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Matthew Shapiro, Founder and CEO

Six months in, I would like to say happy 2025!

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in from The Connector, and that squarely falls on our shoulders. We will return to our consistent cadence of publishing these newsletters. Our silence has not meant that we have been sitting idly by doing nothing in 2025 to improve inclusion for people with disabilities in our communities. Let’s begin on the speaking front. Here is a list of our completed programs.

Amplifying Voices of Disability Presentation
On February 27, 2025, I presented a virtual breakout session at the Amplifying Voices of Disability conference, held at Northern Arizona University. During the presentation, I explored the concept of The School of Disability Hard Knocks, which examined whether the soft skills and skills acquired through living life as an individual with a disability are more important than a college degree and should be viewed in the same light. 

Randolph College Presentations
On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, I traveled to Randolph College in Virginia for a two-program event.  The first program was a workshop for Human Resources Office Staff, designed for approximately 20 people to focus on current best practices in ADA compliance, disability inclusion, and strategies for developing a disability employment culture that goes above and beyond just guaranteeing compliance, but has a focus on employment culture strategies for people with disabilities. The second workshop was held for approximately 50-60 K-12 educators on campus who were participating in a continuing education conference. The focus of this presentation was on advocacy, self-advocacy, and encouraging students to utilize the accommodations available to them.

Entrepreneur Session, Training, and Education
On Thursday, March 20, 2025, I participated in a Disability Entrepreneurship Listening Session and Q&A put on by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). This webinar brought entrepreneurs with disabilities together to discuss the challenges of starting a business as a person with a disability. These challenges may include securing start-up funding, attracting clients, managing inventory, and more.  We were delighted to share our expertise and experience, as well as discuss our journey of starting 6 Wheels Consulting, LLC.

On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Margarita from the Livability Initiative and I presented at the Centering Disabilities PATHS Workshop.  During our session, we covered:

• The challenges and lessons learned from engaging with city planning and transportation initiatives.

• Where the system falls short and what solutions could bridge the gap.

• How small-scale, local efforts, such as Livability Initiative’s work at events (like Iron Blossom), can model inclusive
  practices that state agencies could implement at scale.

• How can we move beyond policy discussions to meaningful, on-the-ground change?

A wonderful conversation with the rest of the session attendees followed the presentation. It challenged the way people view walkability and accessibility of our communities.  All of these programs help to move the idea of disability inclusion forward.

I also have three upcoming presentations; two in July and one in September.

In July, I will be speaking at the 2025 FASE Conference, where I will lead a breakout session for event planners on how to make their events accessible and inclusive to people with disabilities. On July 23, I will be speaking to the residents of the Virginia Home about becoming the ultimate self-determined person, which will include aspects such as stepping out of your comfort zone, leadership, understanding your strengths and weaknesses, and more. I hope it will serve as a motivator for the residents to become more energized and make the most of their lives. Then, on September 18, I will be speaking at the Iowa Developmental Disability Council's Make Your Mark Conference, where I will discuss legislative advocacy and how we continue to effect positive political change in a polarizing political climate. 

From a consulting standpoint, one of our more fun projects this year has been working with the Friends of Pocahontas State Park and the park itself to help develop a fully inclusive trail in the park. Its development provides a tremendous opportunity to offer another activity for families to enjoy a fully inclusive experience. We also continue to dive deeper into our projects with Baskerville Architects. We provided blueprint review reports for the Supreme Court Building project and the Virginia Home project.

As it relates to Lobbying, we were not contracted to lobby in 2025. We look forward to returning to the halls of the General Assembly in 2026.

It has been a fast-paced beginning to 2025. We are eager to see what new opportunities arise throughout the rest of the year.

Please enjoy the other sections of the connector, as we share the latest news stories from the disability community and spotlight our wonderful partner, Visit Richmond.

Stay tuned to our website and social media platforms for the latest updates on what's happening with 6 Wheels. We always appreciate your loyal support of our mission to make the world a more inclusive place.

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Additionally, Visit Richmond is one of the Gold sponsors for our upcoming NDEAM event in October. Send me a message if you would like to become a sponsor for this event.

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