As most of you know by now, I’m female, a fan of David Cassidy, and a person with cerebral palsy (CP). What you may not be aware of is that I’ve had significant hearing loss. In some ways, being hearing impaired has caused me more problems than CP. At least with the latter, it’s ... Read more
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Cedric Yarbrough / Micah Fowler Issue
Cpeechless–Micah Fowler
Micah D. Fowler represents the cusp of a new trend in Hollywood: casting actors with disabilities in lead roles. He plays JJ, a teenager with cerebral palsy (CP) on the popular TV series Speechless. A native of New Jersey, the affable 19-year-old is no stranger to show biz. He’s had parts on Blue’s Clues, ... Read more
My Tiny Home!
I hope everyone is having a good new year so far. As 2016 came to a close, I flew out to California for a Husqvarna event. They had a women’s ride day for the company, and asked me to come give tips and then ride with everyone. We took off through some trails and ... Read more
Speaking About Speechless–Cedric Yarbrough
Actor Cedric Yarbrough has a cool, calm, collected vibe about him. He seems genuinely grateful for being able to do what he expresses so much passion for. When talking about his family and especially his mama, their warm pride of his endeavors is felt through his words. It’s refreshing to see that he goes ... Read more
John Williams — The Past, My Teacher
I have had many injuries throughout my 71 years. These mishaps have challenged me physically and mentally. They include being hit by a car three times, breaking my right leg three times in five months, breaking my left wrist and elbow, falling, being kicked in the eye, pulling leg muscles, wrenching my back, having ... Read more
Simple Seat-Better Lives–If You Build it, They Will Poop!
One of the challenges of living in a country littered with the remnants of war is that you can inadvertently set off a landmine, lose a limb and possibly even your life. When students at the University of San Diego heard about the experience of one landmine survivor visiting from Uganda, they became determined ... Read more
Mental Illness & Criminal Cases
Born in 1934, Xiewei Liu is a psychiatrist and the former director of Psychiatry at the Jiangsu Province Mental Health Center in Wuxi City. For decades, he has been committed to spreading awareness of the rights of criminals with mental illness. Having handled more than 30 cases, he was the first to put forward ... Read more
Andrea Tyrimos — Bipolar Picasso
Prominent London artist Andrea Tyrimos highlights the intersection of art, multimedia and mental illness. When ABILITY’s Chet Cooper and Lia Martirosyan traveled to Tyrimos’ neck of the woods, they nipped into her vibrant studio to explore her portraiture and interview her about her vision for healing the world through truth-telling art. Tyrimos welcomed ... Read more
Adventure Capitalist
Adventure junkies are always seeking bigger and riskier adventures. Adventure for most of us comes with reading, planning or visiting a new place or trying new things. I write a lot about adventure, and I do seem to have my share of them as I crisscross the country chasing the cure for multiple sclerosis ... Read more
A Fish Story
I had decided to go fishing that day. It seemed like a good thing to do; to get away and clear my head. I wanted to spend a little quiet time with myself. Besides, I wanted to prove something, that I could catch a fish. Not just for me, but for my mother. I ... Read more
John Callahan — The Cartoonist
circa 2001 The immediate thing most first-time viewers probably notice about “Pelswick,” the bright, 13-year-old protagonist of the Nickelodeon cartoon series that premiered last fall, is that he uses a wheelchair. It doesn’t take long, however, to discover that what really stands out in the plucky character are his fearlessness, wry sense of humor and talent ... Read more
