Diverse Ability Incorporated

TBI 101 - "Can't You See Me?" - TBI the Invisible Disability
2022-09-07 - 2022-09-28
The TBI 101 training is designed for professionals working with youth (and adults), parents and caregivers of survivors of brain injury, and any interested community members!
This overview virtual training will include basic information on acquired brain injuries including types, incidence, prevalence, and leading causes. Based on understanding brain-behavior relationships, we will review signs and symptoms of brain injury and discuss impacts in the classroom. Focus will be on formal and informal assessments to identify assets/deficits due to injury and appropriate academic strategies to support the student in the classroom and community. The adult education format will be lecture, dialogue, Q&A, and presentation.
All materials are provided for this course including PPT handouts, activity sheets and resources.
A total of 6 contact hours for professional development/continuing education units.
IMPORTANT: This virtual training has been split into FOUR WEDNESDAY’S and each day is a 90 minute segment. You will need to attend ALL FOUR DAYS of training to get a spot for this course.
Dates are: (four consecutive Wednesday’s) – September 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th, 2022.
Times: Each session will be from 3:30pm-5:00pm AZ Time (Mountain Standard Time)

Arizona's IDEA Conference
2022-09-07 - 2022-09-09 | JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, 5350 E Marriott Dr,, Phoenix, AZ, 85054, United States
The Arizona 2022 IDEA Conference theme is Rise Up: Reimagining and Transforming Educational Practices. This cross-stakeholder event includes special education administrative staff, youth and young adults with disabilities, family members and caregivers, state agency staff, educators, service providers, and community members who share a commitment to student success.
The event will feature over 75 professional learning opportunities, including IDEA legal issues, instructional practices, national trends and hot topics, special education compliance, preschool and secondary transition, and social/emotional learning.
The Arizona 2022 IDEA Conference will be held in person from September 7–9, 2022 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix.

RSK Transition Institute 2022
2022-07-16 | Ability360, 5025 E WASHINGTON ST, Phoenix, AZ, 85034, United States
Join us and Raising Special Kids for the Transition Institute 2022 on Saturday, July 16th at 9:00 am – 2:00 pm at Ability360. Register at: https://raisingspecialkids.org/event/transition-institute-2022/

IT WILL BE A TRAINING DAY FOR TRANSITION-AGED YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES AND THEIR PARENTS.

Parents will learn about how to support their youth or young adult during the transition process and youth will learn about person-centered planning and hear from other self-advocates. Staff from vocational rehabilitation, DDD, higher education, independent living centers will be available to answer questions.

AZYLF 2022 Southern Region
2022-07-06 - 2022-07-10 | University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
Arizona Youth Leadership Forum for Teens and Young Adults Who Have Disabilities (AZYLF) is an innovative, multi-day conference, held in multiple regions of Arizona each summer. This event is facilitated by Diverse Ability Incorporated, in partnership with the AZYLI Alumni Association, and is funded in part by Arizona Rehabilitation Services Administration, and Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council.
Since 2014, AZYLF has continued to successfully serve youth who have a variety of disabilities and diversities. Through a competitive application process, up to 25 youth from across Arizona are selected to participate in each AZYLF Regional Conference based upon their leadership potential and skills.
During the conference, youth participate in a dynamic experience that focuses on self-discovery, leadership development, career exploration, effective advocacy, and empowerment through heightened awareness of disability history and culture.
AZYLF provides a safe space for everyone to share their experiences, ideas, and feelings. Presentations by a variety of community leaders, advocates, and peers who have disabilities, are an integral component of AZYLF. Each presentation highlights an area of impact for youth as they prepare for and navigate young adulthood.
Through Person-Centered Planning, youth are assisted in developing a Personal Leadership Plan which includes specific action items they choose to address as they navigate their futures. AZYLF is packed with a variety of experiential activities, including engagement in service to others, and holds a memorable Graduation Celebration.

AZYLF 2022 Northern Region
2022-06-20 - 2022-06-24 | Prescott College, 220 Grove Ave, Prescott, AZ, 86301, United States

AZYLF 2022 Central Region
2022-06-06 - 2022-06-10 | Arizona State University, 411 N Central Ave, Phoenix, 85004, United States

By and For Youth: Tools and Tips for Young Disability Self-Advocates
2022-05-14 13:00 - 14:30 UTC | Zoom
If you are between the ages of 14 and 29 and are a person who has a disability, Raising Special Kids and the Arizona Youth Leaders of Diverse Ability Incorporated invite you for an interactive workshop packed with effective tools and tips to kickstart or strengthen your self-advocacy skills.

