Matthew Shapiro

As a person with a disability (PwD), Matthew Shapiro has spent most of his life motivated to teach those he has met how to better understand the disability community. Through this work it has become his life’s mission to educate others regarding disability related issues. With this thought in mind, in December of 2014, he created 6 Wheels Consulting. Working with those in both the private and public sectors he hopes to expand their understanding of disabilities and give them knowledge they can use in any environment. Through professional consulting, dynamic public speaking and lobbying services, he strives to educate and guide his clients about cost-effective and common sense solutions to disability related barriers. This enhanced education will broaden their understanding and appreciation for those with disabilities. By combining his personal disability experience with the knowledge he has gained through completing numerous disability training programs, he feels he is uniquely qualified to help make your company or your community more disability aware.

DISABILITY SENSITIVITY TRAINING 101

Disability Sensitivity Training 101 is a comprehensive exploration that allows the audience to develop a better understand of the disability community. As someone who has lived his entire life with a disability, Matthew Shapiro is uniquely positioned to help his audience understand the challenges facing the disability community and how you can become a more highly educated and passionate ally. During this highly engaging and energetic program, Matthew will discuss a wide ranging variety of disability focused areas including: Appropriate and inappropriate language, proper etiquette and authentic and genuine inclusion. He will also discuss the two main types of disabilities: visible and invisible and illustrate how they differ. This program can range in length from 45 to 1:15 depending on your desired outcomes.

LEADERSHIP ON A ROLL: WHAT DIRECTION ARE YOU HEADED? Matthew Shapiro has often found himself in major leadership roles including starting is own consulting business, interning for the Obama Administration, lobbying in the Virginia General Assembly and becoming America’s Disability Advocate. Having lived his entire life with Cerebral Palsy, Matthew has had to forge and develop his own unique strategies on leadership. His experiences have led him to identify five types of essential leadership which he feels embody the skills necessary for talent in today’s workplace. The five types are: Magnetic Leadership, Anti-Leadership, Person-Centered Leadership, Tip Toe Leadership and Tippy Cup Leadership. Your team matters. Your time matters. Your goals matter and your opinions matter, thus Matthew will cut right to the heart of what matters most for you and help you identify which leadership style best describes you and where you fit in to the overall success of your organization. ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING! Everyone longs to be successful, popular, financially solvent, loved, cared for, admired and respected. But with life throwing challenges our way, it is often easier said than done. We become our own worst critics, adding to the degree of difficulty we face in reaching our dreams and exceeding our expectations. America’s Disability Advocate, Matthew Shapiro, will share personal stories, clips from popular television shows and movies, as well as concrete strategies that will help you harness your inner drive allowing you to be successful in whatever endeavor you pursue. Matthew will show you that regardless of personal circumstance or overwhelming obstacles, you choose your attitude every single day and that choice is paramount to the success and satisfaction you achieve in life, love and your career. To change the world, you must first change yourself and the first step in doing so is choosing the right attitude.

BECOME YOUR OWN WRECKING BALL! Matthew Shapiro, a spirited and charismatic young man with cerebral palsy, entertains and guides his audience on how they can become their own "wrecking ball," break free of their comfort zones and exceed their personal goals and expectations. Due to his disability, Matthew needs assistance with anything that requires him to leave his wheelchair. For many years, his chair was his safety net and leaving it caused him tremendous anxiety. Due to this gripping fear, he wasn’t fully experiencing life. Though terrified, through the persuasion of a dear and trusted friend, he attended an event that changed his life —forever! He embraced his fears and literally placed his life in the hands of others and found out what he had been missing. He shares this secret with his audience in a way that lets them learn how to incorporate these principles into their own lives to break free from whatever “chair” is holding them back! DISABILITY INCLUSION – Inclusion above Compliance Advancing disability inclusion in the workplace is essential and more vital than ever. As the pandemic modified the way our workplaces operated, it has created the opportunity for dialogue around digital accessibility and hybrid workplaces moving forward. These new models of remote work provide an ideal scenario to support employees and new hires with disabilities. In his session, Matthew will discuss the importance of developing a positive disability corporate culture and share practical strategies for how workplaces can implement common sense solutions in transforming their physical space and their overall disability inclusion efforts. Matthew will address barriers facing the 56 million Americans living with disabilities and highlight the positive impact they have on our workplaces. RELATABLE: NEVER JUDGE A BOOK OR PERSON BY ITS COVER! Throughout his life journey, Matthew has come to recognize five distinct reactions people exhibit when they first meet and encounter him. These first impressions have become so crystalized that he can identify them within seconds and they will often dictate and foreshadow the arc of the interaction and connection to follow. Along with sharing the five reactions he receives, Matthew will help you become more pro-active than reactive, value individual differences, show true compassion, and come to understand that disability is the only minority group that any of us can join in the blink of an eye. This program will help you look at people, situations and life in a different manner, alter your interactions in a positive way and remind you to pause before you judge a person or book by its cover.