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Abilities Expo
Despite being middle-aged, I had not been active in the disability community until recently.
The first Abilities Expo we went to was NOTHING like I expected. Sounds a little silly to say it out loud, but I had never seen so many active handicapped people in one place. Yesterday was the third time attending this event and I have thoughts.
The Pros: Different vendors and products that I normally wouldn’t have known about. New pain management systems, wheelchairs that can handle rough terrain & sand, adaptive bathroom & kitchen design (that is not ugly), financial planning. They even had a rock climbing experience for the adventurous.
The Cons: Despite most vendors giving deep discounts, much of it still landed in the expensive range. Very limited food court. Their ad campaign did not find their market, I shared info with PTs and people on STS, none of them had heard of it
The Happy Surprise: Permobil Foundation replaced my worn out tires & casters, an armrest cushion and fixed the control box that had been broken since I first bought it. FOR FREE!! I literally said, “can you fix this shit?” and was shocked when they could and did.
Did you know the armrests have a cover that you can take off and wash? I didn’t.
Verdict? Definitely worth a spin but when you go arrive early to access the free parking perk
abilities.com
Abilities | Serving the Community since 1979
Discover solutions at Abilities Expo. the community for people with disabilities, their families, and caregivers.
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2 Replies
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I’ve never been to one so love getting your insight. Glad to hear you could get your chair fixed. Did they do it on the spot or did you have to schedule it? Any product stand outs?
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That’s awesome! Love that they were able to fix your chair, too. Maybe I should go to an Abilities Expo. I’d probably get better service than I do now from my wheelchair company haha.
I’ve actually never been to one before, but the company I work for was a vendor once and said great things. Were you able to connect with other disabled people while you were there?
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