About Workshop Sessions

Workshops are classified by target audience: Front Line Staff & Consumers, Advocates & Project Directors, or Executive Directors & Board Members. Workshops are also classified as Newcomer, Experienced, or Appropriate for all knowledge levels.

Workshop Tracks

Advocacy & Policy Work: Workshops addressing disability policy and systems advocacy, including healthcare, housing, transportation, intersectional justice and organizing, and other related topics.

Independent Living 101 Track: Workshops oriented towards youth and young adults, new attendees, and other individuals new to the Independent Living Movement.

Core Services Track: Workshops addressing innovation and best practices in the core services of Centers for Independent Living.

Independent Living 2050: Workshops that explore the future of our movement. This track offers space to explore strategies to sustain CILs, SILCs, and the Independent Living Movement.

SILC Track: Workshops covering best practices and innovation in operations, programs, autonomy, and authorities of Statewide Independent Living Councils.

Concurrent Workshops I: Monday, July 25, 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Access Denied: The Implications of Unequal Access to Assistive Technology

Location: Independence A

Track: Independent Living 101

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

Access to assistive technology plays a key role in allowing individuals with disabilities to work, live, and play in their community. CIL staff play a vital role in overcoming attitudinal barriers, identifying the correct assistive technology, finding funding, and advocating for needed training. When people with disabilities are denied access to assistive technology, it leads to increased outcomes of unemployment, not pursuing education, isolation, and reliance on others to perform tasks. The Assistive Technology Affordability Act, expanding existing assistive technology programs, and introducing assistive technology at an earlier age are the tools needed to turn the tide towards access granted.

Christina Clift graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor’s degree in communications and attended the University of Memphis for grad school. Since 2003, Christina has worked at the Memphis Center for Independent Living as the Consumer Advocate. Christina currently chairs the State Rehabilitation Council of Tennessee, the Memphis Advisory Council for Citizens with Disabilities, is a founding board member of the TriState Adaptive Sports Association, and a proud member of the National Federation of the Blind. Christina knows that access to assistive technology opens doors, eliminates barriers, and gives independence to people with disabilities.

Michelle McManus received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee in Early Childhood Special Education. Then received a Master of Education for the visually impaired from Middle Tennessee State University. Beginning in 2011, Michelle started an IT Consultant position on Penn State’s accessibility team. Michelle is a proud member of the National Federation of the Blind and holds various positions within the Pennsylvania state affiliate. Technology serves as a large portion of Michelle’s life and working to assist others to use and adapt technology is a passion that takes up a great amount of Michelle’s time.

CILs and the “New Normal”: Best Practices for Remote and Revamped Operations and Connecting with Consumers

Location: Independence BCDE

Track: Core Services

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how CILs are supporting consumers and meeting the needs of their communities. The workshop will focus on ‘new normal’ best practices in remote CIL operations and services; new strategies for outreach to consumers; the advantages of remote services; and strategies for dealing with the overcoming challenges such as the digital divide, platform accessibility, and social isolation.

Paula McElwee is the Associate Director for Technical Assistance for the IL-NET National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Independent Living at Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU). Paula was the first Director of Link, Inc. in Kansas (one of the first states funded through the Rehabilitation Act) beginning in 1979. She worked in the disability field in Kansas for 25 years and was appointed by two governors to serve three terms on the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas before moving to California in 2000.

Sherif Brown is a transplant from Queens NYC and in 2016 began working with Alliance of Disability Advocates as a Community Inclusion Specialist. Sherif began by leading a Travel Training Program that teaches individuals with disabilities how to ride the fixed route bus system. The program won 3 major awards for transportation impact in the Triangle area. Sherif has spearheaded a groundbreaking reentry program that assists incarcerated individuals who have a disability with individualized reentry services. Sherif has assisted over 200 individuals in federal prison with their reentry, with a 98% success rate within the first two years of release. This model is being implemented in state prisons with a success rate of 89%, even during a pandemic.

