Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living
Power of Rural
#APRIL2019
#PowerofRural
Twitter: @APRIL4ruralIL
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RuralIL
www.april-rural.org

Contents
A Note from the President:
Welcome from the Executive Director
Sponsors
Exhibitors
Preconference Day Events
Reflect, Learn, Act Youth Conference
“Achieving Operational Excellence Through Risk Management”
3:00-5:00PM Vandenberg: Administration on Community Living Grantee Meeting
7:15pm – 9:00pm Ambassador Ballroom West: APRIL WELCOME Reception
9:00am – 10:30am Ambassador Ballroom:
General Session: Welcome, Opening Remarks, Opening Keynote
12:15 Keynote Session begins: APRIL Back to the Future, Celebrating 25 years of Conferences
Concurrent Workshops Block 1: 1:30 PM- 3:00 PM
Concurrent Workshops Block 2: 3:30PM-5:00 PM
Sunday October 27, 2019
Concurrent Workshops Block 3: 10:30-12:00 PM
1:30pm-2:30pm Workshop Block 4
3:00pm-4:00pm Concurrent Workshops Block 5:
4:15pm-5:00pm Peer Support Time
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM Ambassador Ballroom
Monday October 28th, 2019
A Look Back in Time
Celebrate and Honor Our Colleagues
Earl Walden Award
About our Welcoming and Closing Keynotes
About our Luncheon Keynotes
About our Presenters
Advertising Sponsors
Many Thanks

A Note from the President:

Welcome APRIL advocates to the first day of a great future. And it is rural America that is driving that future.  

But as we celebrate this week the “Power of Rural,” it is equally important to recognize and embrace the past and the journey many of us have been on for nearly a generation.  

This is APRIL’s 25th Annual Conference and I am hopeful you feel the vibe of possibility and the potential for greatness around you from the youth to the seasoned veterans sharing their knowledge and life’s work. APRIL leadership is hopeful you will engage in the numerous opportunities provided to you this week to give your voice to these issues and help shape the future. 

Personally, it is a time for deep reflection, and a time to recall all the great times, places, and most importantly all the great APRIL family I have come to love over the years. This is the last time I will address you as APRIL President. It has been an amazing journey to have been witness to the growth and success of APRIL during all these years. 

But I reflect on ending my time in APRIL leadership with no sadness, without somber feelings of loss, but rather with a sense of joy in my heart because of the path we have chosen to embrace, support, guide, and encourage a whole new generation of leaders. 

The future is bright my friends! Feel it, absorb it, most fundamentally, act on it!  Wrap yourself in the theme of this year’s conference. Celebrate the amazing youth from across the country, which should be enough to jazz up the passion of any IL advocate. 

But we also have other work to do while we are together. Today in our nation, there remains a nearly inhumane and appalling lack of affordable, accessible, non-toxic housing, and even more appallingly so in rural America. Too many of our brothers and sisters still cannot go where they want to go, when they want to go there. And there remains a persistent and shockingly low rate of participation in the workforce for all people with disabilities. I love you all! Rock on, embrace the challenges and opportunities of the future and feel the “Power of Rural.”

Sincerely,

Tim J. Sheehan
Welcome from the Executive Director
Hello and welcome to APRIL’s 25th Annual National Rural Independent Living Conference:  The Power of Rural.  This year is a celebration of where we’ve been and where we’re going.  We also want to take the time to remember and celebrate the lives of the disability rights leaders who left us this year.  
We are thrilled that you are here.  We have an incredible line-up of speakers and workshops.  We want this conference to be informative and invigorating.  Take advantage of this opportunity to meet and share ideas with your colleagues from all over the country.  
I also want to thank all our sponsors for making this event possible, but most importantly, thank you for being here and all the things you do in your community to enrich the lives of our brothers and sisters with disabilities.
Billy Altom

Sponsors

CENTENE
St Louis, MO

ANTHEM
Indianapolis, IN

UBER
San Francisco, CA

ARCIL
Austin, TX

Amtrak
Washington, DC

Ability360
Phoenix, AZ

Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation 
Short Hills, NJ

Great Lakes National ADA Center
Chicago, IL

Idaho SILC
Boise, ID

ILRU
Houston, TX

Active Re-entry
Price, UT

Exhibitors

Great Lakes National ADA Center
Chicago, IL

AgrAbility  
West Lafayette, IN

Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Short Hills, NJ

ILRU
Houston, TX

American Access Inc.
Bartlett, TN

Research & Training 
Center Community 
Living (RTC:CL) 
Lawrence, KS

RTC:Rural University of Montana
Missoula, MT

Q90 / CIL Suites 
Salem, UT

MiCIL
Honolulu, Hawaii
Sorenson Interpreting
Salt Lake City, UT

Wareologie
Livonia, MI

DisArt Tom Olin Photos

Friday, October 25th, 2019 Amway Grand Power of Rural APRIL Conference 
Preconference Day Events
8:00AM Center Concourse – PreCon and Youth Registration ONLY
1:30PM-5:00PM Center Concourse Conference Registration Opens
8:00AM Continental Breakfast for Youth Conference and Pre-Conference attendees will be in their respective rooms.
12:00- 1:30PM Provided Lunch for registered Pre-Con & Youth Conference attendees ONLY in their respective rooms
Reflect, Learn, Act Youth Conference
Friday, October 25th, 2019
9:00 AM-4:00 PM Gerald Ford (Youth Only)
Youth Steering Committee
“This year’s youth conference focuses on the cycle of advocacy: Reflect, Learn, Act! Youth attendees will learn where we started in the independent living movement, how it applies to today's movement, and how to keep the movement moving into the future. Youth will leave the conference with a toolbox of skills that can be applied to their own local IL advocacy.”
8:00-9:00 AM Crown Foyer Breakfast and Registration 
9:00-9:30 AM Welcome and Introductions
9:30-10:30 AM Reflect: A Look at Independent Living and 25 Years of APRIL. After 25 years of the APRIL conference, youth reflect on our history, where we came from, and how that affects us today.
10:30-11:00 AM Morning Break
11:00-12:00 PM Learn: Building an Advocate’s Toolbox. Through activities, youth learn about advocacy and what tools they can use.
12:00-1:00 PM Provided Lunch
1:00-2:30 PM Act: Taking Action and Making Change For this final session, youth will break out into round tables to discuss actions that can be taken in different disability issues.
2:30-3:00 PM Afternoon Break
3:00-3:30 PM Act: Taking Action and Making Change Report Youth will report what was discussed in their roundtables and what tools they have used.
3:30-4:00 PM Back to Reflect and Wrap Up
4:30-5:30 Gerald Ford: Youth Engagement Meeting
A meeting for youth and young adults that would like to learn more about what APRIL does outside of the conference.  How can you get involved with the work we do with youth and the community as a whole…come to listen, learn, and maybe sign-up and join! Get an overview of APRIL, the Youth Steering Committee, Youth Advocacy Committee, and learn about our online youth activities.

