The conference will feature four plenary
sessions:
Plenary 1 - Are Genes Destiny?
Wednesday, May 28 from 9:45 - 10:45 am
Plenary Speaker: Alan E. Guttmacher, MD
Deputy Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
We Are All Mutants: We Had Better Hope That We Are More than Our Genes Alan Guttmacher, MD, Deputy Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
Recent genetics and genomics research has begun to revolutionize our understanding of the role of genetic factors in human health, development, and disease. In the “Genome Era,” it is seductive to believe that to know our genes is to know ourselves. However, having dramatically increasing understanding of genes does not somehow mean that such non-genetic factors as the physical, cultural, and behavioral environment are less important than they have always been. The challenge in the coming years will be to understand the complex interplay between genes and environment and to use that understanding to improve the lives of all.
Plenary 2 - Living a Real Life
Wednesday, May 28 from 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Personal and Political Life in the Community
Sue Swenson, Former Commissioner, Administration on Developmental Disabilities and former Executive Director, The Arc of the United States
Karmel McCarthy, RN, Memorial Healthcare System-West Operations
Derek Nord, Project Coordinator, University of Minnesota, Research and Training Center on Community Living
Nancy Thaler, Executive Director, National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services
We hold that people with disabilities must be included in ordinary communities. We reject segregated institutional life. But what does it take to live an ordinary life when people have disabilities that make them extraordinary? How can we integrate personal freedom with public policies? This session will examine emerging best practices and foundational values from multiple perspectives. Please join us to explore the relationship between personal rights and political responsibilities in the community.
Plenary 3 - The New Professional
Thursday, May 29 from 8:30 - 10:00 am
Plenary Speaker: David
Leach, MD
Former CEO of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
Dee Hock has said” Substance is enduring; form is ephemeral. Preserve substance; modify form; know the difference.” The healthcare community has been confronted with daunting challenges and has adapted poorly. Residency training is an intense experience for young doctors and offers a window through which to observe the formation of both professionalism and a profession. The resident’s journey is marked by external drama but is actually an inner journey. They learn not only clinical skills but also about themselves. The former Executive Director of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education will share his reflections about this journey and the relevance it may have for all caregivers.
Plenary 4 - It's A New World
Thursday, May 29 from 1:15 - 2:45 pm
The Question of Value: Lessons inDiscovering Giftedness Around the World, Tim Shriver, PhD, CEO Special Olympics International
Dr. Shriver will challenge the
field to focus on value—the
real, absolute, and powerful
value of people with intellectual
disabilities. He will share stories
that illustrate some of the many ways in which value
is expressed in different cultures around the world,
while also trying to draw key lessons for our research,
advocacy, and support roles in the future.
Inclusion Around the World-Progress and Challenges - Diane Richler, Order of Canada (OC), President, Inclusion International, Canada
People with intellectual disabilities and their families remain among the most marginalized people in the world. Understanding the sources and factors that contribute to that exclusion is essential in order to develop effective strategies promoting human rights and inclusion. The new United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities provides an instrument to help us develop new approaches to help communities achieve inclusive education, community inclusion, supports for decision-making and supports to families.
