May 14, 2019
More than 600 attendees, representing all aspects of the disability community in Arizona and beyond, are expected to attend this year’s Evidence for Success Disability Conference. The conference, one of Arizona’s key disability-related events, is organized by NAU’s Institute of Human Development (IHD) and will be taking place July 14-16 at Fort McDowell Nation’s we-Ko-Pa Resort& Conference Center in Scottsdale/Fountain Hills.
The conference format integrates three of IHD’s project areas into one educational event, including:
- Assistive technology, which this year is celebrating 20 years as Arizona’s largest, most comprehensive Assistive Technology conference
- Evidence-based practice in disability disciplines, which for five years has been bridging the research-to practice gap to help professionals implement evidence-based practices
- American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Training and Technical Assistance Center, a program that supports positive outcomes for tribal members receiving vocational rehabilitation services
“Our annual conference is a good reflection of IHD with its multi-faceted, multi-programmatic approach to driving change and promoting inclusion for people with disabilities,” conference chairwoman Jill Pleasant said. “Attendees can tailor the conference to meet their individual needs, mixing and matchings sessions from the various tracks to maximize the benefit and the learning that they get out of the conference.”
The 2019 Evidence for Success Disability Conference is designed to give anyone who works with people with disabilities the knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate access, change attitudes and promote inclusion so people with disabilities can fully participate in all life experiences. It will feature more than 65 educational sessions presented by speakers recognized for their content area expertise both nationally and locally. The conference also will include an expansive exhibit hall showcasing state-of-the-art assistive technology products and community resources. Attendees typically come from a wide variety of disciplines including educators, vocational counselors, therapists, students and consumers.
To encourage participation, registration fees for the conference are set below other Arizona and national conferences. Early-bird registration fees (through May 22) are $250 for the 2-day main conference, $150 for pre-conference workshops and $375 for both. Breakfast and lunch are included every day, as well as a networking reception and raffle tickets for 30-40 door prizes. Additionally, the community at large is invited to visit the exhibit hall, at no charge, from 1:30-6:30 p.m. July 15.
Conference attendees can earn up to 18 continuing education contact hours. This year, the conference program includes an optional AT Maker preconference event where participants will learn about the AT Maker Movement and will create and take home 10 assistive technology solutions that can be made inexpensively and quickly. The AT Maker preconference event will feature Therese Willkomm, a key leader in the AT Maker movement. Also as part of the pre-conference activities, a regional training for American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Service programs sponsored by the American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation and Training Center will also take place on July 14.
For more information about the conference and to register, see www.aztap.org/conference/ or contact Jill Pleasant at (602) 728-9532 or at Jill.Pleasant@nau.edu.
About IHD
IHD is one of the nation’s premier centers focused on advancing vision that foresees a nation in which all Americans, including Americans with disabilities, participate fully in all life experiences. The Institute is a dynamic, multi-faceted environment staffed with faculty and professionals representing a range of human service disciplines and offering a broad spectrum of resources and programs for both students and members of the community all aimed at advancing its vision of an inclusive society. IHD is home to a wide range of interdisciplinary programs whose efforts collectively support its mission of facilitating on-going improvements in access, attitude and inclusion for people with disabilities. As reflected in the Evidence for Success Conference, some of IHD’s programs provide direct services to the community, while other IHD programs focus on research initiatives, training and academic programs, and/or information dissemination about disability-related topics.