2018-2019 Class Selection Notification
for Austin and McAllen will be Friday 15 June.
Our Faculty
National speakers enable Partners participants to learn “what’s possible” because the policies, practices, or activities are successful in other places.
The quality of the Texas Partners in Policymaking program depends on speakers who can present “what’s possible” and who:
- Are experts in the topic area, including having an understanding of the connection between levels of government, systems change, and policy results.
- Have a broad perspective on cutting edge/best practices in disability issues that are consistent with an empowering vision.
- Understand what Partners in Policymaking is all about and are committed to the Core Values.
- Know how to communicate about their topic of expertise through adult learning methods including blended learning.
- Are motivated and enthusiastic themselves, and able to inspire and energize participants.
2018-2019 National Speaker Line-Up
| Session | Speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| HISTORY of Disability Services HISTORY of Parent Movement, Self-Advocacy, Independent Living & People First Language |
Colleen WieckBiographical Statement 2017 Colleen Wieck, Ph.D. Colleen Wieck is Executive Director of the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities of the Department of Administration, a position she has held for the past 36 years. The Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities is a federally funded, Governor appointed group of 25 members whose mission is to provide information, education, and training to increase the independence, self determination, productivity, integration and inclusion of people with developmental disabilities and their families. Prior to her work with the DD Council, Dr. Wieck was a researcher at the University of Minnesota for four years conducting national surveys of group homes and state institutions with an emphasis on comparing costs of different types of facilities. She was also a direct services provider for five years in the area of day programs for adults and early intervention for children. She earned her BA and BS degrees in psychology, political science, social studies and special education with summa cum laude honors and her master’s degree is in school psychology. Her PhD is in Educational Psychology with supporting areas in Public Affairs and Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Wieck has produced over 150 publications with the DD Council and several DVD productions winning national media awards. She produced a series of 30 public policy papers about the Welsch consent decree, eight public policy papers about planning for the closure of the state hospital system in Minnesota, five public policy briefing books for public officials including A New Way of Thinking and several publications devoted to personal futures planning and self determination. The Learning Center includes 10,000 digitized pages of publications and Parallels in Time describes the History of Disabilities dating back to 1500 BC, the History of the Parent Movement, the History of Independent Living, and the History of Self Advocacy. Parallels in Time, Part 2 was released in 2006 and is an online historical archive of the past 50 years of 3,000 images, video clips, and documents that trace the evolution of community services in the area of living, education, and day/employment. The historical preservation work was honored by the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in 2015 with the Hervey B. Wilbur Award. Colleen is a primary creator of Partners in Policymaking, a leadership training program for adults with disabilities and parents of young children with developmental disabilities. Partners in Policymaking began in Minnesota in 1987 and has now been replicated nationwide and in several locations in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Over 27,000 individuals have graduated from Partners in Policymaking nationally and internationally. The outcomes of Partners in Policymaking have been documented with quantitative results of increased citizenship activities as well as qualitative reports of life changes. Equipped with new skills, several graduates have changed their careers and become attorneys, social workers, and special education directors while others have successfully been elected as mayors, school board members, county commissioners, and state legislators. She has served as an evaluator and consultant to over 60 state, national and international organizations; she has given over 1000 speeches and received over 65 awards. She has worked on numerous public policy issues including deinstitutionalization, supported employment, family support, self determination, and education issues. She has been active in the Arc, TASH, Schools are For Everyone, AAIDD and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities. In 2003, Colleen was appointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty to serve on the Health Care Costs Commission chaired by former U.S. Senator David Durenberger. She has served as a consultant to the U.S. District Court on the Jensen case since 2011 and a member of the Olmstead Subcabinet since 2014. On May 6, 2006, Colleen received one of 100 Distinguished Alumni Awards for the Century (1905-2005) from the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. In 2010, Colleen was honored by The Arc Minnesota with their Public Policy Award and in 2015 Colleen was selected to receive a top honor of the Autism Society of Minnesota in 2015 and the Martin Luther King Distinguished