By and For Youth: Navigating COVID-19: A Pathway for Self-Advocates
2022-04-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Zoom
If you are between the ages of 14 and 29 and are a person who has a disability, Raising Special Kids and the Arizona Youth Leaders of Diverse Ability Incorporated invite you for an interactive workshop that focuses on the importance of self-advocacy and informed decision-making specifically related to COVID-19.

"Let's Talk!" Hosted by Self Advocacy Solutions
2022-03-25 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
The Association of People Supporting Employment First is a national membership organization focused exclusively on Employment First to facilitate the full inclusion of people who have disabilities, including significant disabilities, in the workplace and community.Calvin Cook and Jason Snead are from the Arizona Chapter and will be asking questions concerning self advocacy around employment and how we can better help individuals advocate for better opportunities for themselves. Come and join the conversation.To join the conversation, be sure to click on the link below on Friday, March 25 at 1 PM. You can also call in using the phone number and passcode.

By and For Youth: Navigating COVID-19: A Pathway for Self-Advocates
2022-03-23 18:00 - 19:30 | Zoom
If you are between the ages of 14 and 29 and are a person with a disability, Raising Special Kids and the Arizona Youth Leaders of Diverse Ability Incorporated invite you for an interactive workshop that focuses on the importance of self-advocacy and informed decision-making specifically related to COVID-19.

Transition Spotlight: AZYLF—Cultivating Successful Futures for Arizona Youths Who Have Disabilities
2022-03-22 14:30 - 15:30
Join this session as we explore the Arizona Youth Leadership Forum (AZYLF). Established by Diverse Ability Incorporated, in partnership with the AZYLI Arizona Youth Leadership Initiatives Alumni association, AZYLF is an innovative, multi-day conference that successfully integrates youth who represent the diversity of disability and culture in Arizona. This event fosters youth self-discovery, leadership development, effective advocacy, career exploration, and empowerment through heightened awareness of disability culture. Learn more about this amazing experience and opportunities for Arizonan youths to participate in the AZYLF 2022 Conference.
Registration is required for all Transition Tuesday sessions. Learn more at https://www.azed.gov/specialeducation/transition/.

2022 Virtual African American Conference on Disabilities
2022-02-01 - 2022-02-28 | Zoom
The 2022 African American Conference on Disabilities (AACD) will be held on various days throughout the month of February via Zoom. It is hosted by The Arizona Center for Disability Law and the Arizona Center for African American Resources (AZCAAR), the AACD is the only comprehensive conference in the U.S. that addresses the intersection between race and disabilities.
CLE credit will be available for the sessions noted. CART and ASL Interpretation Services will be available for each session.
Learn about speakers and how to register for individual sessions at: https://mailchi.mp/azdisabilitylaw.org/aacd-virtual-2022

Transition to Work: High School to Employment
2021-12-16 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
Join Arizona APSE for a session on transition services in Arizona and how this promotes successful outcomes for youth moving into the workforce.
Special Guests: Sam Klein, Lead Special Projects Specialist, ADE; Vanessa Zuber, Director of Employment Services, WorkAbility; and Abel Young, Statewide Transition Coordinator, Arizona DES/RSA.

Turning 18-Legal Options
2021-12-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Learn about the different legal options available for families of children with disabilities when their child becomes an adult at 18 and how parents can stay involved in decision making with schools, doctors and other professionals including supported decision making, power of attorney, and guardianship. Learn about other considerations such as registering for the selective service and social security.

Employer Engagement Strategies and Tips
2021-11-18 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom

2021 Self Advocates Conference
2021-09-25
Self Advocacy Solutions is hosting their inaugural Self Advocates Conference. The conference will be free online on Saturday, September 25, 2021 from 9 am – 7 pm.
Join us for this free online event where we will have presentations and guest speakers talk about issues that are important to people with disabilities in Arizona as well as throughout the nation.
Topics will include: Supported Decision Making, Self Advocacy and Determination, Civic Engagement, Employment, Community Living and Relationship Abuse Awareness and Prevention.
Review full schedule and list of guest speakers at: https://swifamilies.org/sas/saconference/.