9:00-2:45 Vandenberg: 
Pre-Con An IL-NET Event presented by ILRU 
“Achieving Operational Excellence Through Risk Management”
Paula McElwee, Kimberly Tissot, Corinna Stiles
There are some common ways that you can minimize the risk your organization takes on with preparation and knowledge. Gain some tools and tips to learn how to avoid financial pitfalls, manage HR related issues, and document core services appropriately.  
What you will learn:
• Compliance requirements you need to know so your center can avoid related risks.
• Risks for your center related to grants management, non-profit/organization management, and program management.
• Risks for your SILC related to grants management, DSE relationship, and SILC indicators.
• How you can eliminate or at least mitigate risks.
• Tools to take home to develop a Risk Management Plan for your organization.
 
9:00 - 9:15      Welcome, Introductions and       
                       background
9:15 - 10:30     Identifying Areas of Risk
10:30 - 10:45   Break
10:45 - 11:45   Compliance Risk – non-allowable 
      costs.  Example of mitigating                          
      measures – Lobbying
11:45 - 12:00   Discussion of lunch exercise
12:00 - 1:30     Provided Lunch and Roundtables
1:30 - 1:45       Report out from lunch activity
1:45 - 2:15       Other areas of compliance risk
2:15 - 2:45       Risk of financial waste and fraud
3:00-5:00PM Vandenberg: Administration on Community Living Grantee Meeting
Commissioner Hocker, Dr. Corinna Stiles, et al.
Come and hear from ACL leadership and program officers about compliance and operations as well as key initiatives. ACL has requested registration for this event (see 
6:00 – 7:00PM Ambassador Ballroom East: APRIL Annual Membership Meeting & Board Elections
Learn about APRIL's accomplishments in the past year. Voting members may vote in the APRIL Board of Directors Elections.
7:15pm – 9:00pm Ambassador Ballroom West: APRIL WELCOME Reception 
Come join us and greet old friends and make some new ones. Light snacks available. Youth feel free to stop by the games table at the reception.

Saturday October 26th, 2019 
8:00 am – 5:00pm Crown Foyer: Conference Registration
T-shirts and Raffle Tickets go on Sale! Continental Breakfast
 
9:00am – 10:30am Ambassador Ballroom:
General Session: Welcome, Opening Remarks, Opening Keynote
Welcome from:
Billy Altom, APRIL ED 
APRIL Staff
APRIL Youth Steering Committee Chair, Mels Felton
Disability Advocates of Kent County (Grand Rapids, MI CIL)
MI SILC Chair, Aaron Andres
Blessing from James "Bud" Day, Gun Lake Tribes
 
10:00 am Opening Address
Commissioner Julie Hocker, ACL
Come share our vision for Americans with disabilities to continue to freely pursue all facets of community life alongside people with and without disabilities. Focus will be on the Independent Living programs, administered by the Administration on Community Living. We will talk about the increasingly complex web of systems and networks that CILs are asked to join or already apart of and look to our collective need to braid and blend resources to continue to accomplish all that is before us. Update on key initiatives of ACL as they relate to and focus on Americans with disabilities; namely, health equality and the dignity of work. 
10:30am – 11:30 am Center Concourse
Visit vendor booths 
*Note that Vendor area will be open throughout the conference until Sunday evening.
 
11:30am – 1:00pm Ambassador Ballroom: Plated Luncheon and Keynote
12:15 Keynote Session begins: APRIL Back to the Future, Celebrating 25 years of Conferences
Liz Sherwin, Mark Leeper, Michael Beers
Embark on a journey with us as we travel back to the roots of APRIL as an organization.  We will make stops along the way to celebrate our successes and leaders of past to sharpen our visions for the future.
 
1:00-1:30 Transition to Workshops
 
Concurrent Workshops Block 1: 1:30 PM- 3:00 PM
Vandenberg A: Business Acumen- ACL
This interactive session will introduce business acumen concepts and considerations, highlight CILs using business acumen to expand funding, and provide tools to help CILs assess their level of business acumen readiness.
Vandenberg B: Addressing Youth Services; Seeing Real Positive Outcomes
Autumn Kubatzke, Alice Nichols and Julie Bosma
RAMP is a CIL, serving four counties in NW Illinois. Providing education and advocacy to students and their parents is at the core of what they do. RAMP runs a full continuum of youth services designed for students’ grades K-12 and beyond. Through curriculum and services, they teach students about disability awareness, help students better understand themselves, their IEP and how to participate in their meetings. The utilize hands on activities to understand transition plan; what life will be like after high school, how to apply for college, job exploration, job shadows, and more. They will also share innovative ways to maintain sustainability of the programs.
Pearl: Building a Sustainable Nursing Facility Transition (NFT) Program 
Sara Grivetti
This main objective of this session is to share the process Michigan used to re-build a Nursing Facility Transition program inclusive of a sustainable payor source, strategic partnerships, consumer input and coordinated staff development.
Gerald Ford: Creating a Sex Positive Center
Jennie Ostermiller
How and why to have a sex positive center. Changing your centers culture toward becoming a safe, sex positive, space can benefit all consumers, but especially those who have experienced abuse, who identify as LGBTQ+, or want to have a sexual relationship. This INTERACTIVE training will help center staff and administration question their attitudes about sex and sexuality regarding individuals with disability, while learn strategies for helping consumers make informed, brave choices about their sexuality and sexual health. Participants will learn how to influence the culture of their center and serve a more diverse population.
Emerald A: Tag You're It: Transitioning Leadership
Joan LaBelle, Peter Pike and Chris Roe 
Congratulations! You now are in a position of leadership! Now what? Transitions can be an opportunity for creating a legacy. It can also be a time of incredible stress as change can be difficult for current staff, your SILC or even your new DSE. This session will demonstrate how a CIL, a SILC and a DSE has embraced the challenge and overcome transition obstacles.
Emerald B: Youth to Youth: Successful Engagement in Strategic Leadership
Melissa Ann Santora, Mica Stewart, Audra Paletta, Michael Lefevor and Whitney Harris
This youth session will feature success stories and strategies used by youth who have disabilities, who serve in a variety of leadership roles for Independent Living organizations. Participants will develop knowledge of the skills and benefits of serving in these critical capacities, while engaging in activities designed to assist them in establishing opportunities to serve in their home communities.
 
