Jeff Byron first became familiar with Abilities United in 1969, when his sister, who has a developmental disability, was a participant of the organization. Since then, services for people with disabilities have come a very long way. “The biggest transformation has been from institutionalization, which was the typical approach until the 1960s, to mainstreaming and [...]

Michael Pino dedicates much of his life to taking care of his brother Noel, a big-hearted man in his 50’s who is developmentally disabled. Michael has a simple, clear view of how Abilities United fits in with his life. “Abilities United enables a family to function with a normal workday, and enables me to pursue [...]

I Am the Disabled ChildI am the child who cannot talk. You often pity me. I see it in your eyes. You wonder how much I am aware of…I see that as well. I am aware of much…whether you are happy or sad or fearful, patient or impatient, full of love and desire, or if [...]

Mary Doten with her husband Stan As a high school student in the late 1960′s, I became involved with children with special needs when my mother offered my “sitting services” to a friend of hers. I would look after Jimmy, who was four years old, and the youngest of three boys. His parents had a [...]

Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he’s not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars – all in the same day. Dick’s also pulled [...]

In 1986, Karen Denny began an impressive 26-year career with Abilities United that has enabled her to help some 500 families with children who have disabilities. Karen speaks humbly and factually about successes at Abilities United that, to the rest of us, are nothing short of miracles. “We’ve had children who were told they would [...]

Abilities United is all about the abilities, not the disabilities. Just ask Peter Leung, who lives with cerebral palsy, holds a BA in kinesiology and has had a successful 21-year career as a staff member at Abilities United.  After two decades, Peter still loves working here. “I’m so excited to be here,” he says. “It’s [...]

Fifty years ago Dr. Harry Hartzell, a pediatrician at the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, learned that his newborn child had severe disabilities. Subsequently, he and his wife discovered that a group of parents had started a program at a local church for young children with developmental disabilities. They enrolled their son Ben and found the [...]

“And on the championship mat for the 106 pound weight class, we have Kelsee Chen from Gunn and Matthew Rondo from Healdsburg!” the announcer’s voice rung loud and clear throughout the gym. At the lowest weight class, I wasn’t sure what to expect of the wrestlers. The wrestlers walked onto the mat. The girl Kelsee [...]

Sometimes I think to myself: If I had a “usual” child what would my daily schedule be? I would wake him up in the morning and rush him to brush his teeth and get ready for school. I would ask him what he wants for lunch and if he took his books, notebooks, pencil box. And then, I would send him, wishing him [...]

Hellen Hsieh, successful owner of Design Loft, dedicates her free time to Abilities United as their volunteer Art Curator. In addition to selecting, preparing and framing the original works of art, she also spearheaded Abilities United’s participation in the Silicon Valley Open Studio tours (SVOS) as well as dozens of other Bay Area venues to showcase [...]

Having been born temporarily deaf and having witnessed the deviant life of her aunt, Director of Abilities United, Lynda Steele seems to have had a connection to those with disabilities from the very beginning. Her first exposure to the idea of the disabled was when she was categorized as “slow” during her primary education due [...]

Photo courtesy of 10binary Wendy has grown up to be an inspiring and life-changing individual to many people in our nation. She grew up in Wisconsin, where she was born and raised as a child and student. Wendy then pursued an education in the 1960s, and then moved onto high school, where she started to [...]

Blessing: a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness. 9 years ago today, I was given a surprise blessing from God. I didn’t understand this blessing. I felt completely incompetent to accept such a blessing. I asked the “why me?” questions. Then I came up with this brilliant thought, God must want me [...]

 Photo Courtesy of Pranav “But you have to quit, this is getting insane”, I complained to my mom. After two decades of  being a school-teacher, she had risen through the ranks to become the principal of well-reputed  school, a reputation she helped build brick by brick. She still wanted to continue. It became a  compulsive [...]

Photo courtesy of johnny_automatic It was a strange day to learn since my ten years of living that I had a younger brother that I knew nothing about. Feelings of joy and curiosity over powered me. Many people would have been angry at their parents for not sharing this information with them but I guess [...]

Photo courtesy of Peileppe Throughout all life’s obstacles and hurdles my younger brother has gone through and accomplished what most people that met him didn’t think was possible. My brother was born unique and has a wonderful personality if you get the chance to meet him and give him the chance to shine. Most people have [...]