Arizona's 2021 IDEA Virtual Conference
2021-09-13 - 2021-09-15
Arizona’s 2021 IDEA Virtual Conference
Renewal: Resilience to Results
September 13 and 14, 8:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m. AND September 15, 8:00 a.m. –12:15 p.m.

What is the IDEA Conference?
The virtual conference will feature over 75 professional, youth, young adult, and family learning opportunities addressing legal issues, special education compliance, preschool and secondary transition, social/emotional learning, and new this year, a content strand for related service providers.
Who can attend?

Typically, 800 people attend the conference. Most participants are educators, state agency staff, service providers, and community members
who share a commitment to exceptional special education for students of all ages and the successful transition of students to adult life.
A limited number of free VIP slots are saved for:
Youths/young adults aged 14 through 26 with a documented disability
Family members of a student with an IEP or 504 plan
Personal assistants/mentors who attend with a student or family member
How do I apply for FREE registration?
https://bit.ly/IDEA21-scholarship
Parents often ask if the conference is suitable for their child. The conference sessions are education and classroom environments. The sessions run for 75 minutes. Students are inspired by special guest presentations and workshops focused on youth transition requirements and best practices. Most students attend sessions without supervision. Some students attend sessions with a parent or mentor.

By and For Youth: Tools and Tips for Young Disability Self-Advocates
2021-09-09 18:00 - 19:30, 2021-05-22 13:00 - 14:30
If you are between the ages of 14 and 29 and are a person with a disability, Raising Special Kids and the Arizona Youth Leaders of Diverse Ability Incorporated invite you for an interactive workshop packed with effective tools and tips to If you are between the ages of 14 and 29 and are a person with a disability, Raising Special Kids and the Arizona Youth Leaders of Diverse Ability Incorporated invite you for an interactive workshop packed with effective tools and tips to kickstart or strengthen your self-advocacy skills. kickstart or strengthen your self-advocacy skills.

Transition Institute 2021
2021-07-24 09:00 - 14:00
The Transition Institute is an interactive virtual training day for transition-aged youth and young adults with disabilities and their parents. In addition to learning more about Raising Special Kids and Diverse Ability Incorporated, the day will include opportunities to:

Hear from self-advocates about their experiences
Learn about how to support your youth or young adult in the transition process (parents)
Learn about person-centered planning (youth)
Select a breakout session topic that is of most interest to you:

Vocational rehabilitation
Division of Developmental Disabilities
Higher education
Independent Living Centers

A special thank you to for sponsoring this event.

AZYLF 2021: Western Region
2021-07-10 - 2021-07-15
Arizona Youth Leadership Forum (AZYLF) is an innovative, multi-day conference, held in multiple regions of Arizona each summer. This year, AZYLF Regional Conferences will be held online via Zoom, where Delegates can participate from the safety and comfort of their own homes. All Arizona counties are represented in one of the regions, and you are asked to apply for the regional conference for the county in which you reside.
Individualized accommodations will be celebrated and honored, and a variety of avenues for self-expression and interaction will be embedded throughout AZYLF.
Youth who are in high school, and up through age 29, who represent the full spectrum of disability and diversity are eligible to participate in AZYLF, where they will complete a personal discovery curriculum designed to raise self-awareness, leading to the development of a Person-Centered Plan, with goals, steps, and accountability measures.
Presentations by disability community leaders, advocates, and numerous other role models who have disabilities, are an integral component of AZYLF. Each presentation highlights an area of impact for youth as they transition to adulthood.
AZYLF is free of charge, and is a peer-based, peer-driven, and peer-led experience. 100% of AZYLF team members are people who have disabilities, and approximately 90% of those are youth graduates, who come back, to give back!

AZYLF 2021: Northeastern Region
2021-06-21 - 2021-06-27

AZYLF 2021: Northwestern Region
2021-06-21 - 2021-06-27

AZYLF 2021: Southern Region
2021-06-14 - 2021-06-20

AZYLF 2021: Central Region
2021-06-07 - 2021-06-12

Emerging Me: My Life Matters
2021-04-24 09:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
Diverse Ability Incorporated in partnership with The Beehive 480 Presents Emerging Me: My Life Matters.
Emerging Me: My Life Matters is an inclusive, self-discovery, and leadership capacity building program for youth, which assists them in developing and embracing their identity, leading to enhanced self-advocacy, and the practice of self-determination. Emerging Me: My Life Matters exemplifies the belief that disability is a diversity to be celebrated, by equalizing and unifying youth who do and do not have disabilities in a shared process which creates opportunities for learning about and exploring their intersectant diversities, and common life experiences through engagement in individual and group activities that result in the development of a Self-Advocacy Plan, using Person Centered Practices and Planning.
Series Dates & Times:
Saturday, April 24, 2021
9am to 12pm & 2pm to 5pm
Saturday, May 1, 2021
9am to 12pm & 2pm to 5pm

