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World Congress on Disabilities Expo convenes in November
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World Congress on Disabilities
Launching its tenth year on November 19,2009, the World Congress on Disabilities (WCD) Expo returns this year to the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center in Jacksonville, Florida. While only the second year in Jacksonville, Expo organizers say they like the place a lot because it is one of the most accessible convention centers in the country. Most of the attendees are people with disabilities, their families and caregivers. A third of the participants are exhibitors and presenters offering a very wide range of options for conference attendees.
A sampling of the topics this year reveals that the focus of the WCD is on disabilities of all types, physical and developmental. Three themes emerge while perusing the schedule.
1. Roles and responsibilities of families and caregivers. Seminars cover legal and financial issues, care options and assistance with resources. Some topics are highly specialized by condition. “Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome: Implications for Care Coordination,” for example, outlines the team of caregivers needed for someone who has this severe type of epilepsy as well as tips for managing them.
2. The individual with disabilities from infancy through adulthood. Individualized education programs (IEP) have become a common tool for families and educators of people with special needs. Topics such as “Transition and Post-Secondary Education: Does Your Child Need an IEP or a Resumé?” present the multi-facets of this tool.
3. Assistive Technology. “The Technology Enabled Rehabilitation Project” promises a walk along the cutting edge of research in assistive technologies, evaluation and clinical treatment. In “Try Before You Buy” one presenter promises the opportunity for individuals to take some of the devices home for free to ensure appropriateness.
Attendees will also find specialized sessions on brain injuries, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), injuries caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder), oxygen therapies, and autism, including Asperger Syndrome.
Additionally, the Expo offers a jobs fair designed to help those with disabilities prepare resumes, find leads and practice interviewing. The planning documents suggest, too, a conscious focus on veterans.
Corporate sponsors host a sports and recreation showcase, including demos for wheelchair rugby and tennis, adaptive fishing and archery techniques, yoga and Tai Chi. Keynote Speaker, Richard Collier, former offensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars, will speak about his journey after being shot fourteen times while sitting in his car in September 2008. He lost a leg and the use of the other leg, ending his NFL career, but not diminishing his fighting spirit. After a long recovery period, he now speaks to school kids and people with disabilities. "Life is not about touchdowns,” he advises, "but about yards. All you have to do to succeed is make that one more yard. Then make another and another."
The move to this venue was a winner last year. Bill Schwaninger, WCD president, says Jacksonville gets all the credit for thinking through their city planning to include this convention center, as well as developing a monorail system that offers riders with disabilities an 80% savings on its already low fare. This two-day event packs a lot in and gets rave reviews from its typical crowds of about 3000. It sounds as if the WCD Expo is most definitely worth the trip.
Email Kathryn if you have attended WCD previously, or are planning to attend this year. Send her your questions and ideas for topics about mobility and assistive devices.
Read a review of last year's event.
Watch for next International Conference on Aging, Disability and Independence.
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