2024 TASH Conference: Full Schedule

Welcome to the official website for the 2024 TASH Conference!

Each year, the TASH Conference brings together our constituents to share resources and success stories, learn about field-driven best practices, and network within a community engaged in shared values. The Conference is attended by passionate leaders, experts, and advocates from every corner of the disability community. Conference attendees are influential in their fields and communities, and play an important role in the provision of services and supports for individuals and organizations around the world; and include professors and researchers from leading institutions; those involved in local, state, and federal governments and public policy; special and general educators, and school administrators; self-advocates, adult service providers; students, family members, and many others. This year’s conference theme is Celebrate Together: Let the Good Times Roll!

Click on the "Registration and More" tab for additional information about our Conference location, registration, reserving a guest room, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, and more! The full Conference schedule is now available for viewing. Registered attendees will receive an invitation to log in and create a personalized schedule.

10:00am CST

30+ Years of Self-Advocacy: Sharing Successes, Strategies and Stories

Thursday December 5, 2024 10:00am - 12:00pm CST

Celestin Ballroom: Celestin H

Join Project ACTION!, DCâ€™s self-advocacy coalition, to explore successful advocacy strategies to ensure your voice is heard as you advocate to shape the services you receive, in your relationships, to get high-quality healthcare, in your workplace, and to create partnerships. Using their 30+ years of experience, Project ACTION! members will engage participants in discussions, role plays and leadership training activities using strategies they found useful so people can represent their own interests and the interests of others. Project ACTION! members will share their experiences working with advisors and serving on over 30 boards, committees and workgroups focused on systems change, human rights and policy development. In this interactive session, learn how to identify decision-making boards on which you want to be represented, lead your individual service planning meeting, advocate for the support you might need to effectively serve on boards, recruit members and allies, and more.

Moderators

Rebecca Salon

Presenters

Thelma Green

Treasurer, Project ACTION!

Thelma Green is the Treasurer and Past Co-President of Project ACTION!, the District’s self-advocacy coalition of adults with developmental disabilities. Green is a strong self-advocate who has trained locally and across the country on a variety of topics including supported decision-making... Read More →

Leonard Stevens

Project ACTION!

Vanessa Monroe

Executive Member, Project ACTION!

Vanessa Monroe is a District of Columbia resident and Project ACTION! member. Vanessa is also a talented artist who works of out Art Enables studios in Washington, DC. She has sold many of her art pieces. She is also a strong self-advocate and speaks up for issues that are of... Read More →

Lindsey Wilkes

Project ACTION!

Ricardo Thornton

Executive Member, Project ACTION!

Donna Thornton is a strong self-advocate and presenter. She worked for over 30 years at the National Institutes of Health and retired in 2018. She is a passionate mentor to people new to self-advocacy. She believes everyone should have the right and supports to pursue a career... Read More →

Thomas Mangrum

Co-President, Project ACTION!

Thomas Mangrum, Jr., is a strong communicator and self-advocate who is passionate about helping others to be the best they can be. He loves learning new information and sharing it with other self-advocates, his friends and neighbors. He is an excellent presenter having trained locally... Read More →

Thursday December 5, 2024 10:00am - 12:00pm CST
Celestin Ballroom: Celestin H Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Day One Intensives

Primary Topic Self-Advocacy
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Self-Advocacy, Empowerment, Self-Determination, Rights, Relationships

10:00am CST

How AI & Technology Opens the Door for New Employment Opportunities

Friday December 6, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST

Imperial 9

This presentation will explore the transformative potential of AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot in enhancing the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities. We will demonstrate practical applications of these tools in the workplace, such as improving communication, streamlining tasks, and fostering independence. Additionally, we will discuss how AI can support personal life activities, from managing daily routines to accessing information and learning new skills. Attendees will gain insights into integrating AI technologies to promote autonomy, efficiency, and overall quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities. Join us to discover innovative strategies for integrating AI to support and empower individuals with developmental disabilities.

