The Arc of DFW Area

This conference, y'all! Join us!
It's never too early or too late to look ahead!

LOOK WHO'S TALKING... A powerful lineup of speakers promises to provide information that offers hope, vision and guidance. Take a look...

A Look Ahead Conference
Saturday, November 9, 2024 (9am-2:30pm)
FUMC-Arlington
313 N. Center Street
Arlington, Texas 76011

The A Look Ahead Conference Series brings together expert speakers for training that focuses on improving the quality of life for people with disabilities and the people who support them.

♿️ SESSION TITLE - Children with Disabilities and Divorce: What A Texas Parent Needs to Know

♿️ SESSION SPEAKERS: Mike Day, Family Law Attorney & Mary Ann Hughes – Certified Divorce Coach

♿️ SESSION DESCRIPTION - So, what happens when you and your spouse decide to end your marriage? Divorce is hard enough as it is, with or without children, but having a child with a disability adds an extra level of complexity. It requires unique planning, patience, and knowledge. During this session Board Certified Family Law Attorney Mike Day and Mary Ann Hughes, Certified Divorce Coach will review information and special considerations to examine. Information is designed to help you get the best outcome and better deal with the overwhelming issues, and more effectively advocate for yourself and your child. If these special considerations are not appropriately addressed, it could be disastrous for ALL.

💡 SESSION TITLE: Considering LRE in Placement Decisions

💡 SESSION SPEAKER: Kathryn Hogan, JD, MEd Disability Rights Texas

💡 SESSION DESCRIPTION: Special Education is a service not a place. Placement decisions should not guide the development of the IEP goals and objectives or supplemental aids and services. In fact, it is the opposite. Once the ARD/IEP team has formulated a list of IEP goals and reviewed supplementary aids and services to be provided, it will use those same goals and services to make placement decisions. Need more information? This is the session for you. During her session, Kathryn Hogan will explain what least restrictive environment (LRE) is, how decisions about LRE are made, what's required to change a student's placement, and how to advocate for your child to be in an inclusive setting.

✅️ SESSION TITLE: Estate Planning, Guardianship and Alternatives Overview

✅️ SESSION SPEAKERS: Heidi Angel, Trust & Estate Attorney & Lynn Kelly, Probate & Guardianship Attorney

✅️ SESSION DESCRIPTION: Families of children with disabilities must take extra care when creating their estate plans. This is true whether the disabled child is still a minor or now an adult, and particularly so when the child is or in the foreseeable future will be — receiving needs-based public benefits such as SSI or Medicaid. During this session Attorneys, Heidi Angel and Lynn Kelly, will present an overview of the legal documents and processes involved with planning for a loved one with a disability including an overview of the guardianship process and guardianship alternatives.

❓️ SESSION TITLE: I’m Meeting with A Financial Planner: How Do I Prepare for My 1st (& maybe 2nd) Meeting?

️❓️ SESSION SPEAKER: Curtis Kleiger, ChSNC® Financial Planner

❓️ SESSION DESCRIPTION: Children, youth and adults with disabilities or complex medical issues often require specialized care. Care that may extend beyond your ability to care for them after an unexpected event, as you age or when you are no longer here. And the cost of that care? It can escalate quickly. Considering any of these situations can be overwhelming. Having a financial plan in place may help reduce concerns. But where do you start? What needs to be considered? During this session, Curtis will review important factors to consider when creating a plan that makes sense for you and your family. He will discuss topics such as:
• available benefits and resources for individuals with disabilities
• things to consider when developing a comprehensive budget tailored to your family’s needs
• planning for future care and housing options
• strategies for long-term financial security and independence
• and more!

🎥 SESSION TITLE: My Disability Roadmap Film Screening & Discussion

🎥 SESSION FACILITATORS: Michelle Lunday & Cindi Paschall

🎥 SESSION DESCRIPTION: My Disability Roadmap steers clear of any of the old tropes around disability. Michelle Lunday and Cindi Paschall will introduce and then screen My Disability Roadmap (a 23-minute award-winning short film), followed by a lively discussion. We hope you will join us!

