Saturday October 24, 2026
Conference Center Facility Map
8:00 am (Foyer): Registration & Vendor Booth Set-Up
- Registration Opens
- Vendor Booth Set-Up Begins
- Youth Conference and Conference t-shirts go on sale ($20 each!): to view t-shirt designs click here
8:00 am (Tesla): Sensory Free Room Opens
9:00 - 11:00 am (Cascade Ballroom): Welcome Session
- Welcome Session with Elissa Ellis, APRIL Executive Director; Kim Gibson, APRIL Board President; Local NY Representatives, and Native American Blessing
- National Grassroots Partner Panel with APRIL, National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), and the National Association of State Independent Living Councils (NASILC)
11:00 am - 12:00 pm (Foyer): Break and Visit Vendor Booths
12:00 - 1:30 pm (Cascade Ballroom): Plated Luncheon
1:30 - 2:00 pm: Transition to Workshops
2:00 - 3:00 pm Workshops Block 1
- (Olmsted) Disability Rights Podcast with Matt Shedd
- (Porter) Doing More with Less: Practical AI and Everyday Tech for Lean IL Organizations with Larry Wanger
- (DeVeaux) Youth Workshop Strategy with Jem Moore [Youth-Focused Session]
- (Red Jacket) Presenting the Living Well Workshop to Diverse Populations with Maria Stout and Charles Alvarez
- (Schoellkopf) From Stable to Skills: Horse-Assisted Employment Training for Individuals with I/DD in South Texas with Dr. Matthew Atterberry
- (Whitney) Expanding the Circle: Supporting our Independent Living Cousins with Ericka Glick and Co-Presenters
3:00 - 3:30 pm: Break
3:30 - 5:00 pm Workshops Block 2
- (Olmsted) SILC FAQ and Q&A Jam Session with Mellie Adu and Panelists
- (Porter) Steps to Setting Up Rural Transportation Programs with Rehan Hyder
- (DeVeaux) Connecting to Community Through Engagement Specialists with Sapphire Murphy
- (Red Jacket) Beyond the Uniform with Sela Mata-Gomez [Veteran-Focused Session]
- (Schoellkopf) Mental Health as a Disability from a Disabled Youth Perspective with Arias Cruse [Youth-Focused Session]
- (Whitney) Disability-Led Disaster Preparedness and Resiliency Model with Bambi Polotzola
- (Castellani Gallery) Environmental Impacts to Disability within Tribal Communities with Jill Sherman-Warne [Indigenous-Focused Session]
8:00 - 11:45 pm (Cataract): Dance for the Youth and Young at Heart
[Light snacks provided]