Mayra Colazo is the Executive Director at Central Washington Disability Resources. She has worked with individuals with disabilities for over 6 years and has a huge passion to advocate for Equity for all. She is a single mother of two kids, a 9-year-old daughter, and a 5-year-old son. She has lived in Ellensburg for almost 20 years. Through her work she is really involved in the community through the 5 Counties that the organization covers, which are: Kittitas, Yakima, Grant, Chelan, and Douglas.

CILs Leverage Federal Programs to Support Access to Fair Housing

Location: Lafayette / Farragut

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

Learn from peers about how CILs affirmatively further the Fair Housing Act by advocating for and facilitating access to accessible, affordable housing. This advocacy enables individuals with disabilities and older adults to age in place in their own homes in the community. Through the use of the CMS Money Follows the Person Program and HUD Mainstream Vouchers, CILs have helped individuals navigate and gain access to housing in the community with access to services and supports. Group discussion questions will also consider home modifications and the role Disability Rights Center advocates play in affirming fair housing.

Jennifer Martin (she / her / hers) joined ACL in April 2020 and is currently serving as the Program Analyst for Part C CILs and Part B ILS Programs in Regions IV and VI. As a member of the Protecting Rights and Preventing Abuse workgroup, she has worked on activities related to mask mandates and other projects. Prior to joining ACL, she was an Independent Living Supervisor at a CIL. Jennifer graduated from Longwood University with a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Arts in Gerontology and an Executive Certificate in Home Modifications from the University of Southern California.

Anaya Robinson is a Latinx queer disabled trans man, born and raised in West Michigan, who now calls Denver home. He is currently the Associate Director of Atlantis Community, Inc., the second Center for Independent Living in the country, which has been transitioning individuals out of congregate settings for over 45 years. Anaya has been working in disability advocacy with a systems focus for nearly a decade. He has 9+ years of non-profit management experience and believes that collectively working from an intersectional anti-oppressive lens is the only way to fully dismantle systems of privilege and power and achieve true equity and justice.

Steven Wright has been working with empower: abilities, in Springfield MO, for almost 8 years. He has worked with non-profits for a total of ten years. Steve has been disabled since 2002. He became familiar with CILS when he was transitioned from a skilled care facility through the MFP program by empower: abilities in 2009.

Steve is an advocate for those with disabilities, advocating in the areas of equality/inclusion, accessible/affordable housing. Steve is on the Missouri SILC’s Employment Committee and Housing Committee, is a member of the Springfield Apartment and Housing Association, is on the Missouri Show-Me Home Housing Committee, and is a Certified Medicare CLAIMS Counselor and IL Specialist.

Steve has been acting as the lead staff in the provision of MFP services and coordinating services of empower: abilities’ subcontractors. As transitions manager Steve also communicates, brings light to and assist in solving various program, community, state and federal issues which hinder transitions through the MFP program.

Criminal Justice within the Deaf & Disabled Community: Current Research and Future Needs

Location: Independence FGHI

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience: Advocates & Project Directors

Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all knowledge levels

This presentation will focus on Deaf and other disabled individuals who are involved with the criminal justice system who may also have additional language and learning challenges. There is a considerable disparity regarding research and training related to what is happening in the criminal justice system for this population. This presentation will explore how the book Deaf People in the Criminal Justice System and the documentary film “Being Michelle” create an opportunity to provide education and help raise awareness about the numerous barriers and injustices that frequently happen with this population. The presentation will showcase parts of “Being Michelle” and presenters will facilitate discussion relevant to the film. Presenters thank Damara Goff Paris for assistance in development of this presentation.

Debra Guthmann, Ed.D., has worked within the Deaf community for over 40 years in educational, medical and social service settings. Dr. Guthmann founded the Minnesota Substance Use Dependency Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals and was the Director of Pupil Personnel Services at the California School for the Deaf, Fremont. Dr. Guthmann has published books, book chapters, and articles focusing on substance abuse and ethics within the deaf community. Dr. Guthmann was the lead consultant for a grant that translated and validated 10 screeners in SUD, mental health, and career interest into ASL.

