About Fability
From an Idea to a Business
Fability ‘Live Life Fabulously’
How we started
Fability is a Lifestyle Guide established by Award-winning Entrepreneur and Former Government Transformation Officer; Bernadette Rigney
Fability transforms content into engaging material that highlights innovation, diversity, marketing, events and publicity to reach audiences in dynamic ways. Known for their successful events, marketing strategies, innovation and extensive media following, Fability has become a leading Media Brand. In 2014 Bernadette set a target to modernize the disability sector, transforming the stereotype. She started Fability. She has pioneered initiatives which gained international exposure and worked on global projects to share disability awareness through Media platforms and achieved remarkable results in breaking barriers. Fability aims to create equal opportunities and fairness in business and social welfare for all, especially for persons with disabilities. Committed to showing that we all have the ability to Live Life Fabulously, conscious of their role in playing an integral part in making a positive contribution to the fabric of an inclusive society. What We Do:• Marketing
• Events
• Lifestyle Blog
• Online Shop
• Professional Public Speaker and MC Bookings
• Fability hosts and participates in Events alongside South African and International Professional Speakers, Models, Artists and Athletes adding its glamorous shine. Corporate Social Responsibility:
• Empowering high potential individuals to pursue their career goals and reaching their full potential.
• Assisting Companies to comply with Legislative Acts and to effectively roll out their Employment Equity Policies to reach BBBEE targets in Disability. Influence, Integrity, Connectivity, Quality and Passion
Achievements
Unique skills
Meet the Team
Fability ‘Live Life Fabulously’
Bernadette Rigney
Founder
Award-winning Entrepreneur and Former Government Transformation Officer
Bernadette Rigney worked in the USA for a Year and gained experience in international marketing and event management. Upon returning to Johannesburg she worked in the Cosmetic Industry. She also has management insight and expertise gleaned from my employment for eight years in Government. In 2014 she set a target to modernize the disability sector, transforming the stereotype. She started Fability. She has pioneered initiatives which gained international exposure and worked on global projects to share disability awareness through Media platforms and achieved remarkable results in breaking barriers. In 2017 Bernadette won the Tributes Excellence Award in the Entrepreneur category. Bernadette loves to share her passion for business, marketing and entrepreneurship.
Nerine Viljoen
Professional Public Speaker
Award-winning Sales and Marketing Professional
Nerine Viljoen is an award winning sales and marketing professional... with a twist. Nerine was diagnosed with stargardts disease at the age of 21. This leads to central vision loss. Despite this diagnosis Nerine has managed to complete two degrees from NWU and a postgraduate qualification from vega school of brand leadership. Nerine has also managed to build a successful career in sales and marketing and manages to continue working with the hale of assistive technology.
Samkelo Radebe
Professional Public Speaker
Attorney | Paralympian | Professional Speaker and TV Host on SABC 2 Beyond Boundaries
Samkelo Radebe lost both his arms when as a nine-year-old boy he was electrocuted by high voltage wires while playing with friends. He went on to become one of South Africa’s most celebrated sprinters. He started running at school in 2003 and soon after he was competing professionally, bagging over 50 gold medals and nearly 20 SA records for the 100m, 200m, 400m and long and high jumps. He became world famous as a member of the SA Paralympic team in 2012 when the SA team won gold and broke the world record for the 4x 100 relay. Blade runner Oscar Pistorious was part of this incredible team and they won the race in a world-beating 41.78-secs. “I did more living during that race than some people do in a lifetime,” he told the Mail & Guardian. However, Samkelo was determined to do more with his life than sprinting - and graduated from his LLB studies at the University of Johannesburg in 2014. He said his sporting career played a major role in his decision to study further as only a handful of athletes had much to show but medals for their hard work. Born in Soweto in 1989, he was an award winner at the 2013 National Future Leaders Awards. A natural achiever, Samkelo climbed and summited Mount Kilimanjaro in 2007 with Children of Fire, the organisation that assisted in his rehabilitation after losing his arms. That same year he represented South Africa at the 