Presenters

Michael Rogers

Customer Service Relations, Washington State DSHS/DDA

I have been working at DDA for 28 years, and I am a life-long advocate for disability rights. In 2002, I was appointed by President Bush for the President's Committee on Developmental Disabilities where I advocated to change the name of the Committee to use respectful language and... Read More →

Lisa Latchford

Friday December 6, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
Imperial 9 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Self-Advocacy
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Assistive Technology, Innovation, Artificial Intelligence
Presentation Type General

10:00am CST

Peer to Peer Bridging The Gap through Self Advocacy Curriculum

Friday December 6, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST

Imperial 10

Activating Change and Envision Illinois brings Peer to Peer Bridging the Gap through Self-Advocacy Curriculum is a curriculum it is a 26-week class for self-advocates to know how to help people who discloses domestic violence and/or sexual assault to them! The curriculum has four tracks: The Basic, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and the Criminal Justice System. This overview will explain those tracks, how to get involved in this curriculum, see the online portion, look at suggested learning activities. One of the goals of this curriculum is that the self-advocate knows that the victim make their own decisions about how to heal and to seek justice. The people who take this class are given the tools and knowledge to help victims. Another goal is that once the self-advocate goes through this curriculum, they can teach the same thing to other self-advocates.

Moderators

Mary Hettel

Friday December 6, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
Imperial 10 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Self-Advocacy
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Self-Advocacy, Self Determination, Stop Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault to People with Disabilites
Presentation Type General

10:00am CST

Talking to Doctors: Their Beliefs and Your Rights

Friday December 6, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST

Imperial 12

Doctors present themselves as experts on the human body, and we live in a culture that venerates medical professionals for their specialized training. However, that training has limits, particularly as concerns those whose bodies differ from the norm at baseline. There, preconceived biases about capacity, intelligence, and quality of life can and frequently do dominate medical decision-making. Moreover, while the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) theoretically guarantees disabled Americans equal rights in a variety of settings, people may be unfamiliar with their rights in hospital and clinical environments. In this talk, a brief overview of medical education as it relates to disability and its limitations will be provided, followed by information on patient rights and recommendations on how to access and preserve those rights in interacting with doctors and other healthcare professionals.

Presenters

Algernon Lutwak

Northern Light Health

Friday December 6, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
Imperial 12 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Self-Advocacy
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Self-Advocacy, Medicine, Hospitals, Doctors, Ableism
Presentation Type General

10:00am CST

Using the SDLMI to Enhance Teacher Teacher Goal Setting for Inclusive Education

Friday December 6, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST

Imperial 5B

The current study describes how two teacher preparation programs used the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) with 57 teachers to empower them to set goals, take action, and evaluate and adjust their goals and action plans to enhance their practices and supports provided to students. We analyzed the goals set by teachers to improve their inclusive teaching skills and practices, the quality of teacher goals, teacher goal attainment, and whether goal quality predicted goal attainment. We found that most teachers set goals that required a team approach. Teachers generally created high-quality goals, with teachers making expected or better-than expected progress on their goals. Teacher goal quality was predictive of goal attainment. We discuss how teacher preparation programs can use the SDLMI to support teachers in creating their own goals, measuring their goal progress, and improving their implementation of essential and best practices to advance inclusive education.

Presenters

Jennifer Kurth

Professor, University of Kansas

Inclusive Education

Friday December 6, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
Imperial 5B Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Inclusive Education
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Self-Determination, Inclusive Education, Teacher Education
Presentation Type Research

2:15pm CST

Empowering Voices: Participation of Youth Using AAC in Transition Planning

Friday December 6, 2024 2:15pm - 3:10pm CST

Imperial 5C

Person-centered transition planning empowers people with disabilities to take charge of their goals for the futureâ€” fostering self-determination and meaningful outcomes. However, little is known about the extent to which educators involve youth in transition planning when youth are unable to use speech to be heard and understood. Our research team has been engaging in research focused on understanding the involvement of youth who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in transition planning. We interviewed youth who use AAC, their parents, their special education teachers, and their speech-language pathologists about their experiences. Key findings highlight the challenges youth face and the support needed from each stakeholder in the transition planning process. Participants will gain powerful insight into these first-hand experiences and will also leave with ideas about the changes needed in practice to empower youth voices in their own transition planning.

