounds like a tiny country in Eastern Europe is in fact a dreaded diagnosis for musicians. Approximately one in 200 of them are afflicted with focal dystonia ... Read more
Doug Henry — A Day in the Dirt
A bike with a roll cage roars into view. Only three lengths behind is the next racer, gaining on him. The caged bike whips into the turn, its back wheel sliding out and causing a muddy roost at “A Day in the Dirt” Motocross Grand Prix in San Bernardino, CA. Then, the rider hunches ... Read more
Special Olympics — Spread the Word
As the Special Olympics looks to the 2015 International Games in Los Angeles, the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, continues to shine the spotlight on the need to change attitudes and perceptions around a single, stigmatizing word. In this pair of essays, the Special Olympics’ expresses the need ... Read more
CSUN — Wonders of Technology
This year’s California State University Northridge’s Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, aka CSUN 2014, was full of wonder and awesomeness. Wonder was the legendary Stevie Wonder who stopped by to check out the new intelligent technology for his own use, like the SARA CE scanning and reading appliance from Freedom Scientific. ... Read more
Two Week’s Notice
When riding a motorcycle, we learn to look where we want to go. Look as far down the road as we can and look around or beyond hazards in the road to avoid hitting them. Look directly at something in the road and the bike will veer right towards it, and hit it. In ... Read more
Red Carpet
There was no shortage of glitzy awards shows packed into the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014. They all included red carpet moments where the celebrities had to walk, be vulnerable to criticism, and judged in the court of public opinion. Whether we have to walk a red carpet like the celebs ... Read more
Better Things to Do
Like cell phones, super bowls and Starbucks’ lattes, Facebook has become an indelible part of our lives. For some reason, it’s now imperative that the world be updated on every thing we do. Not only are we informed of one another’s daily activities, but also there are pictures to back it up. We now ... Read more
Surprise!
This winter has been a challenge for everyone to keep warm and dry. It’s been such crazy weather lately for everyone in the US, and me and my good friend, Brittany, decided to break away from the cold and rain—yep even in Cali it has not lived up to its normal warm standards. I ... Read more
The Reality of Restraints
Dear ABILITY readers, At a recent event in Washington, Robert Ernst described how as a first grader, he was dragged down the hallway of his school by his wrists and thrown into isolation by school officials. He remained unattended in a dark, small room for up to 30 minutes at a time because he ... Read more
Rings — Born to Act
Award-winning actress Mary Rings founded Born to Act Players (BTAP) nearly two decades ago in a small studio space in North Hollywood, California, where a handful of young people with Down syndrome met to memorize lines and play theater games. The impetus was the friendship between Rings son, Casey Powell, and talent representative Gail ... Read more
EARN — Internships & Mentoring
For years, studies have shown that people who participate in college internships-where they have opportunities to be exposed to the professional workplace, enhance their networking skills, and build their résumés-become more viable candidates, increasing the likelihood they’ll get and keep a job. Surveys conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) have ... Read more
Billy McLaughlin Music — Focal Dystonia
For more than three decades, world-renowned acoustic guitarist and composer Billy McLaughlin has dazzled audiences with his virtuosity and unique style, releasing 17 albums, winning five Minnesota music awards and recently earning an Emmy. But in 1998, a bizarre accident left him with an injury that began to affect his performances and ultimately threw ... Read more
China — Art Project
Every person living with a disability may have a trace of longing. People with physical challenges may find travel difficult, the deaf cannot hear the voice of a loved one, and the blind cannot see the rainbow. For the latter, however, a recent program helped them step into a world of enhanced senses, broadening ... Read more
Nao — Robot for Education
Meet Nao, the interactive, 23-inch-tall humanoid robot that offers new, exciting possibilities for children with autism. Recently Olivier Joubert, the special education project manager for Nao’s manufacturer, Aldebaran Robotics, spoke with ABILITY’s editor-in-chief, Chet Cooper, and its medical editor, Thomas Chappell, MD, about this small, but mighty educational tool. Chet Cooper: Tell us a ... Read more