Photo courtesy of shutterstock.com True and yet to say to overcome something, whatever it be, you must endure with patience, TLC, and it seems formally congenial but the fact is damage that has been done has been done.  Where help is needed it is needed.  But self-assurance, along with motivation, and most of all, will, [...]

Courtesy of Elfwood Art In 2002, I was blessed with an angel whom we named, Noreen who was a special child having Holoprosencephaly- a very very rare disease where two hemispheres of brain are fused. It was a shock for the family. I was a happy go lucky fellow who never took life seriously always [...]

Courtesy of Public Domain Images “Why is he like that?” asked the 7 year old innocent me. I was hushed that very moment. “You are not suppossed to say that?” I was told without any explanations. Even though I had a plethora of questions in my head, I managed coerce myself that there was nothing [...]

Courtesy of Christliches Medienmagazin pro We’re all raised with the belief that everything has a limit and that it’s in our best interest to not push those confinements. I too was one of those believers and therefore I believed that those with disabilities are quite seriously limited in what they can do. In my eyes, [...]

Courtesy of SouthDreamz Sudha Chandran (age 47) is one of India’s most talented individuals to date who not only managed to touch the Indian society through many of her “avant garde” roles but also set an example of moving past a difficult disability and coming out even stronger. Chandran began her career as an accomplished [...]

   Courtesy of Science, Philosophy, and Technology From the dawn of humanity, humans have always strived to better understand the universe around us. Only a handful of individuals throughout the years have contributed significantly to the field of science and Stephen Hawking is one of them. Hawking was born to an eminent medical researcher in [...]

Courtesy of Geograph.org On perhaps the hottest day of September 2008, I was a freshman in high school and helping out with a local jogathon for elementary school-aged children. Even though the school year and high school had just started, I began thinking about where I wanted to be after the next four years of [...]

Photo Courtesy from Nick from nopsa In seventh grade, I was a referee for AYSO, a recreational soccer league. As I stepped onto the field, I noticed that one of the kids was different from the rest of the players. I still remember the pair of glasses that covered his eyes. He also was easily aroused by the [...]

Photo Courtesy from Exothermic Photos I was 7 when I met my uncle, Jimmy. At that time, I did not know he was born with autism. Although he was 6 years older than me, I sensed that he acted strangely, a great degree more than me. I would hear the word “autism” every now and then in [...]

Photo Courtesy of AlicePopkorn One of the people who goes to my church, is a college graduate girl named Misty. She is currently struggling with lung cancer and lung problems. She has gotten a double lung transplant, necessary for her to stay alive, and has endured ever since. She has gone through numerous surgeries and [...]

Photo Courtesy from Daniele Garzia What started off as merely volunteering in order to attain my community service hours for school turned into a life lesson which shall resonate in me for quite some time. It all began on a normal Sunday when I grudgingly woke up early in order to make it to Creekside Park in Cupertino [...]

Photo Courtesy of Sanctuary photography From the beginning, I have always found joy in helping others. I encountered the most significant and memorable helping experiences when I was helping my close friend. Although he is mentally challenged, he is a great influence on me. In age, he is two years older than me; however, he has a [...]

 Photo Courtesy from Olympus Digital Camera Website When I signed up for AYSO V.I.P, an organization in which high school students assist children with disabilities. I was not aware of that I would be helping children who had such special needs; it was just as a volunteering experience. I noticed this one small boy, who [...]

Photo Courtesy from Pixabay My first life experience with people with disabilities began when I met David Han, a brilliant sophomore in Cupertino High School. David was different than other students and I can say he was gifted with something special. I first met David when I saw my friend, Eugene, helping and talking to him. I [...]

Photo Courtesy of Public Domain Images During International Week, on Global Community Day, I was watching a robotics activity alone when all of a sudden, a kid with a disability from my school came up to me and started talking to me. At first, I did not know that he was talking to me. Once [...]

Photo Courtesy of Corey Ann When I was about four or five years old, my mother had put my brother and sister in a volunteer service which helped numerous kids with different disabilities. The volunteers would play with each of them and try to teach them lessons and life skills. It was a day care [...]

Photo Courtesy of mademoiselle lavender The instances where I found myself including people with certain disabilities such as blindness, dyslexia, down syndrome etc. was during middle school. In Lawson Middle School I met my first friend. My loneliness and unfamiliarity with the students of this school, propelled me and persuaded me to talk with her, [...]

