The best way to market Infobility and Wheelchair Recyclers is to place an ad in a reputable magazine like disAbled or Disaboom Online. I must find a "free prize" like Seth Goldin's book says before I spend any money. I thought my service would be the extra but I don't know if that's meaningful enough. I may ask Friends in Business for ideas. I will also need too do some research by asking people who visit the Disaboom website what is meaningful to them.

I just did alot of good work for the Wheelchair Recycler, it should really grow.
There's got to be a few foundations out of 28 that will be interested and request an application (or 14 as one of them states in their criteria). Drive Master should be willing to help financially. We don't need alot of money for the wheelchair pickup in New Jersey and it would be good publicity for them. Also gettting kids to become interns would be a wonderful way to expose teens to disability and spread the word. My goal is to open a branch in the Lehigh Valley. Mark can help with that,maybe Mike too.

I'm doing something that is really going to make a difference! Wheelchairrecyclers is already established but in need of help to grow. Since they don't have much money my work is real- what a staff person would do. Identifying grants, planning the pick-up and drop-off of chairs in New Jersey, arranging for schools to give high school students credits for volunteering there. I have to be careful not to get ahead of myself. I promised to do nothing without their approvals. I'm not showing them up because I'm doing things they identified as needing help and they're the mechanics. In time they'll share my "Infobility" flyers so in return they'll help me grow.

I'm seeking sponsorshop for a non-profit company that refurbishes wheelchairs then sells them at greatly reduced prices. They have almost nothing by way of finances but they have 8 professional business plans. I'm going to write to a big company I met at the Abilities Expo last week, and ask them for a sizable donation. They're in New Jersey so I could even give a personal presentation. This is more likely than gettting a grant.

Today is the speech about "the dangers on drunk driving" by my friend with the brain injury. The concept is good and it may really resonate with a few of the 900 high school kids who will be listening. It's too bad that the speaker is so difficult to work with. I though he wanted to share his story, I didn't realize it wa contingent on receiving funds for it. Unfortunately for him I'm not doing this again but surely he won't see it that way. He wants to try to convince me how importat getting money is. He's been raising money for this himself and he got paid for a few of his talks so he's doing fine. I never asked for any and I don't intend to do so.

I called the wheelchair recycler people who I met at the Expo. They sounded really grateful for my help and in great need of my help. It's perfect for me cause it's already a non-profit program, it's got a big consumer base, and they will share an Infobility flyer with alot of potentially interested people who I would have never met. I'm going to connect them with Rose of "Bounce" for some business counseling. They even have eight good business plans. I am now going to be a "Ross" but for wheelchairs in the Lehigh Valley.

I met with a lady from Community Exchange who has always been interested in starting some programs for people who have disabilities. She's had a non-profit before and she lives close so it's worth the wait for her. We'll finally get something good going in the lehigh Valley. Until then I will contact some of the people from the Abilities Expo and see if they're interested in my doing marketing for them. The products and services are needed for people with challenges and they will share my programs on "Infobility." Eventually they may help market me nut first I must help them.

The Abilities Expo was interesting. I really talked with a few of the exhibitors and I exchanged information with 40 of them. I just finished all of my follow-ups and I hope to receive some responses. Some of the products were interesting. One recycles wheelchairs and turns thmm into snow plows and can turn it into a lawn mower. I may do some additional marketing for some of the people- there's so much competition. I
know I helped i.d.e.a.l. Magazine cause they would never have had these contacts.

Tomorrow I go to the Expo and see if I can interest people this year. Rather than market my own program- Infobility,I will offer it in conjunction with i.d.e.a.l. Magazine. That way people will learn about the two businesses and they will have the opportunity to try my disability services (individual and groups programs) free.

Infobility is for people with disabilities.
Empowering them to make choices and connect with resources.
Encouraging them to vent to someone who has "been there."
Facilitating support groups that discuss coping strategies.

Infobility is for people without disabilities.
Educating students & others with disability awareness programs.
Educating employers regarding the various hiring incentives.
Offering sensitivity programs and resource tables at events.

I'm very excited about the Abilities Expo. Year after year I attend and people just "yes me to death" and nobody follows up with me- this year they will. I'm going to market i.d.e.a.l magazine and Infobility. The subscribers will get free valuable disability related information if they subscribe. I'll also leave everyone with a letter about my programs and I'll make them all free, now I have a strategy and it WILL work.

I went to my first Bethlehem City Council Meeting. I was asked to speak about Human Relations Commission from the perspective of disability. I did, then I heard a majority of people talk about gender discrimination. I am concerned that this commission will receive 100's of complaints about everything. Now that people will know about it everyone will be crying discrimination! It will just be about arbitration, which can be powerful, but we can only recomend legal council. There will be no teeth in this.

