About Us
Abledbody – News and insights on assistive technologies and innovations for people with disabilities
Abledbody is a news and information platform that delivers critical knowledge and know-how around assistive technologies and innovations. It also covers disability-related news, including politics, business, education and culture as it relates to helping people with disabilities become more abled in the workplace and lifespace. Abledbody provides content through its website, abledbody.com; blog, Profoundly Yours; and newsletter.
Suzanne Robitaille, Founder and Editor
Suzanne is a writer, author and blogger who has real experience with a disability. She lost her hearing at age four and grew up profoundly deaf. In 2002 she received a cochlear implant, which she credits as “the ultimate assistive technology.” Suzanne was the former assistive technology columnist for BusinessWeek.com, giving rise to her fascination with technology that helps people with disabilities surmount barriers in the workplace and life space. She is a trusted source of disability information for The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek.com, Media Post, Ability magazine, HealthDay, Disaboom and other publications and she serves on the advisory board of the National Center on Disability and Journalism. She is also the author of a new book, The Illustrated Guide to Assistive Technology. She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Medill School of Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She resides in Greenwich, Conn.
Melissa Feldsher, Contributing Writer
Melissa writes about autism spectrum disorders, having grown up with a sibling who has autism. She is a media outreach and communications strategy coordinator for a small, research-based nonprofit in New York. She previously worked in the national headquarters of the Obama campaign and for a global public relations agency. She holds an Master’s degree in Journalism from the Medill School of Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Johns Hopkins University. She lives in Brooklyn.
Michael Janger, Contributing Writer
Michael writes stories on deaf and hard of hearing issues. He’s a business consultant who advises companies in the technology and accessibility markets. Profoundly deaf since birth, Michael has a passionate interest in technologies that enable people with disabilities to strive for equal access in their workspace and lifespace. Over his career, he has worked for American Express, Thomson Reuters, and BCD Travel. He received an Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University. He lives in New York City with his wife, Elise.
Katharine D. Gardner, Contributing Writer
Katharine is a health writer in the San Francisco area. She is the founder and CEO of a freelance writing firm, Katharine Gardner, where she specializes in writing about auto-immune and chronic health issues. She is the former managing editor of Bay Bella Publishing, which publishes Mocha Bride and Bride Nine. She also has worked as a research operations manager at the Myelin Repair Foundation, which develops treatments for multiple sclerosis patients. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a Master’s degree in Political Science from Lehigh University. She resides in Menlo Park, Calif.