3:00 PM- 3:30 PM BREAK
Concurrent Workshops Block 2: 3:30PM-5:00 PM 
Vandenberg A: Is There A Little Red Sports Car in Your Future? With ABLE, There Might Be!
Rene Cummins and Rebecca Williams
The ABLE Act is the most game-changing policy since the ADA. However, few ABLE Accounts have been opened and much misinformation exists. Using small group activities, we will expose myths and untruths, and attendees will decide what can or cannot be purchased using ABLE funds. Guest appearance by WID Financial Llama. Be prepared to have fun!

Vandenberg B: Healthy Community Living and You
Leanne Murrillo and Luke Koppisch
Healthy Community Living (HCL) program is about all people having opportunities to live well and participate fully in their communities. The program is composed of two separate peer-led Independent Living skills workshops: Community Living Skills and Living Well in the Community that were developed with several CIL partners across the country. Join two of our experienced IL facilitator partners as they lead us through one of the workshops from Community Living Skills. This interactive session will hopefully help you get a feel for the new curriculum as well as an introduction to some community skills.
 
Pearl: Assistive Technology for Outdoor Work and Mobility 
Paul Jones and Ned Stoller
People with disabilities should have the freedom to engage in outdoor work and off-road activities, and assistive technology is often a key component to such pursuits. During this session, staff members from the AgrAbility Program will highlight a variety of tools and technologies – both low-tech and high-tech – that people with disabilities can use in such tasks as gardening, lawn care, woodcutting, beekeeping, and traveling over rough terrain. They will also address the importance of safety when engaging in outdoor work activities and the avoidance of secondary injuries. Attendees will learn how to access and navigate The Toolbox Assistive Technology Database, a component of the AgrAbility website, which be used at no cost from any Internet-enabled computer or mobile device. This database currently has more than 1,500 products that can assist someone with a functional limitation in completing outdoor tasks. Participants will also gain an expanded view of the types of outdoor activities in which people with disabilities can engage.
Gerald Ford: Successful Agency Collaboration to Enhance Services and Programming in All Communities
Kristen Conrad, Mimi Kinney, Caitlin Chlosta, Renee Cencer,  
Disability Network of Northern Michigan (DNNM) is a Center for Independent Living in northern lower Michigan that services 17 counties. It's our mission to promote personal empowerment and positive social change for people with disabilities. We work with individuals and families to provide a variety of services and supports to help them gain access to their communities and resources. DNNM partners with the area ISDs and MRS to provide various programs to transition age youth ages 14-26. We utilize our collaboration to provide school year programs, LIFE, which serviced 800 youth during the 2018-2019 school year as well as a growing summer program, Community LIFE, which has grown from its first year in 2017 with 8 students in 1 community to 70 students in 7 communities. Our programming is possible due to our creative programming and partnerships with the local ISDs and MRS. This session will provide information on our partnerships, programs and funding methods to assist others in learning how to establish relationships and begin to offer programs that improve opportunities for those individuals and families impacted by disability.

Emerald A: Center for American Progress
Rebecca Cokley
This conversation will discuss the intersections of disability and reproductive justice within the context of rural independent. We want to hear from participants what are the challenges at these intersections, how can we increase access to information and reproductive healthcare/technology in rural America?”
Emerald B: YLF’in it-Peer Mentoring and Advocacy. 
Chris Roe, Evan Shockley, Caity Mcmanis, Carlos Santos, Leo Santos, Yeva Davis, and Libby Waechter 
Youth are today's leaders, not tomorrows. We invite you to hear how youth in one state has taken their Youth Leadership Forum to the next level. Come hear how these youths are shaking things up and creating lasting change.
 
8:00 PM-12:00 PM Ambassador East: Dance For youth and young at heart

Sunday October 27, 2019
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM Crown Foyer 
Conference Registration
T-shirts and Raffle Tickets go on Sale!
Continental Breakfast
 
9:00 AM– 10:00 AM Ambassador Ballroom:
General Session National Updates
Billy Altom, ED APRIL and Scott Burlingame, APRIL Advocacy Chair, and Updates from National Partners 
Get the latest updates from national disability leaders on emergency preparedness, voter registration, housing and transportation issues, plus other topics of importance to rural Americans with disabilities.
 
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Crown Foyer: Break/ visit vendor areas
Concurrent Workshops Block 3: 10:30-12:00 PM
 
Vandenberg A: Reasonable Modification to Transportation Policy and Complaint Process 
Kenneth Thompson
Presentation covers ADA reasonable modification to policy as it applies to public and private transportation. Examples and scenarios will be used to frame what providers should consider making modification to policy decisions to ensure people with disabilities can get accessible rides. Additionally, the complaint process for transportation providers will cover information elements and tracking, and data.

