Message from the commissioner: Abilities Expo an event where everyone is included

Last weekend, my staff and I participated in the 2018 Abilities Expo, which was held September 21 - 23 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. This was our fifth consecutive year participating at the Expo, to let people with disabilities know about our department’s services as well as the many accessibility improvements we’ve made throughout the City of Boston over the past year.

The Abilities Expo is one of the biggest cross-disability informational events for people in the local disability community. Exhibitors come from all parts of the City, the state, and the country — more than one hundred vendors, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and other governmental agencies exhibited at the Expo.  

Along with community agencies and governmental offices providing information, the Abilities Expo gives vendors a space to showcase helpful adaptive products, including equipment, technology, vehicles, and clothing. This year, exhibits ranged from assistive technology for sensory disabilities, to wheelchair demos, to emergency preparedness resources, to an adaptive climbing wall, to golf, dancing, and more!

The Abilities Expo is both a fun and an empowering annual event. It provides an opportunity for Boston’s vibrant disability community to come together to find the latest information on accessibility products and services. I look forward to my office’s continued participation in the Abilities Expo in Boston for years to come!