By Amy Saffell

Amy Saffell (bottom right) armed with GoPro & crew

People with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in the media, both on camera and in media jobs behind the scenes. In Nashville, through a partnership with the adaptive sports and independence nonprofit ABLE Youth (www.ableyouth.org) and Nashville Education, Community and Arts Television Network (NECAT) (www.necatnetwork.org), change is happening! NECAT, a public access television station, has so far trained about a half dozen of ABLE Youth's teenagers and the Executive Director to run everything in the studio, from cameras to floor directing to technical directing to audio to sets and lighting to being on camera and are now television producers with the public access station.

In the control room.

By Tabassum Chagani

I am the youngest of three siblings, and grew up in a large, multi-generational house in Karachi, Pakistan. I immigrated to Canada in 1994 and have lived in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia since then.

My dad had a very entrepreneurial spirit. In Canada, we think nothing of popping into a Loblaw’s or Safeway for groceries, but a large western-style supermarket was a very novel concept in Pakistan, in the 1990s. He was the first one to start a self-serve supermarket in Karachi. I strongly believe that I have inherited my fathers’ entrepreneurial spirit; I hope so. I have enrolled in the Self-Employment Program at the BC Institute of Technology, and am working to establish my own Accessible Travel business. I am an Accessible Travel Specialist and work with a home based travel agency called Travel for All, Inc. 

Like other Pakistani children, at the time, I was also immunized for polio as a child by oral polio vaccine. I took the drops but contracted polio, nevertheless, at age one. It was either a bad batch or it was just not working. I still got polio. It started as a flu-like illness and, by the time the symptoms subsided, my mother found I didn’t want to move. The doctor said, “Well, it’s unfortunate, but your daughter’s been paralyzed in one leg by polio.”

By Louise Sertsis


It's been my experience in the past, especially when traveling that I felt as though I was thrust into a pre-kindergarten era - a time where everything is done for me, instead of letting me explore, navigate and learn. Sometimes, I felt my voice was no longer heard. I seemed invisible to everyone except my husband, who is bombarded with impending questions from the airport staff. Initially, when I was coping with my disability. I was offended as frustration built, and I bit my lip, and screamed inside. I realize that most people just want to be helpful and time is tight due to the airline schedule but sometimes society has a lack of knowledge regarding inclusion of all abilities.

Frustration was a familiar response to situations that occurred, once Multiple Sclerosis started really affecting me. I used to be filled with pent up anger and shame, which completely changed who I was as a person. After many years of solitude, I was gradually able to channel these feelings into a positive. When I started using and seeing my circumstance in a new light, things started to change for me. While I still value my alone time, it's much more gratifying leaving my comfort zone, meeting new people and being the best version of me that I can be. It was challenging at first, but I'm doing things now that I never thought possible.

Andrea Dalzell

Meet the set of wheels that is taking New York by storm! Andrea Dalzell is the newest member of the nursing community, and a pioneering activist for people with disabilities. She is a force to be reckoned with, and has emerged victorious against all the obstacles in her path. 
Transverse Myelitis left her paralyzed at the age of 12, but she did not allow her disability to become or define her.

By Tamara Mena


Some things have happened in my career in Los Angeles months ago, and as a result, I found myself feeling so disappointed and frustrated.

I knew what I wanted to do, and that was to host, to interview people, to make a difference with my communications degree, and to make a difference with my voice - the voice that I'm so lucky to have gained back after I lost it during my accident...

It was tough because I knew I wanted to move forward, but wasn't sure how to go about it. I wasn't going to give up on the reason that I moved out here to LA for.... But that process was never easy, far from easy!

When "See Beyond" was born, I didn't have the name yet, just the concept. This online show that I was about to produce, was seriously born from seeing beyond my circumstances at the time, seeing beyond the discrimination and the resistance I had faced - just seriously seeing BEYOND MYSELF and "my story" and wanting to highlight OTHER PEOPLE so that TOGETHER we can encourage people to see past DIFFERENCES and become more open and accepting of each other!

By Amy Saffell

Amy Saffell

We’ve all seen the statistics. People with disabilities traditionally are underrepresented in the workforce, and, just like people without disabilities, women with disabilities have an even lower employment rate than men. Maybe you’ve contemplated getting into the workforce but believed that you couldn’t do it…that you don’t have the skills to offer, that your disability would get in the way physically or attitudinally, or that your state benefits wouldn’t allow it. Five women, including myself, want to tell you that those concerns can all be overcome. While not every person is suited for every job, there are plenty of types of jobs, whether they’re paying or volunteer, that people with disabilities can do. If you have been contemplating the feasibility of joining the workforce or volunteering, let the experiences of our panel of working women with disabilities encourage and inform you based on their real world experiences.

by Rich McIver


Did you know that half of all US private-sector workers and 70% of all new jobs are generated by small businesses? Yet despite our nation's collective concern about unemployment and the decline of the middle class, we as a nation have very few channels through which individuals can obtain funding for their business.  And those channels that do exist; banking, grants, angel funding and private equity communities, consistently underfund startups by individuals with disabilities.