Vandenberg B: Do You See What I Hear? Effective Communication through Audio Description 
Rene Cummins and Rebecca Williams
Audio Description [AD] provides access to the visual elements – action, costumes, settings, gestures, facial expressions and other visually engaging images – of television/film, museum exhibitions, theater, graduations, art galleries, parades, inaugurations, tours, and any event where visual elements are an importation component of the activity. Audio Description enables individuals with vision loss the opportunity to experience events more completely by "seeing" what those with vision are viewing. Attendees will gain an understanding of the value of this form of effective communication from a user of description services. After a brief exploration of the history of ADS in the United States and its importance under the Americans with Disabilities Act attendees will learn the basics of Audio Description. The rest of the session is up to those sitting in the room. This session is highly interactive and will require attendees to test their skills of observation, editing, language and vocal skills. Folks will work in small groups to describe both static and active situations.

Pearl: Rural Healthcare 101
Merrill Friedman
This session will focus on health and wellbeing in rural America through leveraging community and faith-based organizations to support people and engaging people with disabilities in the health care process and beyond.  Throughout, we will elevate the importance of addressing health drivers such as social determinants of health from a holistic approach. Bring your healthcare questions and more! 
Gerald Ford: Voices of Veterans on Health and Independent Living 
Jennifer Hale-Gallardo and Luz Semeah
 
In this two-part workshop, attendees will hear from voices of rural Veterans on their experiences with seeking services and support for independent living.  Part one of the workshop by Hale-Gallardo will share voices from Veterans with disabilities on their experiences with unmet needs and how CILs have helped them improve their lives, and on what support they still need to achieve their goals of independent living.  Part two of the workshop by Semeah will discuss Veteran experiences with the lack of accessible housing in quality neighborhoods, as well as their challenges of reintegrating into society. These Veterans’ voices can provide insights to assist agencies in tailoring services to Veterans to support independent living.
 
Emerald A: Increasing Your Bottom-Line Using Fee-for-Service
Sarah Hansen, Ian Engle, Linda Taylor, Dixie Herring, Joan LaBelle and Peter J. Pike
Vocational Rehabilitation has, in most states, a process in place that can increase revenue for CILs by assisting people with disabilities gain a successful career-- one of the top three requests CILs hear. We will demonstrate a proven success model that has brought in over $100,000 for one CIL in Colorado.
Emerald B: Keeping Balance: Bringing Youth into the Disability Movement
Mels Felton
The purpose of this presentation is to emphasize the need for youth involvement at all levels of the disability and CIL movements. Attendees will walk out of the session knowing approaches for bringing youth into the movement as well as retaining them. Youth voices are encouraged to attend.
12:00-1:30 Lunch on your own.
 
1:30pm-2:30pm Workshop Block 4

Vandenberg A: Kaizen Principles: Good Change for Your SILC
Kathy Cooper
Using the Kaizen principles to continuously improve on IL in your state. 10 basic principles of Kaizen and how to use them for your SILC, the SPIL or the IL Network. Attendees will learn a step by step process on how to create change and improvement and how to relate it to their SILC.

Vandenberg B: The Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) at the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation 
Freddy Perez 
The Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) at the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation promotes the health, well-being, and independence of people living with paralysis, spinal cord injury, or mobility impairment as well as their caregivers and families by providing free comprehensive information, resources, peer support and referral services in order to achieve a better quality of life. This presentation will dive into our different programs and services, as well as how we can be an ally at whatever point in your journey around physical disability.

Pearl: Hey You Digital Assistants in Assistive Technology
Danny Housley
Come explore how digital assistants like Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa can be used to increase independence. This session will cover some of the pros and cons for each device and the topic of security and privacy will be covered. This session will also explore smart home technologies and their interoperability with smart assistants.
Gerald Ford: Oh no! It’s a Coffee Emergency! 
Laura George
Where is my favorite creamer? Can’t find the cup! Who is my EMA Director? Who can help my consumer get electrical power? Every day we gather our ingredients, make and enjoy our coffee with little thought, then rely on it to get our day going. Now imagine taking those same steps that are involved pre/during/and post-coffee making and apply that to Inclusive Emergency Design. Learn how to connect with local community partners in such a way that benefits them, your center and the community you serve. Learn about new organizations and projects that are working on addressing some of the challenges that remain unresolved. Then at the next disaster instead of bitter-tasting problems, because you know who your community players are, that cup of coffee will taste more satisfying.
 
Emerald A: Using Rural IL Power to Address the Needs of People with Disabilities Living in Poverty 
Rayna Sage, Lillie Greiman and Craig Ravesloot
Poverty limits consumer choice and control and is increasing among rural people with disabilities. This interactive session will explore 1) how poverty affects IL and 2) how community development strategies can address poverty in rural communities. Participants will explore how poverty affects IL, rural resources that CILs can leverage to help address poverty and community development strategies CILs may use to mobilize rural communities to address poverty among people with disabilities living
in their community.

Emerald B: Shades of Disability in the Media 
Mark Leeper
How the media portrays people with disabilities has changed a lot over the years. Learn how advocacy can make the difference in creating change, and see what changes still need to happen, and what you can do about them.
 
2:30pm-3:00pm Transition to next workshop block
 
3:00pm-4:00pm Concurrent Workshops Block 5:
Vandenberg A: Living IL is not One Size Fits All
Kelsey Shinnick Goddard and Lillie Greiman
What does independent living mean to you? How can and do you find the supports you need to live the life you want in the community? Independent Living isn't "one size fits all"! Through interactive activities and discussion this workshop will explore the diversity of perspectives on IL. We will share what we have heard from young adults living in the community and want to open the floor up to you to share your perspective. Help us fine-tune a checklist to assist young adults in the transition to living independently.
Vandenberg B: Disability History: The Story of Us
Anaya Robinson and Rosemary McDonnell-Horita 
Atlantis Community Inc. has been the center of disability history and activism since its creation over 44 years ago. Today, we reflect on the traditionally untold stories of disability history that affect the movement going forward. This conversation will bring an inter-sectional lens to the disability history that we have inherited from our elders.