Service Award in 2016. In 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014, Colleen was appointed to Merit Selection and Reappointment Panels for selection and reappointment of Federal Magistrate Judges for the U.S. District Court, Minnesota. The US District Court provided cy pres funding to TPT public television which resulted in a documentary entitled Independence to Inclusion and a Disability Justice website. Colleen provided leadership for both projects. The documentary was nominated for a Regional Emmy in 2014. In June 2006, ComputerWorld awarded one of its top 100 idea awards to a digital imaging project employing people with developmental disabilities initiated by the Minnesota Council. In 2007, the Council received both national and state awards for the Partners in Policymaking online courses. In 2012, the Council-funded App for Emergency Planning received both national and state recognition. A second App entitled “Telling Your Story” received a 2014 Minnesota State Government Innovation Award. Kathie SnowSince the way we think drives the way we act, Kathie believes real change can only occur if we first acquire new attitudes and perceptions about disability. Kathie is the parent of two young adults; her son, Benjamin, has a disability and recently earned his Master’s degree. (Disability does not have to be a barrier to a person’s success!) She combines her earlier career in the media with personal experiences in the disability arena to ignite positive and long-lasting change. Kathie believes the inclusion of people with disabilities can best be accomplished when they move from clienthood to citizenship, and replace traditional “special” and segregated services with assistance from the abundant supply of natural supports and generic services that exist in every community. And everyone has an important role to play in this effort! In lively and insightful workshops across the United States and Canada, Kathie questions today’s conventional wisdom, suggests alternatives to traditional disability-related services, and covers a variety of topics including: People First Language, developing new attitudes and perceptions, using natural supports and generic services, cooperative advocacy, relationships and communication, inclusive education, empowerment, disability history, and more. While she’s been a “trainer” for over 20 years, she still considers herself a “student”— learning from individuals with disabilities, family members, and others who attend her presentations and touch her life in a variety of ways. Kathie is the author of Disability is Natural: Revolutionary Common Sense for Raising Successful Children with Disabilities (now in its third edition); Apple-Bites: Commonsense Disability Strategies for Everyone; hundreds of articles that are incorporated into two different books of reproducible articles; and the widely-disseminated “People First Language” article. She’s also the creator of the Disability is Natural DVD as well as a wide assortment of bright, colorful, and positive “Disability is Natural” products that are featured on her website (www.disabilityisnatural.com). Several universities use her books, and her articles are featured in other publications and websites. Kathie created the Bowl of Apples logo to illustrate a new way of thinking: just as apples are natural, disability—like gender, ethnicity, and other characteristics—is a natural part of life. (This paradigm shift is included in the Federal Developmental Disabilities Act.) A graduate of Texas Partners in Policymaking (a disability leadership training program) in 1991, Kathie presents at Partners programs in many states and provides technical assistance to many Partners coordinators. She also presents keynotes and workshops at international, national, and state conferences; provides day-long trainings for parent groups, schools, and human service agencies; and has coordinated conferences and developed training curriculum. Kathie and her family lived in Colorado for over 20 years, but recently returned to their home state of Texas. Before the births of her children, she was a broadcast television writer, producer, and director and a print journalist. She’s energetic, positive, and determined to help create a society where all are valued and all belong. Kathie Snow |
August 10-11, 2018 |
| INCLUSIVE EDUCATION & LIFE LONG LEARNING IDEA & 504 CIVIL DISCOURSE COMMUNICATION |
Patrick SchwarzPatrick Schwarz, PH.D., is Professor of Diversity in Learning & Teaching for National-Louis University, Chicago. A dynamic author and motivational speaker, Dr. Schwarz is also Chief Executive Officer of Creative Culture Consulting, LLC. His books From Disability to Possibility: The Power of Inclusive Classrooms (Heinemann, 2006); You’re Welcome: 30 Innovative Ideas for the Inclusive Classroom (Heinemann, 2007); and “Just Give Him the Whale!”:20 Ways to Use Fascinations, Areas of Expertise, and Strengths to Support Students with Autism (2008) have inspired teachers nationwide to reconceptualize inclusion in ways that help all children. Dr. Schwarz’s professional focus is furthering education and services that promote the status of individuals with a range of support needs. He works to facilitate successful engagement in various environments, allowing people to make contributions and develop experiences that are important to them. Mary DurheimAn educational consultant, Ms. Durheim is a past national president of CHADD – Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Mary was a graduate of the 1994 class of Partners in Policymaking, a project of