WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11
3:00 – 6:00 Registration
5:30 – 7:30 Game Night in Cabana Room
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
7:30 – 8:30 – Registration, Self Advocacy Track Opens, Breakfast Grab & Go
8:30 – 10:00 – Welcome in Grand Ballroom & Keynote Speaker – Cody Clark
10:00 – 10:30 – Vendor exhibits and beverage break
10:30 – 11:45 – Breakout Sessions
- Dementia in the Disability Community – Kristen White, Diplomat Room
Dementia in people with disabilities is five times higher than the average aging population. This session will explain dementia and its warning signs while exploring available treatment options.
- AT in Our World – Rebecca Mathis, Cabana Room
Assistive Technology can be a low cost, easy to use, and sometimes handmade. This session will explore commercially low cost AT devices and even simpler methods created at home.
- Disability & Higher Education: The do’s, don’t’s and the law – Hunter Robertson, Shirley Walker-McKinnis, Cassie Tolliver, and Dr. Jerry Alliston, Grand Ballroom Salon C
Speakers will address transitioning form high school to college. Discussion of how to communicate needs and how laws affect this.
11:45 – 1:00 – Lunch, awards, and planning committee information videos
1:00 – 1:15 – Vendor exhibits and snack break
1:15 – 2:30 – Breakout Sessions
- Special Needs Planning & MS ABLE – Richard Courtney, Grand Ballroom Salon C
This presentation will address asset ownership and protection, personal decision-making, and healthcare financing including SS, Medicare and Medicaid. ABLE accounts will be explored while securely preserving independence and protecting assets.
- Prevention Includes Everyone (PIE): The Disabling Impact of Addiction – Dr. Dwight Owens, Diplomat Room
People with disabilities are more likely to have a substance abuse disorder and less likely to get treatment. PIE includes a message of hope and acceptance. Session also deals with coping with compassion fatigue.
- Advanced Crisis Planning – Matt Nalker & Steve Allen, Cabana Room
Participants will learn innovative strategies for crisis prevention and intervention. This training will equip participants with the tools they need to handle challenging situations with confidence.
2:30 – 2:45 – Break
2:45– 4:00 – Breakout Sessions
- Utilization of Occupational Therapy using Sensory Integration Techniques – Honey Brooks, OTR/L, ASDCS, Diplomat Room
Presenter will explain sensory processing systems and how they work. Strategies will also be discussed to decrease negative behaviors and increase positive outcomes.
- Working and Your World – Dr. Jennifer Jackson, Pam Dollar and Pshon Barrett, Grand Ballroom Salon C
This session will review how the Department of Rehabilitation Services can help with job exploration and job training. The Client Assistance Program (CAP) will be discussed.
- Becoming a Green Dot Bystander: Keeping our Communities Safe – Kimberly Newell, Cabana Room
People with disabilities are at a higher risk of experiencing interpersonal violence. Green Dot is a bystander intervention strategy to teach people how to see signs and ways to intervene safely.
4:00 – 6:00 – Dinner on your Own
6:00 – 9:00 – Gala in Grand Ballroom
FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025
7:30 – Registration & Breakfast
8:30 – 10:15 – Your Vote Matters Keynote – Michelle Bishop
10:15 – 10:30 – Break
10:30 – 11:55 – The State of the State Keynote with Agency Directors
11:55 – 12:00 – Evaluations & Final Door Prize