Gabriel Lomas, Ph.D. is a Professor and Director of Counseling Programs at Gallaudet University. He has significant experience in psychological testing and counseling. He has research and practice specializations in the areas of crisis and trauma, child therapy, and forensic evaluation, especially in the child welfare arena. In particular, he worked closely with victims and offenders on hundreds of child welfare cases in states across the nation. Lomas has received more than $6M in grant awards, including funding to grow the integrated primary care workforce, and funding to establish a Center for School Safety in Connecticut.

Concurrent Workshops II: Monday, July 25, 3:15 – 4:30 p.m.

Creating a Diverse Network in your CIL

Location: Independence A

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

This session will create a guideline for Community Engagement to Diversify your CIL partnerships. As we serve people with disabilities, it is important to keep our lines of communication open with all diverse and underserved populations. Learn how to connect with your community to engage a wider audience for partnerships, sponsorships, and volunteer recruitment.

Marisa Cantú, brings 20 years of experience with her at the IL/IA Center for Independent Living as the Community Education Advocate. Marisa provides Disability Awareness Trainings to businesses, agencies, and individuals who are interested in learning more about how to work with people with disabilities. She works closely with a Network of Community Organizations including the chambers of commerce, where she offers presentations about services offered at the CIL. She also provides marketing and networking expertise through outreach that promotes annual events and activities. Marisa has held a number of positions over the years including Independent Living Advocate. She is fluent in Spanish and available to interpret for Spanish speaking consumers. Marisa is also a Youth Transition Specialist and works with children, youth, and families in the five core areas: advocacy, transition, peer support / counseling, information / referral, and independent living skills. She also runs the Fast Track Transition Program. Marisa graduated from Western IL University with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Marketing.

Accessible Voting: Critical to Moving Democracy Forward

Location: Independence BCDE

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

Access to a private, independent, and secure vote is both a right and foundational to our democracy. Yet this promise remains unfilled for many disabled voters. Join us to engage in discussion around policy, technology, and communication solutions needed to ensure the participation of disabled voters in upcoming elections.

Rylin Rodgers serves on Microsoft’s Accessibility Team as a Disability Policy Advisor. She strives to impact disability policy in the areas of technology, workforce, and workplace. Rylin’s work is influenced by her lived experiences with disability. She is dyslexic and has idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and is the mother of two young adults with physical disabilities and medical complexity. Her family is ALL IN for disability policy!

Sarah Blahovec is a disability rights advocate and activist. She currently works as the Voting and Civic Engagement Director for the National Council on Independent Living, where she advocates for greater accessibility in elections; educates the disability community on voting rights and works to energize a disability voting bloc; and addresses barriers to running for office for people with disabilities. Sarah is the creator of Elevate: Campaign Training or People with Disabilities, the first national run for office training program for people with disabilities.

RC Carter manages the ElectionGuard open source voting program as part of Microsoft's Democracy Forward Initiative. He's a longtime product manager, with experience ranging from startups to Amazon and Gap and across such areas as photo sharing, eCommerce, community fundraising, and mobile apps. He has a passion for building products using universal design principles that solve real challenges such as voting and trust.

Whitney Quesenbery is passionate about making interactions with government enjoyable, bringing design literacy to elections, and making it easier for everyone to participate. She is proud of the Center’s work to introduce best practices for election design across the country, from best practice guides for voter information, mail-in voting, and RCV to work to modernize election administration. The CCD Field Guides to Ensuring Voter Intent can be found in offices in every state. Her career started in UX research and design. She is the author of three books: A Web for Everyone; Storytelling for User Experience; and Global UX.

IL: It's Just Different!

