Ability (magazine)

''Ability'' is an American bimonthly magazine founded by Chet Cooper in 1990, and launched as the first newsstand magazine focused on issues of health and disability. ''Ability'' is ranked in the Top 50 Magazines in the World — ,and is the magazine covering Health, Disability and Human Potential. It is distributed by Time Warner and has offices in Santa Ana and Costa Mesa, California.

Content

''Ability'' covers the latest on health, environmental protection, assistive technology, employment, sports, travel, universal design, mental wellness. Magazine covers issues include the Americans with Disabilities Act, 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.

Representation

''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.

Notable contributors

Throughout the years, many entertainers and celebrities representing important causes have been featured on the cover of ''Ability''. Notable musicians, such as Ray Charles, Andrea Bocelli, and Avril Lavigne; and actors, such as Robert Patrick, Mary Tyler Moore, Kirk Douglas, Jack Lemmon, Laura Dern, Holly Robinson Peete, and Fran Drescher, have shared their stories with ''Ability''. Other famous faces include actor and advocate Christopher Reeve, talk show host Montel Williams, comedian Richard Pryor, and entertainer Donny Osmond. 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.

Politicians featured in ''Ability'' have included President Bill Clinton, Senators Tom Harkin, Bob Dole, Chuck Grassley, Max Cleland, Harris Wofford, Congressman Jim Langevin, and First Ladies Laura Bush and Rosalynn Carter.

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

Awards

''Ability'' received the 2014 Da Vinci Award for Accessibility and Universal Design.

Affiliations

''Ability'' is part of a diverse network of organizations geared toward advancement and inclusion of people with disabilities. These projects include:
* Ability Jobs: The first web-based job board and résumé bank for individuals with disabilities.
* Ability Awareness: A non-profit organization with a focus on elevating attitudes towards people with disabilities.
* Ability Corps: A major initiative fostering integration of volunteers with disabilities into community service.

''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.

''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."

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

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.abilitymagazine.com/

1990 establishments in California
Bimonthly magazines published in the United States
Disability publications
Health magazines
Magazines established in 1990
Magazines published in Los Angeles