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

Celebrate Ed Roberts Disability Rights Day

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. Read more

T-shirt Designer with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in the News

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. 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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Hand-Cycling Across the United States

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.

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

Jamie Dunross, First Quadriplegic Sailor to Circumnavigate Australia

First there was quadriplegic Geoff  Holt who sailed solo across the Atlantic not too long ago, next Hillary Lister came along to become the first quadriplegic woman to circumnavigate Britain solo using a sip and puff equipped sailboat, and now we have Australian Jamie Dunross who is currently braving the seas in his effort to become the first quad to sail solo around Australia. Jamie anticipates the voyage, with stops, will take around five months, and encompass around 9000 nautical miles of sailing.

Jamie became a C5 quadriplegic in a gold pouring accident in the Australian outback in 1988 and was very depressed at first. However, sailing turned his life into a journey of amazing accomplishments, including a gold medal at the 2000 Paralympic Games.

Jamie considers his sailing trip around Australia to be a warm-up for his big dream of circumnavigating the entire globe solo. However, I don’t just want to applaud Jamie for his physical achievements.  When Jamie returns to his hometown of Rockingham, just South of Perth, he plans to get involved in a sailing program designed for people with disabilities. He also wants to demonstrate to the public that a disability doesn’t need to be a roadblock against achieving your dreams when you are determined to reach your goal.

You can follow Jamie’s journey at his website where he blogs regularly about his progress and his experiences.

Disabled Breakdancers You Have to See to Believe

These guys not only overcome their disabilities – they take advantage of them and create something new in their art form.

I was just blown away when I watched this video. You have to see it to get how amazing these guys are – it’s disabled guys breakdancing. And kicking butt at it, too. The crowd is going nuts for some of the moves they are pulling off, and seeing these guys maximize their abilities, and make the most of what they have to work with is totally inspiring.

I’ve had a grin on my face all morning since watching this.

You can see the video on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b_9rhnn1r4

Cerebral Palsy Will Not Stop Steve Wampler from Climbing El Capitan

Have you heard about Steve Wampler? In September, he plans to become the first person with cerebral palsy to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan, a vertical granite rock twice the height of the Empire State Building. Because of Steve’s condition, he will rely solely on upper body strength to reach the top. The ascent will take six days, with about 20,000 pull downs and the help of two skilled climbers.

One of the amazing things about Steve is that he’s climbing for something much greater than personal achievement. He is climbing to raise funds for his wilderness camps for kids with disabilities. He is so inspiring that he’s even gotten the attention of Ellen DeGeneres and Will Ferrell.

To read the whole story behind Steve’s climbing endeavor, his foundation, and an interesting personal anecdote about how he met his wife check out this uplifting article by Jenny Inglee.

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