WWe can't wait to show you all of products, technologies and resources to help you up your game! Buckle up for an all-inclusive climbing wall, a slew of adaptive sports, fun dance opportunities, info-packed workshops and more. It's all free so join us and register today. (Then we'll all go out for BBQ!)
Coronavirus Update: As we welcome you back to live, in-person Abilities Expos, please note that we will follow all CDC, state, local and venue protocols regarding COVID-19 safety measures. We also encourage attendees to mask up for their own safety and the safety of others.
Abilities Expo brings you thousands of game-changing products, services and technologies all under one roof. Regardless of the type and level of your disability, we strive to provide the resources you need to exceed your own expectations and thrive.
Attend free, info-packed workshops on issues that matter to you. Get tips on financial planning, making your home more accessible, traveling with a disability and how medical cannabis can help a variety of conditions. There's more, check it out!
Find your new favorite pastime at Abilities Expo! Try such inclusive activities as adaptive sports, dance, assistance animals and so much more for the kids of all ages! If something sparks your interest, you can find out how to engage year-round.
There is just so much to see and do at Abilities Expo. Here are a few opportunities you don't want to let pass you by.
Come on out and try a ton of different adaptive sports! Will your new favorite pastime be adaptive basketball, rugby, soccer, handcycling, WCMX or sit volleyball?
Whatever your ability, YOU can conquer the all-inclusive climbing wall! With adaptive equipment and tips from Paralympian Mark Wellman, the summit will be within your reach.
Join the world-famous Rollettes for some hip-hoppin' dance fun! Get a front row seat for their dynamic performances, then you get to learn their signature dance moves.
Don’t miss our life-enhancing exhibits, dynamic workshops and fun events for kids of all ages!
In our efforts to ensure a positive show experience, Abilities Expo endeavors to accommodate the disability community with a host of special show services including loaner scooters, sign language interpretation, free wheelchair, captioning services for the workshop and so much more!
For those who would like assistance in getting around the show, free loaner scooters are available during show hours on a first come, first served basis. Is your wheelchair in need of a tune-up? Look to the Free Wheelchair Repair Pavilion for minor maintenance.
American Sign Language interpretation services will be available for those need translation. Workshops will also offer CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) services where everything spoken by the presenter will be captioned on a large screen.
Large print versions of the exhibitor list and the events/workshops schedule will be available by request at the registration counters.
Animals have become an intrinsic part of the disability community. Some are essential to the healing process, while others help their human partners become more independent.
Presented by: Kristin Hartness, Executive Director, Canines for Disabled Kids
Friday, December 3: 1:00 - 1:30 pm
Saturday, December 4: 11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Sunday, December 5: 11:45 am - 12:30 pm
Discover how service dogs are meeting the needs of people with many different disabilities. Find out the many ways service dogs can help achieve independence in people's lives – from picking up a cell phone to providing physical stability, even counting money! Service dogs are available for many different types of disability, including vision and hearing loss, mobility, autism and seizure/allergy alert. Learn about funding support, the process to acquire a dog, and what to expect from your service dog provider organization.
Dancing is great for the body, and even better for spirit!
Don't miss your change to get in the groove.
Presented by: Conner Lundius & Samantha Lopez, Rollettes
Friday, December 3: 3:00 - 3:30 pm
Saturday, December 4: 1:00 - 1:45 pm
Sunday, December 5: 1:00 - 1:45 pm
Join us for a high-energy, live performance by Conner & Samantha of the Rollettes Los Angeles, an incredible wheelchair dance team. The dance team performs unique and captivating routines across the globe as well as sharing their stories of adversity and how through determination and high spirits they've gone on with their lives to fulfill their dreams to dance. Following the performance, it's your turn!
The sidelines are no place for you so take your pick from a variety of interactive, adaptive sports. You’ll get the blood pumping, improve fitness and build confidence
…and the fun factor is off the charts!
Adaptive Climbing Wall
Intro to Chair Yoga (13+)
KidNetic Games
Rise Adaptive Sports
Roll with the Wind: Ride-Along Racing Experience
Sports Zone
WCMX
Wheelchair Basketball Demonstration
Wheelchair Lacrosse
Presented by: Mark Wellman, Adventure Athlete, Paralympian, No Limits Tahoe
Sponsored by: Coloplast
All Day, Every Day
The Adaptive Climbing Wall is open to people of all abilities! There is no better person to learn adaptive climbing from than Mark Wellman of No Limits. Mark is a former Paralympian and Park Ranger, and he is the first paraplegic to summit El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Come climb the wall using Mark's innovative adaptive climbing techniques and adaptive sports gear. Climbing has tremendous benefits—building confidence, developing goal-setting skills, increasing strength and improving flexibility.
Presented by: Jackie Gadd, BYOMYOGA
Friday, December 3: 12:00 - 12:45 pm
Saturday, December 4: 4:00 - 4:45 pm
Our adult class will incorporate stretching and strengthening, with explanations of body-appropriate adjustments and/or use of applicable props. We'll begin with centering, flow through easy-to-follow (and remember) sequences and close with meditation/relaxation to refresh both the body and mind.
