|
|
|
|
Home >
Website of the Month December 2006
>
Text Only
www.loganmagazine.com A brain injury is always the beginning of a new journey; it is never simply the end. We experience this all the time here at Northeast Center as we help people open new doors, redefine their lives and tackle new challenges. This holds true for families as well. Our Website of the Month for December illustrates this through the work of Logan Olson and her mother Laurie. What they have created is a publication called Logan Magazine and its web home: www.loganmagazine.com and the magazine and website are based in Washington State. Logan has experienced the challenges of living with a disability since birth when she was born with pulmonary atresia, a congenital heart defect in which blood cannot be pumped to the lungs from the right ventricle through the pulmonary artery, which is blocked or missing. The only correction is surgery and by age sixteen Logan had undergone six surgeries. It was at that age in 2001 that Logan had a heart attack, her heart stopped and she went into a weeks-long coma resulting in a brain injury. Her brain injury resulted in Logan losing ability in fine motor skills. Swallowing, holding her head up, sitting-up, standing focusing her eyes, grasping objects and performing simple basic daily living skills had to be re-learned. After a lengthy rehabilitation Logan came home to begin the day-to-day process of long-term recovery. It was during that time that Logan and her mother Laurie came to the realization that that finding role models, practical advice and disability-friendly products was difficult. Laurie Olson notes:
Identifying
a gap in resources specifically for young women with
disabilities led Logan and Laurie to explore the
possibility of starting a magazine to address that
need. Logan was encouraged to pursue starting
the magazine by her teachers and counselors. The
idea was not initially supported by the Washington
State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation so in true
entrepreneurial spirit and with help from her mother Laurie
and her father Tim used their own resources to explore
the possibility of starting the magazine. Eventually the Washington state vocational rehabilitation
agency came through with funding to help publish the
first issue.
With funding in place Logan and her mother began work
on the first issue and its website. Both the
magazine and website are slickly designed by professional design
company
Klündt
| Hosmer
who donated many hours of design with a passion to
assist Logan fulfill her mission. The website has a
text-only version as well.
Indeed
it does. The
32-page, full color, glossy magazine expands
disability awareness with informative and interesting personal success stories.
The premiere issue features an article about Ginny Owens,
a visually impaired singer and songwriter which you
can read on the website. There is also an
article about Logan which gives the reader more
insight into her unique journey. From
the
Logan Magazine website visitors will be able to subscribe,
there is a section called "Cheap Chic," which
presents great looking inexpensive fashions and the
visitor can order from national retailers directly form
the site. A section called "Tools for
Living" displays accessible products that can be
used for daily living tasks and like the "Cheap
Chic" section these items can be ordered from the
site. An "Ask Logan," feature is
also planned.
A
new generation of people has emerged. Young,
active, successful who do not let disability stay in the
way of pursuing their dreams. Whether they are
business people, professionals, play competitive adaptive
sports or start magazines there are no barriers that
can't be overcome.
© 2000-2006 Northeast Center for Special Care All Rights Reserved |