Location: Lafayette / Farragut

Track: Independent Living 101

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

Just how different is the Independent Living (IL) philosophy? Very! Yet newbies to our movement - and a few who’ve been around a while - don’t always understand its beauty and potential. This session is more than a history lesson. It’s an opportunity to discover how and why IL matters in a world full of paternalism and ableism. It’s a discussion of what sets us apart from other service models and how we can leverage our difference into strength. This session is about empowerment as both the content and outcome of our work.

Brandon Brown has been the Executive Director of Empower Tennessee since 2015. His previous leadership and service experience was in mental health, HIV/AIDS, education, and performing arts. He has presented locally, regionally, and nationally on such topics as: disability identity and pride, ableism, person-centered planning, organizational wellness, and ethics. Brandon has multiple disabilities, including: Retinitis Pigmentosa, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brandon and his son Coy David live, work, and play in Nashville.

Emerging SILC Issues: SOS

Location: Independence FGHI

Track: SILC Track

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

This two-part session will provide an opportunity for participants to identify emerging issues for SILCs, share their challenges and experiences, and share and develop solutions. Part 1 – SOS – will identify basic issues, explore potential solutions from seasoned SILC leaders, and help participants develop a plan to resolve basic issues. Part 2 – A Deeper Dive – will dig deeper into more complex issues and use the knowledge and experience of all participants to develop potential solutions to take home to try with their own SILCs.

Brooke Wilson is the Executive Director of the Oregon State Independent Living Council (SILC) and has worked in the disability community for 17 years. She currently serves as the SILC Representative on the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) Board and on the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Finance Committee. For the last 17 years, she has served in many roles, representing the Independent Living philosophy, fostering collaboration, and advocating for disability inclusion and awareness. Brooke and her husband Corey have 4 children and 2 grandchildren, though Brooke loves children and is a “mom” to many.

Jeremy Morris is the Executive Director at Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council and Treasurer of the NCIL Board of Directors. Before joining the SILC in 2017, Jeremy had been working in Independent Living over 13 years, previously serving as the Executive Director of the Access Center in Dayton, Ohio and Finance Coordinator at the Western Reserve ILC in Warren, Ohio. His background in Centers for Independent Living includes direct services, advocacy and community partnerships, and operations management.

Concurrent Workshops III: Tuesday, July 26, 9:00 – 10:15 a.m.

How Advocacy Can Build a Transportation Program

Location: Independence A

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience: Advocates & Project Directors

Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all knowledge levels

The workshop will provide attendees with the knowledge to advocate for transportation options, with an emphasis on underserved rural areas. Learn how CIL Western Wisconsin (CILWW) brought an array of partners involved in transportation to the table, including funders, providers, and advocates and developed a regional transportation collaboration with a goal of addressing the unmet transportation needs of all transit-dependent persons. Learn how the experience helped CILWW to develop a transportation program using volunteer drivers to meet the transportation needs of persons with disabilities and other transit-dependent persons in rural areas where there are limited transportation options.

Bobbi Craig is the Director of Transportation for the New Freedom Transportation Program through the Center for Independent living for Western Wisconsin (CILWW), the largest volunteer driver program in the country and a role model program for others to follow. As Director of the program, she is responsible for writing grants, procuring contracts, recruiting drivers, and training them in the best practice. Bobbi started with New Freedom Transportation program over 10 years ago as a dispatcher and has been with the program as it expanded into 18 counties. It is now in 42 counties.

Kyle Kleist is the Executive Director of the Center for Independent Living for Western Wisconsin (CILWW). As a person with a disability that uses a wheelchair, he has years of experience traveling both within the U.S. and abroad using many different modes of transportation, and understands the transportation barriers faced by persons with disabilities. He has also been a committed advocate for expanding transportation options for all transit-dependent persons for over 20 years.

Independent Living in 2050 and Beyond

Location: Independence BCDE

Track: Independent Living 2050

Audience: Advocates & Project Directors

Knowledge Level: Experienced

This session will be a panel-led think tank discussion around policy, programs, funding for services, housing, transportation, personal care, home and community based services (HCBS), reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act, and more - for 2050 and beyond!

