Sunday, October 19, 2025

9:00 am (Regency Foyer Main) Registration Opens

  • Vendor Open
  • T-Shirts go on Sale

9:00 am - 5:00 pm Sensory Free Room opens (Willamette 9)

Breakfast on your own

9:00 - 10:00 am (Regency Ballroom) General Session

  • APRIL Advocacy Panel with Elissa Ellis, Don Dew, and Michael Beers
  • Join us for an interactive discussion about APRIL's Advocacy Priorities for the coming year! APRIL wants your input!

10:00 - 10:30 am: Transition to Workshops

10:30 am – 12:00 pm Workshops Block 3

  • Cultivating Meaningful Youth Leadership and Engagement within the IL Network with Mellie Adu, Claire Adams, and Kailen Matty (Columbia 3)
  • Changing the Narrative: Applying for SSI/DI and Working with Peter Pike (Willamette 6)
    • Changing the Narrative: Applying for SSI/DI AND work. This workshop will provide a SSI/DI likely eligible tool; talking points explaining the advantages when working while applying for SSI/DI; data outcomes on using this model with Centers for Independent Living and Vendors with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; State and Local Benefits resource tool; and consumer video sharing their experience with the AND model. In the typical approach when applying for SSI/DI, applicants are encouraged to not work. We refer to this approach as the OR model. We want to discuss the new model called the AND approach. Applying for SSI/DI AND work.
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation
  • No Refugee Left Behind: Disability Inclusion in U.S. Resettlement Programs with Isabel Hodge (Columbia 2)
  • Future In Focus with Shannon Porter and Jess Frahm (Columbia 1)   
    • Discover a practical, inclusive approach to strategic planning that turns big ideas into achievable results. In this hands-on session, you’ll experience an affinity exercise—a collaborative method that ensures every voice is heard in shaping an organization’s future. You’ll learn how to use this process to create a shared long-term vision, define clear objectives, and set short-term goals that move your organization forward. We’ll also explore how to develop metrics to track progress, giving you a framework you can immediately apply to strengthen your own strategic plan.   
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation    
  • Leading with Lived Experience: Building Bridges with the Inclusion Institute with John Guingrich (Willamette 5)
    • Using private funds The League developed and tested this model that includes a universally designed 8-month leadership training curriculum, models for advocacy cohorts, symposium playbook that brings community stakeholders together to work on major issues such as transportation. To date, 34 participants have graduated from the Inclusion Institute's Leadership Academy and 30 have joined boards, committees, councils, or commissions where they are helping to improve communities and inclusion.
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation
  • Collaborating for Rural Outreach and Assessing the Resource and Training Needs of Rural CIL Staff and Consumers with University of Montana's Rayna Sage and Jeff Guttierrez (Willamette 1)
    • An opportunity for your voice to be heard! Attend this workshop to help inform future research and development projects and build partnerships for future collaborations to improve the lives of rural disabled people. Join the team from RTC:Rural for a roundtable conversation on the training needs of rural CILs. Engage with other participants to talk about your rural community. Share the things you love about where you live, what you want to see happen, and what it would take to get you there. Explore existing trainings, datasets, and resources. See how they can help you, and what else you need to meet your CIL’s goals. Please attend, share your experiences, and help us shape future research.
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation

10:30 am - 4:30 pm Screening of Patrice: The Movie (Willamette 3)

  • Film will be playing continuously (on a loop) throughout the day.

12:00 - 1:30 pm Lunch On Your Own

1:30 - 2:30 pm Workshops Block 4    

  • Compelling Storytelling: The missing ingredient in Social Media Campaigns with Gabriela Joglar Burrowes and Sofia Pantel del Cueto (Columbia 3)  
    • This workshop provides a high-level overview of how Centers for Independent Living (CILs) can apply compelling storytelling to their social media campaigns. The goal is to create stories that don’t just tell, they show the independent living philosophy in action. Drawing on real-life examples from our Puerto Rico Campaign Aquí se Vive Independiente (Here we live independently), and from individuals with disabilities who successfully exemplify independent living, participants will learn strategies to define their voice and craft stories that stand out and leave a lasting impression. Additionally, the workshop will explore how storytelling can effectively communicate the services provided by CILs, helping to promote the independent living philosophy across diverse communities. Emphasize will be placed on achieving this even with nonexistent or very small outreach budgets. 
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation
  • Centering Disability in Research Ethics: Lessons from RE4ALL & CIL Partnerships with Will Hoard, Krys Standley, Ricardo Medina, Laurie Lee Gonzalez, and Cora Crecelius (Willamette 6)     
    • Ethics training for research can be confusing—but it doesn’t have to be. We adapted a training called Research Ethics for All (RE4ALL), made by and for disabled people, for use with CILs. Partnering with researchers allows CILs to highlight their unique expertise, advocate for community needs, and strengthen their impact in research settings. The adapted training is short, clear, and useful for real-life situations. Come learn how it helped CIL staff talk about research with participants, handle consent, and feel more confident in their roles!
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation
  • Wheeling into New Timezones: Lessons from Studying Abroad in Japan by Powerchair [Youth Focused] with Laurie Laird, Tre Madde, Laura Ridler, and Anne Frey (Columbia 2) 
    •  Disabled people often question their ability to explore other cultures beyond the United States. In this session, we will discuss how it was possible for a quadriplegic student (and their trusted caregiver) to travel abroad in Kyoto, Japan. We aim to demystify the traveling process for students, provide practical information and resources, and encourage other disabled peoples to take that chance at traveling abroad and therefore broadening their horizons.
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation
  • Sustaining Rural IL Programs Through Innovative Grant Writing and Partnerships with Stephanie Picazo (Willamette 1)
    • Learn how to secure funding and strengthen your rural Independent Living program through innovative grant writing and powerful community partnerships. This session will provide practical tips, real-world examples, and strategies to ensure your IL program thrives long-term.
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation
  • Disability & Food: The Role of CILs in Combatting Diet Culture with Erica Mones (Willamette 5) 
    • Studies show disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorders are prevalent among disabled individuals. However, much of the curriculum CILs use to teach and discuss healthy eating with nutrition fails to consider how restricting food and labeling food "good" or "bad" may contribute to an unhealthy relationship with food. We need to do better for ourselves and our consumers. My goal with this presentation is to make a case for body image and food neutrality workshops as part of our nutrition curriculum.
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation
  • Peer Support: The Bigger Picture with Kim Gibson (Columbia 1)
    • This interactive workshop helps participants discover the key elements of effective teams by recognizing and leveraging individual differences. Through hands-on activities and reflection, attendees will identify team strengths and weaknesses, explore how different thinking styles impact communication and problem-solving, and develop stronger team and leadership skills. Perfect for those looking to build more collaborative, high-performing teams.
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation

