Quadriplegics demonstrate their abilities in Schaumburg with rugby

The Chicago Abilities Expo continues from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Schaumburg Renaissance Convention Center.

For more than 30 years, the free Abilities Expo has been the place to go to learn of new technologies, new possibilities, new solutions and new opportunities for people who have suffered spinal cord injuries, amputations, cerebral palsy, or any neurological diagnosis that can lead to quadriplegia.

On Saturday, one of the highlights was watching a quad rugby team sponsored by the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago play a 45-minute demonstration game. Players in wheelchairs competed in a physical four-on-four game as they each tried to carry the ball across their opponent's goal line.

"They play a competitive sport that's full contact," said Mike Klonowski, a physical therapist from the Rehabilitation Institute. "It's a very physical sport, but it's a thinking sport with a whole lot of strategy."