Day dedicated to connecting those with specials needs, disabilities to local resources

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The NY Special Needs & Disabilities Expo was held for the second time ever on Sunday. The event was put on at the Albany Marriott on Wolf Road and is a one-day expo meant to stand as a key resource for individuals with special needs, their families, and caregivers, to connect them with local organizations and services.

The event started at 10 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m. The sponsors of the expo were Albany Med Health Systems, CDPHP, Living Resources, MVP Health Care, NYSARC, Logan Strong Foundation, and Bowled Healthy Food Company.

The event featured an exhibitor room that offered services and products tailored to the special needs community, as well as a presentation room with a full schedule of seminars covering a range of topics relevant to those with special needs and disabilities.

The expo was created by Jennifer Hendricks-Fogg and Mariah Fortune as a way to help individuals, their families, and caregivers navigate and understand how to care for specific needs.

"There's no handbook for navigating this journey, which is why we created the Special Needs Expo," said Mariah Fortune, event organizer.

"We aim to connect families with valuable local resources they might not know about. Whether
you're caring for yourself, a child, or an adult; whether the need is mental, physical, or learning- related, we`re here to provide support and guidance," added Jennifer F. Hendricks Fogg, event organizer.

Hendricks-Fogg also said she has found the region is lacking in knowledge about overarching resources for those with disabilities.

"There are great organizations available, but they're all marketed differently, like I said," Hendricks-Fogg said. "It could be labeled autism, or this or that, and I didn't want the label of the diagnosis, I wanted more so an overarching service."

Some at the event, like Andy O'Rourke the founder of All Abilities Productions, also attended the expo to build a sense of camaraderie.

"We just love to network and grow our audience and grow potential actors, volunteers, staff,  we love to network with the community," O'Rourke said.