Portrait of Ability...

is the title of my dream assignment. I entered to win a contest that would allow me to use my skills and talent for a great cause: to promote awareness of the abilities of individuals with special needs.

I ask all of you who read my blog to support me and vote for my cause, and I ask you to tell friends and family and ask them to vote as well.

To vote you have to:

1. register with a user name, password, and email
2. check your email for a link, and click the link
3. log in and either search for "portraits of ability" or copy and paste this link
4. vote by "pic"ing it in the upper left hand corner

Thank you so much for your support!

This is what I wrote on the website:

I would like to travel the US in search of those with special needs who have risen above and beyond what others thought was possible in hopes of inspiring others with and without a disability to achieve greatness.

I have a twin sister that has cerebral palsy. Growing up as a sibling to a child with a disability, I witnessed countless times where she would be told she could or couldn't do something because of her special needs. I think that a majority children (and adults) with disabilities hear a contradictory message of what they are capable of doing and because of this they don't achieve what they are fully capable of.

My project would consist of contacting organizations that work with children and adults that have special needs to find those that have risen above what others thought they were capable of in whatever area of life they are in now. I would like to document "a day in the life" of those that are followed as well as photograph the people in their lives that have made a difference and have been a positive influence to help them become what they have today.

I would then exhibit the portraits in hopes to encourage those with all levels of abilites that they are capable of more than what others tell them and that they can achieve greatness if they will allow themselves to do so.

I would also hope that the exhibit would encourage those that have individuals with special needs in their lives to be a positive influence and an advocate for them, helping them to achieve their best.



Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post and supporting me in this endeavor!