by Carol Leish, MA
This summit, which will help to build bridges and break down barriers to many topics in the realm of disability awareness, will take place between September 24 – 27, 2024, at the Crown Plaza, Ventura Beach. “Attending the conference will give a unique opportunity to gain knowledge from representatives from various levels of government (city; county, and state), non-profits and companies throughout California who want to be able to explore innovative solutions by addressing access barriers across various aspects of life,” according to, Dani Anderson, Disability Access Manager for the County of Ventura. “As we get closer to the summit, I am getting more eager to see the light bulb moments, and new networking and connection opportunities leading to growth in California’s Disability Access space.”
The keynote speaker will be Rebecca Cokley, the first U.S. Program Officer for Disability Rights at the Ford Foundation. She is also a three-time Presidential Appointee under the Obama Administration. She served as the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and the White House, where she oversaw diversity and inclusion efforts.
The summit will cover several topics dealing with partnerships, public safety, and disability/emergency preparedness. These break-out session will be: 1) Exploring Public/Private Partnerships; 2) Public Safety Power Shutoff Customer Support & Outreach; 3) Emergency Management; 4) Emergency Preparedness for Caregivers and Consumers-Learn what to do before, during and after an emergency; 5) Emergency Preparedness and the Americans with Disability Act, a Utility Perspective; and, 6) Disability Preparedness Focusing on those with intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
The summit will also cover areas dealing with education, representation, transportation, inclusion, accessibility, building community resilience, accessible voting, access within the criminal justice system, and dealing with a crisis. These break-out sessions will be: 1) Education, Accommodation, Advocacy and Employment; 2) How to Intentionally Increase Disability Representation in the Systems that Impact the Community; 3) Access for all, and Micro-Transit-Increasing Accessible Transportation Options; 4) Partnership, Allyship, and Increasing Inclusion Practices; 5) Ready Accessible, Resilient: Building Stronger Communities; 6) Demystifying Disability Access and the American with Disabilities Self-Evaluation & Transition Plan Process; 7) Creating an Accessible Voting Experience for Voters who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing; 8) Equal Access within the Criminal Justice System; and, 9) What are Crisis Intervention Teams and why do we need to be aware of them?
This summit will foster collaboration towards more accessible communities. It will also empower individuals with disabilities to share their experiences to educate others. This will be possible through championing accessibility at the government level. Attitudes will also change with more awareness being made possible.
“Be a part of this event that will aim to begin new ideas to share the future of access in California and beyond (United States). The event will be helping many to be able to move towards an accessible tomorrow together through building bridges and breaking barriers,” according to Anderson. To register for the event, to get on the email list to stay informed on the latest updates; and, for more information, please visit: www.govdisabilitysummit.org; or, contact Dani Anderson, Disability Access Manager, for the County of Ventura at: [email protected].
