Before we begin, I’d like to thank some people.
To Christopher Rodriguez, Ability360 President & CEO, thank you for the continued support of community impact projects, especially LivAbility Magazine.
To Loren Worthington, my predecessor. The word you told me and stuck with me, “brevity.” I try to apply that principle in my life. I’m making an exception for this article. Thanks for all your support and imparting some of your wisdom on me.
To Zach Alvira, with great appreciation, thank you for all the time and dedication you gave in helping to start LivAbility Magazine’s new chapter.
~ John
A magazine changed the trajectory of my life
By John Beaubien
I have never told this story before; it surfaced only as I reflected on writing this introduction.
When I was about 18 years old, I was diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy called Miyoshi Myopathy. The prognosis was progressive muscle weakness with the likelihood that I would need to use a wheelchair in the future. I didn’t know anyone who had muscular dystrophy. It felt isolating. I was pretty depressed back then learning about my diagnosis and what was in store for me.
My first instinct was to learn more about my condition, find resources, and make connections with people who had similar types of muscular dystrophy. My research led me to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). While they weren’t able to help me start a support group at the time, they did assist with funding for leg braces and they introduced me to their Quest Magazine.
I dug deep into the magazine and read many stories about people with various types of muscular dystrophy. One story in particular stood out: a man in Hawaii who used a service called Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to start his own business and modify a van so he could work. Now here was something that lifted my spirits. The story showed me that I could still be a part of the community and be financially independent. I enrolled in VR and was referred to Desert Winds Employment for job readiness and career coaching. Through that process, I landed a role as an Advocacy Program Aide at Ability360.
I supported the Advocacy department and also had the opportunity to contribute my graphic design skills to various projects for Ability360. In the evenings, I pursued my Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic & Web Design at the Art Institute of Phoenix. Nearly six years later, I applied for the newly created Graphic Design & Marketing Specialist position at Ability360.
Not too long after starting my new role, Loren Worthington, Ability360’s Communications Manager at the time, approached me with a grand vision of a disability lifestyle magazine titled LivAbility. It focused on telling stories of people with disabilities living their lives, personifying the Independent Living philosophy. I was fresh out of college and overwhelmed with the idea of designing a magazine on my own, but it was also exciting and meaningful at the same time.
Our subscribers grew quickly, and I often received feedback from people that they enjoyed it so much they read the magazine cover to cover. It reminds me of the story I read in the MDA Quest Magazine and how it led me to this point in my life. If I hadn’t read that story, I might not have landed that first job here at Ability360. It felt great to give back by designing the stories that would impact the lives of our readers, like it had for me.
We successfully released 22 consecutive editions of LivAbility Magazine.
2021 was a year of change
Like most good things in this world, LivAbility came to an end. Or, rather, it took a sabbatical. It was the year Phil Pangrazio decided to retire and step aside as the longtime President & CEO of Ability360. That opened the door for Christopher Rodriguez, a passionate, and savvy personality, to pick up where Phil left off and continue improving Ability360’s status as one of the most comprehensive Centers for Independent Living in the western United States. Near the end of 2021, Kasey Kaler, our editor at that time, moved on to a new opportunity. A few months later, Loren decided it was finally time to put away his camera, work on projects in his garage, and hit the open road for adventure.
This is LivAbility Now
By Zach Alvira
As Ability360 continued to find success, Christopher Rodriguez found more opportunities for the marketing team. John Beaubien took the lead in the marketing department as the director of marketing & communications. In 2024, I (Zach Alvira) was hired as communications editor. My responsibilities were simple: manage social media and create/edit content for the organization.
But there was an asterisk in my job description. One that excited me from day one on the job. Revive LivAbility Magazine.
It took several months, and nearly another communications editor (I had to move out of state for my wife’s job). But I stayed on to see it through. So, here it is. The first edition of LivAbility Magazine since 2021.
To say writing this isn’t emotional would be a bold-faced lie. A lot of work went into it. Many long days, many edits, interviews and coordination with the rest of the marketing team. Thank you to everyone. We have revived an amazing product, made for amazing people.
But I have to take a moment to thank John. He took a chance on me in July 2024 and handed me the keys to a car with an engine that just needed a little juice to get going. He entrusted me to jumpstart it and get it running again, with neither of us knowing at the time it would be the one and only issue I would work on. But that’s neither here nor there. What’s important is that he and I completed this project together, as well as this creative note.
So, John, thank you.
Thank you to all who worked on LivAbility, past and present. We are honored to carry on the tradition of telling these stories in LivAbility Now.
We encourage you to read all the stories from this digital edition of the magazine. Stories will be released on a staggered schedule through now until the end of 2025. Subscribe to get notifications for new stories. Please enjoy the amazing stories about unique individuals making a difference in our community.
And, lastly, thank you for reading.
John Beaubien, Publisher
Zach Alvira, Editor