🗣 SESSION TITLE: Sexual Violence and What to Do About It: Let's Talk

🗣 ️ SESSION SPEAKERS: Leigh Anne McKingsley – The Arc’s National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability - NCCJD® & James Meadours – Self-Advocate & Civil Rights & Sexual Assault Prevention Advocate

🗣 ️ SESSION DESCRIPTION: It is time we talk about Sexual Violence! People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) DD are sexually assaulted at seven times the rate of people without disabilities. We can no longer be silent. During this session you will hear directly from survivors of sexual violence. They will discuss why it's so important to talk about sexual violence, tips on how to talk to your health care provider about this hidden epidemic for people with IDD and ways to speak out on the topic to raise awareness and encourage prevention. Together, we can support survivors, help prevent future victimization and empower people with disabilities.

🏡 SESSION TITLE: Smart Home Technology - What Is It and How Can It Increase Independence, Autonomy, and Safety

🏡 SESSION SPEAKERS: Alexa Brill & Wendy Harkins Davis Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF)

🏡 SESSION DESCRIPTION: For a person with a disability smart home technology can be life changing. It can increase independence and autonomy, productivity, connection, safety and security, and joy! Want to know how? Join Wendy and Alexa as they explore various forms of smart technology and their benefits. Alexa will also share her lived experience with smart technology and how it has changed her life. * This session will be presented twice.

🌟 SESSION TITLE: Soft Skills for Workplace Success!

🌟 SESSION SPEAKER: Robin K***z, Employment Assistance (EA) & Transition Consultant

🌟 SESSION DESCRIPTION: Soft skills are personal qualities that can help you get a job, keep a job, and become a more well-rounded person. They are important. During this session Robin K***z, Owner/Director of Achievable Employment Solutions, LLC will explore some of the most common soft skills employers look for, where you can receive training to enhance your soft skills, and how soft skills underpin workplace success.

📢 SESSION TITLE: Step Up to Self-Advocacy

📢 SESSION SPEAKER: Amy Litzinger, Self-Advocate & Public Policy Specialist

📢 SESSION DESCRIPTION: Self-Advocacy does not just happen. It is something many need to step up to. During this interactive session, Amy will explore small steps to consider when building your own self-advocacy with confidence. Participants will share ideas of small things that can be done now that might add up to more independence later. Or that might help you relax when asking for what you need to make sure life has more of what you want in it. What works for one might not work for all, but it might provide some ideas of where to start.

‼️ SESSION TITLE: Supporting Victims and Defendants with IDD: Updates from The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability - NCCJD®

‼️ SESSION SPEAKER: Leigh Anne McKingsley, The Arc’s NCCJD®

‼️ SESSION DESCRIPTION: The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability has been advocating for people with IDD for 10 years and continues to add new projects every year. Join Leigh Anne to learn more about the center, key projects they are working on and how you can get involved in this area of advocacy. Learn about new training tools for law enforcement, findings from a new project about helping victims with disabilities report abuse, the use of locative technology and unique issues facing people with both IDD and mental health disabilities.

☀️ SESSION TITLE: Transition Planning - Paving the Way to Positive Post-school Outcomes for Students

☀️ SESSION SPEAKER: Kathryn Hogan, JD, MEd Disability Rights Texas

☀️ SESSION DESCRIPTION: Transition planning is a process designed to help students with disabilities make a smooth transition into adulthood – life after school. It requires the IEP team to gather information from the student and their network of support, develop transition goals, identify needed supports and services, and create a plan to achieve them. During this session, Kathryn will review the transition planning process, when it starts, and how students and families can advocate for an individualized transition plan.

🟢 CONFERENCE FEE: $20 - a light breakfast, lunch and Texas Social Work and Educator CEU's are included with your registration.