Pearl: Are Rural Veterans Perceived As "Far Out" because of Geography? 
Danita Applewhite
This presentation offers insight for the IL community when welcoming and working with veterans who have disabilities, who live in rural areas. Participants will engage group activities to reflect upon perceptions and realities that are often associated with “disabled veterans,” relative to geographic location, and unaddressed mental and physical disabilities. Focus placed on exploring creative and successful partnership opportunities with businesses, community agencies, faith-based organizations, and the Veterans Administration. Dr. Applewhite shares stories from fellow veterans who have used the euphemism “far out” to describe both their psycho-social and geographic access to resources. She will share her professional and personal experience as a person with a disability, who also served her country, and consults for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Gerald Ford: An Intersection not an Interstate: Breaking the Binary in Disability Studies
Dylan Ashley and Mels Felton
On an interstate, smaller pathways merge endlessly into the larger. An intersection consists of differing yet equivalent paths meeting at a crossroads. When we, as a community, expect everyone to conform to one standard, we counteract our own movement. In this session, we will draw comparisons between the disability rights and other justice movements to expand our concept of community.
Emerald A: Disability is Sexy 
Kevin Corrigan and Elle Livengood
At the Independence Center, we are disabled people building a community where people with all disabilities can thrive. We are excited to offer this fun awareness presentation to people who interact with persons with disabilities. Our goal is to prepare participants to engage in open conversations with disabled people in their communities about sex. Disabled people are sexual beings, worthy of love and pleasure. We will debunk societal misconceptions that can prevent us from seeing disabled people as whole, sexual beings while highlighting the real and diverse ways that people with disabilities engage in their sexuality. The workshop explores the following Disability and Sex topics: Accessibility and Sex: How people incorporate their disabilities into their sex lives, People with IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) and their sexualities, Sexual attraction and people with sensory disabilities, Sexual relationships between disabled people and their caregivers, The impact of trauma or mental health challenges on people’s experiences with sex, and Changes in sex after Traumatic Brian Injuries. Participants will leave with an expanded awareness of disabled people and how they can experience sex, new ways to talk about sex with people with diverse disabilities, and strategies for including disabled people in sex education programs. 
 
Emerald B: Advocacy after APRIL Conference: How to Get Youth Involved in Advocacy in Your Community
Deja Barber
Are you a youth that wants to know how to be a better advocate once you get back to your community? Do you want to help youth in your area learn how to develop their advocacy skills? This is the session for you! In this session you will learn the step by step process on how to make great youth advocates. Also, you will learn about resources that can be given to the youth that will help in their journey. It will be a session on how to make advocacy fun and interactive!
 
3:45-4:00 Transition to Peer Networking Rooms
 
4:15pm-5:00pm Peer Support Time
This year we wanted to hold a dedicated space for those who want to meet others working in the field in their line of work. Come ask questions of your peers, exchange business cards, and get to know one another a little more. With Community, we are stronger!

Vandenberg A: CIL ED’s, AD’s and Program Managers 
Vandenberg B: SILCs
Pearl: Advocacy Directors/Coordinators
Gerald Ford: IL Specialists (Direct Service)
Emerald A: Youth Consumers
Emerald B: Youth Transition Coordinators
 
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM Ambassador Ballroom 
Cash Bar, Plated Dinner Awards Banquet & Raffle
Entertainment, plated dinner, and cash bar. Help us honor our colleagues with our Linda Gonzales Award and Earl Walden Award. Listen as our youth get the final word on their experience and APRIL. Celebrate and laugh with old friends and new as we build our spirits for the work ahead.
(Name badges required)

Monday October 28th, 2019
9:00AM-11:00AM Plated Breakfast and Sendoff Keynote
Freedom Through Recovery
Scott Burlingame
Independence, Inc. has spent a significant amount of time the past few years helping people living with behavioral health issues and addiction get out of and stay out of institutional living, specifically the jail and prison system. Come explore how we have used the independent living core services of IL Skills Training, Mentoring, Advocacy and Transitional services to assist people to find their own path to recovery and community living. We will also share how our Center for Independent Living as been a partner as the state of North Dakota has transitioned money away from the criminal justice system to provide community-based care coordination, recovery, and peer support. We will share some of the outcomes and impacts of our work on the community and hoping that you go away considering how you and your community can be a part of this work.

Safe Travels! See You Next Year in Orlando Florida October 9th-12th 

A Look Back in Time 
The letter below was shared with us by Mark Leeper from Disability Action Center Northwest and was from 1986 around the original formation of APRIL.  We believe the Power of Rural is just as strong today.  Thank you for taking a stroll down memory lane with us.

During April 1986, a group of independent living program administrators met in Houston under the auspices of the Independent Living Research Utilization Project to compare issues, analyses and problems. It was learned that there were striking commonalities among all these programs engaged in the active delivery of rural independent living services. As a result, the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) was created. 

The roots of the Independent Living Movement are in urban environments. Berkley, Houston, Boston and St. Louis are the places usually associated with the nascence of the movement. However, many disabled people live, and desire to continue living, in rural environments.  As a result of Title VII Part B funding, there are, at least, 15 programs nationally, and probably more, currently engaged in delivering consumer-directed rural independent living services. The conditions, circumstances and opportunities disabled people experience in the truly rural environment are strikingly different from those experienced in the city. Services are sparse and archaic, attitudes are based in the charity/medical model, accessible public transportation, and usually, public transportation itself, are nonexistent.  There is a marked lack of visible role models for the disabled person striking out towards independence.  Most public facilities are not accessible.  Choosing between services and/or service providers is a laughable concept--getting any services at all is the critical question.  A rurally based severely disabled person is concerned with maintaining outside of a nursing home or public institution.  Nuances regarding a program’s “purity,” charity-based origins, or the percentage of its budget devoted to long term residential services are issues which are patently irrelevant to the severely disabled rural person who wants to remain or become independent in the rural environment. 

For rural independent living programs, the questions of distance and money are constant and potentially overwhelming.  Many of us provide services as a branch of traditional rehabilitation or medical programs--not because of adherence to their philosophies or attitudes, but because they are willing to absorb, and/or due to their size, can minimize very real costs, such as office space, employee benefits, legal and accounting fees and the multitude of hidden but substantial costs which any organization incurs.  Some of us run small group
homes for people with mental illness or developmental disabilities.  This is partly because of their ability to offset costs, but PRIMARILY because these are severely disabled people who would have no choice but to be institutionalized in these rural states without these programs. 

