[blindLaw] FW: Register for the African American Conference on Disabilities

Tue Jan 19 15:42:12 UTC 2021

-----Original Message-----
From: Arizona Center for Disability Law <updates at azdisabilitylaw.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2021 2:30 PM
Subject: Register for the African American Conference on Disabilities

A Decade of Finding Solutions, Building a Stronger Community Register for the 1st Virtual African American Conference on Disabilities!
It's time to register for this year's first-ever virtual African American Conference on Disabilities (AACD) throughout the month of February.
This conference is a FREE event! See link below https://www.azdisabilitylaw.org/register-for-the-1st-virtual-african-american-conference-on-disabilities/

Hosted by The Arizona Center for Disability Law and the Arizona Center for African American Resources (AzCAAR), the AACD is the only comprehensive conference in the U.S. that addresses the intersection between race and disabilities.
You can register for 11 sessions via the links below. The Opening Session will start on February 1st and the Closing Session will be on February 26th.
CART and ASL Interpretation Services will be available for each session.
For questions, please contact Renaldo Fowler at rfowler at azdisabilitylaw.org <mailto:rfowler at azdisabilitylaw.org> .

AACD 2021 Schedule & Workshops
Monday, February 1st - 10:00 am - 11:00 am Opening Session Keynote Speaker:
Britney Wilson is a civil rights attorney, advocate, and writer from Brooklyn, New York. She is currently a staff attorney at the National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ), where her work focuses on issues of racial justice, specializing in abusive debt collection practices, discriminatory policing, and disability rights. Prior to working at NCLEJ, Britney was a Bertha Fellow at the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), where she litigated cases on discriminatory policing, immigration and voting rights. She began her legal career as a Marvin M. Karpatkin Fellow in the Racial Justice Program at the American Civil Liberties Union, where she litigated a range of racial justice cases on topics including the school-to-prison pipeline, the criminalization of poverty, fair housing, and inclusion in higher education.

A Black disabled woman born with Cerebral Palsy, Britney is especially committed to advocacy on behalf of people of color and people with disabilities. She has written and spoken extensively about the intersection of these issues for various outlets including for The Nation Magazine, Longreads, The Huffington Post, Colorlines, and This American Life. She is a proud graduate of Howard University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Britney will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic illustrates why disability, and especially the intersection of race and disability, has always been and always will be a social justice issue that deserves more of our attention.

SESSION 1
Tuesday, February 2nd - 10:00 am - 11:30 am Tawara D. Goode - Assistant Professor & Director, Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence & Georgetown University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Equity at the Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, and Disability 

Synopsis: We lag far behind other fields in efforts to achieve equity because we have yet to define it, and more specifically, what equity means in the disability space. We also cannot truly address equity without focusing on disparities, known outcomes of inequities, including those attributed to race and racism. This workshop will offer a definition of equity adapted to the disability context, describe a framework for addressing disparities in supports and services, and delineate the role of cultural and linguistic competence in our collective efforts to achieve equity in the disability space.

SESSION 2
Thursday, February 4th - 10:00 am - 11:30 am
*       Meaghan K. Kramer, Staff Attorney, Arizona Center for Disability Law
*       Mark Sorokin, Attorney, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Navigating Reasonable Accommodations and Workplace Discrimination in the Time of COVID-19 

Synopsis: This workshop provides a legal update about the employment protections under the ADA in a COVID-19 world in 4 parts.

Part I. What constitutes a reasonable accommodation during a pandemic and best practices in communicating your request to your employer

Part II. What your employer can make you do related to COVID-19

Part III. What constitutes employment discrimination - When and how to report discrimination to your employer

Part IV. How to enforce your employment rights

The speakers will present fact patterns from recent cases that have arisen since the start of the pandemic and review relevant guidance issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The workshop is open to all, including people with disabilities and service providers who would like to learn more about the ADA's employment protections.

SESSION 3
Tuesday, February 9th - 10:00 am - 11:00 am Dr. Carlian Dawson, Ed.D, Director of Education, Arizona Center for African American Children (AZCAAR)

Trauma: The Effects of the Pandemic in African American Families 

Synopsis:  African American families have been suffering from trauma since
1619 when they were first captured and enslaved in America. Through inequitable structures and systems see how this trauma continues today in our children and us. You will also learn just how resilient African Americans are in spite of the trauma.

