FREE workshops!
Take advantage of Free Workshops that focus on many topics from preparing for a hurricane, wheelchair seating solutions for kids, how to pay for everything you see at the show to complex caregiving, and much more!
There's no need to register in advance for the workshops. Just arrive early to each session to get your seat!
There's a lot going on at Abilities Expo Fort Lauderdale! Be sure to also check out the Exhibitors and Events.
Professionals:
Certificates of participation are available for all workshops. Please see the Accessibility Help Desk during the show for information on how to obtain a certificate. Certificate recipients must be registered attendees at the show.
* Workshop dates, times, topics, and speakers are subject to change without notice. The opinions presented at the workshops are those of the presenters and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Abilities Expo. Workshop content should not be considered as a replacement or substitute for the services of trained professionals in any field, including, but not limited to, financial, medical, or legal matters. We encourage you to seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding the evaluation of any specific information presented in these workshops.
Friday, October 18, 2024
11:45am – 12:45pm
Wheelchair Seating Solutions for Kids
Presented By: Timonthy Brown
Location: Workshop Area
This workshop is meant to provide families and caregivers of children who use various types of wheeled mobility devices with an overview of the different types of common seating and positioning devices. It will cover what each item is designed to do as well as specific considerations for children. Several topics will be discussed including why seating and positioning is so important for children, differences between adult and pediatric seating, steps you can take to ensure that your child is properly positioned in their current system, a systematic review of common seating and positioning devices.
Learn more at https://stealthproducts.com/
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Hurricane Season + The Disabled = Prepared
Presented By: David McMillan, PhD, Director of Education - Spinal Cord Injury Support Group of South Florida/Miami Project, Ryan Gebauer, Quad and MBA, President - Spinal Cord Injury Support Group of South Florida and Anson James - Spinal Cord Injury Support Group of South Florida
Location: Workshop Area
This session will explore the vulnerabilities faced by individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) during climate hazards such as hurricanes. Join us to learn how to prepare for hurricane season.
Learn more at www.scisg.org and www.themiamiproject.org
2:30pm – 3:30pm
Share Your Story: Top Ten Tips
Presented By: Cindy Kolbe, Author and Lifelong Disability Advocate
Location: Workshop Area
Presented by Cindy Kolbe, Author of Just Keep Swimming: a crash, a quest, and waves of hope and a lifelong disability advocate. Your story matters! In this workshop, Cindy Kolbe shares tips to get started, ways to stay motivated, and how to take your work to the next level. Interested in writing a blog (with income potential)? Starting a fundraiser? Hoping to sell an article? Dreaming of signing your own book at your favorite bookstore? Or maybe you're interested in sharing your story in other ways, from artwork to podcasts to videos to performing on stage. Learn outside-the-box tips and resources to share your story in the best way for you. Workshop participants will receive a free Share Your Story Guide.
Learn more at www.cindykolbe.com
Book signing from 3:30pm – 4:30pm.
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Disability & Special Needs Planning Made Easy
Presented By: Andre Sam, Disability/Special Needs Planner - Disability & Special Needs Project
Location: Workshop Area
An informative and educational workshop for family members with loved ones of all ages with physical and/or intellectual disabilities or special needs! Many topics will be covered in this workshop. Including: guardianship, alternatives to guardianship, micro boards, wills, family trusts, special needs trusts, SSI (Supplemental Security Income), Social Security Retirement and Survivor Benefits, Social Security Disability, Medicaid/Medicare, ABLE Accounts, budget planning, and transition planning. Learn why these disability and special needs planning documents are important to have and how they complement each other in an estate plan designed to protect yourself, your family, and/or your loved one's current and future quality of life and care. Don't be afraid to plan, be afraid if you don't plan.
Learn more at: https://projectdsnp.com/
Saturday, October 19, 2024
11:00am – 11:30am
Accessible Cruise Vacations
Presented By: Ron Pettit, Director, Disability Inclusion and ADA Compliance - Royal Caribbean Group
Location: Workshop Area
Learn more about how accessible cruises vacations can be from Ron Pettit, head of accessibility at Royal Caribbean Group, a family of global cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. Learn about all the different products and services that are offered for guests with mobility, hearing, visual and other disabilities. Gain information and resources that are available in planning vacations of a lifetime.
Learn more at: www.RoyalCaribbean.com and www.CelebrityCruises.com.
11:45am – 12:45pm
Accessible Home Design: Kitchens & Bathrooms!
Presented By: Rachel Krishnan, AIA, Project Manager - Architecture, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)
Location: Workshop Area
How can my kitchen be made more accessible? Can kitchen appliances be more user-friendly? Could I retrofit my bathroom to include a spacious roll-in shower? Where should plumbing fixtures be located, and what type? Who should I hire to make sure my home renovation project will fit my needs? Whether it's a new accessible residence or retrofitting your existing home, learn ways to improve the accessibility of your kitchen and bathrooms. Information will be presented from several chapters of PVA's book, Accessible Home Design: Architectural Solutions for the Wheelchair User, with real examples and case studies.
