A Busy Summer for 6 Wheels!

The past few months have been super busy for 6 Wheels, and I wanted to give an update on what I’ve been up to lately and share a few upcoming projects!

On May 10th, I gave a presentation at Lakewood Assisted Living Facility about my work at 6 Wheels Consulting. It was great to present to a really engaged group of people at Lakewood.

I also had the opportunity to be part of the promotional video for CBS’s “Heroes Among Us” segment. I was featured on this segment last year, so it was great to be a part of this video!

SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) had its 2021 Diversity and Inclusion Symposium on May 20th, and I had an awesome time speaking at the event! I focused on the importance of hiring people with disabilities in the workplace and how employers can recruit, retain, and hire people with disabilities.

On June 15th, I spoke at the 2021 Virginia Emergency Management Symposium. There, I discussed the ways emergency management efforts can become more inclusive towards people with disabilities.

As I’ve done previously, I did my professional development training for the Youth Leadership Academy of Virginia. This program helps local youth with disabilities hone their skills and prepare for their futures. I had a great time talking with everyone on Zoom and sharing the ways to best prepare for job interviews as people with disabilities.

On July 20th, I’ll be giving a similar presentation for the African-American Credit Union Coalition for their Division, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Academy. It’s important to share the benefits of hiring people with disabilities in all workplaces, and I’m thankful that more organizations are taking the time to learn the ways in which they can support disabled people. 

You might have noticed that 6 Wheels has been more active on social media lately, and that’s because I’ve also partnered with my social media manager, Steve, who will manage my social media posts. Steve is doing a great job and I really appreciate his help. Thanks, Steve!

Recently, I’ve also signed contracts with two awesome organizations. I’ll be working with Inclusively, an organization that helps people with disabilities find jobs, to help develop articles on their site. I’ll also be working with Grit and Flow, an organization that offers training and consultations to businesses in various fields, to work on programming sessions for people with disabilities to discuss the societal issues that affect us.

Behind the scenes, I’ve been working on some other great projects, including revamping the 6 Wheels podcast and working on my book. I’ve also started to think about ideas for our next legislative session and have been working with others to implement the hiring initiative that was signed for people with disabilities at last year’s session.

I’ll also be helping with a political engagement event with the ARC of Virginia. This event will talk about gubernatorial elections and why it’s important to vote during these elections and who is involved. It’s so important to vote in local elections, not just during presidential elections, and we want voters to be informed about the issues that affect them.

I’ll be keynote speaker and will hold a breakout session for North Dakota’s Power Up Health Conference on September 10th. There, I’ll talk about the ways in which I maintained my physical, emotional, and mental health during the COVID pandemic as a person with a disability.

As you can see, it’s been a busy time for 6 Wheels, and I’m really looking forward to all the events and partnerships to come! Make sure to stay tuned and follow 6 Wheels Consulting on social media so you can keep up with all things 6 Wheels!

PHOTO: Black lettering on a white background. The lettering reads “We have been busy”

Upcoming Events, Conferences, and More!

It’s been an exciting year for 6 Wheels Consulting so far, and there’s a lot more still to come!

Recently, I had the opportunity to join Gayton Elementary School in their Gators Choose to Include Campaign. This campaign is all about sharing the importance of inclusion and celebrating differences. I was able to kick off the campaign by talking to 500 kids in kindergarten through fifth grade about my experiences. The students were incredibly engaged and excited, and I was delighted to be a part of Gayton’s Gators Choose to Include Campaign.

PHOTO: Matthew Speaking to Gayton Elementary school students at the Gators Choose to Include Campaign kickoff event.

I returned to George Washington University to speak with students who are studying to be physical therapists and occupational therapists. These students learn so much in their time at school and learning how to interact with future patients is an important part of their studies. Sharing my experiences with them and talking about how important self-determination can be to patients is a great way to add another dimension to their education.

PHOTO: Matthew speaking to OT and PT Students at George Washington University about the importance of developing self-determination within their patients.

I have several events that are also coming up soon. On May 7-10, I’ll be attending the 2019 Family Voices Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. The organization focuses on the importance of families in children’s healthcare, and I’ll be representing Kids As Self Advocates (KASA) at the conference. A youth panel at the conference will allow everyone to hear about issues that affect young people with disabilities.

PHOTO : Logo for the Global Pathfinder Summit.

May 20-24, I’ll be participating in The Global Pathfinders Summit in Charlottesville, Virginia. This great event will bring together people around the world and will focus on leadership and networking. I’m looking forward to meeting new people and learning from some great leaders.

A few days later on May 30, I’ll be in Vermont to be a keynote speaker for a Youth Advocacy Council. This group consists of young adults who want to hone their leadership skills and connect with other people with and without disabilities. This empowering event will focus on the importance of positivity and enjoying being present in daily life.

From June 13-16, I’ll be attending the No Barriers Summit once again, which is being held in Lake Tahoe. There, I’ll get the chance to connect with and speak in front of others. I’ll also be participating in some great activities, including improv and falconry.

At the beginning of August, I’ll be a keynote speaker at Gayton Baptist Church where I’ll talk about emergency preparedness. I’ll be focusing on the importance of inclusion of people with disabilities when preparing to react to different types of emergencies.

PHOTO: 6 Wheels Consulting Podcast logo.

Finally, I’ve recently recorded several new episodes for the 6 Wheels Consulting Disability Podcast. In upcoming episodes, you’ll hear interviews with Evelyn Clark, who talks about the process of becoming disabled, Ashton Fallen, who shares her experiences parenting a child with a disability, and Emily Deaton and Carolanne Monteleone, who talk about the intersection of chronic illness and disability. In the works is also an episode with lawyer Helen Hardiman from Hardiman Law where we’ll talk about fair housing, disability and more. Make sure to tune in to catch all these great episodes!

As always, thanks for your support! Please continue to stay connected to our social media pages for updates. I’m so excited for everything I have coming up and can’t wait to see what else spring and summer has in store.