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Stella Young is a comedian and journalist who happens to go about her day in a wheelchair — a fact that doesn’t, she’d like to make clear, automatically turn her into a noble inspiration to all humanity. In this very funny talk, Young breaks down society's habit of turning disabled people into “inspiration porn.”

What: The 4th annual National Brain Injury Employment Conference, Building Bridges, will bring together all the stakeholders in the brain injury and employment fields—survivors, veterans, family members and professionals—for an interactive and inspirational two days of learning and networking. “One of the biggest adjustments brain injury survivors make is often around employment. With support and retraining, survivors can open new doors to success,” said Conference Chair and Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer Nancy Freeman. Job hunters and professionals will discover useful tips on getting through school, accessing effective tools for employment and learning strategies for job seeking from nationally recognized experts. This conference will focus on finding purpose after brain injury and attendees will leave with insight into innovative employment strategies and have the opportunity to network with national professionals.

Click here to view the flyer!What:This conference features Marilyn Bruguier Zimmerman - Director of Nation Native Childrens' Trauma Center. Marilyn is the directr of NNTC which is affiliated with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and is housed at the University of Montana. She provides training across the country on trauma and the impact to children and communities.It also features Jamie Walton - The Founder and President of the Wayne Foundation to Prevent Child Prostitution. Jamie initiated the foundation as part of her "breaking the silence" as a former victim of child prostitution. Human trafficking, domestic trafficking, and child prostitution are crimes that can befall any child, anywhere, and at anytime. Jamie provides inspirational and take action now presentations across  the country. When:March 16-17, 2012Where:MSU-College of TechnologyGreat Falls, MTContact:Phone: 877-927-6642Email: info@mhaofmt.org

Not long ago, most blind and visually impaired people grew up without ever playing sports; they sat on the sidelines, and kept score during gym-protected rather than included. In the 1980s, few people had ever heard of the Paralympic Games or accessible recreation. Today, promising blind athletes can receive residency at the US Olympic Training Center; runners compete for prize money and national championships, and most ski resorts offer adaptive programs throughout the year where blind people can ski, cycle, and kayak-often for free. The Paralympic movement, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and ever-increasing expectation for inclusion among the disabled have inspired an explosion of accessible sports, fitness, and recreation programs that accommodate the blind. The Encyclopedia of Sports & Recreation for People with Visual Impairments is the first consumer- focused, action-oriented guide to this new world of accessible activity, profiling the people, programs, and products that are helping move blind and visually impaired people from the sidelines into the game. This groundbreaking guide profiles every accessible blind sport and recreation activity with entries that outline how athletes (both novice and elite) got involved in the sport and how participation has shaped their life. The book also profiles major blind sports organizations and includes chapter and resource listings on camps and accessible recreation providers. Through this book, blind people will be inspired to embrace sports as the rest of society does-as a vital component of personal expression and human interaction that opens paths to adventure, confidence, and lifelong health and fitness

Skier Alex Bilodeau is a hero after winning Canada’s first gold medal at the home court Olympic Games. But Bilodeau is quick to share the praise with his older brother Frederic, who has cerebral palsy, and who the skier calls his inspiration.

Kim Peek, the autistic savant who inspired the Oscar-winning film Rain Man, has died, aged 58. Mr Peek's father Fran said that his son had suffered a major heart attack on Saturday and was pronounced dead at a hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, the town where he had spent his life. Mr Peek was probably the world's most famous savant. Described as a confounding mixture of disability and genius, his astonishing ability to retain knowledge inspired the writer Barry Morrow to write Rain Man, the 1988 movie starring Dustin Hoffman that won four Academy Awards.

Ask most basketball players if they'd mind subbing in to a game with less than a minute to play - they'd *scoff* at the notion.  But not Huntley Project senior Sam Shaules.  Q2's Casey Conlon has the heart-warming story of the 30 seconds of game-time that not only make his night - but his entire season.

