It’s Time to Sign Up for September Fun

The 2021 Delaware LIFE Conference, “Delaware’s Premier Disability Conference” is now open for registration.  The three-day VIRTUAL conference on September 15, 21 & 22 features a variety of speakers and educational sessions.

Registration is $25 for a person with a disability, parents, guardians, caregivers and students. General admission has an earlybird registration fee of $45 (before July 31) and a $55 fee afterward. 

REGISTER  for this year’s LIFE Conference.

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The mission of the LIFE Conference is to be at the forefront of providing information, educational resources, and opportunities for persons with disabilities, their families, caregivers, educators, and providers.

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 (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.