Abilities Expo/Southern California Attracts Over 8,700 Consumers to See the Newest Products and Services for Individuals With Disabilities.Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers Earlier this month 8,755 individuals with disabilities, their family members, caregivers, senior citizens and healthcare and education professionals gathered at the Long Beach Convention Center in California for the annual Abilities Expo/Southern California which took place June 7-9. With over 54,000 million Americans with disabilities Americans with disabilities comprise one of the largest minority groups in the United States. According to the Disability Status: 2000 - Census 2000 Brief [1], approximately 20% of Americans have one or more diagnosed psycho-physical disability. , it is easy to see why Abilities Expo, which is held in seven markets throughout the year, continues to be the leading consumer show and conference. "As we just witnessed in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , the Abilities Expo events draws large crowds of attendees, reinforcing the need to service this market across the country," commented Diane Waltersdorf, show director for Advanstar Communications, producers of the event. "With the numbers of individuals with disabilities and the senior community growing at such a rapid pace, we are committed to offering a venue for disabled consumers to gain the knowledge of the products and services that are available to enhance their lifestyle." Special events that took place during the show included sports demonstrations from the staff of Xtreme Medical, a facility for people in wheelchairs, located in Downey, California Downey is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, 21 km (13 miles) southeast of downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 107,323. . Sports demonstrations were held each day of the show and included Hockey, Football, Basketball, Rugby and Tennis. In addition AbilityFirst, a MindBodySpirit martial arts team and drill team presented demonstrations and several local Southern California handicapped artists were onsite and demonstrated their talents including mouth painted pointillism pointillism (pwăn`təlĭz'əm): see postimpressionism. pointillism In painting, the practice of applying small strokes or dots of contrasting colour to a surface so that from a distance they blend together. , ceramics, 'raku' pottery, mouth and foot painting and much more. Many attendees also participated in the extensive conference program that was designed to discuss challenges of everyday life in a healthy and productive way. Stanley D. Klein, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and co-editor of You Will Dream New Dreams developed the educational curriculum. Topics included LILA Lila - Patrick Salle'<salle@geocub.greco-prog.fr>. A small assembly-like language used for implementation of Actor languages. . Living Independently in Los Angeles, Community and technology, Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (ăls`hī'mərz, ôls–), degenerative disease of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex that leads to atrophy of the brain and senile dementia. : Top ten caregiving issues, Universal Design. Making your home user-friendly, Reproductive healthcare for women with developmental disabilities developmental disabilities (DD), n.pl the pathologic conditions that have their origin in the embryology and growth and development of an individual. DDs usually appear clinically before 18 years of age. , Health promotion through fitness at home and in the fitness center, Job development and career advancement and much more. On the show floor attendees saw first-hand, the latest products on the market including; lifts, wheelchairs, toys, vans, clothing support services support services Psychology Non-health care-related ancillary services–eg, transportation, financial aid, support groups, homemaker services, respite services, and other services , 3-wheel scooters, computers, sports and exercise equipment, daily living aids, personal care products and much more. Participating exhibitors included Ford, Daimler Chrysler, Verizon, MetLife Financial Services and Prudential Insurance and many more. ABOUT ABILITIES EXPO Advanstar Communications produces seven Abilities Expo's each year. Upcoming events include: July 19-21, 2002 at the I-X Center in Cleveland, OH; August 16-18, 2002 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is a convention center for Rosemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Built in 1975, the center has exhibition space of 840,000 sq ft (0 m). in Rosemont, IL; September 20-22, 2002 at the Bayside Expo Center in Boston; and November 22-24, 2002 at the San Mateo County Convention Center, CA. For additional information about upcoming events visit www.abilitiesexpo.com or call 800-385-3085. |
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