Community Heroes
Community Heroes:
They Inspire Us to Aspire
The community of people with disabilities is not short on heroes. There are people who, by letting nothing stand the way of achieving their goals, inspire others to meet their own obstacles head on. There are people who take action on behalf of others in need, or in defense of cause worth fighting. more
Ambassadors Impact Lives on the Show Floor and Beyond
While Ambassador Margarita Elizondo was busy trying to change lives through her work with Abilities Expo, one young woman unexpectedly changed hers.
Improve Self-Health Through Meditation and Mindfulness
Holistic health expert and rolling mama Kristina Rhoades shares thoughts on why self-health so often begins with your perspective.
Ladies Who Roll: Win a Trip to La to Dance with the Rollettes
This Rolling Sisterhood is committed to creating a community through dance, one that redefines what it means to be strong, female and resilient.
Get Fit with Rollettes Star Maria Muscle
It's easy to see how Maria "Muscle" Rabaino got her nickname when you get to know her commitment to fitness, both her own and others with disabilities.
The Gift that Changed My Life
Read a first-hand account of a woman whose sense of independence and adventure has been super-charged by her furry friend.
Reinventing Yourself After a Life-Changing Event with Andrew Angulo
Disabled Life Media's Andrew Angulo discovers his inner creative genius after his injury.
My ER Close Call, and Why it Never Should Have Gotten so Bad
Doctors have go-to tests for patients with disabilities that may not always tell the whole story. Kristen's experience is further proof that you are your own best advocate, and regular checkups can save your life.
Cure Medical Pushes to End Paralysis
Cure Medical's active and ongoing commitment to reversing SCI has led them to back the cutting-edge research of scientists around the world.
NBA Star Develops Device to Help with Chronic Pain
His knees may have truncated Jonathan Bender's NBA career, but they were also the impetus for an invention to help people with chronic joint pain and mobility issues.
Got Lemons? Make LEMONADE
Catch Fusion's new series about people with disabilities who have achieved greatness, obliterating all obstacles in their path.
Becoming Invictus
The life of Steve Simmons went sideways when a degenerative illness resulted in SCI. With the support of family, he is back and fighting for his country again, this time as an athlete.
Hawaii Five-0 Casts Kanya Sesser
Kanya Sesser—actor, model, surfer, skateboarder, sit-skiier—has joined the Hawaii Five-0 cast for tonight’s riveting episode. Watch it on CBS at 9:00 pm!
Dylan Kuehl Dances for the Jacksons
Dylan Kuehl is not just any Michael Jackson fan. In an ultimate wish-come-true, this 33-year-old with Down Syndrome paid tribute to his hero by performing for the Jackson family.
Celebrating Our Unique Abilities
Adam Farris has a fundamental issue with the word "disability." As he looks at his life and accomplishments, he sees only ability and promise. He thinks you should, too.
Cowboy is a Girl’s Best Friend
The accident changed Katie Mathews life forever. Then Cowboy, her assistance dog, changed it again.
My Last Good Day
Though life’s clock winds down for us all, those with progressive illnesses are frequently reminded of its ticking. Author and advocate with SMA, Steve Spohn, encourages new dreams and goals instead of lamenting your last good days.
Eric LeGrand Featured in AT&T Beyond Limits Campaign
Though a tackle gone wrong put an abrupt end to his NFL aspirations, Eric LeBrand has forged a new path to author, motivational speaker and corporate spokesperson.
Podcast Gives Voice to the Small Fish in a Big Pond
From his motorized chair, Small Fish Radio's Michael Herzovi delights podcast audiences with theater performances in the tradition of an old-style radio show.
New Film Highlights Incredible, Hard-Earned Recovery Post SCI
Doctors said he would never feed himself again. Now he's completely independent and walking with a cane. Good thing Aaron Baker didn't listen.
Wheels with Wings: Healing Takes Flight
Natalie’s aspirations to facilitate the specialized medical care of others was crucial to her own post-injury healing.
TV Talent Show Star with Epilepsy Dares To Dream
Connor Doran speaks from experience when he says, "If you can dream it, you can do it." Despite epilepsy and anxiety, he touched millions with his indoor kite flying on America's Got Talent and since.
Post-Amputation Strategy: Be the Inspiration You Seek
Diabetes cost Thomas Morris part of his leg, but not his attitude. Propelled by Mom's no-pity-party advice, he now advocates and inspires others like him.
Trevair Snowden: Once Extreme, Always Extreme
In the years since his accident, Trevor 'Trevair' Snowden has created a new wheelchair, invented a Paralympic-style sport, published a hip-hop album and continues to stay extreme.
Loving the Living Skeleton
Greg Smith, Sr. is a 65-pound force of nature. And while the sound of his voice booms from his slight frame, his message about positive body image truly resonates.
Abilities Expo Ambassador Stars in BuzzFeed Video
Santina Muha—former New York Metro ambassador—was recently featured in a candid, very funny BuzzFeed piece called "Ask a Woman in a Wheelchair." Watch the video and you'll understand why we just love her!
Living a New Dream
Advice can seem trite and cliché, unless it comes from someone who has been there. Meet Chris Malcom, a C-7 quadriplegic who became both husband and father after his injury.
The Inspirational Ainsley Rossiter
Without ever speaking a word, without ever taking a step, 11-year-old Ainsley Rossiter has been an inspiration to the disability community and beyond.
Making a Difference: Bobbi Jean Tanberg of KnowBarriers
Remaking a life following a life-altering injury or diagnosis is a daunting one. Bobbi Jean Tanberg of KnowBarriers has made it her life's mission to help others adjust and, ultimately, thrive in their new normal.
Newly Injured Overcomes and Reconnects in College
College student Ather Sharif had a choice: Live as a victim of his life-altering injury or adjust to life on wheels and thrive in the process. Read his sage advice for others who want to join him in picking what's behind door #2.
The 'Backbones' to Living Fully with SCI
After Reveca Torres found healing through connection, she went on to found a community where people with spinal cord injuries can interact with kindred spirits—others uniquely familiar with their life experiences.
We find inspiration and heroism in the actions of people of all abilities—Paralympians, teachers, caregivers, scientists, performers, activists, innovators, families, artists, medical professionals and in regular people making extraordinary gestures.
Mountain climber Mark Wellman was the first paraplegic to scale Half Dome and El Capitan and now brings the adaptive climbing equipment that helped to make the feat possible to Abilities Expo where anyone can use it to scale a rock wall. Filmmaker Narcel Reedus created a poignant documentary to raise awareness that, even today, children with developmental disabilities are institutionalized. Karen Kain of Lorrin’s World, devoted mother to a unique child, now teaches others how to thrive as parents to children with special needs.
At Abilities Expo, one of our favorite inspirational stories is the one of young Alexander, an adorable five-year-old with Cerebral Palsy who visited the Expo with his mother and uncle. As they perused the aisles, the bright green KidWalk from Prime Engineering caught their eyes. This pediatric walker is designed to support much of the body weight, allowing a child to walk hands-free.
Alexander had to try it and, once he was strapped in, there was no stopping him. His mother was in tears as she watched her son walk hands-free for the first time. Everyone lucky enough to witness was moved by sight, including the guys from Sleepsafe Beds in a nearby booth who went ahead and bought the walker for little Zander.
Who are the heroes? The gentlemen from Sleepsafe who recognized the opportunity to make a profound difference in child’s life and acted without hesitation? The unstoppable Zander who, undaunted by his physical limitations, couldn’t wait to try something that would open up this world? Or Zander’s family whose love and support created new possibilities for their little guy.
We say all of them are heroes. It’s why we like the story so much.