Welcome to the premiere issue of Wheels About. I have been dreaming of publishing a magazine for people with disabilities for a long time and would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about why this magazine is so important to me. My name is Shawna Mattinson. I've had the idea for this publication for sometime now.   It came to me when I left my last job.  I had been working at a bookstore for about three years and I left the end of May 2003.   At first it was supposed to be a work experience for six months and then, they said NO to pay me because I have a disability. At the time I had no other opportunities to work so I stayed there until I could find a new job.   I handed out my resume to a lot of companies all over Calgary.   People can't realize that I just have to work that much harder to make sure people can see me, not my disability.  After handing out a lot of resumes I thought to myself, I can't be happy in a job, knowing that I am not getting the respect that I deserve because they can not see past my disability.  So I decided instead of waiting for someone to hire me I would start my own business and hire myself.

While working on my autobiography and researching the current types of publications available I saw a need for a magazine that took a lighter look at the every day life of a person with a disability.   I want to publish stories about people's life accomplishments, take a humorous look at the stigmas that still surround people with disabilities, plus have all the features of a regular magazine. Plus, maybe even show my readers in the process, the lives of all people are the same with or without disabilities.

The main feature of my magazine is life accomplishments, not about life long barriers. It is a collaboration of interviews and submissions from the public that make up the backbone of life experience articles. I want Wheels About to be a voice for all the people who have struggled and have come out on top.

I want to show that it's society's stigma that needs help, not people with disabilities. Sometimes when people help they go too far it can end in a very humorous experience. For example, a person with a visual impairment being assisted across the wrong street and left to figure out where he is! Society's views have come a long way, but hopefully by being able to laugh at themselves they will also be able to learn about people's abilities.

The magazine also hosts regular features such as relationships, travel, and career advice. There are reviews of books, movies and the accessibility of certain establishments. There is a lifestyle section that includes topics on health, current events and activities, plus any groups or clubs that may interest our readers. Your feedback is always welcome! We at Wheels About would love to hear about what you are interested in seeing published.