Photo Courtesy of vasta When I was in middle school, I met a boy named David Han. He was blind. Observing how he and others dealt with his handicap opened my eyes to a new perspective on disabilities, and helped me grow as an empathetic and helpful member of the community. I began to think [...]

Photo Courtesy of Canadian Veggie A few years ago, there was a family who lived in my apartment complex. Their son, Sam, was unlike others. He was disabled and so, his thinking process was slow. He seemed as though he was not able to function on his own. Since my sister was close friends with [...]

Photo Courtesy of Carole Smith When I was in the seventh grade, I had to have my appendix taken out.   I was hospitalized for two days.  In the hospital, I had complained about my pain, the ugly scars on my stomach, and how I was not able to walk.  Thankfully, the surgery was a success [...]

Photo Courtesy of Paperclip.Pro I have a friend named Tracy. I met Tracy though a volunteering event a few years ago, where we were making paper cards for children at a local orphanage. We talked and worked at the same time, each describing our lives at home. Tracey told me that she liked to write [...]

Photo Courtesy of Eagle1.effi In seventh grade, I sat next a student with a disability he was born with. His name was David, and he was blind. I had never spoken to him before, but I knew who he was. I remember that he had many friends and was always friendly towards anyone he met. The class [...]

Photo Courtesy of Caveman Chuck Coker The irony could not be greater. In my speech group, our mentor had a physical disability. When I first met her, I was amused at the idea that she would be able to instruct us. After all, how could someone who was not perfect herself help us? Still, at [...]

Photo Courtesy of Ceziceu It’s the year 2008, and the scariest thing I did was to help a neighbor named Bruce with his groceries. No, he wasn’t some shadowy  monster from the stuff of nightmares, but Bruce-the-white-guy-with LOTS-of-cats-and-a-wheelchair was right up there with Dracula and Frankenstein in my twelve-year old mindset.  Also, I possessed a [...]

Photo Courtesy of Fran Tapia One of my hobbies is volunteering.  Being a young teenager, I believe thatvolunteering is important in our community. I volunteer at the library for acraft program where I help children make crafts for them to enjoy.  As I was volunteering at the library one day,for a craft program, I had [...]

Photo Courtesy of Wonderlane Out of all the disabilities out there in the world today, the most tragic of all are the ones that are invisible to us: mental disabilities. People have ignored these types of problems and claim that they are able to be cured through ignorance and just simply, through stress-relief. I felt that [...]

Photo Courtesy of CECAR When I was in 7th grade, I was invited to be part of a group of friends for a special girl called Lauren. Lauren had cerebral palsy. She could not talk, walk, or control her drooling. She had a computer to help her communicate with others and always needed an aide [...]

Photo Courtesy of Dawn Huczek For our sophomore year we were required to complete 6 hours of community service. At first, I was just going to volunteer with my clubs at school but then I heard about an opportunity to work with disabled kids by helping them play and learn soccer. I immediately became interested [...]

Photo Courtesy of epSos.de During a regular day in class a year ago, I sat the closest next to the door and was in charge of turning on and off the lights. While I was listening to a lecture from Mr. Jia (My Chinese teacher) I heard the door open and thought it was another [...]

Photo Courtesy of stevendepolo In my high school history class, we had an assignment to go out and do community service for school credit. When I first heard of this assignment, I was intrigued, because I always feel like I should do something for the community, but could never seem to find the time. The [...]

Photo Courtesy of Whiz Kris It was a bright day, as I walked to school looking forward to the motivational speech we were to be given. As a change from the regular schedule, I knew that the motivational speaker would add a new light to my day. However, I did not know he would completely [...]

Photo Courtsey of kevin dooley In elementary school, I met this blind boy in church named David. He was a very tall person who was very strong and talented. I always was with him at church and hung out him a lot. Some people did treat him differently because he was blind. I never treated [...]

Photo Courtesy of Britanglishman When I was about 12 years old I saw a new kid walk in through the door of my church’s youth group room.  At that time I had no idea that he had ADHD or Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or that he was made fun of all his life because he could [...]

Photo Courtsey of Ron Cogswell I was more than excited when I found out my parents told me I could go to Hong Kong for my very first time. I couldn’t sit still during the thirteen hour flight to Hong Kong, and all I can think of is the food I am going to eat, [...]

Photo Courtsey of Ola Wiberg In my world history class, there is a boy named David, who is blind. He never really talked to me, apart from the time when he told me that he went on 13 rides in a single day at Great America. Although no one talks to him that much, and he [...]