Ann McDaniel is the Executive Director of the West Virginia Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC). She has Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Marshall University and has worked in the Independent Living and advocacy field since 1985, beginning with eleven years at the Mountain State Centers for Independent Living in Huntington, WV followed by her current position. Under her direction, the SILC has developed 10 State Plans for Independent Living (SPILs) and sponsored, organized, and conducted multiple WV Disability Caucuses and Youth Disability Caucuses. Ann has served as a mentor to many other SILCs across the country, provides training & technical assistance, and teaches online courses and webinars through the national IL-NET training project. She has also provided training on Independent Living, disability history, advocacy, and the legislative process on the state, regional and national level. She has also provided training and strategic planning for SILCs in several other states across the nation. Ann served on the board of the National Council on Independent Living for many years, served as Board Secretary twice, and is the Chair / Co-Chair of multiple NCIL committees.

Jeff Hughes accepted his current position as Executive Director of Progressive Independence in Norman, Oklahoma in 2000. In his present position, Jeff has received certification in Advantage Case Management, Social Security Benefits Planning, Phase I and II ADA through the National Council on Independent Living / DREDF, Futures Person Centered Planning, and Job Coach Certification. Jeff has also held numerous state and national leadership roles including but not limited to: Member At-Large on the NCIL Board of Directors, Past Chair of the NCIL Task Force on the Administration for Community Living, current Co-Chair of the NCIL Rehabilitation Act and Independent Living Funding Subcommittee, as well as Governor Appointments to the Statewide Independent Living Council and Office of Disability Concerns. Jeff previously served on Aetna’s National Medicaid Managed Care Advisory Committee and is currently proudly serving on Anthem's National Advisory Board.

Youth Transition Programs and Outreach

Location: Lafayette / Farragut

Track: Core Services

Audience: Front Line Staff & Consumers

Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all knowledge levels

This workshop will outline strategies and tools two CILs use to address their area students’ needs as intersectional human beings in a continually changing world. Using age-appropriate, cross-disability, and flexible programs, these organizations will demonstrate ways to effectively meet mandated standards and provide schools the means to develop students’ social awareness, skills for successful independent living, and the ability to advocate for themselves and others.

Alice Nichols is the Curriculum Development & Training Manager at RAMP Center for Independent Living in Rockford, IL. She is an experienced education professional skilled in Curriculum Development and Instructional Design, Writing, Editing, Teaching, Advising, and Transitions. She has written and developed a wide variety of curriculum and training for RAMP, the Illinois Community College Board, Rock Valley College, and Judson University, among others. Alice is certified and experienced in working with students with disabilities. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Ministry from Moody Bible Institute and a Master of Arts in English from DePaul University.

HOUSING 101: Everything You Wanted to Know About Housing but Were Afraid to Ask

Location: Independence FGHI

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience: Appropriate for all audiences

Knowledge Level: Newcomer

CANCELLED

Concurrent Workshops IV: Thursday, July 28, 9:30 – 10:15 a.m.

Systems and Legislative Advocacy: One CIL's Journey to Eliminate Subminimum Wage

Location: Independence A

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience: Advocates & Project Directors

Knowledge Level: Experienced

During this session, participants will learn best practices with engaging legislators to implement systems change efforts for people with disabilities. Participants will learn how Able SC in South Carolina involved partners, people with disabilities, and the community in legislative advocacy to build allies and support. A special focus will be dedicated to employment advocacy and Able SC’s current legislative efforts to phase out subminimum wage in South Carolina. The session will feature resources and materials Able SC created to help others understand subminimum wage and discuss what the proposed legislation would accomplish.

Kimberly Tissot proudly serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Able SC. Under Kimberly’s leadership, Able SC has experienced years of growth and has become a nationally recognized Center for Independent Living. Kimberly’s road to disability rights began young, after having her leg amputated from a rare childhood cancer, Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Kimberly holds a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina. In 2017, Kimberly led the efforts in the passing of progressive legislation in South Carolina, “Persons with Disabilities Right to Parent Act” and in 2018, the SC Employment First Initiative Study Committee.

