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Editor ’ s Note
Fred Maahs , Jr .
Greetings !
Welcome to our October issue of Melange , Accessibility for All , magazine . Our First Anniversary Issue !
This has been an amazing year in many ways as well as a challenging year . Our magazine launched in October of 2020 – right in the middle of a world-wide pandemic . And , in each of our quarterly issues we were able to bring you stories from around the world about people , places , companies , and products that are changing the lives of people with disabilities and their families . It ’ s been fun , educational , enlightening , humbling , exciting , and so many other things for us at Mélange , but mostly for you , our readers !
Over the past twelve months we ’ ve seen the number of people afflicted with Covid rise and many have lost their lives to this horrible pandemic . We ’ ve seen borders open , and close , and open again . Businesses have reduced staff , closed , and many re-opened with new and innovative ways to serve their customers . And , for perhaps the first time , we ’ ve seen the “ working-from-home ” taboo dispelled by , of all things , the pandemic itself as millions worked from home to keep businesses running . As a result , the silver lining was that more people with disabilities were now able to get or keep their job by working from home , whereas the whole concern of working from home in the past may have been an issue – but only for those who truly needed that type of accommodation .
This issue of Melange is special in many ways . It ’ s been a labor of love and now , twelve months after posting our first issue , more than a million readers in over 64 countries open our magazine to read amazing and informative stories – and , we ’ re just getting started . In this issue , you ’ ll read some great stories written by students , thanks to our partnership with St . Cloud State University and Drs . Amy H . Knopf and Kathryn E . Johnson . You ’ ll read about people who have overcome their adversity with a disability and have major responsibilities with a leading national nonprofit ; an Israeli tech-start up that helps people with disabilities , and how the idea of helping a