Along with attending the annual Abilities Expo Los Angeles March 27-29, we had a special opportunity to be a part of the first-ever Abilities International Accessibility Conference in Long Beach March 26-28.
Here’s a recap of our experiences at these annual events.
2026 Abilities International Accessibility Conference
Gathering at the Long Beach Convention Center, our Executive Director Kelly L Green and Director of Outreach Sunny Mullen participated in the first Abilities International Accessibility Conference. As Kelly observed:
“It was forward-thinking, timely, and exactly the kind of progression this space needs. It accelerates access, outcomes, and real solutions for people navigating medical challenges every day.”
The regional industry conference series brings together complex rehab technology (CRT) professionals to share their expertise—and we got to share ours, too!
“It’s no secret that living with a disability is expensive…and that’s where the nonprofit Help Hope Live steps in.”
Our presentation was titled: Yes, You Can Afford That! How to Fund the Care You Need. Thank you to PN Online for sharing a great recap of our session!
We introduced CRT professionals to the prospect of turning to our trusted medical fundraising platform to help the disability community fund key out-of-pocket expenses that intersect with their rehabilitation and their wellness.
Sonny highlighted how broad our mission has become over the 43-plus years of our operations, now encompassing fundraising to assist with costs ranging from caregiving to service dogs to adaptive sports and accessible vehicles:
“If we can find a way to [connect] it back to your injury or illness, we will help you fundraise toward it. We’re trying to help the community round out their quality of living.”
Sonny also shared that part of our specialty lies in taking the fear out of fundraising. Whether a client is coming to us daunted by the prospect of fundraising, nervous to ask for help in the first place, or discouraged about the timing of their campaign, we’ll meet them there and give them confidence and support.
Equipped with our support, flyers and business cards, social media outreach guides, and help with in-person fundraiser planning, clients can take the next step with greater empowerment.
Our resources extend beyond fundraising tools and even beyond our client community: our free virtual Hope Talk webinars, wheelchair fitness classes, and emergency grant applications for medical professionals do not require participants to be clients.
Kelly reiterated that since our founding, our nonprofit’s team has been aware that we’re fighting to help individuals and families get what they need within an unfair system:
“Access to quality care is reserved for those who can afford it. We’re not going to limit you by what insurances you have access to.”
As Sonny and Kelly shared, some aspects of the Help Hope Live’s advantage come into play during an active campaign, particularly protection for Medicaid and asset-based benefits and the opportunity to make tax-deductible donations for donors.
However, some benefits extend the mission beyond where a campaign ends:
“If someone chooses to close their campaign, or they pass away, funds will stay within the region to assist others within that region.”
2026 Abilities Expo Los Angeles
Abilities International flowed into Abilities Expo Los Angeles, where we had the chance to speak directly with individuals and families about how we can help with medical fundraising.
Kelly also shouted out a few familiar faces we crossed paths with during the Expo: Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Rosenblatt Foundation, Triumph Foundation, and MobilityWorks among others.
“To the vendors and partners showing up with purpose: you are changing lives.”
Our first Expo highlight was presenting a customized Freedom Concepts adaptive bike to Brynlee Bonilla.
Four-year-old Bryn is living with multiple diagnoses including quadriplegic cerebral palsy, a brain injury, epilepsy, hearing loss, and legal blindness.
In 2022, Bryn experienced bacterial meningitis. “Things changed quickly,” her family shared. “She experienced a cardiac arrest and a traumatic brain injury. We almost lost her.”
Bryn is non-verbal with limited motor skills. Her family says, “With assistance, she is very active. She is busy from the moment she wakes up until she goes to bed!”
Bryn stands with device assistance, stretches, walks, rolls, bounces, enjoys tummy time, and works on therapies both at home and in rehabilitation environments. We knew an adaptive bike suitable for her unique mobility needs would be the perfect fit to maximize the impact of her rehabilitation.
“Her family is so excited about the strength and growth that having a bike at home will bring Brynlee.”
Our next highlight: meeting Little Miss Wheelchair America!
“She is an athlete, an advocate, and a complete charmer.”
Kelly, Sonny, and our Spinal Cord Injury Outreach Representative Andy Zimmer got to meet royalty! Dahlia Swanson is the 2026-2027 Little Miss Wheelchair America. (That’s right…she even signed her postcard for us!)
Dahlia wasn’t the only royalty present. During the Expo, Sonny shared that our client and Ms. Wheelchair California 2025 Aly Corvin rolled up to share some of her experiences touring with the title.
Aly said she attended 300 events over the past year to support the organization and use her platform for disability visibility, hope, and advocacy.
She passed the torch to Ms. Wheelchair California 2026: Dr. Sue ElHessen.
See You in May?
“As always, this weekend allowed us to come together with people we only ever talk to virtually and strategize about how we can make things better.”
It’s tough to capture all the value that Abilities Expos bring to the disability community, our team, and our capacity to share our mission with the people who need it most.
That’s why we hope you’ll get the chance to join us in-person for the next event. We’ll see you in May 2026 at Abilities Expo New York Metro!
