Looking Back on a Busy Summer and Looking Forward to Fall!

Summer has gone by so quickly, and I wanted to share some of the events I’ve participated in and the opportunities I’ve had in the past few months.

As I mentioned in my last blog, I attended the Global Pathfinders Summit in Charlottesville, Virginia on May 20-24. The Global Pathfinders Summit celebrated the 400th anniversary of democracy in Virginia and brought together 150 delegates from 50 different countries. During the summit, I had the opportunity to meet people from all over the globe. We talked about democracy and global issues, such as corruption, politics, and policies. Then, we participated in service projects and developed a framework for future democracy based on our conversations. When talking about our cultures, I was surprised that other young people face very similar problems that young people in America encounter. I took away from this event the importance of looking at issues globally. If we worked together globally, we could begin to tackle issues that affect us all.

PHOTO: Matthew, outside,In a blue colored shirt, In a photo with five new friends that he met at the Global Pathfinder Summit In Charlottesville Virginia early in the summer.

PHOTO: Matthew, in his wheelchair, in a black shirt and cap with khaki shorts holding a falcon with a smile on his face. This took place at The No Barriers Summit.

On June 13-16, I attended my fifth No Barriers Summit in Lake Tahoe. No Barriers hosts these summits yearly to provide people with disabilities the chance to participate in some great activities. This year, I participated in an improv course and falconry. I also did a boxing course with my brother, which was great. As always, I had a great time at this year’s summit!

On August 8, I was the keynote speaker at the first Mass Care Symposium hosted by the Emergency Management Alliance of Central Virginia. At this event, I spoke to 200 people about the importance of making emergency preparedness plans inclusive for people with disabilities and for the elderly population. I talked about why people with disabilities should be involved in the planning process and in practice scenarios when it comes to emergency preparedness, and also discussed what items shelters can include to make people with disabilities feel more comfortable.

PHOTO: Matthew on stage, in a blue shirt, in his wheelchair. He front of an audience listening to his keynote. A TV to the right of him reads Disaster Dialog. There is also a picture of a fire on the screen. This keynote took place as part of The Virginia Mass Care Symposium.

Throughout the summer, I’ve also submitted several presentations to several organizations for different events. I submitted a presentation to Virginia’s state-wide Emergency Preparedness Conference. I also submitted two proposals focusing on making workplaces more inclusive and disability-aware for a conference in Canada.

I’m looking forward to speaking on a diversity panel for a conference hosted by Visit Richmond on September 26. The conference is focused on diversity in travel and the media, and we’ll be talking to travel writers, journalists, and other people in the tourism industry. We’ll also have someone from the African American community and someone from the LGBT community to talk on the panel, and we’ll discuss the ways travel can be made more inclusive and enjoyable to our communities.

Even though it’s not lobbying season right now, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into lobbying during the off-season. I’ve continued my lobbying work for the Virginia Association of People Supporting Employment First (VA APSE) this summer and have met with 10 legislators about the upcoming legislative agenda. I’ll also meet with a few more legislators in the coming weeks.

Earlier this summer, I served as an expert witness in court. I drafted a report about a case in Michigan that involved a person with a disability. This was a my first time as an expert witness and it was a really cool learning experience that had me thinking about disability from a different perspective. It’s definitely I’d like to do more of if I have the opportunity!

As you may have noticed, we’ve made some changes to our website recently! We’re going to continue to make updates to the website, so keep an eye out for new content coming soon!

There will be new podcast episodes coming out soon, and I’m looking forward to everyone hearing the newest episodes! Bob and I have interviewed some really great guests on the podcast recently and we’ve had some really great conversations. We know you’re going to love hearing what our guests had to say!

Coming your way is an exciting project that I’m working on with 6 Wheels Consulting volunteers Emily Deaton and Carolanne Monteleone: an eBook! Details on the eBook will be in future social media posts and blog posts!

I have some really great projects that I’m currently working on, and I’m excited to share them with you soon! As always, thanks for reading and make sure to follow 6 Wheels Consulting on our social media platforms to keep up with the latest news!

PHOTO: Matthew, in his wheelchair in a black shirt black hat and khaki shorts smiling. Standing next to him is his brother, Jason. He is smiling in a blue shirt and khaki pants They are having their picture taken in front of a blue backdrop that reads No Barriers.

Staying Busy: Conferences, Keynote Speaking, and More

PHOTO: Program from attending.The 2018 Collaborations Conference. The program depicts two silhouettes of people. One person with a disability in a wheelchair and one able-bodied person holding their arms up in victory.

        At the end of September, I attended the Collaboration Conference in Virginia Beach. There, I was able to network with organizations and individuals about lobbying work. I’ll start lobbying again in January, which is coming up quick! In addition to networking, I also heard updated policy outcomes and listened to a few different programs.

