Free Wheelchair Mission Has Given Away Nearly 500,000 Free Wheelchairs to Those in Need

Free Wheelchair Mission was founded in 1999 by Don Schoendorfer, who has a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, after he was inspired by the sight of a physically disabled woman in Morocco crawling across a dirt road. It certainly adds a challenge to life when you have a mobility disability. But setting that aside, the people who are physically challenged living in the more developed countries – like myself – may in some regard consider themselves lucky compared to those living in the poorer countries where access to the most basic wheelchair is practically non-existent. Read more

Miss Wheelchair USA 2010 – A Role Model for Women with Disabilities

Phaedra Marriott-Olsen has been crowned Miss Wheelchair USA 2010. The Miss Wheelchair USA competition is very similar to the traditional Miss USA contest.  “The largest difference is that we did not do a swimsuit competition,” Phaedra said.  The contestants are judged on appearance, their accomplishments and goals. One of the major differentiators is that they are also judged for the work they do as leaders in the field for women with disabilities. The goal of the Miss Wheelchair America pageant is to promote glamour, self-confidence and community service. “Society just doesn’t think women in chairs are beautiful and the reality is we’re pretty amazing,” Phaedra said. Read more

Journey Forward – Changing Lives One at a Time

A few weeks ago we discovered and posted about a nonprofit started with the mission of helping to improve the lives of those with disabilities. Founded by Dan Cummings after he regained the ability to walk again through intense exercise, Journey Forward aims to help those with spinal cord injuries recover function and improve the quality of their lives. After reading about the program on their web site, we wanted to know more and recently had the privilege of interviewing Journey Forward and their founder Dan. Their words were a dose of inspiration, and reinforced our belief in the importance of helping others achieve their goals. Read on to hear about how Journey Forward is making a difference and changing lives one at a time.

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Scouting with a Disability: A Story of Inspiration, Goals and a Very Worn Pair of Shoes

As with any organization, The Boy Scouts of America have rules and guidelines that must be adhered to. When Nathaniel Schrader of Chantilly, Virginia, joined a local Boy Scout troop, the leadership was hesitant. They werenʼt sure how a boy with cerebral palsy would be able to fit in or even progress within the ranks with all his limitations. The leadership offered information on another troop in the area that served mobility impaired scouts but Nathaniel wanted to stay with his Cub Scout friends, all of whom chose this particular troop. Leadership wasnʼt sure how to teach a scout with so many limitations. Read more

No Arms, No Legs, But One of the Happiest People in the World

What do you do when you have no arms and no legs? Your life may seem overwhelming because you may feel like you are missing out on so many things you are unable to do. Nothing is more untrue according to Nick Vujicic, who was born without arms and legs. It is all about attitude! If you concentrate on what you do have instead of what you don’t have, you are setting yourself up to become a happy person. Be thankful for what you have; don’t be bitter for what you don’t have! Read more

Interview with Disabled T-shirt Designer Jared Aronson

We recently had the opportunity to get in touch with an inspiring young man who started his own t-shirt company, Madhouse Tees. Jared Aronson lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy every day, but his humor, his art, and his outlook on life are what define him. And considering what he has to live with every day, that is both amazing and inspiring. Read more

Jared Aronson’s Story – an Amazing Young Man with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

GILFORD – It’s one thing in life to find something that you love to do and it’s quite another to find that something only to have it taken away from you. Even more miraculous is when, what was taken away, is restored.

Jared Aronson is an artist and has been since he was a child. Every since he can remember he has had a love for drawing and he has parlayed that love into a successful T-shirt company called Madhouse Tees (www.madhousetees.com). Jared’s T-shirt designs are both whimsical and irreverent, poking fun at society’s norms, the advertising industry, history and everyday life in general. Read more

Disabled Art – Part 2 of Our Interview with Andrew Reach

This is the second half of an interview we did with an inspiring artist named Andrew Reach. For part 1 of the interview please go here. In this second half, Andrew talks more about the creation of his art, and what inspires him. Read more

Disabled Art – Interview with Digital Artist Andrew Reach

Andrew Reach began his career as an architect, culminating with such notable buildings as the Frost Art Museum and the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. United States Courthouse in Miami, Florida. But he found himself disconnected from his work as an architect when a disease of the spine, known as Scheuermann’s Kyphosis, caused him to need spinal fusion surgery. Following two surgeries to stabilize his spine in 2004, Andrew found himself no longer able to continue to work as he had before. Understandably despairing at the change his life had taken and not sure what to do, Andrew began exploring digital art at the suggestion of his partner, Bruce Baumwoll.

Using a computer and Photoshop, Andrew began to explore the digital medium as a means for expression, and now creates large format archival prints at sizes up to 90 inches long. His artwork has been featured in numerous galleries and museums around the United States, and those who see Andrew’s art often describe it as inspirational and uplifting. Andrew is a pioneer in the digital art arena and many people have been amazed by the expressionism he has been able to portray through this new form of art.

Recently, Andrew became involved as a volunteer with an art therapy program in Cleveland called the Art Therapy Studio at Metrohealth hospital. Founded in 1967, it’s the first Art Therapy program to be established in a hospital in the United States. Seeing parallels in the program’s goals and in what his art has done to help him, he realized that many of those in the program could benefit through expressing themselves in the digital medium, as he has. It is his hope that some of the art created in the program can be displayed alongside his in the near future.

We recently had the chance to interview Andrew to find out how he decided on digital art, what inspires him, and what advice he would share with anyone struggling with a disability. Below is part 1 of an interview we were privileged enough to do over the phone with Andrew Reach. For part 2 please follow this link. Read more

Luc’s Introduction

Luc’s Introduction from Aaron on Vimeo.