Getting the Royal Treatment

Wounded veterans participated in the Invictus Games trials in Bath, England, last Friday. A gust of wind knocked over a woman in her racing wheelchair, and Prince Harry along with two other men came to her rescue. The Invictus Games are similar to the Paralympics and will take place May 8-12 in Orlando. For more details on this story, go to http://www.eonline.com/news/735100/swoon-alert-prince-harry-rescues-a-woman-falling-from-a-wheelchair.

Lego's Inclusion of Disability

At toy fairs in Nuremberg and London earlier this week, Lego displayed its City plastic construction toy set, which will be sold starting in June. This set includes a male mini-figure sitting in a wheelchair and a guide dog, which pleases disability advocates. It so happens today is International Lego Day. For more information, go to http://www.today.com/health/lego-releases-new-wheelchair-bound-minifigure-lego-lovers-are-celebrating-t69701.

Remembering the Forgotten Holocaust Victims

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Thousands of people with disabilities along with millions of Jews were killed by Nazis in Germany between 1940 and 1945. For more information, go to http://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/online-features/special-focus/nazi-persecution-of-the-disabled.

MLK's Contribution to Disability Rights

As a civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wasn't advocating for only African Americans. He was also speaking on behalf of people with disabilities. His efforts as well as those of disability advocates contributed to the ADA. For a summary of Dr. King's involvement in disability rights, go to http://www.amsvans.com/blog/disability-rights-and-dr-martin-luther-king-jr/.

Oh, Baby!

Earlier this week, an article was published about a couple with cerebral palsy who gave birth to a healthy baby girl last November. This shows the life possibilities people with disabilities have. For more details on this story, go to http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/disabled-couple-prove-doctors-wrong-7172073.

Exercises for People in Wheelchairs

A common New Year's resolution is to exercise more for weight loss or just for the sake of one's health. Exercising is difficult for wheelchair users due to physical limitations, but there are options for them. In many parts of the United States, there is a show on PBS called Sit and Be Fit, which demonstrates exercises that can be done while seated. For more information (including whether this program airs in your area), go to http://www.sitandbefit.org/. Chair Aerobics for Everyone is another example of an exercise program for those who can't stand. Let's keep moving!

Making the Best of Disability

There are examples of young people with disabilities who make the best of their situation. Last fall, Ali Stroker (http://www.alistroker.com/) became the first person in a wheelchair to perform on Broadway. Spring Awakening, the play in which Stroker has a part, features deaf actors, so cast members use sign language during performances. Additionally, Jen Bricker (http://jenbricker.com/), the sister of Olympic gymnast Dominique Moceanu, is a successful acrobat and aerialist despite being born without legs. Bricker's autobiography Everything Is Possible will be released later this year.

Wheeling into Trouble

Earlier this week, Kelvin Dennison, a 23-year-old wheelchair user due to paralysis from a shooting when he was a teenager, pled guilty to robbing a second New York bank in less than a year. He will be sentenced on September 4. It's a shame Dennison dealt with his disability this way. For more on this story, go to http://www.inquisitr.com/2687729/man-in-wheelchair-who-successfully-pulled-off-bank-robbery-wheeled-into-the-court-for-another-heist/.

Down Syndrome on TV

The new A&E documentary series Born This Way, which follows seven young adults with Down syndrome, has aired at 10:00 P.M. every Tuesday since December 8. The finale will take place on January 12. To catch up on previous episodes, go to http://www.aetv.com/shows/born-this-way.

On a side note, after months of construction, the Space Coast Field of Dreams sports complex, which was mentioned in a post last November, will host its grand opening at 10:00 A.M. today. For more information, go to http://spacecoastfieldofdreams.org/.