People who surf will tell you that there is something immensely freeing and satisfying in riding a wave and feeling the power of the ocean. After losing a leg in a car accident, Dana Cummings discovered that freedom and made it his mission to share it with other disabled people.

AmpSurf, short for the Association of Amputee Surfers, was founded by Dana and is a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities learn to surf. Many of them can’t imagine that they’d be able to get on a surfboard, and nearly all of them are nervous, but they all end up surfing.

Dana has said that he just wants everyone to be able to feel the rehabilitative power of surfing and the ocean, and this video shows that he is making a difference.

Congratulations to you Dana, and thank you for improving the lives of so many people.

Have you heard about the National Organization on Disability? If not, you are missing out an important resource to help you live life to the fullest as a disabled person. Founded in 1982, the National Organization on Disability is supported by grants from such notable organizations as the Ford Foundation, Lockheed-Martin, UPS, and the American Red Cross, just to name a few.

The mission of the National Organization on Disability (NOD) is to expand the participation and contribution of America’s 54 million men, women, and children with disabilities in all aspects of life. Our current focus is on improving employment prospects for America’s 33 million working-aged Americans with disabilities.

Although many of the programs of NOD are far-reaching and have impact at the state level, they still have plenty or resources to help the disabled. If you have a few minutes, take a look at what they have to offer.

National Organization on Disability

Anyone who has had to purchase a wheelchair accessible van, ramp van, or a lift van knows how expensive the customization can be. Taking a factory made van, lowering the floor, and installing a ramp is a labor intensive process. Nearly all of these vans are customized by relatively small specialty shops, and while these shops often do great work, factory support isn’t there if something goes wrong.

The MV-1

So we were excited to see that the first factory built wheelchair accessible van will be available soon. Dubbed the “MV-1″, and looking like a cross between a truck and a minivan, this new vehicle could prove to be very useful.

Wheelchair Pride has a nice story on this great new vehicle – you can see their article here for more information.

President Obama addressed a ceremony honoring the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, calling it “one of the most comprehensive civil rights bills in the history of this country.”

The law requires buildings, transportation facilities, and commercial facilities to be accessible to the physically challenged and guarantees employee rights for people with disabilities.  President Obama said that the ADA has served to “tear down the physical and social barriers” and stressed “not dependence, but independence”. The President also signed an executive order designed to improve enforcement of the ADA.

Now the ADA’s impact is everywhere: wheelchair lifts on city buses, signs in Braille, sign-language interpreters. Yes, there is still a long way to go. Yet in redefining the terms of disability, the ADA made us impossible to ignore. By now people should understand we’re just part of the human landscape, and we’re here to stay.

Though the ADA established rights, it has not reduced the need for advocacy. For example, people with disabilities have always had difficulty finding jobs. In fact, there is a 42% employment gap that separates working-age people with and without disabilities in the workforce, according to Cornell University researchers. The ADA has laid a foundation, but more work is left to be done.

You can see the entire ceremony honoring the 20^th anniversary of the ADA, including Obama’s speech here:

UC Berkeley may be one of the most accessible, disabled-friendly universities in the United States. Much of that is thanks to one man, Ed Roberts.

Roberts, who became a quadriplegic after contracting polio as a teenager, was admitted as a student in 1962 to the Berkeley campus. He immediately found difficulty in obtaining campus housing, however, as campus housing officials refused to accommodate the 800-lb iron lung he had to sleep in.

Roberts used this as motivation, found housing, and eventually helped launch the Physically Disabled Students Program at the Cal campus. Rather than allow himself and others to be discriminated against, Roberts was part of creating an organization that changed disability attitudes and increased disability advocacy across the U.S.

So on January 23 next year, remember Ed Roberts and the extraordinary efforts he made to increase the opportunities for the disabled.

You can read the full story of Ed Roberts at the UC Berkeley web site.

