Ability is an American bimonthly magazine founded by Chet Cooper[1] in 1990, and launched as the first newsstand magazine[citation needed] focused on issues of health and disability. Ability is ranked in the Top 50 Magazines in the World.[2] It is distributed by Time Warner and has offices in Santa Ana and Costa Mesa, California.

Ability
Editors
Managing Editor
Gillian Friedman, MD
Editors
Paula Fitzgerald
Renne Gardner
Pamela K. Johnson
Sylvia Martirosyan
Lia Limón Martirosyan
Molly McGovern
Josh Pate, PhD
Maya Sabatello, PhD, JD
Nancy Shi
Health Editors
E. Thomas Chappell, MD
Larry Goldstein, MD
Moses de Graft-Johnson, MD
Web Editors
Alhaji Conteh
Marge Plasmier
Mary Shafizadeh
Writers
Contributors
George Covington
Ashley Fiolek
Geri Jewell
Regina Hall
Myles Mellor
Paul Pelland
Betsy Valnes
David S. Zimmerman
Danielle Zurovick, PhD
Humor Writers
Jeff Charlebois
George Covington, JD
Gene Feldman, JD
Media
Multi-Media
Helki Frantzen
Stanya Kahn
Graphics
Scott Johnson
Melissa Murphy
Editor-in-ChiefChet Cooper
TranscriptionistSandy Grabowski
PhotographerNancy Villere
CategoriesHealth and Disability
FrequencyBimonthly
PublisherChet Cooper
FounderChet Cooper
Founded1990
CountryUnited States of America
Based inSanta Ana and Costa Mesa, California
Websiteabilitymagazine.com
ISSN1062-5321
OCLC502282231

Content

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Ability covers on health, environmental protection, assistive technology, employment, sports, travel, universal design, mental wellness. Magazine covers issues include the Americans with Disabilities Act,[3] civil rights advancement, employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and human interest stories. Cover interviews consist of movie and TV celebrities, business leaders, sports figures, presidents, first ladies, and more. Each cover story of Ability showcases a prominent public figure who either has a disability or who has a connection to a disability-related cause.

Ability is dedicated to promoting accessibility in both content and form and is the first to embed VOICEYE (a high-density matrix barcode system) on its editorial pages to hear print through smartphones and tablets — giving good access to people with low vision, blindness or reading challenges in 58 languages.[4]

Representation

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Ability frequently participates in international conferences, public awareness events and opportunities to affect policy surrounding issues of disability; and has partnered with the United Nations in efforts to raise awareness.[5][6]

Notable contributors

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Throughout the years, many entertainers and celebrities representing important causes have been featured on the cover of Ability. Notable musicians, such as Ray Charles,[7] Andrea Bocelli,[8] and Avril Lavigne;[9] and actors, such as Robert Patrick,[10] Mary Tyler Moore,[11] Kirk Douglas,[12] Jack Lemmon,[13] Laura Dern,[14] Holly Robinson Peete,[15] and Fran Drescher,[16] have shared their stories with Ability. Other famous faces include actor and advocate Christopher Reeve,[17] talk show host Montel Williams,[18] comedian Richard Pryor,[19] and entertainer Donny Osmond.[20] Most recently, Joe Mantegna, Kurt Yaeger, William H. Macy, Jennifer Esposito, Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly, Andy Madadian, Amy Brenneman, Howie Mandel, Kirk Douglas, Stevie Wonder, Gary Busey, Austin Basis, and Max Gail have been featured in the magazine.[21]

Politicians featured in Ability have included President Bill Clinton,[22] Senators Tom Harkin,[23] Bob Dole,[24] Chuck Grassley,[25] Max Cleland, Harris Wofford,[26] Congressman Jim Langevin,[27] and First Ladies Laura Bush and Rosalynn Carter.[28][29]

Issues of Ability have also included a wide array of profiles of leaders in the world of business, including Medtronic founder Earl Bakken,[30] Kinko's CEO Paul Orfalea,[31] and Panasonic CEO Don Iwatani,[32] and companies that embody "best practices" including Boeing, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Starbucks, and CVS Pharmacy.[33][34][35]