Sandy Jordan is the Director of Employment Programs for Able SC. Sandy is the liaison and facilitator for the SC Disability Employment Coalition, a statewide initiative to decrease employment barriers for people with disabilities. She brings the disability voice to employers by providing technical assistance, troubleshooting reasonable accommodations, and overseeing SC’s annual Employer Summit. She connects with the community and is a founding member of the SC Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) chapter. Sandy holds a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of South Carolina. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Global Career Development Facilitator.

Bringing Our People Home: Housing Advocacy for People in Nursing Homes

Location: Independence BCDE

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience: Appropriate for all audiences

Knowledge Level: Experienced

Five consumers, 2 queer organizers, and a CIL executive director walk into a bar [state housing agency]. They order 50 vouchers to subsidize housing for low-income people with disabilities stuck in nursing homes across Massachusetts. The results are a delicious cocktail of state agencies, CILs, and nonprofits working together to get our people home. Come learn with us about power, community organizing tools, and taking your relationships with state officials to the next level.

Shaya French (they / them) is the Senior Community Organizer at the Boston Center for Independent Living. They have been organizing for housing and transportation justice for the past five years, including increasing state funding for the mobile voucher program (AHVP) from $4.6 million to $14.2 million and stopping the public transportation system in Boston from cutting key paratransit service. In their free time, Shaya likes writing visionary fiction about disabled people surviving and thriving decades into the future.

R Feynman (they / them) is the Senior Community Organizer at the Disability Policy Consortium, where they have worked for 3 years. Their focus is on increasing housing support for low-income people with disabilities, improving the accessibility of existing housing, and fostering connections between disability groups at the municipal level. They have also worked on food insecurity, the intersection of transness and disability, and disability issues within environmental justice.

Bill Henning (he / him), Executive Director of the Boston Center for Independent Living, has been organizing and advocating in disability rights since 1984. He has helped lead many successful campaigns to establish housing, obtain public ADA compliance, create transportation accessibility, and ensure equitable healthcare and personal assistance services at the state and occasionally national level.

Emerging SILC Issues: A Deeper Dive

Location: Lafayette / Farragut

Track: SILC

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

This two-part session will provide an opportunity for participants to identify emerging issues for SILCs, share their challenges and experiences, and share and develop solutions. Part 1 – SOS – will identify basic issues, learn potential solutions from seasoned SILC leaders, and help participants develop a plan to resolve basic issues. Part 2 – A Deeper Dive – will dig deeper into more complex issues and use the knowledge and experience of all participants to develop potential solutions to take home to try with their own SILCs.

People with Disabilities At-Risk in Conflict Settings: Forgotten & Invisible

Location: Independence FGHI

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

Content warning: This workshop discusses violence and abuse of people with disabilities.

People with disabilities are at increased risk of death and injury and face the risk of abandonment, neglect, and human trafficking when living in conflict settings. They face challenges in accessing and receiving humanitarian assistance and safe, accessible evacuations. This workshop will focus on Article 11 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities (CRPD) and other relevant legal frameworks that support the protection and safety of people with disabilities in conflict settings.

Isabel Hodge is a distinguished leader and advocate in the international disability rights movement. As Executive Director of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD), she manages a 30-year global networking and consulting hub with relationships with organizations of persons with disabilities in countries around the world. Isabel is a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Prior to joining USICD, Isabel was a Senior Analyst for the US Department of Defense Office of Special Needs. In addition to being USICD’s Executive Director, Isabel currently serves as the Vice President of Disabled Peoples International North America and the Caribbean and on the Board of Directors for Wheelchairs for Kids International.

Concurrent Workshops V: Thursday, July 28, 10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Building Regional Leadership Teams

Location: Independence A

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

A key component to the success of NCIL is not only that we are national but that we have local roots. Each NCIL region has a representative. Participants will get the opportunity to meet the regional representatives and learn how they can be involved in their home states and regions. The regional representatives serve as a conduit to work with and inform the NCIL membership and to coordinate local and regional activities.

