A little over a week before leaving for this conference, I broke my ankle…Given this, I made the decision to rent a motorized scooter while attending the conference, but I was concerned with how to transport it (and myself) from my hotel to the convention center and the various off-site events during the conference. I contacted the staff at ASAE and…spoke with Ms. Hallberg on the phone prior to arriving in Atlanta and she assured me that everything would be ready. After arriving in Atlanta and registering at the conference, Ms. Hallberg found me in the crowd of nearly 5,000 attendees and introduced me to my shuttle driver and made sure that everything was set for the week. She also provided me with her cell phone number and said that I could call her at any time, if I needed anything.
I can honestly and emphatically say that I was impressed with the level of service, assistance, and respect that was shown to me on this trip. With this being my first experience with a disability, I encountered a number of challenges, but I was able to enjoy every part of the conference and attend all of the sessions without feeling as though I was a burden or that I had to miss anything because of my injury. I greatly appreciate the services provided to me.