the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities and was appointed by Governor’s Bush and Perry to serve on the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. In March of 2012, Governor Perry appointed Mary to the position of chair of the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities which she continues to chair at the pleasure of the current governor. Presenting workshops and trainings statewide and nationally on topics such as ADHD, Section 504, and dyslexia, Mary is also a trained mediator, Section 504 hearing officer, and recently participated on the TEA workgroup that developed the Teas Dyslexia Identification Academy. Gladys CortezLicensed Professional Counselor, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Gladys has served as the Administrator for Mission Rehabilitation Services for over 7 years and is also in private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor. She is a member of various professional organizations as well as local advocacy groups in her hometown of McAllen, Texas. She has a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from The University of Texas Pan American and is a certified rehabilitation counselor. She was Governor-appointed to the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities as a family member in August 2011 where she also serves as the Chair of the Project Development Committee. Karen RayKaren also holds a Master’s Degree in organization development from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the College of St. Catherine. Karen interned with the father of adult education, Malcolm Knowles. She is famous for interactive training that produces breakthroughs in interpersonal effectiveness. Karen Ray is President of Karen Ray Associates, a consulting firm that specializes in training and organization development for community, non-profit and government agencies. Karen has consulted with many organizations since the inception of her practice in 1983; her work focuses on collaboration, teambuilding and leadership. Karen has taught teambuilding and communications courses for Metropolitan State University and the College of St. Catherine. She holds a Master’s degree in Applied Behavioral Sciences from Whitworth College, Spokane, Washington with a specialty in organization development. Her most recent book “The Nimble Collaboration” is distributed internationally by the Wilder Foundation. |
September 21-22, 2018 |
| INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY SERVICE COORDINATION PERSON CENTERED PLANNING |
Derrick DufresnePresident, CRA Derrick is President of Community Resource Associates, Inc. (CRA), a training and management consulting firm dedicated to promoting full community membership for people with disabilities. As president and founder of CRA, Derrick has provided training and consultation to more than 75,000 thousand people in forty-nine states since 1982. He also serves on the faculty of the National Leadership Institute on Developmental Disabilities. Derrick has worked in a variety of leadership positions in both community and institutional settings since 1974. His experience in running a community residential program included the closing of nine ICF-MRs and eleven group homes and converting them to supported living arrangements based on the personal choice of the individuals served. He has served two terms on the Board of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. He was co-founder of AAIDD’s Community Living Division (now Community Services) and served as chairperson of its Legislative and Social Issues Committee (LASI) from 1988-1990. He has received the AAIDD Service Award for “unwavering service to people with developmental disabilities in support of self-determined and inclusive lives in communities across our nation.” Closer to home, he received the Monsignor Elmer H. Behrman Award for outstanding contributions to the field of mental retardation on behalf of the Missouri State Chapter of AAIDD. From 2003-2009, Derrick served as President and CEO of the Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities. The Institute is a membership organization that focuses on promoting best practice and quality community supports for people with disabilities throughout Illinois. From 2012-2014, he assisted in closing a 180 person state institution in Illinois and developing transition plans for 165 other individuals with disabilities living in 6 additional state institutions. He led the effort to rewrite the Medicaid Waiver to include flexible service options, including Residential, Employment, and Home-Based Options. He is currently leading an effort in Georgia to assist the State in meeting the requirements of a DOJ Settlement agreement. This includes recruitment and training of providers, conducting person-centered assessments, and transitioning individuals out of institutions to community settings. CRA also is consulting on the Medicaid Waiver rewrite, including planning list, rate tier, and prioritization and access issues. In addition, CRA is assisting the State in reworking and refining its support coordination system, all in line with the new CMS settings rule. With CRA, Derrick works extensively in the closing of residential facilities. His work includes developing personalized residences for individuals, regardless of disability. As a real estate broker, he has used his knowledge of real estate, financing, tax credits and subsidies to create affordable integrated housing for people with disabilities throughout the United States. He has taught the principles of Positive Behavior Supports, 