PHOTO: Listening to the Keynote Speaker at the 2018 Collaboration Conference.

PHOTO: Matthew, sitting in his wheelchair, In khaki pants and a button-down shirt, In front of a projector screen getting ready to begin his Leadership on a roll program in his Ed session Atlanta.

            I went from Virginia Beach to Atlanta, Georgia to speak at the NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) South Conference. It was my first time presenting a new program, Leadership on a Roll. I spoke in front of around 60 people and talked about different types of leadership. I’ve always loved to talk to others, and I always enjoy the chance to share my experiences with others.

PHOTO: Matthew smiling with four enthusiastic students from VCU's Student activities board. This was after his presentation at the NACA South conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

            On October 5th and 6th, I attended my fourth No Barriers Summit in New York City. The No Barriers Summit is always a great chance to meet new people and push myself outside of my comfort zone. I took an improv course, learned about adaptive fencing techniques, and did a workout routine with two trainers. A concert on the last day, featuring artists including Mandy Harvey and Judah and the Lion, was a great way to end the summit. If you think you might be interested in attending next year’s summit, you can sign up for more information here.

            I came back home from New York City to give a talk as a keynote speaker at my alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University. I talked to around 70 students and professors about how I navigated the university as a student. I also spoke on a panel and answered questions about what I looked for in a school as a person with a disability and how I chose to attend VCU. It was a really engaging conversation and it was great to hear about other people’s experiences.

PHOTO: Matthew, in a suit and tie, delivering a keynote speech at VCU in front of 70 students and faculty.

PHOTO: Matthew, in a suit and tie, delivering a keynote speech at VCU in front of 70 students and faculty.

            On October 10th, I also was a keynote speaker to students at my former high school, JR Tucker. I graduated high school almost ten years ago, and I talked to the class of 2019 about enjoying the rest of their time in high school and how using the RAPP (Resilient, Approachable, Persistent, Positive) mentality could really benefit them as they moved forward in high school and into their future. There were about 2,000 people in attendance, and I really appreciated getting a standing ovation at my former school.

PHOTO: Matthew on stage at his high school, JR Tucker, in front of 2000 people. He was the keynote speaker for the class of 2019 Convocation.

PHOTO: Matthew in front of the room presenting His disability etiquette program to 28 students In Buffalo, New York.

            The next day, I went to Buffalo, New York to attend an Ed Session. I presented two different programs to an audience, which included students with disabilities. The first program related to disability sensitivity training while the other program was my Be Your Own Wrecking Ball program, which highlights the importance of getting out of your comfort zone. Hearing from students with disabilities and getting to share my knowledge and experiences made the sessions really memorable.

PHOTO: Matthew, In the front of a small room, presenting his second Ed session In Buffalo, New York. This one was about getting out of your comfort zone.

PHOTO: Matthew presenting his disability etiquette program to STEM Students at Scarsdale High School in Scarsdale, New York.

            I spoke at two schools in October: one in New York and one local to me in Virginia. First, I talked to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) high school students at Scarsdale High School in New York. Since those students could be making products in the future for people with disabilities, it was a great experience to interact with them. While I was at Scarsdale, I also talked with an adaptive PE class. After speaking at Scarsdale, I went to Woolridge Elementary School in Virginia and met with the school’s fourth and fifth graders. I talked about the idea of inclusion with them, and the students were all really excited and curious. I loved getting to hear their questions and I hope the experience will help normalize the idea of disability for those students.

PHOTO: Matthew taking a group photo with several smiling fourth and fifth graders from Woolridge Elementary School after his Positively Inclusive presentation.

PHOTO: Matthew sitting In front of 250 fourth and fifth grade students Woolridge Elementary School during his Positively Inclusive presentation.

Finally, I spoke at the Regional Assistive Technology Symposium on October 23rd. I talked to physical therapists and occupational therapists and explained through my perspective how to help a person with a disability find the right tools. As someone who has used assistive technology throughout my life, it was a great opportunity to share how assistive technology has helped me and how it can help to create inclusive environments.

PHOTO: Matthew, on stage next to a screen, serving as the keynote speaker at the Regional Assistive Technology Symposium in Roanoke, Virginia. The keynote was about how Matthew has utilized assistive technology throughout his life.

            It’s been a wild month, and I’m happy that I’ve been able to keep busy! As we approach the holidays, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to take it easy for a few days. Then, I’m looking forward to continuing my work and seeing what comes next! Make sure to stay connected with all of the 6 Wheels Consulting, LLC social media pages and website for updates on ongoing and future activities and episodes of the podcast.