TBI 404 - "It's Not Just Academics" - Cognitive Interventions After B.I
2021-04-13 13:00 - 2021-04-15 16:30
Training for professionals and family on cognitive interventions after brain injury or neuro-impairment.

TBI 404 SESSION IS VALUABLE FOR ANYONE WORKING IN THE SCHOOLS OR WITH YOUR: Counselors, general education teachers, SPED teachers, related service personnel, administrators, behavioral health, school psychologists, secure care (DOC), support staff, and parents/caregivers.
This virtual training will include advanced information on acquired brain injuries and how to utilize an understanding of neurodevelopment AND brain-behavior relationships in order to identify and effectively impact students in the classroom and in the community. Focus will be on neuro-imaging; the impact of early trauma; assessments to identify assets/deficits; appropriate academic strategies targeting executive skills; and the role of problem solving in academic coursework, STEM fields and transition. The adult education format will be lecture, dialogue, and open Q&A time.
Dates are: Tuesday, April 13th AND Thursday, April 15th, 2021.
Times: BOTH DAYS are from 1:00pm-4:30pm AZ Time (MST) via GoToMeeting.

TBI 303 - "Contemporary Issues" - Executive Functioning & Neurodevelopment
2021-04-12 13:00 - 2021-04-19 16:30
Training for professionals and family on impacts to executive functioning & neurodevelopment after brain injury.

TBI 303 IS VALUABLE FOR ANYONE WORKING IN THE SCHOOLS OR WITH YOUR: Counselors, general education teachers, SPED teachers, related service personnel, administrators, support staff, and parents. It is especially valuable for those working with youth in adolescence and young adulthood.
The format for these sessions will be short-format lecture with open discussion, ongoing question and answer sessions throughout, and include interactive opportunities (virtually) to review relevant assessments and resources. The first two modules will cover information related to Executive Functions. The second two modules will cover information related to neuro-development.
Dates are: Monday, April 12th AND Monday, April 19th, 2021.
Times: BOTH DAYS are from 1:00pm-4:30pm AZ Time (Mountain Standard Time) via GoToMeeting.

TBI 404 - "It's Not Just Academics" - Cognitive Interventions After B.I
2021-04-07 15:30 - 2021-04-28 17:00
Training for professionals and family on cognitive interventions after brain injury or neuro-impairment.

TBI 404 SESSION IS VALUABLE FOR ANYONE WORKING IN THE SCHOOLS OR WITH YOUR: Counselors, general education teachers, SPED teachers, related service personnel, administrators, behavioral health, school psychologists, secure care (DOC), support staff, and parents/caregivers.
This virtual training will include advanced information on acquired brain injuries and how to utilize an understanding of neurodevelopment AND brain-behavior relationships in order to identify and effectively impact students in the classroom and in the community. Focus will be on neuro-imaging; the impact of early trauma; assessments to identify assets/deficits; appropriate academic strategies targeting executive skills; and the role of problem solving in academic coursework, STEM fields and transition. The adult education format will be lecture, dialogue, and open Q&A time.
Dates are: (Wednesday’s) – April 7th, 14th, 21st, & 28th 2021.
Times: Each session will be from 3:30pm-5:00pm AZ Time (MST) via GoToMeeting.

Arizona Disability Law: Navigating 504’s and IEP for School Children with Sickle Cell
2021-03-29 18:00 - 19:00
Title:

Educational Rights of Students with Special Needs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Synopsis:
This training will provide a brief overview of IDEA and Section 504, including the evaluation procedures, Individualized Education Program (IEP) and 504 planning and services. The training will discuss Arizona’s policies and procedures concerning students with chronic health needs within the education environment.
Presenters: Renaldo Fowler and Amanda

Hosted on Google Meetings
Link: meet.google.com/hfe-yrnj-zdr
Join by Phone: 224-357-7413 (PIN: [REDACTED])
