Check-in and Registration

Registration and Continental Breakfast

Welcome and Day's Overview

Ophelia McLain, Program Specialist, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Dr. Patricia Morrissey, Commissioner, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

General Session I

Emergency Preparedness for Youth and Emerging Leaders

Facilitated by Glenda Harden, Management Analyst, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Carl Cameron, President, Center for Disability and Special Needs Preparedness, Inclusion Research Institute

This workshop will focus on providing practical information on how to include youth and emerging leaders in emergency preparedness planning so that effective emergency plans are developed for a range of disaster situations. Each participant will have the opportunity to use the Individual and Family Planning Template (Center for Disability and Special Needs Preparedness, 2008) and will be guided through the planning activities. This should result in a completed or partially completed individual plan at the end of the session.

Break

Break Out Session I

Administrators Track:

Your Logic Model - Putting it all Together

Iris Pettigrew, Acting ACOS, Accreditation & Performance Improvement, VA Maryland Health Care System

This presentation will use information from previously submitted grantee logic models to highlight common issues that organizations have in developing and maintaining their logic models. The presentation will address how to identify these issues and how to overcome them.

Youth/Emerging Leaders Track:

Self-Advocacy: Techniques for Identifying Disability Issues in Your Community

Facilitated by Ophelia McLain, Program Specialist, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Amber Smock, Youth Leadership Coordinator, Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago

This workshop will include interactive activities designed to empower young people to think critically about disability rights issues in their communities. Working with others for an advocacy cause is an important way for young people to build self-advocacy and teamwork skills. The activities provided as examples in this workshop are derived from grassroots organizing techniques for community and systems change. Whether the ultimate aim of your youth center's project is to create an independent living plan, a community service project, or a systems change project, these exercises will help people create a strong initial self-advocacy or advocacy position.

Working Luncheon - Keynote Address

We Believe! Tapping into the Power of People with Disabilities

Debra Ruh, President and CEO, TecAccess

Sara Ruh, Speaker, TecAccess

A few years ago, Debra Ruh had a dream. She was to create a company that primarily hires persons with disabilities. Debra's inspiration- a beautiful daughter named Sara, who has Down syndrome. TecAccess places this growing workforce in a role to combine first hand experience with technology to help clients understand how to make technology accessible to all users. In this presentation, the mother-daughter duo will discuss the challenges faced by people with disabilities in a daunting job market, and how employees and customers with disabilities are now emerging as a powerful force in the market place due to accessible technology. Debra and Sara will share their dreams, and most importantly, what is possible when you believe.

Break

General Session II

The Importance & Future of Accessible Technology

Facilitated by Sara Newell, Program Specialist, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Debra Ruh, President and CEO, TecAccess

The impact of total technology immersion in our everyday life is clear. Debra Ruh will explore the importance of technology, specifically accessible technology, as well as Section 508 and other accessibility legislation. She will detail accessibility trends and best practices, and where technology is headed. She will also explore accessible eLearning and how to find and procure the right assistive technology.

Break Out Session II

Administrators Track:

Grants Administration

Ophelia McLain, Program Specialist, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

This session will provide an overview of what is expected of both the grantees and the ADD staff. Fiscal and programmatic reporting mechanisms will be discussed. This will include selected areas of the SF424 and SF424A, and the differences between semi-annual reporting and the continuation application process. Suggestions will be provided regarding items and activities that can be tracked throughout the year. As a result of this session, grantees will be better equipped to provide the appropriate information per the grant reporting requirements.

Youth/Emerging Leaders Track:

Voting & the Election Process -Youth Power in the 2008 Presidential Election!

Facilitated by Melvenia Wright, Program Specialist, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Laura Hoffman, Development Specialist, National Youth Leadership Network

Stacey Milbern, President, National Youth Leadership Network

The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) continually promotes the equal voices of emerging leaders. In no process other than voting do individuals have the opportunity for their voices to be "more equal" and affective than anyone else's. Session presenters will identify ways to inform young leaders of the background of voting, how to educate themselves and become aware of who and what they are voting for, how to register to vote, what supports and accommodations are available to voters, and additional ways for their voices to be heard in the election process.

Break

Prepare for Networking/Poster Session

Networking/Poster Session

The Networking/Poster Session will provide time for participants to share ideas and grantee activities. Also during this time, ADD staff will present the 2008 Logo Design Contest Award to this year's winner, Megan Chytraus.

