More than 500 people are expected to attend the 2020 LIFE Conference, the largest annual cross-disability conference in Delaware in support of people with disabilities and their families, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at Dover Downs Hotel and Conference Center.

The conference brings together people with disabilities, their families, advocates, providers, educators, legislators and government officials for educational and networking opportunities. LIFE stands for Liberty and Independence For Everyone, and the conference addresses the topics of legislation, independence (through assistive technology), families and education.

The 21st annual conference, organized by a coalition of Delaware groups serving people with disabilities, runs from 8 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. Registration ($35-$95) is required. Conference participants can choose from 12 different workshops, with break times scheduled throughout the day to allow time to visit conference exhibitors.

Jarrett Butler, a 2019 graduate of the Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC) Junior Partners in Policymaking Program, will provide opening remarks at the conference. Butler is a frequent presence at Legislative Hall in Dover, where he is a passionate advocate for full accessibility in the community and for upholding rights and standards under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Junior Partners in Policymaking offers policy training for Delawareans ages 15-22 with disabilities.

This year’s keynote speakers are also self-advocates. Donna and Ricardo Thornton of Washington believe that people should make their own decisions and choices, and individuals with disabilities can achieve almost anything with support. The keynote presentation will focus on “ADA 30 Years Later: How Far We’ve Come and the Work Left to Do.”

“For Delawareans with disabilities and their families, the LIFE Conference is an important opportunity to connect with educational and occupational resources that people with disabilities need to live, work and participate as active members of our communities,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a practicing family physician. “I am excited about the role that self-advocates are playing in this year’s LIFE Conference because empowerment, inspiration and information are all critical in building a more inclusive Delaware. All of us at DHSS are proud to be a part of the LIFE Conference and to support Delawareans with disabilities and their families.”

More details about the conference, including session descriptions, the schedule, and a link to the online registration form are available on the conference website, www.lifeconferencede.org.

NEW CASTLE (Oct. 14, 2019) – Nearly two dozen students with disabilities, including clients of the Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities Services and the Division for the Visually Impaired, will participate in career-building experiences during the University of Delaware’s Disability Mentoring Day on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at various locations in New Castle County.

The day will begin at the Courtyard Marriott-University of Delaware in Newark as 15 students from UD’s Career & Life Studies Certificate (CLSC) program and six from the Spectrum Scholars program will gather for a welcome breakfast and morning speaker. The students will hear from Anthony Pacilio, Vice President at JPMorgan Chase and Program Manager for JPMorgan’s Autism at Work program. JPMorgan Chase launched Autism at Work in July 2015 as a four-person pilot program to employ people on the autism spectrum. Since then, it’s grown to more than 150 employees in eight countries.

In September 2018, JPMorgan Chase partnered with UD and provided a 10-year grant to start the Spectrum Scholars program, which is administered by UD’s Center for Disabilities Studies. This is the first year the Spectrum Scholars students are participating in Disability Mentoring Day.

“The opportunity that Disability Mentoring Day provides these students to experience possible career paths and explore beyond a classroom is incredibly valuable,” said Governor John Carney. “As the students consider what is next for them, it’s important they have the chance to discover for themselves what their calling is, and just as importantly, what it isn’t, as they look to their future.”

Following the morning session, participants will take part in job shadowing experiences with employers in New Castle County before returning to the hotel for lunch and reflections on their experiences.

“Disability Mentoring Day gives our students a great opportunity to work with employers to learn the day-to-day responsibilities of particular positions and what education and experiences will help them prepare for a career in their chosen fields,” said James Sellers, Program Manager, Career and Life Studies Certificate program at the UD Center for Disabilities Studies.

Work sites that will provide job shadowing for the CLSC students are VCA Newark Animal Hospital, Early Learning Center at UD, Winterthur Museum and Library, Delaware Museum of Natural History, The College School, Short Order Productions Teakettica Graphic Design, Passport Health, Embassy Suites, You’ve Been Framed and DelDOT Canal District Terminal. The Spectrum Scholars students will be shadowing at UD Prosthetics Laboratory, Predictive Analytics Group and JPMorgan Chase.

“The benefits to the students, the businesses and mentors taking part in Disability Mentoring Day are countless,” said Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Cabinet Secretary for Delaware’s Department of Health and Social Services. “Not only do the students get a feel for the employment options available to them when they are ready, the employers get a chance to see the potential benefits of having a diverse workforce.”

Disability Mentoring Day is a national program usually held in October during National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies started the first Disability Mentoring Day in Delaware 10 years ago. Today, a collaboration of agencies have joined the center, including the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), the Department of Labor’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Department of Education, the New Castle County Transition Committee, DisabilityIN: Delaware and Easterseals of Delaware & Maryland Eastern Shore, in planning events.

The group is co-chaired by two young people with disabilities – Alyssa Cowin, an operations support specialist with DHSS, and Julia Hensley, who is working through Easterseals at Victory Fellowship Church.

In a change from recent years, the Disability Mentoring Day event for a group of Delaware high schools will be held in November instead of October to allow more time after the start of the school year for planning the event. Several New Castle County school districts will host their third annual Career Development Day on Nov. 20 at the Siegel Jewish Community Center in Talleyville.