SESSION 4
Thursday, February 11th - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Amanda Glass, Staff Attorney, Arizona Center for Disability Law

Addressing the Needs of Students with Disabilities during COVID-19 - A Workshop for Parents 

Synopsis:  An in-depth look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on special education in Arizona and beyond. This workshop will examine new challenges for students with IEPs and 504 plans imposed by school closures, distance learning, and new COVID-related school rules. Topics covered will include compensatory education, dispute resolution options, and the school-to-prison-pipeline. Attendees will be provided with several resources they can use to learn more about these topics and to advocate for the needs of the students with disabilities in their lives.

SESSION 5
Friday, February 12th - 10:00 am - 11:00 am Mid-Month Session Celebrating 10 Years of the African American Conference on Disabilities: A Journey of the Last Decade and the Road Ahead 

Moderator: Jacy Farkas, Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, University of Arizona

Co-founders: David Carey, Disability Advocate & Renaldo Fowler, Arizona Center for Disability Law

The African American Conference on Disabilities (AACD) is the only comprehensive conference in the United States that addresses the intersection between race and disabilities. Co-founded by David Carey and Renaldo Fowler, AACD was first launched in 2011 as a symposium and has continued to grow through the support of community partnerships. Join us for a conversation on the history of the conference, its impact in the community, and plans moving into the next decade.

SESSION 6
Tuesday, February 16th - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Moderator: Calvin Cook: Alumni, Diversity Ability Incorporation

Determined to Lead During the Pandemic
Panelists: Amira Hepner, Jordan Lewis, Mateo TreeTop, Nikki Trevizo, Isaac Zwinger-Nathanson

Synopsis: This workshop emphasizes accomplishment rooted in action featuring a panel of young adults who will share their stories, advice, and expertise through candid conversation about their experiences in advocating for the lives they choose. It will cover the importance of self-determination, self-advocacy, and participation in leadership opportunities for people who have disabilities.

SESSION 7
Thursday, February 18th - 10:00 am - 11:30 am
*       Corey Lovato, Staff Attorney, Arizona Center for Disability Law
*       Jessica Jansepar Ross, Attorney

Reasonable Accommodations, Modifications, Assistance Animals, and Covid-19 Considerations in Fair Housing 

Synopsis: Please join ACDL attorney Corey Lovato and attorney Jessica Jansepar Ross for a session discussing the Fair Housing Act and key information that you need to know when dealing with a landlord, HOA, or prospective home purchase as a person with a disability. In particular, this session will focus on reasonable accommodations, modifications, and assistance (i.e., service and emotional support) animals. We will also discuss special considerations regarding COVID-19 in housing, including public housing programs and congregate settings.

SESSION 8
Tuesday, February 23rd - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Brittaney Chipley, AZ ABLE Executive Director, Arizona Department of Economic Security

AZ ABLE Accounts: Protect Benefits and Build Financial Security!

Synopsis: Millions of individuals with disabilities and their families depend on a wide variety of public benefits for income, health care, food, and housing assistance. Unfortunately, these individuals are ineligible for benefits if they have more than $2,000 cash savings and retirement funds.
However, opening an AZ ABLE account at the low cost of $50 will not only protect your benefits, but also build savings and financial security!

SESSION 9
Thursday, February 25th - 10:00 am - 11:30 am
*       Sey In, Staff Attorney, Arizona Center for Disability Law
*       Imani Barbarin, Disability Rights Pennsylvania, Director of
Communications and Outreach

Read to Protest: Techniques and Strategies for Ensuring an Inclusive Environment and Accessibility for People with Disabilities in Social Justice Activities 

Synopsis: This workshop will focus on strategies and techniques organizers of social justice activities (e.g. protests, round tables, forums), can employ to ensure that their activity is inclusive to the disability community. Topics to be discussed will include: effective communication strategies, site accessibility and creating an access plan.

SESSION 10
Friday, February 26th - 10:00 am - 11:00 am Closing Session Keynote Speaker: Thomas Hicks, Commissioner U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Washington, DC

The Role and Impact of Voters with Disabilities and People of Color on the outcome of the 2020 General Election
Synopsis: Despite a global pandemic with a disproportionate impact on people of color and those with disabilities, voter turnout reached historic levels for the 2020 election. Amid the ongoing debates about the health of our communities and our economy, election administrators faced the difficult task of determining how to best adapt their practices and procedures to conduct safe, secure, accessible, and accurate elections. Working alongside disability advocates and the civil rights community, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission helped secure the election while ensuring voters full and equal access to the ballot.

SESSION 11
Our Mission
ACDL is a non-profit law firm that assists Arizonans with disabilities to promote and protect their legal rights to independence, justice, and equality.
Our Vision
A society where people with disabilities enjoy full acceptance without barriers.

Our mailing address is:
5025 E Washington St, Suite 202
Phoenix, AZ 85034