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Enjoy fun and informative workshops that focus on everything from disability-friendly travel to low-cost home modifications to tips on how to get the best accessible vehicle.
- Learn about the benefits of having an assistance dog and you’ll even see a canine companion in action!
- Meet renowned author Gary Karp!
- Find out how to get the mobility device that’s best for you!
- Learn great tips for making your computer more accessible!
- And much more!
View Saturday Workshops
View Sunday Workshops
Workshops are free and there’s no need to register. Just arrive early to make sure you have a seat!
Professionals: Certificates of participation are available. Please see the conference registration desk following each workshop.
* Please note sessions are subject to change without notice.
Saturday
May 30, 2009
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Comprehensive Vehicle Solutions
Presented by Amber Fitzsimmons, MSPT
If you are seeking vehicle mobility solutions, come to learn the unique process involved with evaluating your capabilities, and selecting and purchasing an automotive transportation solution. Ideal for first-time buyers, this session will help you identify the key players in the process and gain valuable resources for available options. The workshop will also review the solution categories of wheelchair accessible vehicles, seating systems, wheelchair and scooter lift options and steering controls.
Presented by NMEDA, the National Mobility and Equipment Dealers Association
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
The Accessible Livable Home: How to Achieve Enjoyable Maximum Independent, Energy-Efficient and Safe Living in Your Home
Presented by AARP - Shared Solutions America
Learn how to make your home more accessible and user-friendly by applying the principles of universal and accessible design. Tips and strategies will be shared that work for both new and existing living environments, and are achievable for people of all ages and levels of ability. Help make your everyday tasks and activities more easy, enjoyable and safe as you maximize your daily independent living. Plus, discover additional tips to make your home more energy-efficient while you remove the barriers to independent living!
Presented by Shared Solutions America
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Newly Injured as a Result of Someone Else’s Wrongdoing? Discriminated Against as a Result of Your Disability?
Learn What to do Next!
Mayra Fornos, Esq, Founder, Fornos Law Firm
Mark Willits, Esq, Fornos Law Firm; President, Ralph's Riders
At this workshop you’ll learn what you need to know for life after your injury. Get the details about personal injury lawsuits, damages, liability, costs, benefits and many other important and challenging issues that confront someone who has sustained an injury. You will also learn about rights that individuals with disabilities are entitled to under the Americans with Disabilities Act and similar laws. This workshop will be a comprehensive introduction to the law and there will be a question and answer period after the presentation.
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Travel Made Easy: Tips for People with Disabilities
Debra Kerper, Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality
Discover how to expand your life with travel to new places! This workshop will provide you with specific details and how-to’s to make traveling more successful and enjoyable. Attendees will receive detailed recommendations for accessible travel by air, sea and car. Learn what to expect from hotels, rental car companies, cruise lines and the airlines. We will examine the challenges of traveling, methods for addressing them and the current provisions required by the law. The presentation also includes recommendations for disability-friendly destinations!
Presented by SATH, the Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Sex on Wheels: Disability and the Art of Kissing
Gary Karp, Internationally Recognized Public Speaker, Corporate Trainer, Author and Journalist, Author of Disability & The Art of Kissing
True intimacy, growthful relationships and deep sensual experience are absolutely available to people with disabilities, regardless of impairment. In this workshop, we will affirm the innate need and ability to love and be loved in the context of disability. Learn to separate what is about disability and what is about human relationships and their inevitable complexities. Recognize the natural components of adjustment and grief which follow a traumatic loss which impacts sexuality. This informative and frank look at sexuality in the context of disability will shed light on the real nature of pleasure, personal connection and partnership between people who trust and love one another.
Presented by Gary Karp Life on Wheels.
** Please note this session is geared toward a mature audience.
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
New Horizons for Assistance Dogs
Sheila O’Brien, MEd, CEO, National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS)
Today more than ever assistance dogs are meeting the needs of people with many different disabilities, including physical, hearing loss, autism and more. Learn how assistance dog partnerships have many positive impacts that extend beyond their person to family members and additional support providers. The changing demographic of the disabled population will also be discussed in light of the returning wounded veterans from the Iraq/Afghanistan Wars, and the rising numbers of children with autism. Find out about new programs, such as Canines for Combat Veterans Program and HaltER Dog program for young autistic children, and learn how to apply for and obtain an Assistance Dog.
Presented by NEADS, the National Education for Assistance Dog Services
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Getting the Mobility Device You Deserve
Ann Eubank, OTR/L, ATP, Executive Director, User’s First Alliance
Trying to determine what mobility device is most appropriate for you and your lifestyle is very difficult in today’s current healthcare system. The United States’ medical system is fragmented which causes confusion for most people when they are trying to determine the answers to these key questions:
1. What do I need?
2. What is available on the market?
3. How do I know if my insurance will pay for it?
4. Where do I go to get it?
5. Should I get an evaluation from a doctor or a therapist?
In this workshop, we will address these and other questions to aid you in navigating the complicated healthcare system. You will gain knowledge about how the system affects you, learn practical strategies you can use to better advocate for yourself and get the equipment and service you need and deserve.