Awards

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Ability received the 2014 Da Vinci Award for Accessibility and Universal Design.[36][37]

Affiliations

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Ability is part of a diverse network of organizations geared toward advancement and inclusion of people with disabilities. These projects include:

Ability created an alliance with the China Press for People with Disabilities — providing the rights to publish each other's selected stories, artworks and articles, in an effort to bring both countries to experience human interest stories that otherwise would never be known.[citation needed]

Ability has partnered with the Arc of the United States "to raise awareness about disability issues and the resources available to people with disabilities and their families."[41]

Ability is listed as an awareness resource by the United Cerebral Palsy organization[42] and has provided media for the Disability Rights Legal Center.[43]

References

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  1. ^ "Biography For Chet Cooper". Ability magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  2. ^ "Top 50 Magazines Viewed on OnlineNewspapers Last Month". Onlinenewspapers. Archived from the original on March 3, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  3. ^ "20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act". Abilitymagazine.com. July 26, 1990. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  4. ^ "1st Magazine to VOICEYE Code Editorial on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. January 21, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  5. ^ "Disability side events". United Nations.
  6. ^ "United Nations Partners with Ability to Raise Awareness". Abilitymagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  7. ^ "An Interview with Ray Charles". Ability Magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  8. ^ "Andrea Bocelli — Singing to the Top". Ability Magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  9. ^ "Avril Lavigne — Fly High with Special Olympics". AbilityMagazine.com. Ability Magazine. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  10. ^ "Robert Patrick".
  11. ^ "Mary Tyler Moore interview by Chet Cooper". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  12. ^ "Kirk Douglas interviewed by Chet Cooper". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  13. ^ "Jack Lemmon interviewed by Chet Cooper". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  14. ^ "Laura Dern - WILD & Enlightened". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  15. ^ "Holly Robinson Peete - Interview". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  16. ^ "F Drescher Interview by Chet Cooper and Dr. Friedman". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  17. ^ "Christopher Reeve — His Foundation; His Champions". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  18. ^ "Interview with Montel Williams". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  19. ^ "Richard Pryor — MS on Fire (The ARCHIVE Files)". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  20. ^ "Interview: Donny Osmond". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  21. ^ "Past Issues". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  22. ^ "An Interview with President Bill Clinton by Chet Cooper". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  23. ^ "Senator Tom Harkin — HIS Legacy, OUR Equal Rights". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  24. ^ "Interview with Bob Dole". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  25. ^ "Senator Grassley - Letter to Ability readers". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  26. ^ "Harris Wofford: A Leader in Community Service". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  27. ^ "Senator Harkin and Congressman Langevin". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
  28. ^ "Interview with First Lady Laura Bush". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  29. ^ "Rosalynn Carter's Mental Health Program". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  30. ^ "Earl Bakken — Interview". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  31. ^ "Paul Orfalea — Kinko's Founder Speaks About Dyslexia". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  32. ^ "Interview: Panasonic's CEO". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  33. ^ "Best Practices — HP & Boeing". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  34. ^ "Best Practices Award — P&G and Microsoft". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  35. ^ "CVS—Leveling the Playground For All Kids". AbilityMagazine.com. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  36. ^ "2014 Da Vinci Awards® Names 15 Global Finalists" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-21. Retrieved 2015-02-21.
  37. ^ "The da Vinci Awards: Award Winners" (PDF). National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  38. ^ "Job Access - Ability Jobs - Affirmative Disability Action - Employment for People with Disabilities". Ability Jobs. July 16, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  39. ^ "Engaging Volunteers with Disabilities in Community Service". Ability Corps. Archived from the original on August 1, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  40. ^ "Engaging Volunteers with Disabilities in Community Service". Ability Corps. Archived from the original on August 1, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  41. ^ "Ability Magazine". The Arc. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
  42. ^ "Resource Guide". UCP. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  43. ^ "Ability Magazine". Disability Rights Legal Center. July 24, 2012. Archived from the original on February 21, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
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