15th Annual Community Development Symposium: Diverse Ability Inclusion

Lisa Drennan of MERGE Consulting (https://www.mergeconsulting.org/) will provide attendees an opportunity to:

Explore techniques, strategies, and philosophies that promote an inclusive culture for your organization to better support persons with diverse abilities at all levels including program participation, and volunteer and employment opportunities.

Participants will:

• Understand the basic philosophies of inclusion of persons with diverse abilities, the benefits of inclusion and why every staff member has responsibilites in the inclusion initiative.
• Review top ten tips for interacting with people with disabilities.
• Gain an understanding of people first language.
• Discuss organizational staff roles, information sharing, and confidentiality.
• Get a basic introduction to traits of Autism, ADD/ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorders and why certain approaches help promote success in a camp setting.
• Review preventative inclusion strategies that help promote a more inclusive culture for all participants in your organization.

Whether your organization is looking to create new inclusive programs or enhance existing ones this symposium will help guide you through the process of identifying necessary steps and organizational involvement to ensure programs and supports meet the needs of your community.

We start by reviewing the four steps of program development and the relationship and responsibilities of all levels within your organization to those steps. Attendees will have the opportunity to take a specific inclusion initiative and work together within small groups to navigate through the steps and roles, identifying barriers and providing solutions. This take-home piece can be used back at your organization to use a tool to help strengthen your process of gaining buy-in and support your next inclusion initiative.

LOCATION

Thomas Crane Public Library

40 Washington St

Large Meeting Room, First Floor

Quincy, MA 02169

United States