Educating and Advocating for a Change
It’s been a busy month! I spent a lot of time in April talking to people and promoting a dialogue about how to best work with people with disabilities.
At the beginning of the month, I went to D.C. and did disability sensitivity training for an organization called New Editions Consulting Inc. The company makes it a priority to hire people with disabilities. With the whole staff in attendance, we talked about ways everyone within the organization can better serve people with disabilities.
PHOTO: Matthew sitting In front of a screen presenting his disability etiquette training at New Editions Consulting Inc.
A former physical therapist and I spoke with occupational and physical therapy students at George Washington University on April 24th. These students will be affecting so many people in the future, so it’s important for them to give people with disabilities the ability to empower themselves. One important tool that physical therapists can use for themselves and their patients is something called the Good Day Plan. It’s a goal-setting plan that highlights a person’s strengths and weaknesses, hobbies, etc., and it outlines what someone needs to do in order to have a good day (one of those things for me would be waking up early to eat a good breakfast). Once everything is outlined, it’s easier to figure out how to achieve a goal.
PHOTO: The George Washington University Logo
I also attended the 2018 Virginia Venture Summit. The Summit is for entrepreneurs and lets new businesses connect with the community. There were panel discussions about how to grow your business and Dennis Bickmeir, the President of Richmond Raceway, was the keynote speaker. I was excited to meet a lot of new people and to make new connections!
PHOTO: Matthew sitting at at his resource table at 2018 Virginia Venture Summit.
I finished the month at a golf tournament talking about Sportable, which is an adaptive sports program, that I’ve been a part of for a long time. Sportable was the beneficiary of the tournament, and it was great to work with an organization that I’ve loved for years.
It was a great month and I look forward to continuing my work in May. I’ll have some exciting announcements coming up soon, so make sure to stay tuned!