Fun-filled Abilities Expo had something for everyone

Where can one begin to truly describe the many good memories of this last weekend’s Abilities Expo held in San Mateo? It would be far too easy to say all the vendors sporting the latest wheelchairs & cars, or the 27-foot tall climbing wall, or the Rollettes dancing their hearts out. But truly, meeting old friends and making new friends has to be the highlight of the Expo and for many, meeting Ian Mackay was truly a special and inspiring moment.

NorCal SCI’s booth was busy all weekend long, helped by the presence of Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP) which joined our booth with Greg and Bonnie hanging out with us to introduce its various services.

We also met many people who stopped by to meet us in person and it was great to hear their kind words and feedback. Yet, this weekend was also a reminder that there are still many people with spinal cord injury that are not engaged or involved and though we met several of them, we’re well aware of the fact that we’ll need to continue with our outreach work.

Back to Ian, he was genuinely and attentively listening to every conversation he was having. We don’t know where he gets his energy from but he was rarely seen alone. He has come a long way since his devastating bike accident from 10 years ago, becoming an activist advocating greater outdoor access as well as working with major technology companies to make their products more accessible. He is truly an inspiration to all those with SCI, especially those with high-level cervical injuries.

We also got word that the Abilities Expo will return to San Mateo Oct. 25-27 of 2019.