Lifestyle and Outdoors

By Cindy Berkman, Harris County-Houston Sports Authority Do you have what it takes to be a future U.S. Paralympic medalist? Here’s your chance to find out. Athletes with physical and visual disabilities can test their skills in two sporting events tailored to introduce participants to adaptive sports and to identify the next generation of U.S. Paralympic…

Because disability spans all races, creeds, genders and orientations, Abilities Expo is very much a “slice of life.” While all attendees are members of a very large, but uniquely connected community, their individual diversity is especially apparent in the ways they choose to express themselves. Take the following group of Expo-goers, proudly distinguishing themselves through…

By Barbara & Jim Twardowski When our son, who lives across the country, agreed to spend part of his vacation time with us, we began looking for wheelchair accessible accommodations at the beach. Finding a hotel room with a roll-in shower and two beds can be difficult. Sharing a cramped hotel room with your adult…

By Regina Rosenthal, PT, MA As a physical therapist, health coach and author I strongly relate to Abilities Expo’s mission, “to connect the disability community to live and online resources that promote greater independence.” Personal and professional experience showed me the importance of self-awareness and education about simple, cost-effective self-care practices for caregivers and individuals…

By Wendy McPherson, Organic Gardener/Horticulturalist Last Sunday morning, I was up with the birds (the early ones) and buzzing around my backyard turning it into a movie set. This is Los Angeles, after all, and I suspect that the rest of the world thinks that’s what we do in L.A. It was the second morning of our “shoot” (that’s movie…

By Greg Smith, Sr., The Strength Coach If you are a baseball fan, surely you have experienced watching the “Fan Cam” during the Major League Baseball television broadcasts. Between innings, the television camera focuses on regular people enjoying their time at the ballpark. It opens showing a young couple on a date, unaware of their five seconds…

By Marty Schultz, Blindfold Games Video games have dominated popular culture with no sign of slowing down. This is true not only for children, but people of all ages and demographics. The vast majority of these games, however, are centered around spectacular visuals and graphics. As gaming continues to gain popularity, Blindfold Games has dedicated itself to bringing…

By Michael Lenox, Illinois Chess Vets My name is Michael Lenox, Chief Petty Officer Submarine/Diver USN (Ret). I am currently the Founder/President of Illinois Chess Vets NFP, a Board member for Illinois Chess Association NFP, and a committee member for the US Chess Federation (USCF) Special Needs and Circumstance Committee. Twelve years ago, I had a major stroke…

By Casey Cashman, U.S. Pain Foundation Chronic pain touches millions of Americans. The mission of the U.S. Pain Foundation is to educate, connect, inform and empower those living with pain while advocating on behalf of the entire pain community. One of our most popular initiatives is our U.S. Pain patient-education days and summits, Take Control of Your…

Elsa’s exquisite, ice blue gown has been the go-to Halloween costume for little girls since Disney’s mega-hit Frozen graced the silver screen. Retailers nationwide watch happily as they fly off the shelves. This year, Target’s choice to feature a little girl with leg braces and forearm crutches as the ice queen in their Halloween-time advertisements has met…

By Paul Lane, Abilities Expo Ambassador, KMET 1490 AM Radio Host, Tech Zone vlogger I have been a gamer all my life. The first gaming console that my family ever had was The Odyssey which dazzled us with such cutting-edge wonders as pong, tennis and soccer. We thought it was so high-tech when my father bought the…

By Andrew Kuebbing, California Cannabis Advocates Trying medical marijuana for your condition can be a daunting prospect—maybe you had a bad experience in the past, or maybe there’s just too many options and you don’t know where to start. Cannabis medicine doesn’t have to be confusing, and with a few simple pieces of knowledge you can…