AFA May 2025

Virgie Hoban When it comes to designing assistive technology, listening matters just as much as engineering That’s something the team at Augmental understands well. Speaking about the company’s groundbreaking device, the MouthPad^, Virgie Hoban offers an inside look at how this small, tongue-operated interface is redefining digital access for users with limited mobility, and potentially […]

Listen to this Article Meet Adishi Gupta, a boundary-pushing artist whose work is as bold, layered, and unapologetic as the title of the show was a part of—Disabled and Disorderly. With a style that’s as much about emotion as it is about rebellion, Adishi uses her art to explore identity, visibility, and the lived experience

Listen to this Article The Intrepid Wheelies Maria Dalmon’s life is a clear demonstration that physical or societal limitations are no match for determination, intellect and a refusal to accept less than what one deserves. Born in 1955 in Sydney Australia’s western suburbs and diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 18 months, one would assume that

Listen to this Article Award-winning recording artist, CEO of RAMPD, Disability Culture Icon Lachi is a globally touring recording artist, award winning social entrepreneur, GRAMMYs Chapter Board Governor, and host of PBS’ American Masters series ‘Renegades’. Born legally blind, Lachi uses her platform in music, storytelling and fashion to amplify identity pride and Disability Culture.

Listen to this Article Can you tell us about your journey into music and how your blindness has influenced your songwriting? As a quirky little outcast, I turned to my piano as a creative outlet. Through song, I was able to understand myself and the world around me better, and in turn, have others understand

Listen to this Article Let’s talk about type 1 diabetes (T1D).It’s about people who wake up every day knowing their bodies need extra vigilance just to stay alive. For Jessica Diniz, President and CEO of what was once known as JDRF—now rebranded as Breakthrough T1D—the mission is to make every day better for people living

Listen to this Article I am 17 years old! I have had Type One Diabetes for 13 years alongside my dad, who had begun his battle in 1986 at just 3 years old. I am a Christian and I enjoy attending my youth group, teaching Sunday school and church with my family and friends. I love spending time with my family and friends,

Listen to this Article By Christine E. Staple Ebanks, The Special Needs Mama BearHow I turned fear and confusion into strength—and why you’re already doing the same. In the last issue, I introduced you to the Special Needs Mama Bear—the fierce, unwavering advocate we become when the world doesn’t know what to do with our

Listen to this Article You may know him from one of the Super Bowls,  or maybe from the TV show, Black Lightning . . . PBS? Or maybe, you don’t know him at all. But after this, you’ll remember his name: Wawa. Deaf rapper. Dip Hop originator. Disruptor of silence. When Warren ‘Wawa’ Snipe performs, the world listens differently.

Listen to this Article High Fives Foundation is known for its incredible work supporting athletes with life-altering injuries. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind starting the foundation and how it has evolved over the years?The High Fives Foundation was founded in 2009 by Roy Tuscany after he sustained a life-altering spinal cord injury