The School of Health Professions and the President's Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives are pleased to present:
Optimizing Community-based Inclusion for People with Disabilities Conference
Friday, October 18, 2024
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Stony Brook University
Charles B. Wang Center Theater
Please RSVP by October 15, 2024
The Inclusion Done Right! annual conference provides an integrated bridge between Stony Brook University and community partners to promote inclusive community-based opportunities that align with best practices and optimize participation for people with disabilities. The intended audience is for anyone interested in advancing community-based inclusion: university faculty and staff, community members, providers, and program administrators, as well as individuals with disabilities and their families/caregivers. Stony Brook University is a collaborative knowledge broker alongside community partners in order to promote and optimize inclusive community practice…'Done Right!'
The keynote speakers are recognized innovative experts and passionate advocates for the disability community. They will present on topics specifically identified by participants in last year's Inclusion Done Right! conference. The participant-driven agenda includes presentations on inclusive sports and recreation, accessing inclusive community-based opportunities, and a discussion on lived experiences with positive outcome solutions for the transition to adulthood. Breakout sessions, a free networking lunch, and demonstrations on exciting collaborations between Stony Brook University faculty and staff and members of the community will offer experiential opportunities for audience participants.
For any questions, please contact InclusionDoneRight@stonybrook.edu.
This is being offered as a free event, however CEUs will be available to those interested with a separate payment. The amount of CEUs will be determined once we finalize the agenda. Those interested in Continuing Education Units will receive a link to a separate registration to pay $30 for CEUs at a later date, after completing the general registration.
Please click here for the conference flyer.
Inclusion Done Right! 2024 Agenda
8:00 AM: Breakfast and Registration
8:30 AM: Opening Remarks
Stacy Jaffee Gropack, Dean, School of Health Professions
Judith Brown Clarke, Vice President, Equity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer
8:45 AM: Introduction
Agnes McConlogue Ferro
9:00 to 10:00 AM: From Inclusion to Belonging: Maximizing Performance Skills of Children with Disabilities in Sports and Fitness
Keynote Speaker: Alex Lopez, JD, OT/L, FAOTA
10:00 to 10:50 AM: Inclusion at Your Fingertips, accessing the accessible
Alex Doboli, PhD; Rajiv Lajmi, MBA, MS, PMP; Hants Williams, PhD, RN
10:50 to 11:00 AM: Break
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM: A Conversation with Jillian Mercado: The Liberation of Lessons Lived and Learned
Keynote Speaker: Jillian Mercado, Model/Actress/Creative/Advocate
12:00 to 1:15 PM: Networking Lunch, Adaptive Flag Football Demo
1:15 to 1:20 PM: Proceed to Breakout Sessions
Breakout Session A - Lecture Hall 2
Breakout Sessions B - Main Theater
1:20 to 3:00 PM: Breakout Sessions
Breakout Session A: Inclusion from the Group Up
Moderators: Kathleen McGoldrick & Chris Burke
Panel:
- Louis Pepe - Founder, Just for Kicks
- Ali Adlah - Founder, East End Athletics,Adaptive Flag Football (AFF)
- Devan Saini - student, SBU BioMedical Engineering, AFF
- Jillian Riccio - student, SBU Physical Therapy, AFF
- Kay Gayner - National Dance Institute's DREAM Project
- Aileen Barry - National Dance Institute's DREAM Project
Breakout Session B: Inclusion During Transitions - Childhood Through Adulthood
Moderator: Dale Coffin, EdD, Chair of Department of Occupational Therapy
Panel:
- Doreen Jagg - Autism Communities
- Christine Ponzio - The Winters Center for Autism
- Avery Roberts - Advocate, Cure CMD
- Jess Westman - Actor/Composer
3:00 to 3:05 PM: Breakout Session A Returns to Main Theater
3:05 to 3:55 PM: Panel Discussion and Q&A
3:55 to 4:00: Survey; Performance - Jess Westman and Carmen Excurra
Jillian Mercado is an actress, model, and activist who was born and raised in New York City and is of Dominican descent. Diagnosed with spastic muscular dystrophy as a child, Jillian has become a prominent figure in the fashion world, challenging beauty ideals, and re-defining traditional norms in the fashion industry. To date, Jillian has starred in campaigns for Olay, Bumble 100, Calvin Klein fragrance, Nordstrom, Target and Tommy Hilfiger. She has been featured on Teen Vogue’s first digital cover, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan - and on a Billboard in Times Square. As an actress, Jillian’s most notable role is playing ‘Maribel’ on the L Word Generation. Jillian has spent her off camera career actively fighting to advocate for more representation of people with disabilities and eradicate the enduring stigma they face in the fashion industry and in society. She has presented internationally and has spoken at the United Nations on the need to address the inequalities that face women with disabilities. Her selfless dedication to 'done right' is incomparable.
Alexander Lopez, JD, OT/L, FAOTA, (Executive Board) is an Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy at the New York Institute of Technology. He has been a practicing occupational therapist since 1997. With over 20 years of expertise in pediatric occupational therapy, Alex has expertise in pediatric physical rehabilitation and psychosocial practice. Alex is the founder and chief executive director of Inclusive Sports and Fitness, Inc. (www.isfkids.org), a science-based and research sports training facility dedicated to helping children with disabilities realize their full athletic potential. Alex has formed a partnership with research scientists for New York Tech and human performance entrepreneurs who have expertise in the fields of medicine, neuroscience, biomechanics, exercise science, and engineering. This collaboration has led to the development and implementation of innovative and effective interventions for children with disabilities. Research conducted at ISF in collaboration with New York Tech is focused on the impact of sensory processing, motor development, and motor learning in sports performance in children with disabilities. ISF is also exploring innovative technological applications including virtual and augmented reality to improve sensorimotor performance.
Conference Committee Members:
- Agnes McConlogue Ferro, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy
- Christina Burke, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy
- Alex Doboli, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Kathleen McGoldrick, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Health Science
- Katherine Hackett, Staff Assistant, Occupational and Physical Therapy
Please contact InclusionDoneRight@stonybrook.edu with any questions and for information about accessibility accommodations. Parking information and a pre-conference survey will be shared a week prior to the conference.
Inclusion Done Right! Conference 2023
SBU News Article: 'Inclusion Done Right!' Offers Insights to the Community
