Los Angeles Event Speakers

Ability Tools, a Program of the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers

Ability Tools, formerly the AT Network, is California's Assistive Technology Act Program. They provide a variety of services for Californians with disabilities of all ages. Their services include: NATADS Assistive Technology Portal, Device Lending and Demo Centers, Financial Loan Program for AT, Information and Referral, and Reuse Program in affiliation with organizational partners. In addition, we provide in-person and webinar trainings, technical assistance to organizations on AT issues and coordinate the California Assistive Technology Reuse Coalition. Ability Tools offers a FREE membership to anyone interested in learning more about AT and looking to connect with other like-minded individuals via the Ability Tools listserv. Ability Tools is made possible through funding from the Department of Rehabilitation, financed by the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration with funds allocated by the Assistive Technology Act of 2004. Visit their website to learn more.

Event: Assistive Technology Showcase

Earthquake Country Alliance

Earthquake Country Alliance (ECA) is a public-private-grassroots partnership of people, organizations, and regional alliances that work together to improve earthquake and tsunami preparedness, mitigation, and resiliency. ECA develops resources and organizes activities to help everyone who lives, works, or travels in earthquake country be prepared to survive and recover quickly. Get started with their accessibility resources and visit their website to learn more.

Event: Emergency Preparedness Resource Booth

Angel City Sports

Angel City Sports is an LA-based non-profit that provides year-round free adaptive sports opportunities for kids, adults, and veterans with physical disabilities or visual impairments. In addition, Angel City Sports provides free equipment, coaching, and competitive opportunities. The Angel City Games is their premier annual event featuring a myriad of adaptive sport clinics and competitions for individuals of all ages with physical disabilities and visual impairments. The goal is to celebrate the talents and strengths of adaptive athletes and create a community of support and understanding around sports.

Event: Sports Zone

Jeff Bourns

American Amputee Tennis Player

Jeff Bourns is a former competitive amputee tennis player and adapted mobility tennis instructor. Bourns competed at international level tournaments and events in a newly organized category of play in tennis, Adaptive Standing Tennis. Adaptive Standing Tennis is tennis for individuals with physical challenges such as amputations, cerebral palsy, or hemiparesis who play the sport ambulatory. Jeff retired in 2019 with a World Rank of 4 in his category and was the first American to compete internationally in this newly emerging category of organized tennis.

Event: Adaptive Standing Tennis

Drew Garza

The Dented Pucks Hockey Team and the HockEYE Guy Foundation

Drew is director of the Dented Puck Foundation, alternate captain of the Dented Pucks Hockey Team, COO of the HockEYE Guy Foundation, legally blind, and created the first Blind Hockey event outside of USA Hockey. Even as visually impaired ex-hockey players, those of us at The HockEYE Guy Foundation and The Dented Puck Foundation would never have thought that we could play the sport we grew up playing before sight loss ever again. To us, the ability to play our game again gave us all a new sense of life, and a new purpose, to grow our game into what sled hockey has become in 2022. The sport is in its infancy in the United States, and around the world. Our neighbors up north in Canada developed the game in the 70's. Our goal is to become a Paralympic sport by 2026 or 2030. The HockEYE Guy Foundation and The Dented Puck Foundation are sister organizations that, while dually purposed, serve the blind hockey community. The HockEYE Guy Foundation focuses on travel, lodging, and educating the public about blind hockey. Whereas The Dented Puck Foundation focuses on tournaments, a podcast, and educating the hockey community.

Event: Blind Hockey – You Won't Believe Your Eyes!

Justin Graham, NASM-CPT, FNS

WOW Wheelchair Fitness

Justin Graham, creator of WOW Wheelchair Fitness, is a Certified Personal Trainer who has been working with the disability community since 2018. He has taught classes with Paralyzed Veterans Association (PVA), Triumph Sports Festival, Ability360 in Phoenix, Spina Bifida Association, and the Abilities Expos shows around the country. His dynamic charm attracts everyone to join his wheelchair fitness classes, combining strength training with dance, pom-poms, and just plain fun! Justin teaches fitness classes daily on the virtual platform WOW Wheelchair Fitness, which provides consistent, organized fitness and personal training via online sessions to increase healthy happiness in the disability community! Whether seated, standing or rolling, W.O.W. is designed for everyone to use! Justin excels at enticing even the shyest student to play along and get valuable exercise. Justin is based in Phoenix, AZ where he teaches live classes and one-on-one personal training in addition to his online classes. His joyous energy is a gift, bringing people of all ages and abilities together to dance with their peers.

Event: WOW Wheelchair Fitness Class

Kristin Hartness

Public awareness and education are very important to CDK – so important that they travel the country to talk to students of all grade levels, civic groups, religious groups, and businesses about assistance dogs. CDK also offers different ways to help educate the public about service dogs including Educational Presentations, Booth Event Participation, Americans with Disability (ADA) consulting. Members of CDK staff and volunteers travel all over the country for these opportunities. Please contact us to learn more about how we might participate in your school, business, or community event.

Event: All About Service Dogs

L.A. Goal

L.A. Goal is a non-profit organization that partners with adults with developmental disabilities and their support networks to assist them in living more fulfilling lives. Their goal is to create more opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities to thrive across all aspects of life, have meaningful relationships, and feel a sense of belonging within society. They continuously strive to understand their members' needs, how they evolve over time, and how they are affected by shifting societal dynamics and inequities. They help the public see beyond ability or disability to honor the core being of their members and themselves. Their mission is to provides opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities to increase their independence and employability through educational, vocational, and recreational programs. L.A. Goal's art and outreach activities educate the community about the abilities of people with disabilities. Visit their website for programs, classes, events, and more.