Steve Higgins is the Executive Director of Independence Associates, Inc. located in East Bridgewater, MA. He has been involved with NCIL for over 20 years in many different roles. He currently serves on the NCIL Board as the Representative for Region I, Chair of the Regional Representatives Committee, and as Co-Chair of the ADA / Civil Rights Subcommittee. Additionally, Steve has served several terms as a member of the Massachusetts SILC. He will be joined by NCIL’s Regional Representatives during this session: Aaron Baier, Marty Musser, John Herring, Dr. FranSha’ Anderson, Joel Peden, Larry Wanger, and Kimberly Meck. The Regional Representatives will discuss how they all work together in their various roles at NCIL.

Afghans with Disabilities and What CILs can Do to Help

Location: Independence BCDE

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

There are many at-risk Afghan leaders with disabilities still waiting to be evacuated. During this session, you will receive information about the US International Council on Disabilities’ (USICD) advocacy efforts within the U.S. and at the United Nations, and how CILs can assist Afghans being resettled within their own communities.

Isabel Hodge is a distinguished leader and advocate in the international disability rights movement. As Executive Director of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD), she manages a 30-year global networking and consulting hub with relationships with organizations of persons with disabilities in countries around the world. For over five years, Isabel has been working closely with Afghan organizations of persons with disabilities and serves as an advisor to the Enabled Children’s Initiative, which is a non-profit working to improve the quality of life for Afghans with disabilities. Since August, Isabel has been advocating for the inclusion of at-risk Afghans leaders with disabilities and their families in international evacuation efforts and inclusion in the U.S. resettlement process.

Institutional Abuse: Myth, Reality, and Systemic and Cultural Risk Factors

Location: Lafayette / Farragut

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

Content warning: This workshop discusses violence and abuse of people with disabilities.

Many institutions with power over disabled people have been proven to tolerate abuse and protect the institution instead of vulnerable people in their care. Abuse myths allow abusers to hide in plain sight via misdirection, and systemic and cultural factors influence the level of risk these institutions create for their charges. Presented by a childhood trafficking survivor turned public communications expert, this workshop provides a rare inside-look at how abuse rings operate, with a focus on the role powerful government, religious, and private institutions play to deliver vulnerable people into the hands of abusers; aid and abet abuse; and prevent legal redress.

Sara Burke is a communications consultant and advocate for progress. She is a Board member and Director of Communications for the Florida Wildflower Foundation, and is on the Steering Committee for Women For A Better Lee (County) PAC. She holds a Master’s degree in Interactive Multimedia from the University of Technology, Sydney and has a background in startups and consulting. She has Ehlers-Danlos Sydrome, making her proudly both disabled and neurodiverse, and also became mobility impaired in 2015. She is a survivor of childhood trafficking who now lives in political exile in paradise.

Housing 201: Where Do We Go from Here? Advanced Advocacy for All

Location: Independence FGHI

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience: Appropriate for all audiences

Knowledge Level: Experienced

CANCELLED

Virtual Workshops

Monday, August 1 (Virtual Conference Day 1)

Rehab Act Reauthorization Updates

1:00 – 2:15 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience: Executive Directors & Board Members

Knowledge Level: Experienced

An overview of current language within the Rehab Act of 1973, as Amended and discussion of current core services, areas of concern, and possible areas for increased services and funding. This session will be interactive, with time for feedback and input from participants.

Letting Youth Take the Lead

3:00 - 4:15 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Track: Core Services

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

Are your youth programs and services truly peer-led? As CILs, we are experts in peer-led and peer-provided services, but sometimes we miss that mark when it comes to youth programming. We will explore some of our successes and intentional organizational efforts to ensure that youth with disabilities are the center of and leading our CILs youth programming and services, as well as some pitfalls, struggles, and where we are headed.