Facebook is the way to grow and reach people from all over- it's better than a trip to the Abilities Expo in New Jersey. Through the i.d.e.a.l. magazine I met a lady who is an administrator for a disability website and is in contact with people who are all over the globe and in need of help. I sent her my things asking her to share them with others. I'm also going to try to combine with Easton hospital to do a disability celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I'd love to hear people's ideas.

I altered the outline for the support group and now I'm really comfortable with it. The key, in my experience, is to make the group interactive. If a general question is posed to everyone and then we go around the room to discuss it thorough each person's perspective, that works best. I know I wouldn't want to listen to one person talk about coping with disability. Everyone has their own views and strategies. I hope that at the end one person would be willing to join "Infobility." I also hope that Ken Silva will recommend my program to other groups. Physical therapists are the perfect people because they work with the disability I am really targeting.

I may be on the Bethlehem City Council eventually. I met one of the members, Karen Dolan, today and there's a new committee forming that will ensure that people are protected from discrimination in employment, housing, schools & public accommodations
I will get involved in advocacy on a higher level. This is what I've always wanted so it's time now to give the perspective of a person with a disability to those who seek it. I also won't be alone in my views because I will be part of a group.

A local high school called about us holding the drunk driving program at their school. This will be for a total of 900 kids most will be anticipating the prom and graduation parties. This is the perfect audience and it is exactly the location we want and we'll get media coverage for it too. Suddenly the speaker on the brain injury issues due to a drunk driving accident is nowhere to be found. He better respond soon, he used to write me four times a day, now I can't even find him. This will actually work.

If I want to regrow Infobility, unlike before I must have a real plan and a real mentor. I will ask Scott- a member of my synagogue, a member of the Independent Living Center, and a former psychologist. I'll meet with him on ideas and he may help me. Then I will contact and meet all physical therapists in local hospital and rehabilitation facilities after sending a letter and a flyer. Then I will ask my OVR counselor to share my stuff with others, I'd like to be a vendor, I would be great as a job coach and peer support specialist. It would be great to have an event along with another group such as Cancer Support. There are alot of things I never did.

I'm getting my new business cards and a few interesting flyers today. I may as well give this disability business a 3rd try. They say three is a charm so I'll find out if that's true. I'm going to contact physical therapists and support group leaders first. Then I'll have a good connection with someone (maybe the cancer society) who can either lead me in the right direction or tell me someone who will. No website necessary, just a good attitude and connecting with the right people. If Donny and Marie can bring back what they had, so can I.

I am writing my support group speech now. It shouldn't and won't be an actual lecture but rather a discussion of ways to assess our abilities. I also want to cover some common strategies for coping. It could lead to work with people outside of the hospital setting, that's ultimately what I want to do. I've never done what I actually want which is meeting people after they leave the health care facilities. I'll be going through my booklet and asking questions that are after each section. It is before my visit to the Abilities Expo so it will be a confidence booster.

I need a new tire and a new armrest on my motorized wheelchair. Since I haven't lived in Bethlehem in five years I'm new a "new patient" and must get a doctor's prescription of necessity. How stupid is that? Not any less stupid than one provider telling me to drop off my wheelchair. What? I'm going to crawl around town until the tire arrives. I'll just continue with the place in Harrisburg I am used to. They don't know I moved and hopefully won't question me about it.

Running a camp of Chinese teens will be a good experience for them. I know they see disabled people as not real because they mocked me when I did it 2 years ago and purposely made it harder for me. They ran to eat in a restaurant that I was not able to get inside due to a step at the entrance. This time I will hold a discussion on the issue on the first day and allow them/encourage them to ask questions. I will also get more support form this company. I have two interested people, one of them is well connected with youth programs in the area. It will be nothing like it was.

Today is the "big event" a Blood Drive in a local mall and I'm going to include my brochures. That's relevant cause the event is supposed to benefit Easter Seal and that's disability. My brochures are on my disability programs. I wonder if anyone will call me back. I will hand all 50 out to each person who comes to get their blood drawn. I may even capture their emails and phone numbers, that way I can do follow-up calls. I'm sure I'll find a few people who work in a disability related job or have disability in their families. I'll also point out that I can talk to employers about tax incentives. I always like meeting people so here's my chance.

A disability can make you more capable of dealing with stress and help you view a problem from different angle till you reach the solution. I was helping my student with her research paper. The task seemed overwhelming and very frustrating, it's a huge part of her grade. I took a few "steps" back and changed a few key points and now we have a very doable paper. Due to my unique perspective on life I am able to tackle seemingly challenging tasks and break them down to sizable parts.

I have a speech planned for a support group. The facilitator is a physical therapist at a local hospital. That's actually better than if it was a parent of a child with problems. This man will have connections to other physical and occupational professionals who may be interested in what I have to say and show. My booklet will be used for the purpose it was meant- to help individuals with disabilities assess their own functioning after a sudden impairment.