Registration and Continental Breakfast

Announcements/Day's Overview

General Session III

Nothing About Youth With Disabilities Without Youth With Disabilities

Facilitated by Carla Thomas, Management Analyst, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Rebecca Hare, Project Coordinator, National Consortium On Leadership and Disability/Youth

Ari Ne'eman, Policy Workgroup Leader, National Council on Disability Youth Advisory Council

This session will focus on the many issues of Legislative Advocacy - what it is and why it is important; how to engage youth in it; how to determine and refine a strategy for legislative change; how to utilize phone campaigns, letter writing, and face-to-face meetings; how to build relationships with legislators; and how to effectively debrief and process information being learned throughout the process.

Break

Break Out Session III

Youth Advisory Councils - Roundtable Discussion on Youth Center Activities

Facilitated by Julie Kenney, Project Director, IPSII Inc., Pathways Center

Panel Members:

Emily Bresler, Youth Ambassador, Center for Emerging Leadership

Nathan Say, Project Coordinator, My Voice, My Choice

Erin Thompson, Board Member, Arc of Northern Virginia

Betsy Valnes, Executive Director, National Youth Leadership Network

Julie Kenney will facilitate a roundtable discussion on the topic of Youth Advisory Councils (YACs). A panel consisting of a YITRC grantee administrator and youth/emerging leaders from YITRCs will address questions on the following topics:

• The challenges of establishing, recruiting and retaining YAC members
• Parent Involvement in YACs
• Facilitating and holding YAC meetings
• What made you decide to join a YAC, and what kept you involved?

Participants will have an opportunity to address the panel in a brief question and answer period following the roundtable discussion.

Methods for Sharing Youth and Emerging Leader Voices

Facilitated by Shadetra Robinson, Program Specialist, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Megan Chytraus, Youth Advisory Committee Member, Becoming Leaders for Tomorrow

Alfred Romeo, Project Coordinator, Becoming Leaders for Tomorrow

This discussion session will allow participants to network with each other to learn about and propose methods for sharing their voices and ideas about leadership and transition with communities. Participants will also explore current and new methods in assisting youth and emerging leaders to share their ideas with communities, helping them in Achieving Tomorrow's Reality Today. Information and methods from several YITRCs will be shared with participants.

Working Luncheon - Roundtable Discussions

Roundtable discussions will provide a chance for experienced grantees to partner with newer grantees to answer their questions in select topic areas. Topic areas were selected from a pool of grantees questions and suggestions. Each table will receive a unique question in the following topic areas:

Best Practices in Mentoring Programs

Facilitators:

Rebecca Hare, Project Coordinator, National Consortium On Leadership and Disability/Youth

Julie Kenney, Project Director, IPSII Inc., Pathways Center Health

Nathan Say, Project Coordinator, My Voice, My Choice

Creating Inclusive Communities

Facilitators:

Jeanette Doty, Project Coordinator, Oklahoma Alliance for Youth

Amber Smock, Youth Leadership Coordinator, Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago

Laura White, Project Manager, Youth Empowerment and Advocacy Resource Center

Health

Facilitators:

Laura Hoffman, Development Specialist, National Youth Leadership Network

Jean Johnson, Project Director, My Voice, My Choice

Alfred Romeo, Project Coordinator, Becoming Leaders for Tomorrow

Recreation

Facilitators:

Jerry Alliston, Project Coordinator, TRIAD

George Garcia, Youth Coordinator, Set Yourself Free

Deborah Zuver, Director, Youths 4 Advocacy

Break

Breakout Session IV

Administrators Track:

It's More Than Just Language: Cultural Competence in Today's Global Environment

Facilitated by Larissa Crossen, Program Specialist, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Jean Johnson, Project Director, My Voice, My Choice

Nathan Say, Project Coordinator, My Voice, My Choice

This presentation will discuss the importance of developing culturally competent skills when serving a diverse disability population. How culture impacts perceptions of disability and values such as independence and self-determination will be explored. The challenges imposed by Hawai`i's unique ethnic and cultural environment and their impact on student learning and achievement will be discussed. Participants will have an opportunity to take a self-inventory on cultural competence with opportunities for an interactive discussion.

Youth/Emerging Leaders Track:

Employment - Rights vs. Responsibilities

Facilitated by Sharon Delaney, Management Analyst, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Emily Bresler, Youth Ambassador, Center for Emerging Leadership

Janice Goforth, Project Coordinator, Center for Emerging Leadership

This workshop will examine the "Rights versus Responsibilities" issues of young people with developmental disabilities as employees. The Center for Emerging Leadership (CEL) has found that, although the young people who have come to CEL to work over the past 3.5 years are acutely aware of their rights as citizens and employees, they often have a vague idea of their responsibilities to their employer and the people they serve. Role Plays to exhibit these issues will be the starting point for an interactive discussion and problem solving session designed to clarify individuals' rights and responsibilities as employees.

Closing Remarks

Larissa Crossen, Program Specialist, Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Patricia Morrissey, Commissioner, Administration on Developmental Disabilities