My First Year with Yahoo! Content Network

The quest for a bit of pocket change led me to Yahoo! Content Network, formally known as Associated Content. During this very time last year, I was unable to work due to illness. Not knowing when I would be able to return, I begin looking for ways to earn some extra cash doing what I loved - writing. On December 3, 2009, someone referred me to Associated Content, saying that it was a good place to write for. Eager to begin, I joined that day.

Some Background

Writing has been my passion since childhood, and it is a major part of my job. Reports, articles, and papers make up the bulk of my work, which includes writing for the company blog.

In the past, I have been a guest columnist for a Colorado newspaper and a regular writer for a national disability rights newsletter. An article that I wrote was included in a book by the late historian, Howard Zinn. Still, I am not a professional writer or journalist.

Battling Feelings of Intimidation

At first, I thought that not being a professional would put me at a disadvantage at Y!CN. Once I joined, I was so intimidated after reading the articles of some of the more prolific Contributors that it took me a week to summon the courage to ask questions in the forums. Those same Contributors, however, were so welcoming, kind and helpful that I decided not to duck and run, but to post my first article. It appeared on December 15, 2009.

My Journey So Far

It has been wonderful writing for Y!CN. It is filled with caring, hard working staff that have quickly answered my questions and solved any problems that I have encountered. I have also met many Contributors who have been wonderful to me. They have encouraged and uplifted me. I have been interviewed, profiled, and given link love on some of their blogs. Several of my articles were picked up by National Public Radio (NPR) and some nationally known disability rights activists and organizations have linked my articles to their sites. I was honored to be one of the recipients of Y!CN's Rising Star Award for 2010.

My Articles

I am a person with multiple disabilities, and have been a disability rights activist for over twenty years. Therefore, most of the articles that I publish here have a disability and an activist angle. I write about the struggle for the right of people with disabilities to do the things that many of us take for granted - independence, being in our communities, working, voting, you name it. I write about serving my community, protesting, disability legislation and going to jail. People with disabilities are more than just diseases and conditions. I want people to see and to think of us as well-rounded, ordinary, interesting people just living life.