Abilities Expo Chicago

Did you know the special needs community and the technology community are relatives? Actually, I completely made that up but I believe it to be true and that is the beauty in the Abilities Expo. As a mother of a special needs child, we are always excited to find out about cutting edge technological advances for people that have various disabilities. We understand with the advances in technology, we are closer to making a disability into an ability and this is why attending the Abilities Expo is important and exciting!

The Abilities Expo does a great job at bringing in vendors and resources for the special needs community and caregivers. This expo is always a great time because the public has the opportunity to not only test products but also ask questions and make connections. Additionally, there are workshops, activities and live demos to enjoy.

There are many exciting components to the show this year and my family is pretty stoked about learning and participating in all the fun. Here is what I am looking forward to:

Technology

There will be an assistive technology showcase and it has been a huge conversation with my sons team at school. This is why I feel there is relational value with the special needs community and technology. The Abilities Expo is the place to be to learn about what's new, what has changed and what you can expect in the future. Being present for these demonstrations are always a must because sometimes if the Assistive Technology team at the schools don't have the opportunity to check out the event, it's great for parents to have the knowledge first hand to share. Also, its proactive to have an understanding of some of the technology just in case the team at school shares new information with you regarding devices. Remember the school and parents work as a team!

Activities

Along with my son I have four able bodied daughters. Bringing them to the expo is a good time because it gives them insight on the community and the expo encourages inclusion. There are plenty of opportunities for them to have fun as well, with activities like the adaptive rock climbing wall, face painting, therapy horse demonstration and the performances, they are sure to have a good time.

Vendors

We love supporting small businesses and those that have unique products. There are always vendors present that have created cool accessories, hack worthy devices and other fun items for us to purchase. Besides, who doesn’t like shopping?

Service Dog 101

Here is the deal, our dog was once a service dog. We domesticated him a bit (I know, we couldn't help it) and we would like to acclimate ourselves to some of the disciplines and ins-and-outs to developing and training a service dog. This is our shot!

Adaptive Yoga

EXCITED! I love yoga and my children love to mimic it as well. I am looking forward to being educated on what adaptive yoga entails and what its benefits for various abilities encompass. Yoga is all about relaxation and of course we all need that!

This is just a shortlist of all of the fun and education that will take place at the Abilities Expo. I like to use this as an opportunity to learn, think of it as a crash course. Its an ideal opportunity to expand your bandwidth of knowledge and have fun along the way! Abilities Expo Chicago, HERE WE COME!

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