Presented by User’s First Alliance
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Accessibility in Windows: Making the Computer Easier to Use
Daniel Hubbell, Technical Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Windows includes built-in accessibility settings and programs that make it easier for you to see, hear and use your computer. Microsoft has invested more than three years of research to better understand the needs of people who experience a wide range of physical challenges that can impact their computer use. With the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft introduced the Ease of Access Center, a centralized location to adjust and manage accessibility settings and programs. This session will provide an overview and demonstration on the Windows Ease of Access Center, which includes programs like the Magnifier, Narrator, On Screen Keyboard and Speech Recognition.
Presented by Microsoft
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Paralysis Research: Hope, Hype and Cure Tourism
Sam Maddox, Knowledge Manager, Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
This workshop will present an overview of recent scientific research on improving functional recovery after trauma or disease. Learn what is happening in the clinical trial pipeline and discuss therapy options, including travel to overseas clinics offering treatments not approved in the U.S. Presenter Sam Maddox is the author of many books on this topics, including Quest for Cure, a historical overview of research to restore function after spinal cord injury or disease and an important primer to the science, personality, and politics of cure; and the Paralysis Resource Guide (PRG), a comprehensive guide to paralysis-related topics.
Presented by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
Sunday
May 31, 2009
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
The Accessible Livable Home: How to Achieve Enjoyable Maximum Independent, Energy-Efficient and Safe Living in Your Home
Presented by AARP - Shared Solutions America
Learn how to make your home more accessible and user-friendly by applying the principles of universal and accessible design. Tips and strategies will be shared that work for both new and existing living environments, and are achievable for people of all ages and levels of ability. Help make your everyday tasks and activities more easy, enjoyable and safe as you maximize your daily independent living. Plus, discover additional tips to make your home more energy-efficient while you remove the barriers to independent living!
Presented by Shared Solutions America
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Never Underestimate a Child: Using Intensive Physical Therapy to Teach New Skills
Michelle Saunders Haney, PT, MSPT, Director, Euro-Peds National Center for Intensive Pediatric PT
Parents of children with special needs often say, “We were told that my child would never walk, talk, learn, etc.” The motivation underlying Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy is to never underestimate a child. Intensive PT, brought to the United States by Euro-Peds in 1999, is widely recognized as an effective treatment to teach new functional skills to children and young adults with gross motor delays. Come learn about Intensive PT through video examples and research. Discover how specially-trained therapists combine intensity with a wide variety of therapeutic modalities to help the patients reach their full potentials. Applications of European-inspired “suit therapy” and the Universal Exercise Unit (UEU) will also be shared.
Presented by Euro-Peds National Center for Intensive Pediatric PT
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Travel Made Easy: Tips for People with Disabilities
Debra Kerper, Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality
Discover how to expand your life with travel to new places! This workshop will provide you with specific details and how-to’s to make traveling more successful and enjoyable. Attendees will receive detailed recommendations for accessible travel by air, sea and car. Learn what to expect from hotels, rental car companies, cruise lines and the airlines. We will examine the challenges of traveling, methods for addressing them and the current provisions required by the law. The presentation also includes recommendations for disability-friendly destinations!
Presented by SATH, the Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
How to Get the Mobility Device Your Child Deserves
Ann Eubank, OTR/L, ATP, Executive Director
User’s First Alliance
Trying to determine what mobility device is most appropriate for your child is very difficult in today’s current healthcare system. The United States’ medical system is fragmented which causes confusion for most people when they are trying to determine the answers to these key questions:
1. What does my child need?
2. What is available on the market?
3. How do I know if my insurance will pay for it?
4. Where do I go to get it?
5. Should I get an evaluation from a doctor or a therapist?
In this workshop, we will address these and other questions to aid you in navigating the complicated healthcare system. You will gain knowledge about how the system affects your child, learn practical strategies that you can use to better advocate for your child and get the equipment and service he or she needs and deserves.
Presented by User’s First Alliance
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Tips for Self-Care for Parents and Caregivers
Mary Lee Moser, MPsych, Author
Long-term caregivers face many stresses as a result of their daily responsibilities. The importance of replenishing one’s own reserves can be critical to relieving stress and refueling. At this workshop, attendees will receive current and practical information on compassion fatigue or “burnout” and learn ways to address this common challenge. The session includes an interactive, experiential portion during which attendees will learn three basic journal writing techniques which promote self-care and problem solving. The presenter will also share simple relaxation techniques which can be practiced throughout the day to help release the stresses of being a long-term caregiver. Attendees will be encouraged to learn from one another’s experiences, as well as from the presenter. Professionals will also find this session to be helpful.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
New Horizons for Assistance Dogs
Sheila O’Brien, MEd, CEO, National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS)
Today more than ever assistance dogs are meeting the needs of people with many different disabilities, including physical, hearing loss, autism and more. Learn how assistance dog partnerships have many positive impacts that extend beyond their person to family members and additional support providers. The changing demographic of the disabled population will also be discussed in light of the returning wounded veterans from the Iraq/Afghanistan Wars, and the rising numbers of children with autism. Find out about new programs, such as Canines for Combat Veterans Program and HaltER Dog program for young autistic children, and learn how to apply for and obtain an Assistance Dog.
Presented by NEADS, the National Education for Assistance Dog Services
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