About 70 students from Appoquinimink, Brandywine, Christina, Colonial, Red Clay and New Castle County Vo-Tech school districts, as well as the Delaware School for the Deaf and Independent Resources, Inc., usually participate in the Career Development Day. Past sessions have included how to be a self-advocate under the Americans with Disabilities Act, work readiness, Q&A sessions with people from various careers and social media matters.

Specialized savings accounts protect the benefits of individuals with disabilities.

Treasurer Colleen C. Davis is marking the first anniversary of the Delaware ABLE Plan by releasing a new awareness campaign and video. ABLE is a savings program for individuals with disabilities that ensures their ability to put away money and advance in life without risking their important government benefits. Without ABLE, saving money for the future or earning a fair wage can put a person’s ability to utilize Medicaid and Supplementary Security Income (SSI) at risk.

“During ABLE’s first year, the focus was on getting the program up and running. Now the groundwork is laid, and we are shifting our focus towards getting information about the plan into the hands of those who could benefit from it,” Treasurer Davis explained, “Our new awareness video is a great, sharable way for residents to learn about the program and how easy it is to sign up.”

During 2019 alone, Treasurer Davis and staff have reached over 3,000 people through direct, in-person outreach at dozens of events and community meetings. This week, a more broad online awareness effort begins with the release of a video about ABLE.

“Throughout my career, I have worked with thousands of people with disabilities seeking employment,” said Dan Madrid, Director of Policy and Performance Management and ABLE Manager in the Office of the State Treasurer. “They would tell me that they needed a job, but could only make so much, or needed a job that paid less. Several would obtain jobs and then have to refuse promotions and raises because of the asset limits associated with their benefits. With ABLE, they don’t need to hold themselves back anymore. They can have a stable, successful future – and we want everyone to know about the opportunity.”

The Treasurer has hope that Congress will help the plan expand as well. Davis is supportive of the ABLE Age Adjustment Act, which would increase plan eligibility to those who incurred a disability by age 26 to those whose disability onset by age 46, making an estimated six million more Americans eligible for the important program. Treasurer Davis is strongly in support of the ABLE Age Adjustment Act, and released an op-ed to encourage support and a joint statement with Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long.

The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program allows for the creation of tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities without compromising eligibility for federal benefits such as Medicaid and Social Security. Delaware’s ABLE plan is administered by the Office of the State Treasurer. Learn more about Delaware’s ABLE Plan by visiting ABLE.delaware.gov.

NEW CASTLE (June 12, 2019) – The Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS) will host two sessions later this month for families interested in applying for the Lifespan Waiver, which is designed to enable individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder or Prader-Willi Syndrome who have left school to live safely in the community. The waiver’s services also will support and respect individuals’ desire to work or engage in other productive activities.

Staff from DDDS and community navigators who work for the Columbus Organization, and help people get connected to services, including the Lifespan Waiver, will attend each session. They will help families with their applications and answer questions. The session dates are:

• Tuesday, June 25 (5:30-7:30 p.m.): Fox Run (first floor), 2540 Wrangle Hill Road, Bear.
• Wednesday, June 26 (5:30-7:30 p.m.): Milford Annex, 291 A Rehoboth Boulevard, Milford.

“This is a great opportunity for individuals and families to come and learn about how the services that DDDS offers under the waiver can help them to lead full and successful lives in the community, and I encourage families to take advantage of this,” said Marie Nonnenmacher, Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services. “We are excited that we were recently able to expand the waiver to enable individuals living at home who have left school to receive Medicaid-funded home and community-based services and supports.”

Individuals and families are urged to contact their community navigator or the DDDS Manager of Family Engagement before the session for assistance in preparing the necessary supporting documents to bring with them. There are “level of care” and financial requirements used in determining eligibility for these waiver services, which support individuals once they have exited the public school system.

The DDDS Lifespan Waiver is a Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waiver that has been in place since 1987. The waiver provides for services and supports as an alternative to institutional care. For more information on the Lifespan Waiver: https://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/ddds/

NEW CASTLE (January 10, 2019) – More than 500 people are expected to attend the 2019 LIFE Conference, the largest annual cross-disability conference in support of people with disabilities and their families, on Thursday, January 31, at Dover Downs Hotel and Conference Center.

The conference brings together people with disabilities, their families and professionals for educational and networking opportunities.  LIFE stands for Liberty and Independence For Everyone, and the conference addresses the topics of legislation, independence (through assistive technology), families and education.

The 21^st annual conference, put together by a coalition of Delaware organizations serving people with disabilities, runs from 8 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. Registration ($35-$95) is required. Conference participants can choose from 12 different workshops, with break times throughout the day to visit the dozens of conference exhibitors.

Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long and Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Cabinet Secretary for the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, are among those scheduled to make opening remarks.

“The LIFE Conference is a wonderful opportunity for Delawareans with disabilities to connect to the educational and occupational resources they need to live, work and participate as active members of the community,” Secretary Walker said. “For more than two decades, this conference has provided information, empowerment and inspiration to people with disabilities and their families. That is what makes the LIFE Conference one of the most important events on the calendar each year.”

This year’s keynote speaker is Rebecca Cokley, Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. Cokley is expected to give a state of the state on issues related to the disability community and share her thoughts on opportunities for positive change.

More details about the conference, including session descriptions, the schedule, and a link to the online registration form are available on the conference website, www.lifeconferencede.org.