April 11, 2019 article reposted with permission from The Berkeley Times
On Saturday, April 27, the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, CA will host the second annual MOMENTUM Expo, a Transportation and Mobility event intended to bring folks with disabilities, their families, and allies together to explore the future of assistive technologies and to take advantage of the Bay’s disability community resources. The all-day, interactive event is slated to coalesce community members, transportation experts, universal design industry leaders, and disability advocates with the goal of empowering people with resources to travel independently, comfortably, and safely.
Katherine Mcnuitt, President of the Mills College Disability Advocacy Club, plans to attend MOMENTUM for the first time. Asked what she expects to gain from the event, Katherine declares, “My hope is to explore the Ed Roberts campus a little more, as I haven't yet been, and I'm looking forward to meeting new people. I am also looking forward to seeing what types of cutting edge [low-vision] assistive technology will be shown.”
And MOMENTUM will have an array of assistive technologies--familiarly known as “A.T.”--for Bay Area residents to try out. Attendees will get the chance to test drive wheelchairs designed by WHILL, an adaptive tech provider specializing in sleek, modern indoor and outdoor Personal Electric Vehicles (EV). This year, event organizers intentionally included more speakers, tech innovators, and resources focused on enhancing transportation safety and independence for the blind and low-vision community. Humanware, a global leader in creating A.T. for people who are blind or low-vision, will showcase their latest low-vision aids, and Santa Rosa-based Sterling Adaptiveswill offer interactive product demonstrations for the second year in a row. For those curious about using a guide dog, Marc Gillard from Guide Dogs for the Blind will provide an in-depth presentation about their application process and Orientation and Mobility Immersion Program.
Speakers include Henry Evans, who, at age forty, suffered a stroke causing him to be mute and quadriplegic. With the help of Robotics for Humanity (R4H), Evans now uses a telepresence robot to interact with the world around him. Evans’ story is a testament to assistive technology’s ability to empower people with disabilities to lead a fuller, richer life. In addition to Evans, Catherine Callahan, the CIL’s Travel Training Specialist, will share insights about traveling internationally with a disability, and Lars Holm of Eden I&R will broach the topic of emergency response and disaster preparedness.
Aside from engaging speakers and product demos, the family-friendly event will provide plenty of opportunities to destress, grab a bite from a food truck vendor, and build community with disability service providers operating in the East Bay.
MOMENTUM Expo will run from 10am-3pm on Saturday, April 27th, 2019 at the Ed Roberts Campus, located at 3075 Adeline Street Berkeley, CA 94703. Community members of all ages and abilities (and their families!) are encouraged to attend. For more information and to register for the free event, visit www.MomentumExpo.org. Send direct inquiries to: Momentumexpo@thecil.org. The Center for Independent Living’s mission is to support and empower people who inspire to achieve beyond the boundaries of the expectations others have placed on them.