In order to bring you a stellar conference program, we have selected presenters that whose individual lives are as relevant to the Community as the issues they are addressing. The majority of our speakers hold advanced degrees in their field. Their accomplishments precede them and many are recognized nationally and within their state for their ongoing work with people with disabilities. All our speakers have apparent and non-apparent disabilities, work in the disability field or are the sibling or parent of a person with disabilities.

LeeAnne Carrothers, PT, PhD
Department of Physical Therapy, Chapman University; On-Call Physical Therapist, St. Jude Medical Center
LeeAnne Carrothers, PT, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Chapman University and an On-Call Physical Therapist at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, CA. She is the former Training Director for the NIDRR-Funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with a Disability at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Hospital. She co-authored and served as the Curriculum Director for two California Endowment Grants to improve quality of and access to healthcare services for individuals with disabilities. In this capacity, she authored The Pathways Series: BREAST CARE—Strategies for Making Preventive Breast Care Accessible for Women with Disabilities.

Dr. Carrothers has worked extensively in the areas of inpatient care, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, and access to healthcare for individuals with disabilities. She is a nationally recognized speaker on medical screening, aging with disabilities and strategies for making healthcare accessible to people with disabilities. Dr. Carrothers has published in the Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation and the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine and is has written on the subjects of medical screening and the pathophysiology of fatigue and deconditioning.

Session:
Successful Aging: Health Promotion and Wellness for People with a Disability
Friday, May 29, 2009

Mary Anne Ehlert
Founder and President, Protected Tomorrows
Mary Anne Ehlert is a financial professional and sister to an individual with disabilities. She is highly regarded as a specialist in working with families of individuals with disabilities, and serves on the boards of several organizations, including Special Olympics of Illinois. She speaks to conferences and other audiences on financial planning, and has recently completed her book, entitled The Gift I Was Given.

Protected Tomorrows, Inc enhances the lives of people with developmental disabilities through a comprehensive life planning process. Its nationwide network of Advocates create Future Care Plans, which include the educational, residential, financial, legal, health care, government benefits, employment and recreational needs of the individual with special needs. Each member of Protected Tomorrows’ passionate team of professionals has a personal connection to the special needs community, so they understand the concerns of families firsthand. It drives them to continuously identify, design and implement solutions to life planning, bringing peace of mind to families about the years ahead for their loved one.

Session:
Creating the Future Care Plan for Family Members with Special Needs
Sunday, May 31, 2009

Jon Erickson
Founder, Parlerai, Inc.

Jon Erickson is a founder of Parlerai Inc., the world’s first Augmentative Collaboration service. Having a daughter with special needs, Jon and his wife, Kristin, decided to apply next-generation technology and service to create this much-needed capability for families and children with special needs. Parlerai provides online collaboration and social networking services for families with children having special needs. Jon has nearly 20 years of technology experience at Fidelity Investments in a variety of roles. He held several top-level positions with Fidelity including the head of Telecommunications Architecture where he was responsible for the strategy and technology of the Fidelity’s enterprise network. 

Additionally, Jon was the Chief Technology Officer of COLT Internet in London, England, where he was responsible for the strategy and direction of COLT’s Pan European Internet business. COLT is a leader in data, voice and managed services in the European market with operations in 13 countries and 32 cities. Most recently he was a Venture Partner with Fidelity Ventures providing technology strategy for their portfolio companies and due diligence for several potential investments. While at Fidelity, Jon was instrumental in the genesis of several technology companies over the years. Educated at Alderson- Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia, Jon and his family live in Scituate, Massachusetts.

Session:
Harnessing the Power of the Internet for Children with Special Needs
Sunday, May 31, 2009

Ann Eubank, OTR/L, ATP
Executive Director, User’s First Alliance
Ann Eubank, OTR/L, ATP, MSSW student, currently holds the position of Executive Director of User’s First Alliance, an advocacy, web-based organization. She is a student at the University of Tennessee pursuing a Master’s of Science degree in Social Work and works with Permobil, Inc. as the Clinical Services Manager. Ann holds an adjunct faculty position at Belmont University School of Occupational Therapy where she has been a thesis advisor in the doctoral program. Ann has been a guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University’s Bioengineering Program since 2006 and has been practicing in the seating and position field for more than 15 years. She has developed and presented educational programs nationally and internationally since 1995.

