Speaker Bios
Sabrina Cohen is a Life Coach, Motivational Speaker and the Founder of the Sabrina Cohen Foundation (SCF), a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing adaptive fitness and recreational programs to create a better quality of life for individuals living with paralysis and various disabilities.
Born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida, Sabrina survived a severe spinal cord injury in 1992 at the age of 14 from a car accident. She instantly became a quadriplegic and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. Sabrina has traveled the country advocating extensively for research and quality of life health initiatives and is also a Motivational Speaker who has spoken to thousands of students about life with paralysis, urging and inspiring young students to drive carefully and feel empowered to make wise choices in life.
In 2016, Sabrina helped launch “Adaptive Beach Days”, a bi-monthly, all-inclusive, full-service program to provide access to the beach and ocean for disabled individuals, veterans, children with special needs and the elderly. Today, Sabrina and SCF are spearheading a campaign to build our nation’s first-of-a-kind beachside Adaptive Recreation Center in South Florida to provide year-round beach access and fitness programs to the disabled community.
Deborah Dietz, M.B.A. is the Executive Director and one of the founders of Disability Independence Group, Inc. Mrs. Dietz has a bachelor’s degree in Science Education from Boston University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Florida International University. She participates in a number of local, state and national organizations, and has held many leadership roles in those organizations, including serving as National President of the American Association for Justice Auxiliary. She was appointed in 2018 by the governor to the State Independent Living Council of Florida and is currently awaiting reappointment.
Mrs. Dietz has created and delivered hundreds of trainings for persons with disabilities, their families and caregivers. These include the ASL Video Project for HUD; The Wallet Card® Project, a nationally recognized outreach effort to persons with disabilities, and Miami-Dade County’s first video series at the intersection of disability and domestic violence/sexual assault.
Ms. Dietz received The League of Women Voters of Miami-Dade County Women Who Shine Award in 2019.