2007 International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports ("IWAS") Games and won two gold medals in the 100m and 200m T45/46 class. Already showing an interest in human rights and law, in 2007 he job shadowed counsel at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Tanzania. Starting to take sport more seriously, he represented South Africa at the 2009 IWAS Games in India and won two gold medals in the 100m and 200m T45/46 class. More gold medals came his way in 2010 when he represented South Africa in various athletics competitions in Germany. That year he also won silver at the Commonwealth Games in India. Then in 2011 he represented South Africa at the International Paralympic Committee ("IPC") World Championships in New Zealand and won a gold medal in the 4x100m relay t42-46 classes. Naturally, he was chosen as Sports Person of the Year at the University of Johannesburg Sports Awards 2012. In that year he was also chosen as Sportsman with a Disability of the Year at both the Ekurhuleni Sports Awards and the Gauteng Sports Awards. In 2013 he was selected to represent South Africa at the 2013 IPC World Championships. He also represented Central Gauteng at the Nedbank National Championships for the Physically Disabled from 2003 to 2013, breaking no less than 15 South African records in the 100m, 200m, 400m, long jump, high jump and cycling in the T45 class. At the age of 24 hung up his running shoes and surrendered his titles without defense at the SA National Championships for the Physically Disabled to focus on his articles as a candidate attorney. Now he is embarking on a full-time career in law. He says: “I enjoy talking and listening, so my personality fits law quite well. Apparently I like arguing too.” He also has a sense of humour. He enjoys pranks around his physical challenges and told Sunday World: “... I was stopped by these traffic cops and when they saw me handling my driver's license with my arms, they were so shocked they let me go.” He believes it's his sense of humour that has made life bearable. This spirit is what makes him such a sought-after speaker. On the professional speakers’ circuit, he motivates, entertains and inspires.
Tania Van Twisk
Fability Model
Fability Model
On Friday the 17th of June 2011 at approximately 08:30, Tania was involved in a terrible motor vehicle accident. They were shooting a program for a ASTV production, 52km from Naboomspruit. This was part of the “Windpompfees” and Toyota sponsored the day. Tania was a passenger on the back seat of the Toyota Fortuner. The driver tried to keep up with the rest of the team, but lost control over the vehicle on the dirt road, and the vehicle overturned and rolled 7 times. Tania was flung out of the vehicle, and according to Tania’s serious injuries, the vehicle went over her. Tania was critically injured. There was no cell phone signal. Nobody to help. Gerhard stayed with Tania, because when he found her, she was not breathing, she had no pulse, and she was lying with her head backwards, her body all twisted, and with her legs folded backwards underneath her body. After 5 weeks in ICU, Tania was transferred into High Care in Rehab. She had to learn how to swallow, sit up, breathe and to do ordinary everyday tasks again. In the Rehab gym, the physio’s and other therapists exercised her upper body and arms, so that she could transfer herself between her bed and the wheelchair. She had to adapt to a total new lifestyle. In the gym she was now the patient, not the instructor. Tania was discharged from hospital 4weeks prior to the actual discharge date, because she did so well. Tania was such an inspiration to everybody, and still is! In hospital, patients came to visit her, just to see who Tania van Twisk is. Her name was on everybody’s lips! Patients and staff sometimes just needed a word of encouragement from Tania, she never disappointed them! She would pray for them, or just tell them not to quit! Tania is just amazing! Her FAITH is indescribable! Her HOPE astonishing! In 2015 Tania entered Fability Models SA and won the Title. We absolutely love working with her.Testimonials
What is said about Fability
I've had the privilege of meeting this incredible woman @Bernadette_fab from @thefabilitylife early on in my exploration into the world of digital entrepreneurship. As an occupational therapist and lover of technology, I had a vision of combining the two for the benefit of the disability community. But I am of the school of thought of 'nothing for us about us' so when I reached out to her and she graciously gave me some time to discuss my ideas. We have not YET managed to collaborate, but I hope to someday soon. And that vision that was the catalyst to me learning web design and development? That vision is still alive...one day...