By Allan Checkoway
 

by Christinne Rudd

By Tarita Davenock


Some of us are lucky enough to fall into careers that we love, where just coming to work is a joyful part of the day. Fewer have been purposeful, have seized the brass ring and gotten into those careers through hard work, perseverance and, yes, even a little bit of luck. The path to Tarita Davenock’s dream career was decided by an entirely different kind of luck. A social worker whose specialty was in helping children and adults with special needs, she had stability; her BAs in English and Psychology ensured the future of that stability. In fact, as a candidate for a Master’s Degree, all she needed was a bit of time and some creative budgeting and the world, a world she had traveled extensively, would be her oyster.

Michele Boardman

by Matthew McManus


Dear Matthew,

For those of us with physical disabilities who need health insurance to cover our pre-existing conditions but are not working, what do you suggest?

Signed,
Jen from Florida


Dear Jen,

Thanks for your email. I completely understand your concerns regarding obtaining medical insurance if you have disability. It’s a tough hurdle to overcome but hopefully this information will point you in the right direction. 

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    Matthew McManus

    
    

    Finances are a key component in all our lives. Whether we're struggling to make ends meet, figuring out how to make the most of the money we do have, or are deciding how best to invest, finances require attention and knowledge. Those of us dealing with physical challenges have the added burden of medical expenses, many of which require out-of-pocket payment and bills that seem to never end. Due to an influx of questions and concerns from mobileWOMEN readers, regarding all matters financial, we decided to bring on board Matthew McManus as our Financial Advisor. He will write periodic articles, sharing his wisdom and insight, and will answer your specific questions in his columns.

By Lori A. Wood

For people with disabilities, finding a job is hard enough. Finding one that we actually like can prove to be much more difficult, and often, sadly, this requirement must take a backseat to more pressing financial considerations, such as attendant or child care. Rest assured, mobileWOMEN, all is not lost! 
This mobileWOMAN  who, with great ambition, courage and determination, shows us that disability doesn't necessarily render these facets of employment mutually exclusive. Through volunteerism, this woman has found her calling, demonstrating that, when we do our part to help others, we reap some of life’s greatest rewards.




To Give is to Receive

“I think volunteering is a perfect way to get into a job or career,” explains Jenny Smith, Member Care Coordinator of an international non-profit organization in Louisville, Kentucky. “I've held numerous volunteer positions, many of which led to discoveries of what I really enjoy doing. Volunteering can go on a resume just as well as a part-time job, and many times with volunteering, you don't have the responsibility that you do in a paid position. For example, if you need to go out of town, you have a bit more flexibility in scheduling your time.”


“I’d been a gymnast since I was about three years old. When I was sixteen, I was outside tumbling, and the grass was wet, so my feet slipped out from underneath me.” This left her a C6-7 complete quadriplegic. Bit by bit she has become more independent; she now lives on her own and has help three mornings a week with personal care.
“In 1998, I got to know some people from Poland, and I was asking them about accessibility in other countries, and how they go to school and work if places aren’t accessible. They said that people don’t even have wheelchairs, and that just floored me. I’d never heard that before,” she says. ”I was in graduate school at the time, and really didn’t have time to add anything else to my schedule.” A graduate of the University of Louisville, Jenny earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology in December 1998. “Volunteering at the Crisis and Information Center in Louisville led to my Master's in Counseling Psychology. Volunteering with the adult education English as a Second Language program led to a paid position teaching Kindergarten through fifth graders for a year, while preparing me to work cross-culturally.”


“In 1999, someone from Louisville was going to Afghanistan as a volunteer with a non-profit organization to distribute wheelchairs. I didn’t know him at all, but I called him up and said, ‘I heard that you’re doing this, and I’d really like more information and to get involved.’ Then the vice-president of the organization called me and asked if I wanted to go on a trip with them. I honestly didn’t think I could travel internationally, but six months later, I was in Mexico for the first time.

Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D.

Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. is a powerful, internationally known speaker, trainer, consultant, writer, and publisher who walks her talk. On June 13, 1998 Rossetti’s life was transformed when a 3 1/2 ton tree came crushing down on her. Her life was changed in that instant! Paralyzed from the waist down with a spinal cord injury, Rossetti looked deep within herself and found new strength and new resolve. In her keynote speeches, she shares the lessons she has learned since that fateful day, and demonstrates how to rise above misfortune and live life with conviction.

Rossetti’s program “Just Like Riding A Bike: Coping with Change and Dealing with Adversity” is a transformational experience. Rossetti uses the lessons that she learned during her recovery to empower participants. She focuses on what motivates people to change their behavior, awaken their inner gifts, find meaning in their lives, and accomplish more to bring out the best in themselves. As a result of this program, participants will be revitalized and recharged. They will leave with restored hope, happiness and an improved vision of their future. Rossetti helps people achieve goals and take charge of their lives. She brings a positive attitude to life that touches all who hear her, with an emotive speaking style that makes audiences fall in love with her and rally to her message.

Using the lessons that she learned while rebuilding her business, she developed “Can Your Business Survive a Crisis? Practical Tips for Limiting Losses and Bouncing Back”. This program shows business owners how to limit risks and avoid losses, ensuring the continuity and vitality of a business during and after a crisis.

by Valerie Deneen

For many of us, shopping for groceries can be time-consuming and stressful. Depending on how far away the closest grocery store is, several trips can add up to a large gas expense. The hassle of reaching for items on high shelves, loading groceries into the cart, unloading onto the checkout lane, reloading them into your cart and finally into your car can be physically exhausting as well. Thankfully, there is an alternative that can allow you to do yourshopping from home-- online grocery shopping.