APRIL is a national organization which is composed of consumer run programs which recognize their debt and allegiance to the urban based independent living programs which have served as models and inspirations to everyone in the movement.  But, we firmly and unequivocally believe that because a rural lifestyle is a valid option for Americans in general, it must become a valid option for disabled Americans.  We emphatically reject the notion that independent living is, by definition, a solely urban option, or that an individual or program can only identify with the national disability rights movement by choosing to locate in an urban environment.  We believe that a person can be disabled, independent and rural.  Country people have no monopoly or naivete.  We therefore resist the naivete about rural environments which threaten and exclude us from the mainstream of the national movement.  Therefore, we invite other truly consumer-based organizations in rural areas to inquire of the APRIL charter members listed below about membership in our organization.  Eligibility for membership consists of 1) providing documentation of substantial consumer management and policy-setting in the organization; 2) evidence of a distinct identity separate from a parent or umbrella organization, and 3) the provisions of services in a rural environment.  It is our hope to work together with our urban-oriented sister and counterpart organization, NCIL, to continue to promote true independence and personal rights for disabled Americans--whether they choose, personally, to live in either the country or the city.

Margaret Bonds-Wares, Operation LINK, Hays, KS

Gene Christian, interim Internal Co-Chair, Stepping Stones, Inc. Moscow, ID

Devva Kasnitz, Humboldt Access Project Inc., Eureka, CA

Patti McDonald, Handicap Reach Out, Inc., Chadron, NE
Brian Rogers, Interim External Co-Chair, Program for 
Independent Living, University of Wisconsin Stout Vocational Development Center, Menomonie, WE

Ron Sandness, Rural Enterprises for Acceptable Living, Marshall, MN

Linda Tonsing, New Vistas Independent Living Center, Santa Fe, NM 

Andy Winnegar, Summit ILC, Missoula, MT

F. Matt McGill, Disabled Citizens Alliance for Independence Inc., Viburnum, MD

Karen Newton, North Central WV Center for Independent Living, Morgantown, WV

Celebrate and Honor Our Colleagues 

Linda Gonzales Award
Linda Gonzales was the first Executive Director of APRIL for 20 years, and truly was a visionary when it came to including youth with disabilities as leaders in the rural Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement and more specifically, the APRIL youth movement.   We are proud to announce this year’s Linda Gonzales Award for outstanding Rural Youth:
Elisabeth Harkins
Elisabeth graduated high school with honors in 2018 and completed her first year of college. She is a part of Student Government at her college and a campus ambassador. She is a Girl Scout Gold Award Recipient for her project focused on helping children at a shelter for women and children from abusive situations. Elisabeth started a sign language club at her high school and led the meetings teaching basic ASL as well as introducing members to deaf culture. She also led an ASL workshop for girls at a weeklong summer camp, called Girls Rock with girls from all over the state of South Carolina. 

Elisabeth is a member of an international support group for girls with Scoliosis, called Curvy Girls. About 8 years ago, there wasn’t a group anywhere near her, so she wrote the head of the organization and asked to start a chapter for the state of South Carolina and became (and still is) the chapter leader. She provides mentoring, peer support and helps spread awareness. Every other summer she attends the International Curvy Girls Conference to get training on advocating, being a group leader, and other things. 

For the last seven years, Elisabeth has requested the Governor of South Carolina to issue a state proclamation declaring June as Scoliosis Awareness Month as well as asking the Mayor of North Augusta to declare June early detection month in a city proclamation for the past six years.  Elisabeth recently completed her Peer Support Training and Certification through the local CIL after working there all summer through a VR work experience program.  She helped with eye glass distribution at rural senior citizen centers and helped lead fire safety workshops for seniors and those with disabilities in rural areas. 

Elisabeth is one of the strong leaders in the local CIL youth group (Be You). She helps to plan and organize the group activities and stays in touch with her group members to remind them of meetings and events.  She is a national board member of KASA (Kids as Self Advocates) and recently attended their board meeting and training in Washington, DC.  She likes to write poetry and wrote a few poems about inclusion and advocacy, one of which she read at the closing ceremonies of NCIL.  She is also a member of the NCIL youth Caucus.  

Elisabeth is a strong advocate for herself and others and is constantly looking to learn more and grow more in the independent living movement. She lives the phrase, “Nothing about us, Without us.”

Congratulations Elisabeth! Thank you for all your hard work in rural advocacy.

Earl Walden Award

In the early days of APRIL, Earl was a great friend and supporter of our new organization. As a colleague who worked at ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) in Houston, Earl had a heart as big as Texas and a gift for finding resources or solutions to problems. He took APRIL under his wing when we needed an advocate on our side. It is our honor to announce this year’s Earl Walden Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rural Advocacy:

Tom Olin

Tom Olin is no stranger to the disability rights and independent living movement.  Many of you have probably been inspired at some point in your disability career by the historic and breathtaking photographs Tom has taken of our movement throughout the last several decades, some of which have found their place in the Smithsonian, others that have been turned into murals and curated art events. The late disability rights pioneer Justin Dart said in an interview with enabledonline, “Tom Olin is a great, dedicated patriot and photographer of our movement. His contributions will live long after the pyramids of the pharaohs have crumbled to dust.” There are also many of us who have had the honor and privilege of being mentored and encouraged to continue our work in the trenches directly by Tom as well. He has won numerous awards, too many to count, and earned every one of them. We at APRIL also want to recognize Tom for his trip across the country, visiting 48 states, taking many rural roads and re-energizing advocates across the country with his American’s with Disabilities Act 25th Anniversary tour “Road to Freedom.”

One colleague, Janine Bertram stated, “Tom Olin has contributed an unusual and exceptional collection of photos documenting the history of the cross-disability rights movement.  He is a brilliant social documentarian and the Olin Collection has been featured in major galleries and key print and online publications too numerous to mention. Tom is less known for his utter dedication to building and strengthening the grassroots disability movement.  Tom’s sole concern in work has been building the disability movement and he has done so without taking a paid position in non-profit or government organizations like many of us have.  He has tirelessly volunteered his time and his wisdom to build up our youth in the movement and to fight for disability rights, justice, and economic empowerment.”

