By Janelle Eckardt
 
August 15, 2009 (San Diego)--A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…. Oh, wait, wrong introduction. Sorry. Not so long ago in a lovely convention center downtown, thousands of people flocked from all corners of the globe to revel in the Mecca of pop culture that is Comic-Con International.
 
The largest convention of its kind may also be the most accessible to attendees with disabilities and extrasensory powers alike.

 
By Janelle Eckardt
 
July 1, 2009 (San Diego)--Wake up in Hawaii and take a deep breathe of sea-scented air; go to sleep in New York and exhale to the rhythm of sirens and honking horns. Such foreign lands are invigorating, enchanting, infuriating, and utterly impossible to forget. Travelling offers that strange cocktail of emotions: Relief to come home to old routines after even the best of holidays, soon chased by the anxious need to leave again. Craving the dizzy high of exploring a strange land? Still hung over from your last time-zone-hopping extravaganza? In either case, I recommend brushing up on some travel tips that might just be your raw egg and Tabasco sauce cure to the awesome migraine known as jet setting.

Our Guide to the Best Disability-Based Websites on the Net
By Janelle Eckardt
 
May 1, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)--The concept of having a “social life” doesn’t exactly mean the same thing it did twenty, ten, or even five years ago. Interfacing with family and friends seldom actually involves meeting face-to-face, and meeting someone new is only one click away. Chat room chat-ups and instant messaging marathons have, whether or not many of us would like to admit it, become integral elements to our link to the world around us.
 
This month, I’m celebrating some of the best disability-based websites I’ve found for learning, socializing, and sharing. Here are some of the sites I return to again and again – whether I’m looking for wheelchair-friendly travel ideas or a reason to laugh, these sites never disappoint.