Anyone looking to take a cross country trip to one of the country’s major metro areas in the coming months can check out the Abilities Expo being held on specific dates throughout the year.
The Abilities Expo, which has been held for decades across the country, is a special multi-day event where people with disabilities and their families can go to check out shows, products and other information related to the community. Everything from wheelchair dancing to face painting, wheelchair van demonstrations and support animals will be there to entertain and educate guests.
Watch History in the Making
If you happen to attend the Los Angeles event coming up in 2017, you will even get to see history in the making. Event organizers are currently trying to rally wheelchair users together in order to break the current world record for the largest wheelchair painting ever completed. Event organizers hope to have guests complete a 2,400 hundred square foot (120 feet long by 20 feet wide) painting using special paint rollers that attach to the front of a person’s wheelchair.
Both children and adults will be invited to participate in the making of the record-setting painting.
What to do and When
Among the many events that have been showcased at the expo in past years are:
- Dance performances
- Assistive technology product demonstrations
- Adaptive sports learning and participation
- Adaptive gaming (video games, social networking, etc.)
- Interaction with assistive animals
- Face painting
- Adaptive art
- Various retail product demonstrations
- Many other workshops, shows and more
Early registration for the event is available and free. This will help you gain access to one of the expos more quickly when you arrive.
The abilities expo schedule and event locations for the 2016 and early 2017 years are as follows:
NEW YORK METRO EXPO
Apr 29 – May 1, 2016
New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center
CHICAGO EXPO
June 24 – 26, 2016
Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center
HOUSTON EXPO
August 5-7, 2016
NRG Center (formerly Reliant Center)
BOSTON EXPO
September 16 – 18, 2016
The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
BAY AREA EXPO
November 18-20, 2016
San Jose McEnery Convention Center
DC METRO EXPO
December 2 – 4, 2016
Dulles Expo Center
LOS ANGELES EXPO
March 24 – 26, 2017
Los Angeles Convention Center
To find out more about the Abilities Expo, check out their website.
Will you be attending any of the Abilities Expos this year? Fill us in on your travel plans by commenting below!