The Arc’s National Convention is an unmatched opportunity to connect and learn with advocates, professionals, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families. If you are interested in employment, education, advocacy, housing, criminal justice, and more, our sessions are sure to challenge, inspire, and motivate!

In 2024, the National Convention and NCE Fall Leadership Institute will take place back to back. Leaders across The Arc’s chapter network and other disability organizations will spend two days networking, learning, and sharing at the NCE Fall Leadership Institute before connecting with the broader disability community at the National Convention.

The AUCD Conference brings together more than 1,100 researchers, policymakers, practitioners, professionals, advocates, community leaders, and students. This annual event is designed to promote innovative thinking that will launch disability policy, research, and advocacy initiatives to the next level. With a theme of Stronger Together: Creating a More Inclusive World, this year's Conference focuses on the core of the AUCD Network, recognizing that collaboration is critical to advance the rights and opportunities for and with people with disabilities through research, training, education, and service. Join AUCD this November in Washington, D.C. where Network members across diverse disciplines and backgrounds and members of the disability community will come together stronger than ever as driving forces to create positive change and to build a more inclusive world for all. Please note that November 3-5 will be in person and Wednesday, November 6 will be virtual for all.

This series will be presented by three medical students living with Tourette Syndrome. In this series you will hear a range of information related to the presenter’s childhood experiences, how Tourette Syndrome shaped their decision to become physicians, their experiences as medical students with TS and how personal identities can affect learning and working in the healthcare setting. The third session (happening on November 18) will be interactive and will provide an opportunity for those attending to engage with the presenters!

Key Takeaways

• Hear experiences from individuals with TS who are pursuing careers in healthcare
• Recognize how one’s own identities intersect with being an individual with TS
• Identify support systems and how to best utilize them

Join the Teacher Education Division (TED) Conference for 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA! This conference will have a variety of programming as well as a Kaleidoscope Poster Session for attendees.

Reliable transportation is critical for maintaining employment, yet many autistic individuals experience difficulty navigating public transit systems, driving independently, or coordinating their travel plans. Additionally, the lack of affordable housing with safe living arrangements and supports can cause layers of stress and instability that negatively impact work performance. The presenters will offer essential transportation and travel training tips, practical strategies for managing challenging living arrangements, and information about Section 8 housing subsidies.

Higher education disability practitioner know that respecting the confidentiality of students’ disability information is important for many reasons, including maintaining student trust and autonomy. However, privacy is not guaranteed in the ADA or Section 504, and it can be confusing to know where FERPA and HIPAA apply (and where they don’t!) in this work. This webinar will address how disability professionals might handle some common student privacy dilemmas including:

• requests from faculty to know specifics about a student's disability
• requests from administrators for DRC office data that include student names and disability/accommodation information
• communication about students' accommodation needs to offsite placements such as student teaching, internships, clinicals, etc. 
• classroom or residential disability disclosures that affect other students' behavior, such as allergies to scents, peanuts, etc.
• requests for disclosure of student disability information for campus safety concerns (seizure disorder, risk of self-harm, etc.) or Behavioral Intervention/Care Teams

Accessing Higher Ground focuses on the implementation and benefits of accessible media, universal design and assistive technology in the university, business, and public setting; Legal and policy issues, including ADA and 508 compliance; The creation of accessible media and information resources, including web pages and library resources. There is a strong focus on campus accommodation, Universal Design and curriculum accessibility.

During this webinar, attendees will learn about natural supports used by adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, including who provides natural support and variables associated with increased natural supports.
 

During this online event, you will learn about: 

• Range of Supported Decision-Making supports available
• History of Supported Decision-Making
• What a Supported Decision-Marking agreement is and isn't

Presented by Northstar Career Center.

Now in its 8th year AbilityNet's annual TechShare Pro conference is Europe's largest event for the accessibility and disability inclusion community.

Sponsored by HSBC, Google, Microsoft, eBay, Barclays, Meta, Deque, Crawford Tech, Jadu, The Valuable 500 and many others this is a meeting place for anyone who wants to make the digital world accessible to all. Join at HSBC in Canary Wharf London for two days of sharing and learning about accessibility, disability inclusion and much more...

Weds 13 November: Disability and Inclusive Advertising Summit: Hear from some of the world's leading brands about authentic representation of disability, accessible media and working with disabled talent.

Thurs 14 November: Accessibility Leadership Day: Build your leadership skills and extend your influence - talk about culture change, champions networks, maturity models... and burn out!
 

This presentation will describe the ASSET and EPASS programs, which use a strength-based approach to enhance employment readiness among transition-age autistic individuals. By focusing on soft skills development and manualized employment training, these interventions are designed to bolster confidence and competence in the workplace. Presenters will discuss the theoretical underpinnings of strength-based practices, the structure and components of the ASSET and EPASS programs, and share empirical evidence highlighting their efficacy in improving employment-related outcomes, such as work-related social-skills, self-efficacy and even mental health. The session aims to provide insights into how these programs can be integrated into broader employment support systems to facilitate successful career paths for autistic individuals. 

ACO, ADDA, and CHADD—the leaders in ADHD support for individuals and families—welcome the ADHD community to the 2024 Annual International Conference on ADHD. These organizations collaborate to bring together the best minds in current research and treatment options and professionals offering best practice guidelines for their fields. #ADHD2024 will offer dynamic sessions and events featuring practical support and guidance for adults and families.

The theme of the Annual International Conference on ADHD is to Connect, Learn, and Thrive. It is through the connections made along with the new skills and approaches learnt from one another that the ADHD community can thrive. At #ADHD2024, attendees will Connect. Learn.Thrive. by gathering as adults and partners, parents of children in all stages of life, clinicians of all kinds, coaches, organizers, educators, and advocates, to inspire one another and enhance lives.

This series will be presented by three medical students living with Tourette Syndrome. In this series you will hear a range of information related to the presenter’s childhood experiences, how Tourette Syndrome shaped their decision to become physicians, their experiences as medical students with TS and how personal identities can affect learning and working in the healthcare setting. This session is interactive and will provide an opportunity for those attending to engage with the presenters! 

Key Takeaways

• Hear experiences from individuals with TS who are pursuing careers in healthcare
• Recognize how one’s own identities intersect with being an individual with TS
• Identify support systems and how to best utilize them

Professionals working at the intersection of disability and higher education often find themselves feeling pressure to keep up with the latest court cases and OCR guidance, which sometimes can feel contradictory or overwhelming to the layperson. Do they have to be so reliant on all of these individual decisions to provide access and avoid discrimination? Is it possible to instead operate from guiding principles that keep consistent with the intention of the ADA and other civil rights laws? In this session, start by looking at a set of guidelines that make up the basic foundation of the civil rights laws those cases are based on. Then use those guidelines to analyze some scenarios and determine the best course of action that will provide genuine and meaningful access for students while also keeping the institution consistently in compliance with the law.