In his own words, in a Disability Visability Project interview, Tom explains why he does the work of documenting our movement.  “It was important to show that we were as strong and as mighty as anyone, if sometimes not even more. I mean, you know, it was important to capture our movement, to capture people in a way that was important for us. I mean, how many times have you been pat on your head, you know, and had someone try to save you so you can walk? It just is way, way beyond. And you must break that down, replace those images with images of power. I enjoy doing that.”

Tom has a way of bringing people together and finding ways to give our movement that extra edge with his creativity.  Whether it was cutting apart the stars on an American flag to reimagine a symbol of freedom for people with disabilities with the ADAPT iconic flag or coming up with a catchy tagline to capture the moment, Tom was your guy. He truly believes with every fiber in his soul that Civil Rights belong to everyone and has proved it through his participation in many civil rights movements, not just disability.  

The love and the passion he has for bridging together different people from all backgrounds and helping them find their strength and commonalities amazes me.  He is always concerned with others and with ensuring that as a movement we continue to move forward together, never shying away from the difficult conversations, but always coming at them from a place of love.

Thank you, Tom, for your years in the trenches and for continuing to push us all forward.  For those that would like to continue to support the work that Tom does, documenting our movement and building it from the grassroots up, you can purchase a Tom Olin photo or make a contribution by emailing Janine Bertram at: janinebk@mac.com

Darrell Lynn Jones was the founding executive director of one of the first Title VII funded CILs in the country, Rochester (NY) Center for Independent Living. She was also the training director at NCIL. For most of us, we know Darrell as the project director for the IL-NET at ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) where she has worked since 2002. Darrell has been a force in the IL movement, a confidant, a training guru, and a friend to many of us.  

Although Darrell isn’t at the conference this year, we feel that her ‘ease’ into retirement is one that cannot go unrecognized.  She has believed in many of us and our talents in the movement when we might not have believed in ourselves.  She has been a true partner and ally to APRIL and our training and technical assistance endeavors throughout the years. Her attention to detail and her vast knowledge of the IL movement has helped many keep their doors open and created opportunities for others to grow beyond belief. Ann McDaniel, ED of WV SILC stated, “I had met Darrell when she worked for NCIL and really got to know her when she started at ILRU.  She is a wise and wonderful woman with a great sense of humor.  She is someone I turn to for advice and we have a great working relationship.  Darrell is an IL leader and an important part of our history – we need to capture more of her knowledge and experience!” Kimberly Tissot, ED ABLE SC said, “Darrel Jones—the lady who truly boosted my confidence in my early days of being an ED! She is the one who instilled my love for teaching others on a national level and was always eager to listen to me when I needed to get on my soapbox. Darrell, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are truly an incredible woman!”   

We are excited for Darrell and as she settles into next adventure.  Her longtime colleague, Paula McElwee sums up many of our sentiments, “Darrell, you and I were both much younger when we met in 1980, the first time the directors of the Rehabilitation Act funded Centers got together. Whenever our paths have crossed through the years, I have been reminded of how deeply you love Independent Living. Working more closely with you has been a joy. I will miss our conversations, our brainstorming, the sharing and the laughter. May you thoroughly enjoy this next phase of your life. Post pictures so we can continue to share!”

Tim Sheehan
We want to recognize our outgoing APRIL board President, Tim Sheehan.  Tim has been at the helm for the past six years and his service will be greatly missed.  His commitment to the Independent Living Philosophy is second to none. Of his many talents, one is his ability to analyze policy and break it down into ordinary language. He has the brains of an attorney, a scientist, a sociologist and the soul of a musician all rolled into one.  He has had many accomplishments at APRIL, including leading the charge on the 21st Century Investment for CILS, bringing light to the amount of money CILS need to provide adequate services. 

Tim has been a friend, a confidant, an advocate, and a champion of rural issues.  Although Tim couldn’t make it to this year’s conference, we wanted to honor and recognize him as a force in the rural IL community.  Tim has been a huge supporter of our youth movement, always lending financial and other support to continue our efforts.  His voice of reason and his knowledge of advocacy have been a staple for many of us.  Tim is passionate, authentic, and will never leave you guessing about what he really thinks about an issue at hand. We wish Tim the best, and hope we still see him lurking in future APRIL Conferences.

About our Welcoming and Closing Keynotes

Julie Hocker joined ACL as the Commissioner of the Administration on Disabilities on October 1, 2018. Hocker brings to the role extensive experience in operational process improvement, risk management, and effectiveness assessment. Ms. Hocker joins ACL from the Charles Koch Foundation, where she served as a senior manager. In that role, she led several key initiatives to improve the foundation’s operations, including development of an integrated technology and data solution for fundraising, grantmaking and expenditures; redesigning process to improve investment tracking and enable better analysis of effectiveness; and creation and implementation of risk-management processes. Previously, she served in a variety of roles with The Vanguard Group and as an analyst for the Administration for Children and Families. In addition, she has been a senior policy fellow for the Center for Human Dignity at the American Conservative Union Foundation since 2015. Ms. Hocker earned an undergraduate degree in economics and political science from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and Master of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  
Scott Burlingame is the Executive Director of Independence Inc., a Resource Center for Independent Living in Minot, ND. Scott has developed a system of service delivery that encourages community participation, leadership development, and empowerment to create systems change. Scott was awarded the Earl Walden Award by APRIL in 2015. He has also been on the APRIL board of Directors in various roles, including the Advocacy Chair and Future Track Committee leader.

About our Luncheon Keynotes

Mark Leeper is the Executive Director at Disability Action Center NW. His extensive experience has been accessed from businesses all over, and he directs personal advocacy to make a difference. He has been the Chair of the WA SILC and been in various leadership positions in the IL world for years. 
Michael Beers is the Youth Coordinator at Summit Independent Living Center in Missoula, MT.  Mike has sat on the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees, several terms on the APRIL board as a youth and then as a member at large and has held various positions on various boards and councils throughout the country since he was old enough to do so. Mike helped start the APRIL youth conference and the APRIL youth mentoring program
Liz Sherwin joined the staff of the Illinois-Iowa Center for Independent Living (IICIL) in 1988 and the Executive Director in 1998. The center serves people with disabilities in western Illinois and eastern Iowa. She is the president of the Iowa Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) and a facilitator for the Iowa State Association for Independent Living (ISAIL) and a board member of the Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living (INCIL).She is past president of Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) and past president of the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Springfield, Illinois. She is past president of her local NAACP branch and a commissioner on the Bi-State Regional Planning Commission representing her metropolitan area.  She is a trainer with IL-NET National Training and Technical Assistance Center at ILRU on their Disability, Diversity and Intersectionality Project. She is one of April’s first “peer mentors” and continues to serve in that capacity.

