Ralph has served as the executive director of the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology Foundation and the Berwyn Cicero Council on Aging, helping to establish the organization and begin serving the community. He was also an AARP regional vice president for a decade and, prior to that, the Illinois State Director for four years.
He holds BS and MA degrees in psychology from Loyola University of Chicago and worked as a licensed clinical professional counselor in Illinois for three decades. He also holds an MBA degree from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Ralph has served on numerous boards for nonprofit organizations and in 2018 founded the LGMD2L Foundation to help look for treatments and cures for his form of muscular dystrophy.
Columnist’s Note: Dear reader, this will be my final column at Muscular Dystrophy News. The past 15 months have been wonderful, but I have decided to take time away from writing to work on a variety of things, including…
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Some of my recent columns have been exhausting to write. This is because many of the experiences I have discussed have been difficult to actually live through. We live in a society that frustrates us. Living with muscular dystrophy…
I have limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2L (LGMD2L). My previous column, “I Live Creatively to Power Past Obstacles,” discussed how I live with my limitations. For me, the biggest challenge is navigating the world outside my home.
Writing a weekly column has been enjoyable. It has been great to examine a variety of issues that are important to the muscular dystrophy community. It also provides a way for people to share ideas. I’ve done a…
In the disability community, which is as diverse and broad as any other, there is a debate over terminology. I have seen this play out on my Twitter account and in other places. I have also seen some…
I recently attended The Speak Foundation’s 11th Annual Conference. This event is for individuals with neuromuscular diseases and their families. We met in the beautiful city of Atlanta, for what turned out to be an exciting few days.
This column is a particularly nice one for me to write because of my love of bicycle riding. I began to bike in 1988. I was 29 years old and looking for a better way to stay active while…
Last week’s column, “Uniting to Effect Positive Change,” focused on the bigger picture of advocacy. This form of advocating is about a larger movement and changing the society we live in. I have heard from many people wanting…
I promised you that Sammy would be back. He came to this column on April 18 (see: “True Accessibility for All: No Roadblocks, Please“), and because he is my alter ego, I figured we’d be talking again at…
Many people love to travel. The issue of wheelchair accessibility on airplanes is important. Just as important for those of us who don’t use a wheelchair but are looking for better ways to get around…
Research and clinical trials Science is closer than ever before to finding treatments and cures for many rare illnesses. An important topic that I’d like to address is the process of research and clinical…
One of the greatest human needs is to feel that we belong. Most of us, even the introverted ones among us, seek to have a group of people with whom we feel a connection. Family is usually the first…
First, a thank-you As I begin my second month as a columnist at Muscular Dystrophy News Today, I’m excited to be hearing from you about the columns. I’m on Twitter (@ralphyaniz) and always want to delve deeper.
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