Hundreds of people flocked to the Palace Hall in Brooklyn on May 17th to attend the BX23 Rehabilitation and Disability Expo. Several dozen vendors participated, some of whom traveled from out of state to attend, representing a broad and comprehensive range of pediatric and adult rehab facilities, therapy centers, providers, companies, agencies and organizations from the world of brain injury, stroke, spinal injury and other areas of disability and rehabilitation.

As at past expos, a special Research and Clinical Trials section offered attendees a rare opportunity to speak directly to scientists and researchers from leading facilities about cutting edge treatments and therapies. The research section proved to be immensely popular, with people waiting their turn to speak to representatives from the Kessler Foundation, New York Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, and other prestigious centers at the forefront of the latest advances in their fields

Individuals with disabilities, family members and professionals were eager to take advantage of every possible opportunity to learn from and converse with physicians, therapists, facility representatives and experts in a variety of fields who participated on behalf of top acute, sub-acute, LTAC, and specialized outpatient and therapy centers. Information was available regarding law and insurance, vision and cognitive therapy, devices, home care, communication and technology, as well as home and vehicle accessibility and driver rehabilitation.

The parents of a 16-year-old recovering from a TBI (traumatic brain injury) suffered in a car accident a couple of years ago, shared their personal perspective. “It’s been a struggle to identify the best therapy options and we came here hoping to pick up some helpful resources. We were thrilled to discover a wealth of information about every possible aspect of rehabilitation and we’re trying to cover as much ground as possible.” 

A young adult who had a stroke as a child was eager to learn about anything that could add to his quality of life. “As a person with a disability, it is empowering to do my own research and engage directly with such high-level professionals. This was an opportunity to ask my own questions and find out what’s out there for me.”

These sentiments were echoed by multiple individuals from the community who thanked BINA for hosting such an invaluable event. The positive feedback was shared and expanded on by the exhibitors who were highly impressed both with the professional quality of BX23 and the huge turnout of engaged and educated attendees.

The vendors commented on the keen interest and sophisticated questions of the many individuals who visited their exhibits to learn about their products and services. In the words of the rehab director of a leading rehab facility, “I was amazed at the exceptional level of knowledge displayed and the scope and depth of the conversations we had with the people who stopped to talk. Even more impressive is their immense drive to leave no stone unturned for their loved one.” 

Both vendors and attendees eagerly await BX25, an even bigger and better biannual expo!

Please click here for a full gallery of pictures.

Axon 2023, a first-of-its-kind networking opportunity for the healthcare and rehabilitation space, took place in March at Bell Works in Holmdel, New Jersey. Several hundred industry leaders and decision makers including nursing home operators, business owners and representatives of leading non-profits, hospitals and insurance carriers packed the beautifully decorated hall for a highly enjoyable evening of delicious food, elegant decor and great music. The crowd lingered long past the closing time to continue meeting and chatting with old and new friends and take every advantage of the invaluable networking opportunities.

The positive feedback was overwhelming...

Top-notch networking and impeccable hosting made it a night to remember.

So nice meeting up with such wonderful people in the industry!

Looking forward to growing the relationships I made.

Thank you Axon…for the opportunity to connect with others in the healthcare sector and show support to a truly inspiring organization.

The event provided an excellent opportunity to connect with new owner-operators and strengthen our network.

No words can describe the energy, the positive feelings for this (inaugural!) event hosted by BINA…

For a full gallery of pictures and a video please click here.

BINA is pleased to present a monthly Zoom meeting for families recently affected by a stroke or brain injury. The meeting is scheduled for the first Wednesday of every month at 12:00 p.m., and is hosted by Elchanan Schwarz LMHC, BINA's Director of Crisis Intervention and Crisis Support.

The meeting provides an educational overview of brain injury and what to expect during the recovery and rehabilitation process. A Q&A follows the presentation.

Registration is required; all close family members (18 and up) are welcome. Please click here to register for the next session.

BINA continues to expand support group opportunities for brain injury survivors and caregivers. Groups are held via Zoom and are a valuable source of professional counseling, peer support and information-sharing. Participants report that they have benefited immensely and feel greatly supported and heard by both the facilitators and fellow group members. Please contact BINA by email or at 718-645-6400 to learn more about support groups.

A series of webinars has been hosted by BINA for the community at large, presented by leading specialists in a variety of fields. The most recent webinars focused on vision. The first, Brain Injury and Vision: What You Need to Know, was presented by Dr. Daniella Rutner and Dr. Marianna Butera of SUNY College of Optometry, University Eye Center. This highly informative event was followed by a fascinating webinar on the topic of Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) in Children, presented by Jonathan Graves of Pediatric VIEW in Pittsburgh.

Recordings of all webinars are available here. Please send us an email to be notified of future webinars and other BINA news.