Now under new ownership, the Abilities Expo will expand its tour in 2009 to include stops in Chicago and Atlanta.
Long known as a consumer show series for people with disabilities and their families, the Abilities Expo — having already unveiled a new logo and relaunched its www.abilitiesexpo.com Web site — aims to offer more opportunities for assistive technology professionals, including a “strategically redesigned” educational program that will offer CEUs, according to Abilities Expo President/CEO David Korse.

Each Abilities Expo is traditionally held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and Korse indicated that the first day of the show at each venue will now be “Professional Day.” In addition to CEU opportunities for rehab providers, Professional Day will also feature a networking reception and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) seminars for businesses seeking to become more accessible.

The 2009 Abilities Expo will be in Edison, N.J., April 17-19, and in Anaheim, Calif., May 29-31. Those two events have long been considered the series’ most successful. In 2009, the series adds shows in Chicago at the Schaumburg Convention Center, June 25-27; and in Atlanta at the Cobb Galleria Convention Center, Nov. 5-7.

Abilities Expo events feature exhibit halls focused on assistive technology, adaptive automotive equipment and caregiver/patient aids. The 2009 events will also feature an ADA career fair to bring together prospective employers and people with disabilities. Korse says the Abilities Expo has appointed a pair of local “ambassadors” to publicize each venue and to reach out to nearby rehab facilities, assistive technology associations, independent living centers and providers