So do yourself a favour, go check out her page and the amazing initiatives she is involved in or book her as a speaker at your next event. Bookings: info@fability.co.za #inspirationalwomen #motivationalspeaker #digitalentrepreneurship #entrepreneur #fempreneur #womensupportingwomen #womenempoweringwomen #disability #overcomingobstacles #occupationaltherapist #webdesigner #womeninbusiness #hustleandheartwillsetyouapart #doingbeingbecoming #thedailyhustle
Fability Workshop - 23 August 2017: Thank you for hosting us. I got only positive feedback from our employees with disabilities at the dti.
Fability Workshop - 23 August 2017: Amazing workshop I had hosted by the lovely Bernadette Rigney. The environment was great, the people were great and the teachings we amazing. Loved every moment. The workshop was worth it. The information I got out will improve my business and the people were amazing. Thank you Bernadette
Fability Workshop - 23 August 2017: Thank you Bernadette Rigney for an awesome workshop today. Lovely setting and fantastic speaker you are. Very much looking forward to attending more in the future and meeting new people. Much love.
Fability Workshop - 23 August 2017: A HUGE shout out to Fability Pty Ltd and Bernadette Rigney for ALL your support and friendship to Smergos and the team. You are a true worrier and a blessing to all!
The Gauteng Office of the Premier and Fability formed a Partnership in implementing programmes to assist Persons with Disabilities including; youth, entrepreneurs and speakers with disabilities to access socio-economic opportunities.
Nedbank Sports Awards: Thank you again for inspiring all of us!
Leadership has a new face – The Disabled Entrepreneur You Can Be a Success The first speaker of the day was introduced as Bernadette Rigney, and her talk was entitled “Knowing your Rights in the Workplace & the Ability to Live Life Fabulously”. Judging by her credentials, I had a strong suspicion that she would have something to say that I wanted to hear. As it turns out, she is a walking embodiment of the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Kicking off, this tiny woman, born with Arthrogryposis, introduced herself with a brief recollection of her working life in the facilitation of accessibility in Johannesburg. She then went on to tell of her business, Fability, a start-up which she hopes to use as a vehicle for improving Disability Awareness and creating new opportunities for Persons with Disabilities as well as organizations and businesses. As she expounded on her vision and her career up to this point, it became abundantly clear that she was a true giant in her field. I couldn’t help but smile. Her story was one of determination, hard work, and breaking down barriers on the way to success. It was all about living fabulously. Somehow, I really got a sense of what that meant.
The SEDA Disabled Entrepreneurs Seminar 2015 event today in Cape Town at Brideways, Ratanga Junction was phenomenal!!!!! Bernadette Rigney, founder and director of Fability: Lifestyle Guide just WOWED me with her in-depth knowledge of policies and legislation around disabilities! To all my journalist friends who are at the forefront of media for breaking news…if you need to understand policies and legislation around disability issues and know what is happening, and how South Africa is pioneering discussion and debate in this space, Bernadette is your go to person! Mogamat Reza Gallant of Shanduka Black Umbrellas inspired me with his knowledge and understanding of the path entrepreneurs walk. Young, up and coming entrepreneurs, and those of you who dream of starting your own enterprise, check Shanduka out for information resources. Thank you so much SEDA for an amazing, inspiring event!
I had the opportunity to work with Bernadette Rigney on programmes focusing on Leadership Capacity Building in the area of Disability and Inclusion. It is with great excitement that I learnt she will be presenting on Entrepreneurship as a disabled woman and Personal Branding at the 2015 SEDA Conference to be held in Cape Town. Bernadette’s candid style, expert knowledge and humour impressed past audiences and I am confident she will leave this years’ conference attendees inspired into action. Her triumphant journey in overcoming the challenges presented by physical disabilities and her “can do” attitude is what every organizational leader and staff need to hear. It’s both my pleasure and honour to acknowledge Bernadette Rigney for her selection as a presenter at the SEDA conference.
the dti Disability Forum Workshop 28 June 2016 Bernadette’s support in the objective to empower the dti Disability Forum is highly appreciated.