View From The Top - 6 Wheels 2025 Year-End Wrap Up

Matthew Shapiro, Founder and CEO

2025 has certainly has been a whirlwind. From the most public speaking engagements to our most profitable year as an organization, this year our work has spanned so many corners of the disability world.

Reflecting in this post makes me realize how grateful I am to achieve all of the things we have accomplished this year. As 2025 nears to a close, I wanted to take a few minutes to highlight most of the work we accomplished this year. None of this would have been possible without the support of you, our amazing followers. I believe in the work that we’ve accomplished this year.

We continued our mission of making the world more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. With projects already lined up, I’m excited to see what the year 2026 has to offer. Please stay tuned in to all of our social media channels and our website for our latest updates!

I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season and a rejuvenated new year. 2026 is shaping up to be our best year ever. We can’t wait to share that journey with you.

January:
We were pleased to participate in Friendship Circle of Virginia's 2nd Annual Disability Expo.

February:
- We participated in NAU's Amplifying Voices of Disability, a program focused on timely, hot-button issues presented by disability activists & self-advocates!

March:
- We celebrated National CP (Cerebral Palsy) Awareness Month.
- We presented twice at the Nichols Theatre at Randolph College.
• Session 1: Best ADA practices, ADA laws, disability inclusion, beyond compliance, and employment culture strategies for people with disabilities.
• Session 2: Advocacy, self-advocacy, and encouraging students to use available accommodations.

April:
- Our partners at Sportable - Richmond Adaptive Sports & Recreation hosted the NWBA Adult & Junior Wheelchair Basketball National Championships on April 4 and April 11-13.
- 6 Wheels participated in a focus group for the Accessible Sensory Trail at Pocahontas State Park, which is for people with Mobility disabilities. Access for all!
- We proudly announced a series of original content documents in our online store designed for caregivers, family members, community supporters, and people with disabilities who want to better understand and support the disabled community. You can find our documents here: https://www.6wheelsconsulting.com/new-products
- To close out a busy month, we presented at the Florida Society of Association Executives' "Tides of Transformation" conference. Topic: Inclusion and Service is the Greatest Expression of Hospitality: An Event Planner's Guide to a Fully-Inclusive Experience.

May:
- We participated in the Livability Initiative "Centering Disabilities" PATHS Workshop. - Challenges and lessons learned from engaging with city planning and transportation initiatives. Topics included:
• Where the system falls short and what solutions could bridge the gap.
• How small-scale, local efforts like Livability Initiative’s work at events (such as Iron Blossom) can model inclusive practices that state agencies could implement at scale.
• How we can move beyond policy discussions to meaningful, on-the-ground change.

June:
As a Community Partner of Friendship Circle of Virginia, we were at the Richmond Flying Squirrels game on June 29, where we highlighted disability inclusion and mental health!

July:
- We celebrated Disability Pride Month.
- We attended the Florida Society of Association Executives' 2025 Annual Conference. 6 Wheels spoke on the topic “Inclusion and Service is the Greatest Expression of Hospitality: An Event Planner’s Guide to a Fully-Inclusive Experience”.
- We also spoke to residents of The Virginia Home about stepping out of their comfort zone. Key takeaways were:
⭐ Embrace Your Vulnerability
⭐ Magnify Your Possibilities
⭐ Graciously Accept Assistance
⭐ A Purposeful Risk is Often Worth the Reward

September:
We spoke at the Iowa DD Council Make Your Mark Conference.

October:
We hosted a super webinar to celebrate NDEAM (National Disability Employment Awareness Month). The theme was “Celebrating Value and Talent.” A Zoom video and transcript of the webinar are available here.

November:
6 Wheels was the keynote speaker at the disAbility Law Center of Virginia's 2025 DisAbility Rights and Resources Virtual Summit.

Of course, much of the great work we do would not be possible without strong partners, like Damon Brooks & Associates and David Coleman, whose support of me and our work is invaluable.

Get in touch with us anytime. Click here: Matthew Shapiro