Event: Artist Market

The Long Beach Beauties

The Long Beach Beauties is a cheer program for differently abled children and young adults ages eight and up. The girls are from Los Angeles and Orange counties. They have been cheering for four years and we are always looking for some BEASTS (male cheerleaders)! They have cheered at several events including: Jamz Nationals in Las Vegas, Dodgers Stadium Cheer Day, the Southern California Special Olympics (SOSC) Summer Games and Abilities Expo Los Angeles! The pandemic did not stop us, we have been practicing and socializing virtually for over a year now and look forward to performing for the public once again!

Event: The Long Beach Beauties Cheer Performance

Victoria Moore

Victoria Moore Tap

Victoria Moore is a master tap instructor with over 40 years of sharing her love, knowledge, and expertise of tap dancing in dance conventions coast to coast in the United States, as well as studio, and private settings. In 2018, Victoria realized that tap dance was singularly exclusive to non-disabled dancers, leaving those with disabilities and any kind of mobility impairment out. Victoria not only created a way to turn the art of tap dancing from exclusive to inclusive; she wrote a book on the subject so that everybody, not just those who have fully functioning physiques, could learn, and enjoy tap dance.

Event: Tap Dance for All

Steph "The Hammer" Roach

Steph has been involved in fitness for 10 years. Helping pave the way for adaptive athletes to be able to compete in functional fitness competitions. She has also helped shape the world's perspective of what it means to be a fitness coach living with Cerebral Palsy. Steph is sponsored by Nike and uses that opportunity and platform to make a difference for those in the adaptive community. As the owner of Hammer Driven Fitness (2018-2020), a 5000 square foot fitness facility in NC, Steph learned the importance of fostering a community based around everyday people and their successes. She has always understood that not everyone feels comfortable in a competitive environment and that most people are looking to pay attention to their health so they can live longer and experience all the beautiful things life has to offer. As a cancer survivor as well, Steph understands the importance of living in the moment and making the most of current situations.  Choosing to stay the course and stay driven was the only logical option. When one door closes a situation has the potential to turn into an opportunity and that's how Staying Driven was able to breathe life. Steph saw a need for a greater community regardless of location so, Staying Driven answered that call.

Events: Adapted Fitness, Book Signing with Steph "The Hammer" Roach

The Rollettes Los Angeles

The Rollettes Los Angeles is a team of women who have created a community that redefines what it means to be strong, female, and resilient. With dance, community outreach, education programs and content creation they dazzle and push the boundaries that others place in the way. Their mission statement is "Women Empowering Women with Disabilities to Live Boundlessly and Shift Perspectives Through Dance".

Event: Dance with The Rollettes!

Joshua Schneider

The HockEYE Guy Foundation and the Dented Pucks Hockey Team

Joshua Schneider has 15 years teaching experience, an MA in Special Education, is a Level 3 coach with USA Hockey, captain of the Dented Pucks Hockey Team, and Director of the HockEYE Guy Foundation. Even as visually impaired ex-hockey players, those of us at The HockEYE Guy Foundation and The Dented Puck Foundation would never have thought that we could play the sport we grew up playing before sight loss ever again. To us, the ability to play our game again gave us all a new sense of life, and a new purpose, to grow our game into what sled hockey has become in 2022. The sport is in its infancy in the United States, and around the world. Our neighbors up north in Canada developed the game in the 70's. Our goal is to become a Paralympic sport by 2026 or 2030. The HockEYE Guy Foundation and The Dented Puck Foundation are sister organizations that, while dually purposed, serve the blind hockey community. The HockEYE Guy Foundation focuses on travel, lodging, and educating the public about blind hockey. Whereas The Dented Puck Foundation focuses on tournaments, a podcast, and educating the hockey community.

Event: Blind Hockey – You Won't Believe Your Eyes!

Straight Up Abilities

Straight Up Abilities provides professional performance art training to students of ALL abilities. Their classes are for everyone, and they pride themselves in creating more inclusion in our classes. Some of our students may have physical or intellectual disabilities but that does not mean that they are undeserving of a life where they can also live out their passions and dreams. Some of our students are student teachers or have a professional entertainment career. There are no limits!  Let's Create A World That Is Better For ALL!

Event: Line Dancing for All

We Adorn You

We Adorn You is the result of a long lasting friendship between veterans of the face painting industry - Elise and Lindsey. Their personal experiences with face painting in amusement parks gave them the desire to create a company where they could entertain children and adults alike wherever the party may be. They decided to offer a variety of services so they would have something for everyone! They are fortunate to have attracted a team of talented artists that will help us make your party a memorable event. They have been based out of Los Angeles and New York City since 2007.

Event: Face Painting

Mark Wellman

Mark Wellman is a nationally acclaimed author, filmmaker, and motivational speaker. Despite being paralyzed in a mountain climbing accident, Mark has inspired millions to meet their problems head-on and reach for their full potential. A two-time Paralympian and former Park Ranger at Yosemite National Park, Mark's NO LIMITS philosophy encourages individuals to adventure into new horizons; to go beyond the seeming unreachable. Mark is the first paraplegic to summit El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. He dedicates his time to improving the quality of life for adults and children with disabilities including disabled war veterans.

Event: Adaptive Climbing Wall