Independence Expo helps disabled overcome limitations
Elizabeth Treston, 50, of Long Beach, is able to self-operate a lift and drive a van. Her 10-year-old canine companion Nello, a Golden Lab, is trained to wait inside the vehicle as he does on a trip to the boardwalk. (June 17, 2010) Credit: Dave Sanders
To mark a quarter century of married life, Kevin and Eveline Schmidt wanted to celebrate in Las Vegas. But there was one problem -- finding a hotel with accessible accommodations for Kevin, who was paralyzed four years ago while training for a triathlon.
Elizabeth Treston, 50, a speech pathologist who was paralyzed in a pool diving accident 31 years ago, was curious about the latest in customized vans.
Rosalie Green, 72, who became disabled by a sudden spinal cord injury, was interested in a special bathtub that could be entered from a wheelchair.
They found what they were looking for at last year's Independence Expo, sponsored by United Spinal Association (formerly the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association). The group was founded in 1946 by paralyzed veterans to improve the quality of life for Americans with disabilities, and the Independence Expo promotes that goal.
"Because you find yourself with an impairment doesn't mean you have to be confined to the home," said Paul Tobin, United Spinal's president. "We can help you participate in things you want to do. We know what it is to suddenly not be able to get around independently."
Tobin, 40, speaks from experience. He broke his neck in a bodysurfing accident when he was 23. "In an instant, I went from being a completely independent naval officer to being a quadriplegic," he said.
The Expo is also for veterans. "Long Island has one of the highest veteran populations in the nation and the demographic is aging," Tobin said. "We give them an opportunity to view services [for spouses and dependents, too] in a nonthreatening environment."
Kevin Schmidt was paralyzed training for a triathalon. He learned of a company that can help him keep an active life at the Independence Expo. Here he relaxes with K.C. in his Islip Terrace backyard. (June 2010) Credit: Daniel Goodrich
The 2010 Independence Expo at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood runs Friday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, June 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It features lectures and demonstrations designed to educate and liberate. Topics include employment and workplace accessibility, travel and transportation accommodations, research and technology, service animals, and information for the aging population. More than 80 vendors with new products will offer attendees a chance to try-before-you-buy.
For Schmidt, 56, who uses a motorized wheelchair to get around his totally accessible Islip Terrace home and backyard, a Vegas hotel stay presented some challenges. For one thing, he needed a mechanical hoist to lift him in and out of bed.
Like others who refuse to be held back by their physical limitations, Schmidt keeps busy and makes plans for notable occasions. With his special needs in mind, he attended last year's Expo and found information to make his anniversary trip to Vegas a reality. Able to Travel -- a vendor at the Expo -- told Schmidt that the luxury Bellagio hotel provides adjustable beds, an electronic lift in the bedroom and one in the bathroom that can raise a client from the toilet to the shower.
After a spinal cord injury, Rosalie Green,72, of Woodbury, must use a wheelchair and specially adapted van for driving. She finds helpful items at the Independence Expo, she says. (June 2010) Credit: Photo by Jacqueline Connor
"They were able to secure for me a really great room with the lift. Not many hotels have that," said Schmidt, a former program manager for Hewlett-Packard. He also learned about special minivans that can lock a wheelchair in place so he and his wife could travel around the city. Able to Travel is now helping Schmidt plan a cruise to Bermuda next month.
That kind of personal assistance, as well as demonstrations of the latest products for the disabled are among the reasons Independence Expo is an eagerly awaited event for people looking for ways to enhance their ability and mobility.
"Technology improves every year," Schmidt said. "It exposes me to what's current, things that might help me. I have difficulty doing everything, and there's a lot of things I'd like to do."
Treston, who lives in Long Beach, saw "a lot of things I wanted" at last year's show. She uses her motorized wheelchair when walking her service dog, Nello, and gets around in an adapted van. But it's old, she said. She saw some handsome van upgrades at the Expo but settled on a lap desk for her computer. "It fits better on the wheelchair," she said. "It was reasonably priced, and you could walk out the door with it."
The Expo is good for people with disabilities and their families, she said, because "they can see products firsthand that can improve their independence."
Last year, Green didn't buy the bath with easy wheelchair access, but this year she hopes to find a walker that can be attached to her wheelchair.
A retired tennis league director for the Woodbury Racket Club, Green became disabled five years ago. "I was playing golf. I felt like I stepped on a live wire, and that was it. I never walked again," the Woodbury resident recounted. "I cannot stand on my own."
She plans to attend this year's Expo because, "It's wonderful when you go to see how people have managed with their handicaps," she said. "There's always something new that's coming out, and everybody wants to see what they can do because most people have led active lives."
There's also useful information in other areas. John Scalesi Jr., 53, a Bellmore retiree, said techniques he learned at the 2009 show boosted his effectiveness as a volunteer emergency medical technician with the Bellmore Fire Department, as a New York State Athletic Commission boxing inspector, and as a Red Cross first aid instructor.
"It's very good for the EMTs to go, because they can learn different things to do in the field when there are no doctors around," Scalesi said.
Some local agencies and nonprofits that will be represented at the Expo include Able to Travel (abletotravel.org), Vets First (vetsfirst.org), Suffolk Independent Living Organization
(suffolkilc.org), Suffolk County Office on Handicapped Services (suffolkcountyny.gov/departments /CountyExec/handicapped
services. aspx), and the Suffolk County Board of Elections, exhibiting the new accessible voting machines.
there is no fee for admission, and there's a free wheelchair-accessible shuttle between the Brentwood LIRR station and the Expo, provided by the Bussani Mobility Team.
2010 Independence Expo
Where. Sports Convention Center, Suffolk County Community College, Crooked Hill Road, Brentwood
When. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. June 25 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. June 26
Cost. Free
What. More than 80 vendors offering products and services for the disabled
Transportation. Free accessible shuttle round-trip between the Brentwood LIRR station and the Expo
More info. 800-404-2898, independenceexpo.org