5 Star Quality, Implementing Person- Centered Waiver Options, Supervision and Leadership throughout the country. In 2009, he assisted the State of Nebraska in completely rewriting their community regulations governing service provision. With his leadership, the State has prohibited restraint and required all providers to adopt the principles of Positive Behavioral Support. The Regulations were crafted after a national review of 20+ States’ approaches and regulations. This revision was included in a Waiver Amendment. Derrick has devoted increasing time to consultation with parents, school systems and young people to assist in transition planning for individuals as they move from the educational system to adult services. He has recently been assisting in the implementation of self-determination in a Medicaid environment. This has included teaching and coaching to pair person-centered planning with individual budgets. He is deeply committed to assisting providers, advocates, state officials, and others in the implementation of the principles of full inclusion for all persons with disabilities into the mainstream of community life. Education Bachelor Individualized Study/Social Work – George Mason University, Virginia 1976 Haley TurnerLaura G. Buckner414 Meadowview Circle Longview, Texas 75604 Laura has more years of experience in the disability field than she’d like to admit. The parent of a young adult with an intellectual & developmental disability, Laura maintains a special interest in empowering people living with disabilities to have dreams and in sharing the necessary tools for fulfilling those dreams. Laura holds a B.S. Ed. in Elementary/Special Education and a M.Ed. in Counseling; she is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Texas. A 1996 graduate of the Texas Partners in Policymaking, Laura coordinated the Texas Partners Program for eight years and presents to Partners in Policymaking programs nationally. She is employed by the Texas Center for Disability Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, and is a founding partner of the Institute for Person Centered Practices. Certified as a Mentor Trainer with The International Learning Community for Person Centered Practices (and a current Board Member), Laura has extensive practice in facilitating person centered plans and training others in the practice. Married for 32 years, Laura is the mother of two young men, David and Michael. David has a disability and has been both impetus and inspiration to Laura’s energy and dedication to helping create a society that welcomes and includes all people. When she’s not working, she’s on her beloved road bike somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. https://disabilitystudies.utexas.edu/ |
October 19-20, 2018 |
| SUPPORTED, COMPETITIVE & CUSTOMIZED EMPLOYMENT VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION COMMUNITY & SINGLE ISSUE ORGANIZING |
Karen FlippoKaren Flippo is employed at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Currently she serves as the Project Director for the Contemporary Practices in DD Leadership and Management Course and the National Employment Learning Community. Previously she was the Project Manager for the Partnerships in Employment Transition to Employment National Technical Assistance Center. Partnerships in Employment was an 8 state systems change project funded by the U.S. Government to advance policies and practices to increase competitive employment for youth and young adults with intellectual disabilities. Karen is also the Project Manager for the Direct Course College of Employment Services, an online training program to build the skills of those providing employment services to individuals with disabilities. Her experience spans over 35 years in the disability field including curriculum development and delivery, technical assistance, organizational development, project management, direct service, policy development, and program evaluation. Sara KendallDohn HoyleDohn Hoyle is the former Director of The Arc of Michigan and long-time advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. A respected leader and innovator in the disability movement, Dohn has provided leadership on issues regarding the overuse of guardianships, closing the state institutions for people with developmental disabilities, person-centered planning, self-determination, inclusive education, services/supports for people with developmental disabilities, eliminating the use of seclusion and restraint in school and adult systems; criminal justice issues, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, SSI/SSDI hearings and appeals; and estate planning. |
November 9-10, 2018 |
| CREATING A VISION GUARDIANSHIP and the 84thLegislature MEDIA TRAINING |