Jared Aronson, founder of Madhouse Tees, is a T-shirt designer living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. But, he doesn’t want to be perceived as the disabled guy in a wheelchair using a breathing tube. Jared is an artist who has been drawing since he was a young child. And even though drawing became more and more difficult over the years as paralysis gradually overtook most of his body, Jared kept drawing new T-shirt designs on his computer using only his thumb and a mouse.

Disabled artist Jared Aronson

His T-shirts are unique and funny. I bought a few of them and on several occasions I have been able to put a smile on people’s faces when I was wearing them. My favorite is the banana sliding over a person. I always feel a kind of pride when I wear one of Jared’s T-shirts because they are special and meaningful to me knowing they have been designed by an amazing young man who puts a lot of love, creativity and labor into each one of his tees. We had the opportunity of doing an online interview with Jared last year. If you haven’t read his inspiring story yet, you can read it here.

I have never met Jared in person and I was thrilled when he emailed me that he was going to be featured on TV. By watching his video, I learned a lot more about his family, his business, how he gets around and how he designs his T-shirts. It is truly enlightening to watch his video.  Just be patient while the 15 second introductory commercial passes by; it’s well worth the wait!

Yesterday, on July 26, President Obama issued an Executive Order to increase the Federal Employment of the Disabled. Citing the 54 million Americans living with disabilities and the need to set an example and reduce workforce discrimination, the order notes that the Federal Government should be a model for the hiring of the disabled.

Additionally, the order has specific time-lines of 60 days and 120 days for federal agencies to design and implement strategies to increase the hiring of the disabled.

We think this is a really encouraging step and commend President Obama for his dedication to employing qualified Americans, no matter what their physical condition.

To read the full press report and text of the Executive Order, visit Whitehouse.gov.

This year, the Americans with Disabilities Act turns 20 years old, and while not perfect, this piece of legislation has made a profound difference in the lives of countless Americans. As part of our recognition of the impact of the ADA, we’ll be highlighting stories of people whose lives have been positively impacted by the changes brought about by the ADA.

Today we have for you a story from the Minnesota Public Radio News. The Gray sisters, only a year apart in age, have lived profoundly different lives – but both of their lives have been touched by disability.

It’s an excellent story and one that I think really highlights some of the changes in attitude the ADA has brought about. The ADA really put in motion a shift in mindset towards the view that the disabled are valued members of society, and that if you open doors to allow them to contribute, your society as a whole will be all the richer for it.

The short radio program is definitely worth listening to, and if you’d like to read the full story it’s on the Minnesota Public Radio web site: Disabilities Act at 20.

For anyone who has ever driven across the continent, from one end of the United States to the other, it becomes apparent just how large and vast the US is. Now imagine traveling across it using only the power of your arms.

That’s exactly what Kristina Ripatti-Pearce did.

After the former Los Angeles Police Officer became paralyzed in a 2006 shooting, her life changed drastically, but her determination to take on challenges in life never diminished.

ESPN has a story about her and some of the challenges she faced riding across the US that you might want to check out: Paralyzed Police Officer Races Bike Across US.

How’s this for a crazy concept: a wheelchair accessible motorcycle. Wait, what does that even mean? Well, take a look at the video below and you’ll see that it means being able to roll your wheelchair right up into a specially modified 3-wheeled motorcycle, lock in with a secure locking pin, and then ride using hand controls.

Last week I focused on a disabled pilot flying small airplanes, and this week I’m sharing with you the Conquest Wheelchair Accessible Motorcycle, because the theme of freedom and independence is an important one. We love seeing ways in which people are using their imaginations and technology to increase the ability of people with mobility disabilities to be more independent.

To me, riding a motorcycle screams Independence and Freedom. Anyone who has ridden for years can tell you that the connection to the road and the feeling of being in your surroundings, not closed off from them, is one of the major appeals of riding a motorcycle.

And really, how cool is it to be able to pull your wheelchair right into this motorcycle, lock into it, and then ride? The answer is: really, really cool. So take a look at this short video on the Conquest and if you’d like more information visit them at MobilityConquest.com.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=ertjjZv4Sao&feature=channel