Feelings of sadness are different for everyone as is each individual’s reaction to those emotions. Sorrow during the holidays can stem from preexisting factors like pain, stress, or financial problems, but can also be heightened by feelings of loneliness or unrealistic expectations to buy gifts. Over-commercialization of the holiday can exacerbate symptoms and make them […]

No one can deny that living with a disability renders daily living more difficult to varying degrees. Navigating through an able-bodied world in a wheelchair can be physically exhausting and emotionally draining. Ostomates almost always have to plan ahead or use spontaneous problem-solving skills. While society often projects its ideas of what it means to be […]

Editor’s Note:  Bennie Jose Perez had dreamt of joining the Marine Corps from a young age. When he enlisted after high school, his dedication quickly began paying off as he climbed the ranks working his way toward his goal of a lifelong career in the Marines. Despite his commitment and hard work, a simple slip […]

Editor’s Note:  Fitness enthusiast Joanna Bonilla hadn’t been feeling her best when one day, she began experiencing back pain and weakness in her legs. Her mother took her to the emergency room, but by the time the doctors had finished routine testing, she could no longer feel her lower limbs. An MRI revealed a spinal […]

Editor’s Note:  From dancing to triathlons, 31-year-old Vincenzo Tufano is constantly on the move. This wasn’t always the case, though. After falling in 2010 due to muscular dystrophy, he lost nearly all mobility leaving him in an electric wheelchair and unable to participate in the activities he previously enjoyed. Over the course of the following […]

Editor’s Note:  Clay Garner, a successful entrepreneur and businessman, was nearing retirement when nagging lower back pain eventually led to hip replacement surgery. A few weeks prior to his scheduled operation, groin pain and troubles urinating landed him in the emergency room. Tests showed a swollen prostate and an infection, which, following a procedure and […]

Editor’s Note:  When an orchestra performed at her school, 10-year-old Gaelynn Lea decided she wanted to learn to play the violin. However, as an electric wheelchair user born with osteogenesis imperfecta, she couldn’t hold the instrument the traditional way. With the help of one of her teachers, she developed her own unique method of playing […]

People with disabilities make up the nation's largest minority with nearly 20% of the US population living with some type of disability. Unlike racial or ethnic groups, anyone can become part of the disability community at any time. Unfortunately, people with disabilities experience discrimination on a daily basis. Diversity Inclusion The concept of diversity inclusion encompasses […]

Editor’s Note: Connie Cardenas grew up running, and even into early adulthood, her life revolved around the sport. In her early 20s, she set out to qualify for the Boston Marathon but soon after started experiencing hip pain. Assuming her injury stemmed from overtraining, she cut back her running schedule drastically, but the pain remained. […]

Editor’s Note:  When a dear friend was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Debra Mills decided to stop working and put her nursing background to use to care for her. As time passed and her friend’s condition worsened, she was exposed to the various tools and products available to the disability community today. Sadly, ALS eventually […]