2:30 - 3:00 pm Break

3:00 - 4:30 pm Workshops Block 5  

  • An IL Response to Housing the People with Nikki Dolan (Willamette 5)
    • “An IL Response to Housing the People” workshop will explore ILR's post-pandemic restart of the Rent Well Program, along with successes in taking this self-advocacy course "to the people" living in the City of Portland's Sunderland Safe Rest Village for RV residents relocated from being parked in Portland's neighborhoods. We will also look at this model as applied to residents of the Salvation Army's Bridgeway of Hope recovery program. Participants will learn about ILR's pilot to add Housing Connectors as a new resource to access low barrier rental opportunities. Finally, we will look at system advocacy efforts from the inside out, and the ways we help to shape city policies to create affordable housing options for people with disabilities.
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation
  • Hard Talks, Shared Values: Applying the IL Philosophy to Critical Conversations with Tyler Morris, Paula McElwee, and Sandra Breitengross Bitter  (Columbia 2)
    • With CILs and SILCs, there are moments when one must raise concerns, challenge assumptions, or navigate sensitive issues with organizational leadership or within the state's network itself. This session explores how to approach those critical conversations in ways that not only address the problem but also strengthen trust and uphold the values of Independent Living. Participants explore strategies for course correction that promote openness and understanding, encourage accountability, and keep consumer control at the center of the dialogue. 
    • No Presentation or Accessible Materials to Share
  • Change Starts Here: “Youth Voices in Action” with Calvin Le, Kaison Fong, and Hannah Hanson (Willamette 1)
  • Understanding the Death with Dignity Act: A Critical Disability Rights Perspective with Kassandra Toombs and Michelle Villarreal (Columbia 3)  
    • This presentation will provide an overview of Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act (DwDA) — what it entails, how it operates, and its impact on people with disabilities. Drawing on the Oregon Death with Disability Act 2023 Data Summary, Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living’s Institute for Disability Studies and Policy (EOCIL IDSP) will share its position opposing the DwDA. The session will highlight concerns about the Act’s lack of sufficient oversight, accountability, and integration with non-medical, peer-led, community-based supports — including Centers for Independent Living (CILs), Disability People’s Organizations (DPOs), and other disability-led NGOs and CBOs. Participants will explore why disability-led groups advocate for robust community supports and safeguards that promote true dignity, self-determination, and quality of life at the end of life.
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation
  • Telling Our Stories: Leveraging Good Relationships with Local Press with Tara Rowe and Jeremy Maxand (Columbia 1)
    • Telling our stories is crucial to the existence of our organizations and the continual progress of the independent living movement. As advocates, we must leverage strong relationships with our local press to amplify these stories. Our experiences can help our local press in reporting on disability issues accurately while utilizing people-first language.
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation
  • Passing the Torch: Rethinking Succession Planning in Independent Living Leadership with Christina Clift (Willamette 6)
    • In this dynamic and thought-provoking workshop, we’ll explore why succession planning is not just important, but essential for long-term sustainability. You'll learn from Disability Connection Midsouth’s bold move to break tradition by implementing a co-executive director model—designed not only to prepare for the future but to strengthen leadership in the present. Come discover the risks of doing nothing, the power of doing things differently, and how you can take steps now to ensure your CIL thrives well into the future.
    • Click Here to Download an Accessible PDF Version of this Presentation

6:30 - 9:00 pm (Regency Ballroom) Awards Banquet

  • Plated Dinner
  • Remember to Purchase Raffle Tickets!
  • Youth Final Word
  • Musical Guest
  • That’s a Wrap! See you in 2026!

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