Behind Cornell University’s successful run to the Sweet 16 this week is the inspiration of a couple of young people with autism. And the team’s coach would have it no other way. As the Cornell basketball team tore through Temple and Wisconsin and gets ready to face Kentucky, coach Steve Donahue has been getting coaching advice from an unexpected source — Jason McElwain, or J-Mac, who became a national sensation four years back when he scored 20 points during the last four minutes of his high school basketball game.

President Obama has challenged us all to help “Win the Future” by out-educating, out-innovating, and out-building our competitors in the 21st century. President Obama believes the best ideas come from the American people. That’s why the White House started a series called “Champions of Change.” Each week, the White House selects 5-20 Americans, businesses, or organizations who are doing extraordinary things in their communities. This series highlights a different group each week ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community activists. The Office of Public Engagement hosts a roundtable event here at the White House to honor those who are “Winning the Future” and empowering and inspiring other members of their respective communities.  Agency representatives and White House Policy Offices participate in the event and host a discussion on amplifying best practices learned in each area. Paired with each White House event, these “Champions” are featured on the White House website. The Champions of Change series is designed for people to look into their communities and nominate everyday heroes who are demonstrating commitment to improving their own communities, their country, or their fellow citizens. That is why the White House is looking for you to nominate someone as a “Champion of Change” who is doing extraordinary things to make a difference in your community. The White House will consider your nominations as they feature people who are bringing about change in their communities to share their ideas on how to win the future. Champions of Change, for example, are: Longstanding businesses that are expanding or investing in new ideas, companies that are adding jobs, hiring back those they laid off and investing in their workers and entrepreneurs who are “betting on winning the future” - starting new companies or commercializing new ideas. People rebuilding neighborhoods, putting brownfields, vacant housing and buildings back to work, making the streets safe for children to play in, creating opportunities for neighbors to come together and harnessing the power of the arts to forge awareness and new bonds. Innovative teachers and school leaders creating engaging and rigorous learning environments that get results, out of school programs providing hope, inspiration and opportunity, young adults setting off to be entrepreneurs or leaders in their communities, programs giving adult learners the skills they need to succeed in a 21st century economy. Communities restoring our waterways and preserving our parks, prairies and preserves for future generations, programs investing in our farmlands and rural America, inventors and innovators harnessing America's natural resources for our shared clean energy future. For more information on the Champions of Change Series and past Champions, please visit:www.whitehouse.gov/champions.  To nominate someone as a Champion of Change, please visit: www.whitehouse.gov/champions/nominate. 

JUSTIN, Texas - Video games and a young boy with Aspererger's Syndrome has led one North Texas district to learn barriers can be broken. Matthew Lowery, who has a mild form of autism, has become an inspiration for many in the Northwest Independent School District, and a lot of that is thanks to those at Gene Pike Middle School in Justin, Matthew's parents say.

Seven-year-old Cayden is unable to walk or talk on his own, but his nine-year-old brother Conner had an idea that would allow them to participate in sports together. A year and a half ago, they began competing in triathlons together. Conner swims while pulling Cayden in a raft, bikes with his little brother towed behind him in a trailer, and pushes that trailer when they run. Over the past 18 months, the pair from White House, Tennessee, traveled up and down the East coast to compete in races. Seeing the brothers working together has inspired onlookers, while bringing Conner and Cayden closer than ever. Their amazing determination and spirit is why the Long brothers are the 2012 Sports Illustrated Kids SportsKids of the Year.

Freeland High School plans a new class this semester to provide peer support to students with autism. The pilot LINK course, inspired by Freeland Elementary School’s successful Peers Actively Learning Social Skills program, will include three students and their peer “links” who receive class credit for participation, Special Education Supervisor Erin Senkowski said. if(typeof oTNCMS_Ad.setRelative == 'function'){ oTNCMS_Ad.setRelative(); } oTNCMS_Ad.show(); “This came to be at the high school because we have a very good program at the elementary and as students moved up (we needed to continue),” Senkowski said. “We find kids learn social skills best from their peers.”