The Abilities Expo
The Abilities Expo showcases many different activities that range from adaptive sports to educational material. They also include free workshops that can give you detailed information regarding disabilities. Some of the workshop discussions include fashion tips, accessible home design, emergency preparedness for people with a disability, and many more! For a complete list and more detailed information on each one, you can click here. Authors will also attend the event and do some book signing and pictures. Luckily the event is free and all you have to do is fill out a form so they can track the people that are attending and you will eligible to attend for free. The link to pre=register us going to be here. Do not forget to check if it is available in your area before you start to register unless you are willing to travel a good distance for the abilities expo.
The Experience
Going to an event like this for the first time while being a wheelchair user will be amazing because you will get to experience and learn many things you did not know even existed. For example, if you did not know horses can provide therapeutic relief than you will be able to find out everything there is to know when you attend that workshop where they educate you and show you how a horse can benefit you.
It is also a good chance to get to meet new people that have the same interests as you. Also, if you enjoy sports than you get to compete with these new people and make friends. Overall it is worth going because of all the positives and nearly no negatives.
Take your friends or family that are also wheelchair users or others who aren’t just wheelchair users but do have a disability. Take some comfortable clothing to experience it even better. It is also a good idea to take a notepad or something where you can take some notes because you will definitely learn a lot of new things. Another great suggestion is if they allow you to take video then take videos of the demonstrations they do at each workshop or booth. Remember to ask first before you get in trouble and can get kicked out.
If you are a caregiver it is recommended to attend also because of all the informational workshops and booths they have. A caregiver can benefit from going in many different ways including knowledge of the best current technology for people with disabilities. They also showcase exercise equipment which for a lot of people with disabilities is very important so caregivers should attend the event and take a lot of notes. Here is a video the recent LA version of the event. This link is a link to a vlog that someone took when they attended and they showcase different booths.