Sessions:
Solving Funding Challenges: Your Role in Promoting Client Choice
Friday, May 29, 2009

Getting the Wheelchair or Scooter You Deserve: Practical Strategies
Saturday, May 30, 2009

Getting the Wheelchair or Scooter Your Child Deserves: Practical Strategies
Sunday, May 31, 2009

Mayra Fornos, Esq.
Fornos Law Firm
Mayra Fornos, Esq., first became involved with the disabled community more than 25 years ago when her husband Ralph suffered a surfing accident that rendered him a quadriplegic. For more than 20 years, Mayra Fornos has been an integral part of Southern California’s disabled community. Not only is she the principal in a law firm devoted to serving the disabled, but Mayra is also a leader and board member in various organizations that work to protect the legal rights of those who have sustained serious life-altering injuries. She has a kinship with the injured and disabled because of her personal experience in living with a loved one whose life was suddenly and without warning disrupted by a devastating life-altering accident. Mayra Fornos understands firsthand how those individuals affected by disabling injuries, along with their loved ones, experience indescribable challenges from the sudden and unwanted changes brought into their lives.

Session:
Newly Injured? Discriminated Against as a Result of Your Disability? Learn What to do Next!
Saturday, May 30, 2009

Ryan Hagy MOT, OTR/L
Quantum Specialist, Pride Mobility Products Corp.
Ryan Hagy is a graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Pride Mobility Products has employed Mr. Hagy since 2003 and he is presently a Senior Rehab Product Specialist for Northern California. Prior to employment with Pride, he worked in pediatrics as a senior Occupational Therapist where he focused on working with children with cerebral palsy and muscle disease. Mr. Hagy has had extensive experience providing training to therapists and rehab professionals across the nation.

Sessions:
Drive Controls & Beyond: Clinical Applications of Wheelchair Electronics
Friday, May 29, 2009

Peds Power! Evaluation and Options for Power Mobility
Friday, May 29, 2009

Michelle Saunders Haney, PT, MSPT
Director, Euro-Peds National Center for Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy
Haney began her career in Intensive Pediatric PT in 2001 at Euro-Peds where she was evaluating and administering individualized intensive therapy for children and young adults who had a wide variety of gross motor disorders. She has been the Director of Euro-Peds since 2003. Haney earned her physical therapist degree and a Master’s in Childhood Education from Central Michigan University.

Session:
Intensive Physical Therapy: An Emerging Therapy in the Treatment of Children with Neuromuscular Disorders
Friday, May 29, 2009

Never Underestimate a Child: Using Intensive Physical Therapy to Teach New Skills
Sunday, May 31, 2009

Florence P. Haseltine, PhD, MD
Florence P. Haseltine, PhD, MD, is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist, and an expert in reproductive endocrinology. Currently she is working on the basis of gender differences and what these differences teach us about the system and the disease process.

Dr. Haseltine received her undergraduate training at the University of California at Berkeley, a doctorate in biophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Following her internship at the University of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia and her residency at Boston Hospital for Women (Brigham and Women's Hospital), she served as assistant and associate professor in the Department of Ob/Gyn and Pediatrics at Yale University.

The health of women and their advancement professionally are central issues for Dr. Haseltine. In 1990, she founded the Society for Women's Health Research and was its first president. This organization has brought the issue of research on women's health to the attention of high federal officials and prominent members of the media as well as placing it on the nation's priority research agenda. She is also the founder of Haseltine Systems, a company devoted to easing travel for persons with disabilities.

Dr. Haseltine has co-edited and reviewed numerous publications and books on a range of topics including reproductive biology, women's health and proceedings of NIH-sponsored conferences related to the reproductive sciences and population issues. She was also the founding editor of the Journal of Women's Health. In addition, she has made many scientific, public and media presentations across the country and internationally.

Dr. Haseltine has been recognized for her contributions in the field of women's health and reproductive science by election to the Institute of Medicine (IOM); a Weizmann Honored Scientist; a Kass Lecturer; a recipient of the American Woman's Medical Association Scientist Award; a recipient of The Kilby Laureates Award; a Health Hero honoree of the American Health For Women Magazine; a Prevention Magazine "Hall of Fame" honoree; Ladies' Home Journal "Champions of Women's Health" honoree; a recipient of the Advocacy Award from Research America for the Society for Women's Health Research; a recipient of the Barbara Eck Menning Founder's Award; a member of many professional societies; and the author of numerous publications.