Paige Winget is the Director of Youth Transition Programs at Able SC. Paige holds a Bachelor’s degree in dance performance and choreography from the University of South Carolina and Master’s degree in exceptional student education K-12 from the University of Central Florida. Paige works to create opportunities for meaningful collaboration and ensure quality youth transition planning and services. She has presented on various topics related to youth transition services and has provided technical assistance to other CILs in improving youth programs. She is most passionate about including youth voice in everything - really EVERYTHING! She loves to eat adventurous foods (including guinea pig and horse!) and has an odd love of trolls.

Tuesday, August 2 (Virtual Conference Day 2)

Understanding The Roots of The Ableist Society

1:00 - 2:15 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

An interactive zoom workshop that dives deep into the roots of The Ableist Society to help attendees gain a better understanding of the intersectional systemic oppression many of us live through, whether we identify as Disabled or not. We’ll define various ways The Ableist Society exposes itself as we take a trip through history and reflect on our own personal experiences in a safe space that allow us to learn together.

Marie Dagenais-Lewis is a very Pridefully Disabled Art Activist, Content Manager at Diversability and creator of @r.a.r.e.advoc8. After losing her broadcasting career to ableism, she blazed her own trail using her art and storytelling to dismantle The Ableist Society.

Organizing Can Be for Everyone

3:00 – 4:15 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Track: Independent Living 2050

Audience / Knowledge Level: Audience: Advocates & Project Directors

Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all knowledge levels

With the rising need for advocacy efforts, and the advancements of technology, community organizing no longer has to be intimidating. The opportunities for the diverse skills and talents that all communities are made of are never ending. We want to bring awareness to the non-traditional ways that anyone can bring their passion to the table.

Ericka Miller is the Executive Director of Disability Moving Assistance Inc. Ericka has been a community organizer for 6 years, both professionally through her many roles at CILs and in her spare time having organized for her local community in Rochester, NY. This has included a wide range of efforts, from fighting in D.C. to save Medicaid to running for local office.

Parker Glick is a Community Advocate. Parker has had at least 15 years of organizing in the Independent Living field and with / for his beloved LGBTQIA+ community. In that time, he has had the privilege of organizing with a multitude of talented advocates.

Wednesday, August 3 (Virtual Conference Day 3)

Disability & Intersectionality

1:00 – 2:15 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Track: Advocacy & Policy Work

Audience / Knowledge Level: Appropriate for all audiences and knowledge levels

This presentation examines the effects of intersectionality on people with disabilities. Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how people’s overlapping identities contribute to their experiences with privilege and oppression. Presenters will define ableism, racism, sexism, classism, and other forms of oppression and address their impact on people with disabilities. We will look at ways to build a more inclusive society for all.

Miranda Grunwell has worked as an advocate and educator in the disability rights field for more than two decades. Miranda has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Grand Valley State University and is the current Community Education Coordinator for Disability Network Southwest Michigan. As a person with a learning disability, she knows first-hand the challenges facing people with disabilities living in an ableist world. Miranda is dedicated to building a community where all people benefit with full access and inclusion. Miranda’s expertise includes educational presentations for young adults with and without disabilities, professional development, and DEI staff training.

Leatrice Fullerton is the Advocacy and Community Education Director with Disability Network Southwest Michigan. In this role, she works closely with staff to ensure satisfactory customer service delivery. In addition to this, Leatrice also volunteers for several other non-profit agencies in the Kalamazoo area. After receiving her Master’s degree in Social Work from Western Michigan University, Leatrice has made it her goal to assist, advocate, and represent people from marginalized groups in all that she does.

Max Hornick is a graduate of Western Michigan University and a nationally certified ADA Coordinator (ADAC). They have engaged in disability advocacy for over a decade; while attending community college, Max co-founded Mental Illness Support & Advocacy Alliance (MISAA), an organization run by and for students with psychiatric disabilities. They currently work as an ADA Specialist & Systems Advocate for Disability Network Southwest Michigan, where they have been employed since 2018.