Student doesn’t let blindness hold her back from pursuing her dreams
A girl sits on a couch, laughing and smiling frequently. Her colorful, bright dress matches her vibrant personality. A black Labrador, Olivia, is sprawled on the carpet contentedly. She’s never too far away from her owner, criminal justice sophomore Katherine Chavez.
In conversation, Katherine has a peculiar tendency to look above the head of whomever she’s speaking with, like she expects the person to be taller than he or she really is. It’s a rough subject to bring up, as if calling attention to the elephant in the room. But why does she do that?
The answer: Katherine can’t see.
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The Arizona Republic
Phoenix man killed at Reno air show; leaves 3 brothers behind
The four brothers leaned on one another, and sometimes it seemed like they leaned on Mikey most – the serious one who started his own company in high school, the brave one who wrote letters to ask for things they needed, such as wheelchairs and scholarships and maybe baseball tickets – and the only one to graduate from college so far.
KHON-TV (Honolulu)
Kailua man completes paddleboard race despite disability
The Kaiwi Channel is one of the most difficult channels to cross on a paddleboard. On Sunday, some of the world’s top athletes took on the challenge in the 15th annual Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard World Championship.
KULR-TV (Billings, Mont.)
West grad does not let disability slow him down
West High School graduate Christian Johnson was born with Cerebral Palsy. It’s a condition caused by brain injuries usually within the womb. While the severity varies, Johnson has had limited use of his legs for most of his life.
The Lancaster (Ohio) Eagle-Gazette
Berne Union senior adapts to life, softball with disability
It’s the best sleight-of-hand trick you’ll see on a softball field, and Alanna Sanborn has it down cold.
The Berne Union senior outfielder camps under fly balls, catches them with her left hand, and in one fluid motion tucks her glove under her right arm and comes up throwing with her left. It’s a technique that Sanborn has mastered not because she’s a show-off, but because she’s had to.
WBUR-FM (Boston)
Rescue Monkey Becomes Helping Hand After Man’s Accident
Six years ago, Ned Rogers was a 22-year-old college student in Arizona when he was in a catastrophic car accident that left him a quadriplegic and severely brain damaged.
MSNBC
Dyslexic governor brings learning disability to limelight
Doctors called him spastic. Teachers said he was mentally retarded. Some of his nastier classmates called him dummy.
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
Storytellers: On motorized chair, with the heart of a competitor
All of his life, Tony Jackson loved sports. He liked the idea that two people, or two teams, would face each other and do their best. One would win, and one would lose. The drama appealed to him.
ESPN
Tom Rinaldi profiles the student managers for Villanova’s men’s and women’s basketball teams who both have cerebral palsy
KSPR-TV (Springfield, Mo.)
Friends and Colleagues Speak Out About Community Leader Killed in Van Fire
The Ozarks has lost a community leader in a tragic accident. The 42-year-old man killed in Thursday night’s van fire in south Springfield will be remembered as a tireless advocate for people with disabilities.