By now, we’ve all heard the reports — our modern way of life is destroying the planet we call home. Plastic fills our oceans, burning fossil fuels pollute the air we breathe, and wild pollinator counts continue to decline, threatening our ability to produce sufficient sustenance for our growing population. Yet, simply being aware a […]
Editor’s Note: When retired flight attendant Robin Wearley received a call from her friend John Morris (the man behind WheelchairTravel.org) to discuss emergency evacuation protocol for wheelchair travelers, she realized the industry needed to seriously rethink their methods or rather, lack thereof. After Morris mentioned he’d likely have to rely on the kindness of strangers for […]
Editor’s Note: In 2012, the Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University partnered with LightHouse for the Blind and took over Superfest, the longest-running disability film festival in the world. As the associate director at Longmore, Emily Smith Beitiks had the opportunity to take on the producer role for the 2013 festival and […]
Reflecting on my kindergarten years, I remember dreading the day it was my turn for Show and Tell. My biggest fear was standing in front of the classroom with all of my peers staring at me waiting to hear what I was going to say. In my 5-year-old mind, my presentation had to be perfect. […]
Editor’s Note: In 2016, Moshe Gaon, a successful businessman and investor, put his other endeavors on hold to create Yoocan. Inspired by his nephew, who was born with a host of health conditions, he set out to build a global platform for people to share their stories of living with a disability. Three years later, […]
Editor’s Note: Since Ralph’s Riders launched over a decade ago, the foundation has been supporting the spinal cord injury and mobility-impaired community through various programs and resources. Marcy Lovett, a T5-6 paraplegic, serves as the foundation's treasurer and is also a model, actress, accountant, and advocate for the disability community. Catie Butler, the secretary for […]
Editor’s Note: When he was a teenager, Rick Velasquez emigrated from Honduras to the Bronx with his family in search of the American dream. Shortly after, the dream turned into a nightmare when he was hit by a stray bullet while walking down the street. The injury resulted in paralysis putting him in a wheelchair. […]
While the average standing height of adults varies, fully grown wheelchair users tend to see the world at the eye-level of a seven or eight-year-old. Metro Veinte: Cita Ciega (4 Feet: Blind Date in English) aims to give viewers a perspective on what it’s like to roll through life in an environment designed for a […]
Societal attitudes and behaviors have a significant impact on the inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act and various civil rights movements, the effects of negative perceptions of disability are still prevalent in structural and social contexts today. Because of these constructs, children with disabilities experience several challenges in classroom and […]
Having started his career at an early age, actor and comedian Nic Novicki (you may have seen him in Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos, or Drop Dead Diva to name a few) noticed he was often the only one on set with a disability. This glaringly obvious underrepresentation of people with disabilities in the entertainment industry […]
