Community Heroes

Oregonian Paul Smith was an artist. His medium: typewriter ink. While severe cerebral palsy may have put the traditional tools of an artist’s trade out of Paul’s grasp, his creativity and artistic prowess were unleashed in a surprising fashion—through the strategic placement of the ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) symbol…

By Sarah Best, Abilities Expo New York Metro Ambassador Have you ever received a gift that changed your life? That’s what it felt like for me when I received my service dog, Edison, from the National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS). He has given me the gift of independence! Having him by my side is…

By Greg Smith, Sr., The Strength Coach I’ve reached a milestone. I have achieved a victory over an enemy that has dominated me and limited me for as long as I can remember. And as I stand over this monster with my foot on its neck, it feels so good! I Can’t Believe I Am…

By Lisa Wells, Wheel-Life.org In 2004, at the age of 24, Natalie Marie Barnhard was working as a physical therapist assistant and licensed massage therapist—a great job in a field about which she was extremely passionate. Then a catastrophic accident changed her life when a 600-pound exercise weight machine fell over and landed on top of…

By Mike Ervin, Abilities Expo Ambassador For Reveca Torres, the key to recovery from her spinal cord injury was connection. Finding the disability community meant finding the technology, tips, resources and moral support that helped her realize disability wouldn’t destroy her dreams. That’s why she founded Backbones in 2008. Her mission, she says, is to “connect people…

In recent years, we have had the honor and pleasure of welcoming a very special little lady into our Abilities family. Ainsley Rossiter and her family have been a welcome addition to our team of ambassadors. Though she is only 11-years-old and has never uttered a word, she is the inspiration for Ainsley’s Angels and has played…

By Steve Simmons, USA Invictus Team Member What do you do when you face a life-changing illness, injury or wounds? What thoughts go through your mind when you hear doctors tell you they have no idea why this happened to you? For me, though the road back was a demanding and challenging one, it has…

After only 7 years in the NBA, Jonathan Bender’s promising basketball career was sidelined by excruciating knee pain. Once the youngest player in the league, sports aficionados everywhere expected great things from the young man that broke Michael Jordan’s scoring record in the McDonalds All American game. And, as it turned out, they were right.…

The outcry from the disability community about under-representation in Hollywood is as righteous as it is resounding. To add insult to injury, too many roles tailor-made for persons with disabilities are played by able-bodied actors. But not this time. Hawaii Five-0 creator, writer and executive producer Peter Lenkov set out to tell a remarkable story honestly, with…

By Janis Gioia Steven Spielberg take note: the story of Katie Mathews and her service dog, Cowboy, has blockbuster film written all over it! Katie, an intelligent, kind and beautiful young woman, who by God’s grace, the love of family, friends, and an extraordinarily cute, brainy and compassionate service dog, Cowboy, overcomes life-changing challenges that…

By Chris Rohan, Former Publisher of Disabled Dealer Magazine Ifirst met Bobbi Tanberg at a luncheon in January 2007 where she was honored by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors with the 2006 Access Award for public service and making a difference in the disability community. If you ask Bobbi Jean, she would tell…

By Steve Spohn, AbleGamers Charity Thirty-four days ago, I lost the ability to drive my wheelchair and with it…my independence. You see, my disease, SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy), is deteriorating my muscles at a very slow pace. Over time, my abilities are being torn away due to the atrophy that sets in from not using groups…