Presenters

Elizabeth Biggs

Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University

Elizabeth E. Biggs, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. Her work focuses on promoting social, communication, language, and literacy outcomes for children and youth with autism... Read More →

Friday December 6, 2024 2:15pm - 3:10pm CST
Imperial 5C Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Transition
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Transition to Adulthood, Self-Determination, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Collaboration, Person-Centered Planning
Presentation Type Research

2:30pm CST

How Self-Advocacy Helped Me Break Cultural Stigmas About Disability

Friday December 6, 2024 2:30pm - 4:30pm CST

Celestin Ballroom E

I will tell my story with lived experience with a seizure disorder, epilepsy and mental health illnesses. In my Mexican culture Disability is a taboo and I was denied my diagnosis because of it. Listeners will learn how I got diagnosed later in life and how difficult it has been to defeat my inner ableist. This greatly affected my quality of life and the way I viewed myself. I will talk about how Self Advocacy helped me accept myself and how important it is to break stigmas.

Presenters

Jacqueline Cuevas

Friday December 6, 2024 2:30pm - 4:30pm CST
Celestin Ballroom E Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

TASH Talks

Primary Topic Diversity and Social Impact
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Self Advocacy, Lived Experience, Hidden Disability, Self Acceptance
Presentation Type General

2:30pm CST

Supporting Employment with Dignity Through First-Hand Experience

Friday December 6, 2024 2:30pm - 4:30pm CST

Celestin Ballroom E

Nick Sampson has been working at Home Depot for over 17 years. He has had worked hard to find and maintain that employment. Mr. Sampson has had various experiences being supported both positively and also in ways that could be considered, offensive, demeaning, and dehumanizing. We want to share his first-hand experience and use his perspective to discuss how impactful the DSP/Person supported relationship can be and what steps we can take to generate best-outcomes for people we support.

Presenters

Ari Gleicher

Makom

Friday December 6, 2024 2:30pm - 4:30pm CST
Celestin Ballroom E Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

TASH Talks

Primary Topic Human Rights
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Self-Determination, Human Rights, Dignity, Respect, Employment Supports

3:25pm CST

Empowering My Voice: Self-Advocacy and Transition Triumphs

Friday December 6, 2024 3:25pm - 4:20pm CST

Imperial 10

In this presentation, Gage Perryman talks about his life and how he learned to stand up for himself and make big decisions. Gage has disabilities, but that doesnâ€™t stop him from going to college and getting involved in activities that help his community and other individuals with disabilities across the state of Minnesota and beyond. He has navigated the complexities of transitioning into adulthood, leveraging self-advocacy skills, participating in inclusive higher education and state-wide community advocacy initiatives, and presenting at national conferences. In this talk, he will dive into the strategies, challenges, and successes he has encountered along the way, sharing useful tips and inspirational stories so that listeners feel able to make their own communities better and more welcoming for everyone. It's a talk about finding your voice, overcoming challenges, and making a difference within your community.

Presenters

Jennifer Sommerness

Researcher, TIES Center, UMN, Minneapolis, MN

Jennifer Sommerness is a distinguished educator and researcher at the TIES Center, at the University of Minnesota. Known for her dedication to inclusive education and student success, and a profound commitment to educational equity, Jennifer has played a role in shaping the landscape... Read More →

Gage Perryman

Gage Gives Back

Friday December 6, 2024 3:25pm - 4:20pm CST
Imperial 10 Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Self-Advocacy
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Transition, Inclusive, Higher Education, Post-Secondary Outcomes, Person-Centered, Planning, Supported Decision-Making, Belonging, Inclusion
Presentation Type General

3:25pm CST

The Road to Independence in Communication Is a Long and Winding One

Friday December 6, 2024 3:25pm - 4:20pm CST

Celestin Ballroom: Celestin G

Independence is commonly seen as one of the primary goals for augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) users. It is also commonly defined as the ability of a person to use their AAC method without assistance. However, many AAC users see independence more broadly in terms of having freedom of expression and self-determination in their lives. They also see that support from skilled communication partners is a critical part of the process. This presentation will focus on the journey that one AAC user has taken towards having greater independence in his communication and in his life. He will share strategies for communication partners to use in supporting AAC users with greater independence in their communication.

