If you are in the disability industry, you can’t miss the Abilities Expo that will be happening in Boston, Massachusetts, from September 5th to 7th. Whether you’re someone who is disabled, you have a loved one who is disabled, or you work in the healthcare field, there’s bound to be something for you at the Abilities Expo.
What Is It?
The Abilities Expo has been occurring for over 30 years, and has offered something valuable to so many people – senior citizens, health care professionals, veterans, and anyone with disabilities. The expo features some of the newest innovations that can transform a disability into an ability, and workshops to provide helpful information that can change how you live your life.
The disabilities represented cover a wide range – from mobility issues to sensory delays, and everything in between – so there is something there to provide a critical solution for any type of disability.
What’s There?
Many attend the expo to see all of the new, innovative devices and products that can bring a new level of independence never before possible. If you see something groundbreaking, there is the Assistive Technology Showcase, allowing you to try it for yourself, typically the more expensive devices. This allows you to see if it truly meets your specific needs before committing to purchasing it.
Purchase more affordable innovations at the Retail Pavilion, and spend some time checking out all of the trade show booths there. You’ll find well-known companies to startups to nonprofit companies. And really, just about anything can be found here – clothing, educational institutions, scooters and power chairs, therapy services, hospitals, health care, prosthetics, service organizations and associations, nutritional products, lifts, ramps, and much, much more.
If the workshops are of interest to you, there is no shortage of interesting topics. One of them covers the 25th anniversary of the passage of the American Disabilities Act, while another explores whether or not a service monkey is a good idea. Yes, a service monkey – a Helping Hands capuchin monkey to help those suffering from spinal cord injury resulting in mobility impairments. One workshop delves into the value in social media support groups, another talks about reasons both children and young adults might find help with intensive physical therapy, and another on bringing a service dog into your life.
Don’t Forget The Fun
Another valuable thing the expo provides is the ability to try new things. You can see that activities once thought impossible are actually quite the opposite. You’ll be able to give various adaptive sports a try, learn to wheelchair dance, and learn the basics of working with your service dog. On Friday the 5th, give wheelchair basketball and tennis a go!
For a bit of inspiration, the Artist Market is where you want to go. This Market features the work of numerous talented artists with disabilities. Look at the amazing art, and if you’d like, take some home – it is available for purchase!
Of course, no expo is complete without a great guest speaker or excellent trade show booth. Check out the Bodypoint booth to meet Josh Dueck, the skier and paralympic gold medalist, and make sure to call Blazer about getting the best trade show booth available.
Not only can we create a custom trade show booth for you, but we can also store, maintain, and repair any display booths that you currently have. Not sure what you want when it comes to display booths? That’s okay! We can help – just call us today for information about custom display booths.