In some ways, says Portuguese ex-boxer Jorge Pina, the loss of most of his sight was the making of him. “I didn’t lose my sight, I just see things differently,” he says.

Forced to abandon his world title dreams, Pina devotes his time to helping troubled kids from rough neighbourhoods stay on the right path by channelling their energy into sport.

A disabled South African pilot was killed when his small plane crashed while attempting to land at Bang Phra airport in Si Racha district Sunday afternoon, police said. Michael Charles Lomberg, 60, was flying one of three light aircraft belonging to a disability rights advocacy group called “Handiflight Around the World” that left Chiang Rai airport at 10am, police said.

The Ability Center of Greater Toledo program, geared toward high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors — though open to those older — helps bridge the gap for students with potential to live, work, and study independently but who need extra support to do so.

Some technology excludes the disabled. If you can’t park your car because you find an app too complicated. Even applying for a blue badge requires a significant ability to use online services.

So it’s always heartening to discover technology which makes life better for disabled people.

After losing his left leg to a landmine during an operation in Hutan Gubir in 1986, an army veteran found himself fighting another battle when he was diagnosed with blood cancer.

Jasni Othman, 60, said he was diagnosed with the illness in September after experiencing constant fatigue and headaches.

Dilapidated hostel building condition has sparked concerns over the safety of ten disabled people who work in an envelope-making workshop in Sungai Lembing. The poor condition of the double-storey wooden structure, along with leaking roof, poses a threat to the occupants aged between 19 and 56.

Indonesian third-grader Mukhlis Abdul Holik begins the long haul to school with a knapsack strapped to his back and hands stuffed into a pair of sandals – to guard against road burn.

It is no ordinary trip for the eight-year-old. He has severely deformed feet and legs so tiny that he only reaches up to his classmates’ waists when standing.

It was a big payday for the athletes as the government handed out a total of RM6.2mil to the deserving winners under the national sports incentive scheme (Shakam). The biggest amount went to the medallists from the Asian Para Games in Indonesia in August with a total of RM2.9mil given yesterday.

Beginning next year, the Education Ministry will implement the Zero Reject Policy to ensure that no special needs child is turned away from school.

The policy, which will be rolled out in stages, aims to ensure that all children in the country, including those with special needs and undocumented children, will have access to education.

Ever since the first Ironman movie came out in 2008, it has fuelled visions of special suits that people could wear to improve their strength. While a suit that can allow you to fly may still be the stuff of science fiction, exoskeletons that can help in the battlefield, in the factory floor and in everyday life is dawning upon us.