A child of the age of 15. Going to high school, just like the rest of you. But one thing makes him stand out from the rest. People stare as him as he strolls by in his 50 pound electric wheelchair with a man behind him, guiding him to his classes. People try avoiding him [...]

Photo Courtesy of Pedronet On the first day of Winter Break, I was signed up for a mission’s trip to the Soma district in San Francisco. There, I and a few friends were told to go out around the neighborhood and talk to the homeless people. We then made a lunch for ourselves, and went [...]

My grandfather has Parkinson’s disease. He used to be a tall, athletic, smart man. As a high school student, he was a good basketball player. He even helped found a university in Shanghai. Having Parkinson’s disease has taken away most of his mobility and cognitive capabilities. As a child, I almost always visited my grandparents [...]

Photo Courtsey of me’nthedogs Obsessive Compulsive Disorder has played a major role in my life, especially since I was a teenager. It was at that time that it came into fruition to the point where I could no longer function normally. At that time, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder was totally unknown even in the psychiatric community. [...]

In the past year I’ve discovered qualities about [me] that I had not given myself credit for in the past. Here are 3 qualities about myself that I’d like to share. First, I am able to endure a great deal of hardship. I’ve lived with a disability and a disease that nearly took my life. [...]

Photo courtesy of Peggy2012CREATIVELENZ As a young man radio had always interested me. I would listen at night with my radio under my pillow until I would fall asleep. As I grew up radio became my best friend, and from AM pop to FM culture I listened when I could. Radio soon became records, and then [...]

Photo – Courtesy of bloggyboulga Photo – Courtesy of bloggyboulga No other piece of cake in the world would’ve felt so much rejection. It was a beautiful cake, chocolate and white-cream with nice little red cherries on top, the kind little children would crave- for in their dreams. Even as I began to protest, a [...]

Photo Courtesy of Brenda Anderson Dateline: 1980′s Coming out of some time off after years of teaching, I found myself volunteering for a cable tv show shot out of De Anza College. Called “On the Move” and produced by Able Cable Productions, the show was founded on the principal of “I Can-do” by the disabled [...]

Every year, my family makes or at least attempts to make a visit to India. The visits have been happening ever since I was able to walk and they will continue on. These trips have been nothing more than reunions with family, sightseeing, and idle relaxation. However, that has changed recently. Last summer vacation, my [...]

Edited by Sunwoo Jeong Photo Courtesy of norrisbaby Last year, I had the opportunity to watch a documentary about a child who had been inflicted with cancer. While watching this film, I could see the exhaustion on his face from of all of the treatments and medications that he had to go through on a [...]

I’ve always thought of my grandma as inferior. She can’t read or write, and doesn’t understand deep concepts, not because she wasn’t educated well, but because she never got the chance to learn. My grandma was born during a time when girls weren’t allowed to educated in China, and furthermore, she was born to a [...]

Edited by – Sunwoo Jeong Photo Courtesy of Muffet Most of my childhood was spent in a government “bungalow”. My family used to have chairs that were made up of thick nylon threads, knotted around the chair frame. These threads were weaved in a unique way which gave the chair enough strength to hold the [...]

Photo Courtsey of daveparker Mother: I see your potential; proudly stand by your side Take you out in the open; don’t let you hide Holding on to your hand; holding on really tight I’ll stand by your side; day and night.   I’ll give you the courage to stand straight and tall Try new experiences; [...]

­­­­When I graduated from college, my first “real” job was a Program Coordinator for The Muscular Dystrophy Association in my area. My boss was an amazing woman named Angie. She was the MDA Director for the Beaver, Butler, Lawrence & Mercer counties in Pennsylvania. Angie was not only the director of a multi-county area, but she [...]

Photo Courtsey of peterp I met Julie at Via West Open House on Saturday March 10th. She met us warmly and offered to take us to tour of Via West. When she heard about WorldWeDream she was moved and promised to write her own story. Here is the speach that she gave at Via Services [...]

Photo Courtesy of Adhi Rachdian When we think of great leaders, we always assume that they must be able to speak; able to stir the masses. But, a true leader does not say much. He does not command with his words but by his actions. I know a man – a great man in the southern [...]

When I was a student in graduate school, I met one of the most attractive personality Pat (name changed to protect privacy). Not only was Pat very beautiful but she was a leader of the class. She was always very active in activites around the campus. One day  she suffered from a deep tragedy that would [...]

