ABILITIES is Canada’s foremost cross-disability lifestyle magazine. The mission of the magazine is to provide: INFORMATION about lifestyle topics, including travel, health, careers, education, relationships, parenting, new products, social policy and much more. INSPIRATION to participate in organizations, events and activities and pursue opportunities in sports, education, careers and more. OPPORTUNITY to learn about a wealth of Canadian resources that facilitate self empowerment of people with disabilities. 

ABILITIES is distributed nationally and internationally. The publication is available in print and on CD in text and PDF format. An archive of articles is also available on our website. ABILITIES is circulated to subscribers, every organization across Canada committed to the advancement and well being of people with disabilities, and thousands of professionals, corporations and government agencies.

The editorial scope of the magazine includes travel, health, sport, recreation, careers, education, transportation, housing, social policy, relationships, technology, family life, movie/book reviews and personality profiles. Events and conferences are also considered.

The magazine has a conversational style, and we strive to give our readers practical information that they can apply to their daily lives. Our readers already have disabilities; therefore, we are not looking for personal essays about what it is like to acquire or live a specific disability; however, we encourage writers to draw on their experiences to illustrate a broader topic. For example, we recently published an article in which the writer explained how she continued to enjoy gardening after she acquired a disability by modifying her approach and incorporating new tools to make it easier. Another example: a writer, the mother of a young son with a disability, offers personal advice as well as insight from experts on how to choose a summer camp. We encourage you to read our archive of articles at www.abilities.ca before submitting a story proposal.

NOTE: We do not publish fiction, poetry, cartoons/comics or drama. Organizations and businesses are welcome to purchase space in the Abilities FORUM section, as long as the editorial provided is of relevance to our readership and falls within the guidelines of the publication’s philosophy. A one page space in the magazine accommodates approximately 800 words — or fewer if a photograph or illustration is to be included (no extra charge). “Advertorial” that is strictly product or company specific will be tagged as advertising.

For more information about the Forum, please contact
Ray Cohen at ray@abilities.ca or 416-923-1885 ext 235.

Rates and Word Count Voluntary (unpaid) contributors wishing to shed light on a particular area of interest or provide personal perspective on any given matter are encouraged to submit a brief abstract of their idea for consideration, accompanied by a writing sample. The magazine cannot be responsible for unsolicited material. Professional writers are welcome to submit abstracts or proposals for consideration, accompanied by writing samples, or unsolicited completed manuscripts.

ABILITIES, as a not for profit organization, is generally able to award only honoraria as remuneration for professional work. Honoraria range from $50 to $325, depending on the length and complexity of the article. Finished articles, unless otherwise specified, should range from 500 to 2,000 words. We prefer not to receive simultaneous submissions. ABILITIES purchases first time serial rights and non-exclusive electronic rights for all material used. This includes the right to publish all material printed in ABILITIES in our alternate formats as well on the Internet. A “kill fee” of 50% is available to writers where a financial agreement has been established.

We prefer to receive story proposals by email; if you are mailing in your proposal, please include a self addressed, stamped envelope. Please include all your contact information, including a phone number. All material is subject to the editorial prerogative of the publication as to word count, logical flow, grammatical accuracy and choice of terms as they relate to people with disabilities.

Submissions should be sent to:
Jennifer Rivkin, Managing Editor Abilities Magazine,
E-mail: jennifer@abilities.ca
OR
c/o Canadian Abilities Foundation
340 College Street, Suite 270
Toronto, Ontario  M5T 3A9
Fax: 416-923-9829
Website: www.abilities.ca