Presenters

Pascal Cheng

Education and Communication Specialist, PC Communication Supports

I currently work for the Howard Center in Burlington, Vermont as an educational and communication specialist, providing training and consultation in the areas of augmentative/alternative communication, assistive technology and literacy for children and adults with developmental disabilities... Read More →

Friday December 6, 2024 3:25pm - 4:20pm CST
Celestin Ballroom: Celestin G Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Communication Access
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Independence, Self-Determination, Self-Expression, Communication
Presentation Type General

4:35pm CST

How Does Self-Determination Help Me?

Friday December 6, 2024 4:35pm - 5:30pm CST

Imperial 5B

This presentation will examine the HCBS Waiver Final Rule and the services and supports that people with disabilities can use to create a fully inclusive life. Concepts of Self-Determination will be discussed with an emphasis on how the theory translates into real life planning for full integration into the community.

Presenters

Areta Guthrey

Disability Information Network

Friday December 6, 2024 4:35pm - 5:30pm CST
Imperial 5B Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Community Living
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Self-Determination, Integration Independence, Person-Centered, Advocacy
Presentation Type General

5:45pm CST

Navigating Advocacy: Youth with Disabilities Share Their Experiences and Perspectives

Friday December 6, 2024 5:45pm - 7:15pm CST

Storyville Hall

Self-advocacy is an essential component of transition planning for youth with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) mandates students with disabilities are included in transition planning to the greatest extent possible. Additionally, the Workforce and Innovation Act (WIOA, 2014) requires specific pre-employment transition services, one of which includes self-advocacy training. Despite federal requirements, youth with disabilities often report not being active members of their transition planning and self-advocacy is often tied to school and work-based settings. Our research team investigated self-advocacy experiences of transition-aged youth with disabilities through one-on-one interviews led by researches with and without disabilities. Key findings highlight youthsâ€™ advocacy experiences across settings, how they are empowered to advocate, and their suggested improvements to special education for other students with disabilities.

Presenters

Megan Best

PhD Student in Special Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champagin

Friday December 6, 2024 5:45pm - 7:15pm CST
Storyville Hall Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Poster Presentations

Primary Topic Self-Advocacy
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Self-Advocacy, Transition-Aged Youth, Transition Planning, Empowerment
Presentation Type Research

8:45am CST

Make Sure Your Life Is Worth Watching!

Saturday December 7, 2024 8:45am - 9:45am CST

Celestin Ballroom: Celestin G

One Day Your Life Will Flash Before Your Eyes. Make Sure It's Worth Watching! By envision your life as though you are the star of a show, this interactive session will take self-advocates on a journey of dramatic structure that parallels real life as you identify the roles you play and responsibilities you have; choose your co-stars and cast; pick your settings; develop soundtracks; and manifest your future through the commercials in your mind. The roller coaster of life is a never-ending series of important stories that you have the power to write, direct, and star in.

Presenters

Aaron Stephens

The Arc of Frederick County

Saturday December 7, 2024 8:45am - 9:45am CST
Celestin Ballroom: Celestin G Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Self-Advocacy
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Self-Advocacy; Self-Determination; Empowerment; Creativity
Presentation Type General

11:15am CST

Empowering Independence Through Guardianship Public Policy Reform

Saturday December 7, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST

Imperial 5A

Guardianships, intended as protective measures, are often overused and overly restrictive, depriving individuals of autonomy and decision-making skills. This overreliance fails to recognize the potential of individuals with disabilities and overlooks less restrictive alternatives, such as supported decision-making. Guardianships can also allow entities like medical and service providers to avoid making reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. The Maine Protection and Advocacy Agency has spearheaded guardianship policy reform for over two decades, culminating in setting a national precedent by being the first to adopt the progressive 2017 Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act. This presentation will explore Maineâ€™s innovative strategies, offering insights and lessons. Attendees will understand the successes and challenges in advocating for less restrictive alternatives. Join us to contribute to the guardianship reform dialogue.

Presenters

Staci Converse

Disability Rights Maine

Saturday December 7, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
Imperial 5A Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113

Breakout Sessions

Primary Topic Human Rights
Themes of Interest Self-Determination
Key Words Guardianship Reform, Autonomy, Self-Determination, Public Policy Systems Change, Civil Rights
Presentation Type General