In the early 1940s, public schools were not required to provide educational services to children with disabilities. Children and adults with disabilities most often lived idle, isolated existences with little community contact and no educational or recreational opportunities. In 1945, two women in the community, Frances Anderson and Faye Braely, became aware of one 13-year [...]

About seven years ago I met a young man named Tony. He was 16 years old  trying to get by in an over populated high school not far from home. When he was  3 he had a terrible accident wich left him in a full body cast for 6 months. He  fell out of a [...]

Recently, I was going through a challenging time in my life and would satisfy my chocolate craving every Tuesday with a chocolate milkshake from the local Dairy Queen.  Regardless of what time of day I stopped by the Dairy Queen each Tuesday, there was a young man with no arms, with another older gentleman who [...]

  As a child I grew up with my younger brother having Lowe’s Syndrome. He was in a wheelchair for half of his lifetime and was able to learn how to walk. He loved to sing his favorite song: the peanut butter and jelly song that his school had taught him. He was very popular [...]

It was rainy season in Pune, India. It was raining heavily when I was passing by Corporation bridge.  I had bad backache therefore I used to go by car everywhere those days.  I was feeling good that I am inside the car.  That was very crowded square, everybody was either inside some vehicle or under [...]

There is nothing quite like growing vegetables in your very own backyard. The subtle play between the reds, yellows, and greens as a plant sprouts out its precious gift to the world. The blending of hues and shades, the changing of forms and shapes, as you painstakingly nurture something from  the earth itself… Again, there [...]

Mr. Bob Hunter began his career at Miller Middle School in 1960 at the young age of 28. During his 39 years of physical education teacher, he impacted thousands of young students. He was a mentor and a friend to many. These friendships that he developed with his students continued to flourish even after they [...]

On our last summer vacation, as usual, my family and I loaded up our car with bottled water.  While enjoying cold water on the hot summer drive, my older son Ankit (He is 9 years old) read the word “CRV” on the water bottle label and asked me about it.  He was surprised to learn [...]

Last summer my sister joined a Casio keyboard class at a local music school. It was her fervent desire to learn to play the instrument. The school had students of all age groups who wanted to learn how to sing and play a musical instrument. Among the students, there was a notable individual: an eight [...]

Oscar Pistorius is a South African runner; however, he is not any normal runner. He is a double amputee. He was born with congenital issues with his legs and at the age of 11 months, both his legs were amputated between the knees and ankles. In spite of this, he participated in numerous sports in his [...]

Shobhit Gupta (Age 9) I had always thought people with small legs could never able to run. Then one time, someone with small legs that was an adult came to our school. His name was Larry and his legs were about the size of a kindergartner’s. He said he could run really fast and demonstrated [...]

Santa Cruz has recently become my family’s go-to place for jogging. The weather is usually very pleasant and the salty air from the ocean is so refreshing when I am on the ocean side trail that that goes along the shore from Santa Cruz Boardwalk to the Tri state beach. Most of the time, we [...]

Last year.. but really not so long ago, just a month back.. we spent a glorious weekend with friends in Angels Camp  and then decided to surprise mom and dad and went straight to LA from Angels Camp to spend a holiday week with them.  By the time we reached LA, it was late in [...]

Since I was born, I had never been able to run. When I was in school, I would typically give up midway during school races and walk the rest. I could not run a step past 30 meters. I could walk for longer distances such as one or two miles, but I had always felt [...]

Since I was six years old, I have been playing competitive soccer. Starting off as a small three and a half foot kid simply kicking the soccer ball in almost any direction, I have grown and developed my soccer skills to an extent that last year I played on my high school’s varsity soccer team [...]

Last year in December, my family and I went to Los Cabos, Mexico for vacation. We chose to go there because it was a short 3 hours flight from San Jose, where we live. We were not sure if Paras, my autistic 11 year old son, could handle long flights. Recently, he had become more [...]

“Hello There”, a loud, warm and pleasant voice greeted my family and me as soon as we were about to enter the car to go to the nearby grocery store. It was Grandma Phila (name changed for privacy reasons), our neighbor. She is not my grandma by blood, but it is said that family isn’t whose [...]

My little brother Paras was born in November, 2000. 18 months later, he was diagnosed with autism. As he grew older, my family and I saw the communication and behavioral difficulties that he faced. We were blessed to find organizations in our area that helped Paras overcome these challenges. We experienced services given to Paras [...]