Beth StalveyJeff MillerRobb LeerMedia Consultant, Facilitator & PR Strategist Robb Leer brings an abundance of media and public speaking experience as a senior trainer and President of Leer Communication & Consultants, LLC. Leer is a former award-winning journalist, working more than two decades in the radio and television industry. Using his vast news and messaging skills, this master media communicator is best at pitching the press, maximizing his clients’ coverage and coaching company and civic leaders to better position themselves in news stories. Since 2003, Leer has been consulting with companies and personnel on media and public affairs strategies. Much of Leer’s work has been on behalf of high profile clients. Recently, Leer’s Communication Team worked as the facilitator for the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities – a group of advocates and policy makers challenging the status quo. The Minnesota Ballpark Authority, the state agency overseeing the construction of the Twins outdoor ballpark was a client for five years, until Target Field opened in 2010. Leer helped to execute a successful public affairs campaign on behalf of a non-profit group of downtown developers. The campaign helped win public and legislative support for the construction of a new ballpark. Other clients include; The American Academy of Neurology, International Dairy Queen, Target Center, Saint Paul Police Foundation, Sun Country Airlines, Groves Academy, Marketplace Home Mortgage and SeQuel Response. Leer has also successfully executed crisis communication strategies on behalf of numerous Fortune 500 companies. Leer worked 24 years at KSTP-TV, Hubbard Broadcasting in St Paul, Minnesota. As a news and sports reporter, his global assignments took him to three winter Olympics – Lake Placid in 1980, Sarajevo, Yugoslavia in 1984 and Calgary, Canada in 1988. In the 1990’s Leer’s tenacious reporting style earned him a promotion to the stations Senior Investigative Reporter position. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recognized his investigative reporting excellence with six Emmy awards during a decade on that news beat. Leer is a Twin Cities native, born and raised in Minneapolis. He and his wife Maureen have three boys. Leer studied broadcast journalism at the University of North Dakota. |
January 11-12, 2019 |
| ADVOCACY & LEADERSHIP at the TEXAS CAPITOL Mock Hearing – Senate Chamber at Texas State Capitol |
Joe GagenJoe Gagen brings an entirely new way of looking at the legislative process. His highly interactive presentations are not only fun but also effective in educating volunteer advocates on how to “do it right” when advocating on behalf of their families, their communities and their beliefs. He has conducted over seven hundred successful legislative training and planning programs for numerous national and state associations as well as numerous leadership conferences for volunteer based associations. Those that attend Mr. Gagen’s trainings are able to: • Communicate more effectively with public policy makers on issues of importance. Mr. Gagen has been involved professionally in political and legislative matters for most of his professional career. Among other things, he chaired the Texas agency responsible for workers’ compensation, served as general counsel to the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee and was a legislative aide in the Texas House of Representatives. From 2006 to 2011, he served as CEO for Texas CASA, a statewide nonprofit organization advocating for children in foster care. During his tenure, he helped secure additional legislative funding that contributed to an over 60% increase in the annual number of CASA volunteers serving foster children. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate having received both his B.A. with Honors and his J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Linda LitzingerAmy Litzinger |
February 15-16, 2019 |
| FEDERAL DISABILITY ISSUES |
Allan I. BergmanHIGH IMPACT Mission-based Consulting & Training Allan I. Bergman is the President & CEO of HIGH IMPACT, a national consulting and training firm he established in 2010. He is an accomplished non-profit community agency and association executive and nationally recognized thought leader in influencing the development of federal and state policy reflecting “best practice” community supports and services for persons with disabilities and their families. Allan also is a national expert in Medicaid policy and practice in primary care and long term services and supports (long term care) for children and adults with disabilities and their families and he has extensive knowledge of the Affordable Care Act. Bergman’s career includes over 40 years of significant leadership positions within local, state and national non-profit agencies and associations and 28 years of continuous family and self-advocate leadership training in Partners in Policymaking programs across the country. He has served as the CEO of 6 non-profit organizations with annual budgets ranging from $3.0 million to $31.0 million; four at the local level in Texas, California and Illinois; one at the state level in Colorado; and, one at the national level in Alexandria, Virginia. Allan is an insightful and perceptive strategic planner skilled at aligning goals, groups and available resources on organizational missions. He is an inspirational trainer and has provided training to over 65,000 individuals working with over 370 organizations and government agencies in the United States, Israel and Australia. He works with all levels and functions within an organization to build a unified strategic vision and consistent messaging and support to achieve long term goals, improve organizational efficiency, deliver meaningful outcomes to customers and a good return on investment to funders. He is astute at building strong relationships and business partnerships with multiple constituencies. Since 2010, Bergman has served as a regular guest lecturer on non-profit governance and “lobbying” for a graduate course in Corporate Governance at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He has facilitated strategic planning and organizational development for Councils on Developmental Disabilities (DD), University Centers for Excellence in DD and many 501 (c) 3 non-profit organizations. Allan has provided governance training on the roles and legal and fiduciary