ADED, The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists, has announced that it will host the 38th Annual ADED Conference & Exhibits August 1 to 5. The event is scheduled to be held at the Hyatt Regency and Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, in Buffalo, New York.

An ADED news release reports that this year’s event theme is “Their Dreams, Their Independence, Our Purpose.” Driver rehabilitation professionals will have the opportunity to engage in a wide range of activities during the show, including seminars, the exhibition, workshops, demonstrations, chapter meetings, mentoring, and networking opportunities. The release also states that ADED will offer the certification exam for eligible candidates to earn the credentials required to become a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS).

Pre-conference workshops are slated for August 2. The release notes that 2-day courses in driver rehabilitation will be held August 1 to 2, providing attendees the opportunity to earn continuing education units. Additionally, a pre-exhibition “Saturday Night Product Demonstrations” event will be held August 2 for registered attendees, featuring adaptive driving equipment available to individuals with disabilities.

According to the release, the annual conference and exhibits are scheduled from August 3 to 5. During the exhibition, 50 booths and tabletop exhibits will showcase organizations, institutions, and companies in the fields of driver rehabilitation, adaptive mobility equipment, and driving solutions. The ADED event is primarily an industry-specific gathering, the release says, however August 3 from 10 am to 1:30 pm, the exhibit hall will be open to the general public from Buffalo and the surrounding areas.

The conference portion of the event will begin August 3 with a Conference Opening and keynote presentation featuring Charles Dietzen, MD, a pediatric rehabilitation specialist and medical director for Easter Seals Crossroads in Indianapolis. The release says Dietzen also serves as medical director of CHAMP Camp for ventilator-dependent children and is president and founder of the Timmy Foundation for global health. Dietzen’s presentation is titled “Making a Difference” and will investigate the core principles for making a difference in one’s community and in the lives of individuals. He will also discuss tools intended to tap into motivation, self-care, and inspiration to assist individuals with disabilities.

Approved candidates will sit for the driver rehabilitation specialist certification examination on August 5. Attendees who successfully pass the exam will be designated a CDRS.

“Changes in the field of driver rehabilitation are constant, and the educational needs of our members are expanding. The ADED Conference & Exhibits provides a forum for attendees to continue their formal education, gather information on new technology and equipment from exhibitors, network, and learn with others in the field,” explains Elizabeth Green, OTR/L, CDRS, ADED executive director.

Green adds that throughout “the US and Canada, driver rehabilitation specialists are often located great distances from others who share their specialization. This conference and exhibition allows those individuals to meet face-to-face and learn from one another, thus improving their programs. Mobility equipment dealers count on driver rehabilitation professionals to build on their education and produce quality evaluations and prescriptions.”

ADED is a non-profit organization comprised of members who strive to promote safe, independent community mobility for persons with disabilities and the aging.

[Source: ADED]