AUCD Event | AUCD 2024 Conference - Opening Plenary: Using the Strength of our Network to Build a More Inclusive World

Opening Plenary: Using the Strength of our Network to Build a More Inclusive World

Sunday, November 3, 2024

4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Ballroom Level: Potomac Ballroom

Together as a Network, we encourage connections, break down barriers, and amplify diverse voices to create a world where everyone can thrive. University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LENDs) Programs, and Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Centers (IDDRCs) all play an equal role. Together, we can focus on the core of the AUCD Network and come together stronger than ever as driving forces to create positive change and to build a more inclusive world for all.

The Plenary will begin with a panel discussion led by Ilka Riddle, Director of the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, AUCD President-Elect, and AUCD 2024 Conference Chair. We will be joined by Ted Abel, Director of the Iowa Neuroscience Institute at the University of Iowa, Brian Be, Self Advocacy Coordinator at JFK Partners at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Suzannah Iadarola, Director of the Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and Connie Mathis, Nursing Consultant at the Nisonger Center at The Ohio State University. Panelists will share examples of collaboration within the Network and how collaboration leads to better outcomes. Let’s learn from one another, create together, and be stronger in our impact!

Keynote speaker Imani Barbarin will then share her story as a disability rights and inclusion activist and what it means to move forward with true inclusion. As a person with a disability herself, Imani wants to see people with disabilities everywhere—from the top down! With research, self-advocacy, information dissemination, partnerships, collaborations, and more, the AUCD Network and the greater disability community can be strong no matter what comes our way. Together, we are stronger.

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Presenters

Suzannah Iadarola

Panelist
Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities

Suzannah Iadarola, PhD, BCBA-D is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Pediatrics (primary) and Public Health (secondary). She also serves as the Director of the Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities, a federally-mandated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Her research and clinical work focuses on programs, services, and advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), across the lifecourse. With her colleagues, she conducts community-partnered research related to developing, disseminating, and evaluating community interventions to support individuals with IDD and their families. Additional translational research priorities include assessment of parent needs and barriers to self-care, as well as the development of programs to help address parent stress and well-being. Much of this research is conducted in collaboration with national, multi-site research networks. In addition to scholarship, she engages in the development, evaluation, and community dissemination of programs and services in the disability and related fields. She also prioritizes mentorship of trainees, staff, and junior faculty in research, scholarship, and program administration.

Imani Barbarin

Keynote Speaker
Disability Rights and Inclusion Activist and Speaker

Imani Barbarin is a disability rights and inclusion activist and speaker who uses her voice and social media platforms to create conversations engaging the disability community. Born with cerebral palsy, Imani often writes and uses her platform to speak from the perspective of a disabled black woman. In the last few years she has created over a dozen trending hashtags that allow disabled folk the opportunity to have their perspectives heard while forcing the world to take notice. #PatientsAreNotFaking, #ThingsDisabledPeopleKnow, #AbledsAreWeird and others each provide a window into disabled life while forming community. Imani is from the Philadelphia area and holds a Masters in Global Communications from the American University of Paris, her published works include those in Forbes, Rewire, Healthline, BitchMedia and more. She runs the blog CrutchesAndSpice.com and a podcast of the same name.

Ted Abel

Panelist
Iowa Neuroscience Institute

Ted Abel, PhD, is the Director of the Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Roy J. Carver Chair in Neuroscience, and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. A member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, his research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of memory storage and the molecular basis of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. He has been a pioneer in the use of molecular and genetic approaches to define how neural circuits mediate behavior. He co-directs the Hawkeye Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, launched in 2021, which is focused on the diagnosis, prevention, treatment and amelioration of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Brian Be

Panelist
JFK Partners

Brian Be is the Self-Advocacy Coordinator for JFK Partners. He is an Autistic Artist Advocate living with various disabilities. Brian has been a caregiver, job coach, peer advocate, case manager, family member of persons of different abilities, community and family leader, performing artist, public presenter, and co facilitator - individually and with various disability organizations. He is alumni of the Colorado LEND/UCEDD training program and the AUCD Leadership Academy. He has served on the Colorado Behavioral Health Council Advisory Board, Self-Advocacy in Leadership (SAIL), was co-chair of the JFK Partners Community Advisory Council, and co-chair of the Autism Special Interest Group of AUCD for nearly 5 years. As an artist/advocate, why does he go by Brian Be? "Simple, Be yourself, quirks and all."

Connie Mathis

Panelist
The Nisonger Center

Connie Mathis is a dedicated and experienced nurse passionate about healthcare leadership. With eight years of hands-on nursing experience, Connie has demonstrated a commitment to providing compassionate and quality care to patients. Connie has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Connie specializes in executive leadership within the healthcare domain. Connie is actively advancing her knowledge and skills to excel in the dynamic field of healthcare leadership. Her focus on executive leadership reflects a keen interest in driving positive change and influencing healthcare practices at an organizational level. Passionate about promoting equity and inclusion in healthcare, Connie actively advocates for the well-being of all populations. Her dedication extends beyond the clinical setting, aiming to create a healthcare landscape that is accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the diverse needs of communities. Her mission aligns seamlessly with her Christian values and morals, where she seeks to contribute to the commitment of compassionate and Godly-centered healthcare. Connie Mathis stands as a beacon of leadership, embodying the principles of excellence, equity, and inclusion in healthcare.

Ilka Riddle

Moderator
University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Ilka Riddle, PhD, is a Professor at the University of Cincinnati Department of Pediatrics/Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the Director of the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. She is also the incoming AUCD Board President and the AUCD 2024 Conference Chair. Dr. Riddle received her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Delaware, with a focus on illness and disability and its impact on families. She is also a proud graduate of the 2013 Summer UCEDD Leadership Institute of the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Riddle spent her graduate-level training years and early career years at the Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS) at the University of Delaware before moving to the UCEDD at Cincinnati Children's Hospital in Ohio as Associate Director and since 2013, as the Director.

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