Session:
The Reproductive Experience and Issues for Women with Disabilities
Friday, May 29, 2009

Dan Hubbell
Technical Evangelist, Microsoft
Daniel Hubbell is the technical evangelist for Microsoft's Accessibility Business Unit. His focus is on increasing the awareness of technology-based accessibility solutions for consumers and regularly speaks at events and conferences on the topics of Accessible Technology. Mr. Hubbell also oversees the partnership between Microsoft and 3rd party Assistive Technology manufacturers as the manager of Microsoft Accessible Technology Vendor Program. He has been with the Accessibility Business Unit since 2006 and originally joined Microsoft in the year 2000 as a member of the team that developed the online support site for MSN. Mr. Hubbell has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from San Francisco State University.

Session:
Accessibility in Windows: Making the Computer Easier to Use
Saturday, May 30, 2009

Gary Karp
Internationally Recognized Public Speaker, Corporate Trainer, Facilitator, Author and Journalist; Author of Disability & The Art of Kissing
Gary Karp has been living—fully—with a T12 spinal cord injury since 1973 when he was injured in a fall from a tree at the age of eighteen. Since his injury, Gary has earned a graduate degree in architecture, worked for eleven years in the presentation graphics industry as a designer and production manager, then began providing ergonomics training and consultation services to companies in the San Francisco Bay Area where he lives with his wife Paula and their yellow Labrador Retriever, Nava Leah.

He is the author of three books, all widely reviewed as definitive guides for people with disabilities: Life On Wheels: For the Active Wheelchair User, Choosing A Wheelchair: A Guide For Optimal Independence, and Disability & the Art of Kissing.

In 2007, Gary was inducted into the Spinal Cord Injury Hall of Fame as a disability educator for his unique and extensive contributions to disability awareness.

His investigative articles and profiles have appeared regularly in New Mobility magazine, and he is a former board member of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA) for whom he served two years as Executive Editor of their bi-monthly newspaper, SCILife.

A very highly regarded speaker, Gary is sponsored in part by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, which funds his speaking in rehabilitation settings and to university students of physical and occupational therapy.

As a corporate trainer on disability and employment, Gary makes the business case for working with employees with disabilities. He creates a safe and interactive environment to discuss what some find an uncomfortable topic—and in the process helps bring workplace culture up-to-speed on the dramatic emergence of people with disabilities—as candidates, and an existing employee's capacity to stay on the job or return more efficiently.

Also an accomplished musician and juggler, he has produced a CD of original guitar music and brings his juggling skills to bear in his appearances as a speaker and in his training.

Sessions:
Disability Culture and the Workplace: Shifting Organizations to the Modern
Disability Paradigm
Friday, May 29, 2009

Sex on Wheels: Disability and the Art of Kissing
Saturday, May 30, 2009

Debra Kerper
Member, Society for Accessible Travel (SATH)
Debra Kerper received her travel training at Coastline Community College where she was the recipient of the TATE AWARD for outstanding academic performance and goals in the travel industry. Her desire to pursue a career in Travel for the Disabled came from her personal experience as a physically challenged traveler. Debra has been living with Lupus since the age of 20, spent six years full-time in a wheelchair as the result of a bone infection in her legs and became a below knee amputee at the age of 29. She has undergone more than 30 surgeries and has spent much time using a wheelchair as well as enjoying long periods of good health and short distance walking. She has a very keen understanding of medical ailments and disabling conditions resulting from excessive time spent in hospitals and outpatient rehab facilities. Debra travels extensively with a wheelchair and/or a scooter and has learned how to MINIMIZE THE FRUSTRATIONS while MAXIMIZING THE ENJOYMENT of visiting new and exciting destinations. She has visited more than 30 countries and has been on more thans 75 cruises. She is able to share her knowledge and expertise with other disabled persons as well as those who simply want to travel at a more leisurely pace. She possesses very strong interpersonal skills and a love of helping people. 

Sessions:
Travel Made Easy: Tips for People with Disabilities
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009

Stanley D. Klein, Ph.D.
Stanley D. Klein, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and educator, has presented lectures and seminars to healthcare and education professionals about communicating with clients, patients and parents, particularly about the challenge of delivering difficult diagnostic news. Since publishing on this topic in 1993, he has lectured frequently on it at teaching hospitals and many other clinical and educational settings throughout the United States as well as in Greece, United Kingdom, Israel and Germany. Dr. Klein is the co-editor of three books and currently serves as Director of DisABILITIESBOOKS, Inc., which assists people with disabilities and parents in publishing. He co-founded Exceptional Parent magazine in 1971 and served as editor-in-chief of the magazine for parents of children with disabilities until 1997. During that time, he was the author or co-author of more than 200 articles and editorials. From 1977-1982, he served as Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Counseling Service at the New England College of Optometry. In 1982, he was promoted to full Professor and held that position until 1996. He also taught at a number of colleges and universities in the Boston area. Dr. Klein began working with children with disabilities in 1954 as a camp counselor while he was a college student. Dr. Klein has received numerous national awards for his work. From May, 2007 through Election Day, 2008, Dr. Klein served as Co-Chair of the Obama ’08 Disability Policy Committee.