responsibilities of board members as well as strategies for board excellence for many Councils and boards of directors of non-profit corporations. He also has facilitated the development of the Disability Leadership Coalition in Alabama and the Connecticut Cross Disability Alliance, for which he provides ongoing consultation. Since 2011, he has served as policy consultant and adviser to the New York Association of Emerging and Multicultural Providers (NYAEMP), the Papanikou Center on Developmental Disabilities in Conn, UCP of Greater Birmingham, and Individual Advocacy Group and Progressive Housing in Illinois. He was invited to conduct a workshop on Leadership and Governance for the Community Action Partnership Annual Conference in August 2013. During the past five years, Bergman has provided consultation, training and technical assistance in the states of New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wyoming, Utah, California and Oregon. During this period, about 40% of his work has been in the area of Medicaid managed long term supports and services (MLTSS) for people with disabilities (including the provisions in the ACA for “dual eligibles”). He has authored a MLTSS checklist for providers and advocates for the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR). Allan was invited to conduct a webinar on MLTSS for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) in April 2012, to serve as one of five faculty during a November 2013 NCSL Invitational Forum in Washington, D.C and to lead a plenary panel at the NCSL Annual Conference on MLTSS and Community Integration in Minnesota in August 2014. Bergman has been under contract since 2012 as a Subject Matter Expert in Employment First policy and community provider transformation on two projects for the Office of Disability Employment Policy within the U.S. Department of Labor; Employment First State Leadership Mentoring and the Employment Rebalancing Research Initiative to study state policies, practices and financing to rebalance systems from segregated day and employment supports into the “most integrated setting”, consistent with Title II of the ADA. He provided the keynote address for the 25th Anniversary Conference of the Association of Professionals Supporting Employment First (APSE) in June 2013: “The Employment First Imperative”. Allan was retained by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the fall of 2013 as a Subject Matter Expert to the State of Minnesota to develop an interagency Olmstead plan for ADA compliance. At the individual level of community integration, Allan has assisted three individuals in Illinois with significant disabilities (two with autism) to live in “homes of their own” with appropriate services and supports. Today he is working with several families in two states on similar projects. Allan also serves as a volunteer on the Employment Task Force of the National Disability Leadership Alliance (NDLA) and as a senior advisor to the Collaboration to Promote Self Determination in Washington, D.C. Among his numerous awards and recognitions, he most values being the first recipient of the George N. Bouthilet Award for Outstanding Service and Support in the national effort to improve the quality of life experienced by persons with intellectual disabilities and their families from the President’s Committee for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, in 2008. Allan was elected to membership of the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) in 2004. Allan brings a personal perspective to his work. He is the father of an adult daughter who has begun new competitive employment since moving into her own condo with supports in Evanston. Dina lives with intellectual disabilities and mental health issues. He also is Mindy’s step-father. Mindy lives in a group home with three other women in Chicago and participates in integrated community day supports. Mindy, who lives with multiple disabilities secondary to Rett Syndrome, began the Discovery process for Customized Employment in April 2015 and began competitive integrated employment in December 2015 at the age of 44. |
March 1-2, 2019 |
| ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY Graduation at Texas State Capitol |
Roger LevySteve KesterLex FriedenLex Frieden is Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Rehabilitation at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and he is adjunct Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine. Mr. Frieden also directs the ILRU – Independent Living Research Utilization Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann Research Center in Houston. Mr. Frieden has served as chairperson of the National Council on Disability, president of Rehabilitation International, and chairperson of the American Association of People with Disabilities. He is recognized as one of the founders of the independent living movement by people with disabilities in the early 1970’s, and he was instrumental in conceiving and drafting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. He has received two Presidential Citations for his work in the field of disability. Mr. Frieden holds degrees in psychology from the University of Tulsa and the University of Houston and he has been awarded an honorary doctorate in law (LL.D.) by the National University of Ireland. The author of more than 100 published contributions to the literature, Mr. Frieden has given more than a thousand lectures and presentations at events throughout the US and internationally. |
April 12-13, 2019 |
Flag represents Texas residents.