Presented by: KidNetic Games
Saturday, December 4: 2:00 - 2:45 pm
The Kid-netic Games is an annual weekend athletic event for students ages 2-22 (if still attending high school) with physical impairments such as amputations, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, dwarfism and other orthopedic impairments.
Presented by: Rise Adaptive Sports and Move United
Friday, December 3: 3:45 - 4:45 pm
Saturday, December 4: 12:15 - 12:45 pm
Rise Adaptive Sports offers an array of adaptive sports opportunities. Their mission is to assist persons with physical challenges to Recover, Inspire, Succeed and Empower themselves and others by providing inclusive adaptive recreational sports programs. Join them for a Sitting Volleyball and Quad Rugby demonstration at the Expo.
Presented by: Ainsley’s Angels of America
All Day, Every Day
Test-drive the Ainsley's Angels athletic ride-along experience! For anyone who would otherwise be unable to experience endurance events, Ainsley's Angels creates "Angel Teams" by pairing Athlete riders with runners to compete in endurance events and road races. The Athlete rider is the core of the team and pulls the runner across the finish line with smiles, cheers and immeasurable inspirational spirit.
Presented by: RISE Adaptive Sports
All Day, Every Day
Come on out for your chance to try out all sorts of adaptive sports! Sit volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, indoor soccer, handcycling and more!
Presented by: Rise Adaptive Sports
Friday, December 3: 1:45 - 2:45 pm
Sunday, December 5: 2:45 - 3:30 pm
Join us to try out WCMX (wheelchair skate). We will have the ramps, chairs, helmets and knee & elbow pads, you just need to bring yourself!
Please note this event was designed for children
Presented by: UT-Arlington Movin Mavs & Move United
Sunday, December 5: 2:00 - 2:30 pm
Come check out some wheelchair basketball action! This fun adapted sport gives disabled athletes of all levels of physical abilities the opportunity to play together as a team and to reach their highest potential as athletes.
Presented by: Louis Nicolosi, coach of the Houston Apollos Wheelchair Lacrosse program & Physical Therapist at TIRR Memorial Hermann
Saturday, December 4: 3:00 - 3:45 pm
Lacrosse is a fast-paced, full contact sport utilizing numerous skills to catch, carry, pass and shoot a ball into a goal using a lacrosse stick. It is a great off-season companion sport to basketball with the season running between the months of May to August. Wheelchair lacrosse offers the complete package—the speed of basketball, the skill of hockey and the toughness of rugby. Come out and try it for yourself!
Explore how assistive technology can help you or your loved
ones bridge the gap between ability and disability!
The Abilities Expo AT Showcase, sponsored by the Texas Technology Access Program (TTAP) of the University of Texas at Austin, is your chance to explore how assistive technology can help you or your loved ones bridge the gap between ability and disability!
TTAP is dedicated to increasing the access for people with disabilities to AT that offers greater control over their surroundings and an enhanced ability to function independently. They develop programs to improve access, advocacy and awareness of assistive technology to meet the needs of Texans with disabilities.
The area's most celebrated artists with disabilities will feature an eclectic mix of original, unforgettable artistry. From paintings to photos and more, their amazing works will be available for appreciation and purchase.
Art Spark Texas challenges perceptions of how people contribute by creating an arts-inspired, inclusive community of individuals with diverse abilities. They are an expert resource on inclusive arts—creating and maintaining an accessible and open community where everyone can participate. Their goal is to provide support and training to the public, enhance personal growth, and offer Texans access to the creative work of people with diverse abilities.
Dallas Market Hall
2200 N Stemmons Fwy.
Dallas, TX 75207
Parking is free. Spaces are located directly in front of the Hall's entrance and in the adjacent 3-level parking garage. If you would like to drop off any passengers before you park, please do so at the front of the hall before proceeding to park.
Visit Dart.org to plan your trip to Abilities Expo.
Local disability activists spearhead Abilities Expo's community outreach initiatives.
Meet the impressive individuals who have chosen to represent Abilities Expo to the Community.
Gina lost her right leg below the knee as the result of a car accident 16 years ago. As she delved into the world of adaptive sports, she was continually in search of volleyball opportunities for women with disabilities. She finally found them when asked to attend the first ever women’s sitting volleyball camp, held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, in February 2003.
Dylan Rafaty of Plano serves as the Vice Chair of the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities. Dylan is currently Director of Business Development & Partnerships for C-Hear, Inc., a company that developed a way to make images accessible and heard. He is Founder / Chief Navigation Officer for DylanListed, LLC, a transition and support services provider for people with disabilities and veterans. Dylan also proudly sits on seven boards/committees benefiting local school districts, nonprofits and community organizations.
I went to SMU, Meadows School of the Arts, on a music scholarship pursuing a degree in Vocal Performance and Music Education, hoping to be a professional opera singer. My life took a drastic turn in 1997 when I was hit by a car in front of my childhood home, which altered my path as a classically trained opera singer. This experience, as well as other life changes I experienced as a teenager, made me re-think what I was going to do with my life.
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