Learn more at pva.org/research-resources/accessible-design and the popular book from PVA: Accessible Home Design: Architectural Solutions for the Wheelchair User, Second Edition (available for purchase online).
1:00pm – 2:00pm
The Art of Complex Caregiving
Presented By: Linda M. Schultz, PhD, CRRN
Location: Workshop Area
For both individuals receiving care and those providing it, juggling a complex medical situation with a disability can become challenging. Pain management, bladder and bowel routines, skin care, and more all compete for attention and trying to prioritize tasks can be exhausting. In this workshop, attendees will hear from Linda Schultz, Ph.D., known best as "Nurse Linda" from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation's National Paralysis Resource Center. She will discuss ways to manage complex caregiving with simplicity, compassion, and grace. Attendees will leave this session having gained tips and strategies for preventing and managing stressful situations before they happen.
Learn more at christopherreeve.org/todays-care/living-with-paralysis/for-caregivers.
2:30pm – 3:30pm
Disability & Special Needs Planning Made Easy
Presented By: Andre Sam, Disability/Special Needs Planner - Disability & Special Needs Project
Location: Workshop Area
An informative and educational workshop for family members with loved ones of all ages with physical and/or intellectual disabilities or special needs! Many topics will be covered in this workshop. Including: guardianship, alternatives to guardianship, micro boards, wills, family trusts, special needs trusts, SSI (Supplemental Security Income), Social Security Retirement and Survivor Benefits, Social Security Disability, Medicaid/Medicare, ABLE Accounts, budget planning, and transition planning. Learn why these disability and special needs planning documents are important to have and how they complement each other in an estate plan designed to protect yourself, your family, and/or your loved one's current and future quality of life and care. Don't be afraid to plan, be afraid if you don't plan.
Learn more at: https://projectdsnp.com/
3:45pm – 4:45pm
WTF? (What's The Focus?) Photographing the Unseen with a Progressive Disease
Presented By: Heather C Markham-Creasman, MS CS, MS RST, RESNA ATP, ICC Accessibility Inspector, CEO - Making Waves for Good
Location: Workshop Area
It's been said that photography shows us how little we see with our own eyes, capturing what we miss at first glance. Heather uses her camera to focus on the unusual to reveal the unseen, showing viewers the beauty in the stillness of life that most rush right past, and has exhibited her photos around the world. Join her as she talks about her photography, the places it has taken her, and how she continues to pursue her passion for photography despite the 30-plus year progression of Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. She will offer tips, tricks, and techniques for getting great shots from unusual angles, advice on where to get camera gear that fits your budget, and how disability doesn't have to rob you of your joy.
Learn more at https://www.makingwavesforgood.com, https://www.justforthelove.com, https://www.heathercmarkham.com
Book signing from 3:30pm – 3:45pm and 4:45pm – 5:00pm.
Sunday, October 20, 2024
11:45am – 12:45pm
Mark Wellman: No Limits
Presented By Mark Wellman
Location: Workshop Area
Adventure athlete and motivational speaker Mark Wellman has traveled to each Abilities show with his adaptive climbing wall. He is the first paraplegic to climb Half Dome and El Capitan in Yosemite. Come hear his life story about his mountaineering accident to lighting the Paralympic torch in Atlanta and skiing 50 miles across the Sierra Nevada Mountain range!
Learn more at www.nolimitstahoe.com.
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Discover How to Pay for Everything You See Today
Presented By: Kelly Green, Executive Director - Help Hope Live
Location: Workshop Area
Did you know that you can fundraise to cover the costs of everything you see at Abilities Expo? From power wheelchairs to accessible vehicles, from adaptive bikes to home modifications. And more! Help Hope Live wants to help make this happen! Come find out how the Help Hope Live non-profit organization works closely with Abilities Expo exhibitors and others – to get our clients on their way to independence!
Learn more at helphopelive.org.
2:30pm – 3:30pm
WTF? (What's The Focus?) Photographing the Unseen with a Progressive Disease
Presented by: Heather C Markham-Creasman, MS CS, MS RST, RESNA ATP, ICC Accessibility Inspector, CEO - Making Waves for Good
Location: Workshop Area
It's been said that photography shows us how little we see with our own eyes, capturing what we miss at first glance. Heather uses her camera to focus on the unusual to reveal the unseen, showing viewers the beauty in the stillness of life that most rush right past, and has exhibited her photos around the world. Join her as she talks about her photography, the places it has taken her, and how she continues to pursue her passion for photography despite the 30-plus year progression of Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. She will offer tips, tricks, and techniques for getting great shots from unusual angles, advice on where to get camera gear that fits your budget, and how disability doesn't have to rob you of your joy.
Learn more at https://www.makingwavesforgood.com, https://www.justforthelove.com, https://www.heathercmarkham.com.