🟢 REGISTER AT: https://bit.ly/NOV24ALA
- Registration will close when capacity is reached.

* Limited stipends available for individuals with disabilities and family members. Please complete the form at https://bit.ly/ALAStipendRequest
to request a stipend.

* Texas Educator & Social Work CEUS provided by The Arc of DFW Area

🟢 QUESTIONS? Email us at: [email protected]

We are sorry to announce that October's PPT Training has been canceled. We will resume in the new year. Make sure you are subscribed to our email list so you get notifications of new dates.

When we presume competence, a whole world of possibilities is born.

Thank you CBS Sunday Morning for sharing this valuable story.

A young autistic man's symphonic odyssey

Parent Members Sought for Early Childhood Intervention Advisory Texas Governor's Committee on People With Disabilities

We are recruiting members for our new advocacy working groups in the following areas: HCBS Funding, Justice System Reform, Accessible Housing, DSP Wages, & Mental Health Resources. You can learn more about these and sign up for them. https://api.neonemails.com/emails/content/rYa-Pbu8LMtfGsdQglbv1YsGdsTw0LtIdR00Gx0X2EQ=

We are sorry, but the People Planning Together Event on September 26th & 27th has been CANCELED!
We would like to encourage you to sign up for the one on October 18th & 19th. You can do that by going here:
https://thearcofdfw.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/thearcofdfw/event.jsp?event=74
We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

People Planning Together October What: People Planning Together is a training presented by trainers with Intellectual Disabilities (IDD) for people with IDD. This training is a Peer-to-Peer model and empowers participants to create their own person-centered outcome statements and action steps.

Thank you to all who joined us last Thursday, September 19th for the inaugural Putts for Progress sponsored by Method360 event at Puttshack - Addison. We are so thankful for our sponsors Method360, Title Sponsor; TXU Energy, Club Sponsor; and FULLCIRCLE WEALTH, Moxie Pest Control, and Stonewater Financial Group, Hole Sponsors.

Without our sponsors and all those that attended, we could not have made this a success! Thank you all for your support, and we hope to see you at next year's Putts for Progress!

DFW Area Disability Summit 2024!

Join us for the People Planning Together Training on September 26th & 27th. You'll need to attend both days.

For more details on this training and to register, please take a look at the flyer below.

Register here: https://bit.ly/SepPPT

If you have any questions, please email us at: [email protected]

🎉 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝘂𝘁𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿: 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝟯𝟲𝟬! 🎉

We are excited to share that 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝟯𝟲𝟬 is the Title Sponsor for our upcoming Putts for Progress event! Their generous support helps us empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our community to live life as they define it. 🌟

🗓 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: September 19, 2024 (Only 3 weeks away!)
📍 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Puttshack, Addison, TX
🏌️‍♂️ 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: Mini-golf tournament, raffle, great food, fun games, prizes, and more!

⏰ Time is running out! Gather your friends and colleagues and register your team today to be a part of this fun event and help us continue our mission. ⛳️

👉 Register Your Team Here: https://putts4progress.com

Let’s come together to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities. See you there! 🌳

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thearcofdfw.org

The DFW Area Disability Policy Summit, hosted by The Arc of DFW Area, in conjunction with The Arc of Texas' Tour of Texas, will be held 2pm-4pm on September 21, 2024. Admission to the summit is free, and we encourage you to join us at the Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center, Stonebriar Lecture Hall, located at 5700 Dallas Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75034.

This event presents a valuable opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions, share insights, and collaborate on initiatives that can make a positive impact on disability policy in our community.

We hope that you will be able to attend this important summit and contribute to the conversation.

Please RSVP at your earliest convenience to secure your place and invite other passionate disability advocates in your personal network to join you. https://bit.ly/dadps24

You're invited to join us this Saturday for a showing of "Fly Me to the Moon". Now open to Non-members! More information can be found at the link below. You must register for this event. Seating is limited! https://thearcofdfw.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/thearcofdfw/eventRegistration.jsp?event=69