Session:
The Challenge of Delivering Difficult Diagnostic News
Friday, May 29, 2009

Sam Maddox
Knowledge Manager, Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center
Mr. Maddox has written about neuroscience and recovery of function for more than 20 years. He is the author of Spinal Network, the seminal resource for spinal cord dysfunction; 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.  Due to his specialization in the area of the spinal cord and neuroscience, Mr. Maddox has also written for several national organizations focused on paralysis research, including the American Paralysis Association, Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Paralysis Project of America. He lives in Southern California.

Session:
Paralysis Research: Hope, Hype and Cure Tourism
Saturday, May 30, 2009

Mary Lee Moser, MPsyc, Author
Mary Lee Moser, the mother of a thirty-three year-old son with spina bifida, is a Certified Instructor for Journal to the Self® Workshops, and author of There and Back: A Journal Guide for Special Needs Parents. Her business, Create Today™ Journal Workshops and Books, emphasizes the healing qualities of creativity. She has a decade of teaching expressive art in hospitals, colleges, corporate settings and mental health programs. In addition to her current work as an author and with her business, Ms. Moster teaches creative journal writing and expressive art to adults with brain disorders. She has a Master’s in Psychology, holds a certificate in Art Therapy and is a certified Grief Recovery Outreach Specialist.

Session:
Promoting Self-Care for Caregivers through Daily Journaling
Sunday, May 31, 2009

Sheila O’Brien, MEd
CEO, National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS)
Sheila O’Brien holds a Master’s degree in Special Education from Fitchburg State College and has worked with NEADS/Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans since 1978. In 1984, she assumed the position of Executive Director and in 2009 became the Chief Executive Officer. Sheila is the spokesperson for the organization and travels worldwide helping other countries establish Hearing and Service Dog training programs. She accredits other Assistance Dog organizations for ADI (Assistance Dog International) and is a charter member of that organization.

Sessions:
New Horizons for Assistance Dogs
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009

Laurence Weinstein
President, Shared Solutions America; Developer and Coordinator, AARP National Events Livable Homes Pavilion
Laurence Weinstein is a product designer, architect, contractor/builder, writer and educator with more than four decades of successful professional experience. He has served as the developer and coordinator for the AARP National Events Livable Homes Housing Pavilion since 2002. He is also the president of Shared Solutions America, a national non-profit organization and technology resource center founded in early 1999. Shared Solutions America is dedicated to the design and development of living environments, products and innovative technologies that will help maximize daily independent, enjoyable, energy-efficient and safe living for age 50+ adults, and people of all ages with disabilities. He is a graduate of the Pratt Institute School of Industrial & Architectural Design and taught Commercial Interior Design at University of California Continuing Education Program. He is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence in product, furniture, lighting, building and interior design. Many of his projects over the years have focused on designing and building living and working environments for seniors and people of all ages with disabilities.

Sessions:
The Accessible Livable Home: How to Achieve Enjoyable Maximum Independent, Energy-Efficient and Safe Living in Your Home
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009

Mark Willits, Esq.
Fornos Law Firm; President, Ralph’s Riders
Mark Willits, associate attorney for Fornos Law Firm, became a quadriplegic in 1997 after suffering a spinal cord injury in a work accident. Mark graduated from the UCLA School of Law in May 2008 and is a member of the California bar. In law school, Mark was the president of the Disability Law Society at UCLA, an organization that united and advocated for disabled students at UCLA School of Law. With the help of other disabled law students across the nation, Mark co-founded the National Association of Law Students with Disabilities, the first nationwide organization for law students with disabilities. Mark also participated in a Mock Trial program where he won an outstanding attorney award competing against fellow law students across the Southwest. Currently, Mark is the President of Ralph's Riders Foundation, an organization that benefits individuals with spinal cord injuries and other mobility impairments.

Session:
Newly Injured? Discriminated Against as a Result of Your Disability? Learn What to do Next!
Saturday, May 30, 2009