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For the Chicago event, Abilities Expo has appointed Ambassadors—members of the local community of people with disabilities—to spearhead community outreach initiatives. These individuals will meet face-to-face with rehab institutions, independent living centers, local manufacturers, service providers and local associations to generate excitement and increase attendance at each event.
Meet the impressive individuals who have chosen to represent Abilities Expo to the Community.
Mike Ervin
 Mike Ervin is a writer and disability rights activist living in Chicago. His plays have been produced in theaters across America.
As a journalist, he has written extensively about the community of people with disabilities for several national newspapers and magazines. Currently, he is a columnist for New Mobility magazine and spinalcord.org. Mike is also a founding member of the Chicago chapter of the direct action disability rights organization ADAPT.
Linda Mastandrea
 Linda Mastandrea is an attorney in Chicago with a practice concentrating in disability law and advocacy. Introduced to wheelchair and disability sports while in college at the University of Illinois, Linda went on to compete in wheelchair basketball for twelve years, and in wheelchair track for ten.
She represented the United States in the Paralympic World Championship and the Pan American competition in wheelchair track winning 15 gold and 5 silver medals over seven years. She held national and world records in all five distances in which she competed during her career.
Linda is also a published author. Her recent book, Sports and the Physically Challenged: An Encyclopedia of People, Events and Organizations debuted in October 2006. She has also written for numerous publications geared towards people with disabilities, including We Media, Exceptional Parent, Sports ‘n Spokes, and New Mobility magazines.
Linda is actively involved in the disability advocacy and sports communities. She is a member of AT&T’s Advisory Panel on Accessibility and Aging. She serves on the board of Access Living, chairing their Lawyer’s Advisory Committee. She is on Variety of Illinois’ board and works with them on their Kids on the Go! Program, helping children with disabilities obtain equipment like wheelchairs and adaptive bikes. She was vice president of the National Disability Sports Alliance, and served two years on the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors. She is a member of the legal committee of the International Paralympic Committee, and has worked with the IPC to promote human rights issues through the vehicle of Paralympic and disability sport. Currently, Linda has joined the staff of Chicago 2016 as Director of Paralympic Sport and Accessibility. In this role, she is working to help bring the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games back to the United States and to her hometown of Chicago.
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