About our Presenters

Melissa Ann “Mellie” Santora is the Director of Innovation at Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council and the Founding Executive Director of Diverse Ability Incorporated, where she coordinates Arizona Youth Leadership Forum, Arizona Youth Engagement Academy, and their Alumni Association. For nearly 30 years, Mellie has served people who have disabilities in a variety of capacities, and is highly regarded for pioneering projects, programs, and practices that promote access, inclusion, equity, and engagement, particularly for youth. Having acquired the first of her disabilities as a young adult, Mellie actively embraces those she has more recently acquired, and strives for excellence in all that she endeavors to be and do. Mellie is delighted that some of the Arizona Youth Leaders will be presenting at the APRIL Conference this year!
Danita Applewhite, PhD, CRC (aka Dr. “Apple”) is Chair of the AZ SILC. She is the Founder of White Apple Institute, a Talk Show Host, Army Veteran, Retired Psychology Professor and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, and Author. She also serves as Vice Chair of the AZ State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) and is a Lifetime Member of DAV and PVA.
Dylan Ashley is an individual and community advocate located in Seattle, Washington. As a former Youth Transition Specialist at the Utah Independent Living Center, they taught over 300 students across the Salt Lake Valley. They currently serve as the Board Treasurer for the Lavender Rights Project as well as the Social Media Chair for APRIL’s YSC.
Deja Barber I am a 25-year-old youth advocate, I am an executive member of the NCSILC. Also, I was on this year’s Youth Steering Committee at the APRIL youth conference as the Vice Chair. I am currently going to graduate school to obtain my Masters in School Counseling. My goal is to help youth become better advocates!
Julie Bosma, Executive Director, started at RAMP in 1992 and has been an active part of the development and implementation of all the school curriculums.
Renee Cencer is a Certified Employment Support Professional that services transition age students in a partnership with MRS and Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District. She is a voting member of APSE’s employment professional support certification council responsible for all essential decisions related to the development, administration, and ongoing maintenance of the CESP™ certification program.  Renee resides in Traverse City with her husband and is the mom to three grown children as well as grandma to one granddaughter.
Caitlin Chlosta has been a youth transition specialist with Disability Network Northern Michigan for 3 years. She is completing her master’s degree in Recreation Therapy through Indiana University and enjoys implementing hands on experiential learning in the classroom. Caitlin lives in Traverse City with her husband and dog and enjoys taking part in all outdoor activities that Northern Michigan has to offer.   She believes the key to successful youth programming is open communication and collaboration between all invested parties.
Rebecca Cokley is the founder of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. She has spent her career working to improve education, access, and advocacy on key issues facing the disability community. 
Kristen Conrad L.M.S.W, is the Transition Manager at Disability Network Northern Michigan. She has worked with transition age youth for 15 years. She facilitates groups during the school year and summer for students. She trains, oversees staff and works with agency partners to develop new programs in DNNM’s 17 counties.
Kathy Cooper is the ED for the SILC of Kansas. She has a long history of IL and advocacy in KS and some of her previous positions include; Coordinator for Capacity Building Initiative for KS Rehab Services, the Director of HCBS at Coalition for Independence, and the Legislative Advocate at Resource Center for Independent Living.
Kevin Corrigan is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Saint Louis University School of Medicine.  He completed his pediatric residency training at the University of Louisville. He practiced pediatrics in Colorado Springs for eight years, prior to acquiring a brain injury.  Most recently, he has 7 years of experience working at the Independence Center in Colorado Springs as a peer support specialist and TBI support group leader.
Rene Cummins is a researcher with the SE ADA Center. Rene has been a CIL Director & SILC member, and currently is a member of APRIL and NCIL. For 15 plus years, Rene has been a trainer for the SE ADA Center, and has provided training on the ADA & other disability rights laws.
Yeva Davis was adopted from Ukraine when she was 2. She has a learning disability and Tourette’s. She moved to CO in 2015 and found a good school with an accommodating learning style. She was worried about how to find a job and make it on her own in the future. Her mom found out about YLF and told Yeva what it was about. She was excited and nervous because she didn’t know what it was. Once she tried it, she fell in love with it. She was an Alumni in 2018, now she is a counselor and still representing YLF around the nation.
Ian Engle Prior to taking his current position at NWCCI in August 2013, Ian was ED at the Center for People with Disabilities (the ILC based in Boulder) and before that he was Executive Director for the SouthWest Center for Independence with a main office in Durango. Ian sustained a spinal cord injury in a 40-foot fall from a tree on October 1, 1994. He was hired as an advocate with Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, defending and enforcing the rights of people with disabilities. This work focused on investigating abuse and neglect in nursing homes as well as state and private institutions. Ian quickly developed a life-long passion for working with people to have more freedom and control over our own lives through exercising our right to choose and direct community-based services. Ian began delivering speeches and facilitating workshops on the conference circuit for human rights and social justice non-profit organizations, with a focus on nursing home transition and person-centered planning. Ian gained experience handling administrative duties, managing organizational budgets, facilitating dialogue-based interactive learning in participatory workshops, and organizing people to effectively address systemic issues in order to affect public policy. He enjoys connecting people with resources to further independence for many who can do more, in the larger community, for themselves and each other.  Ian benefits from his companion, Montezuma, whose commitment to service makes him an outstanding proponent of Independent Living.
Mels Felton (they/them pronouns) is an Independent Living Advocate for the Disability Action Center. Located in the Inland Northwest, their work concentrates on youth transition and radical advocacy.
Laura George’s journey into being an Emergency Management Disability Liaison began almost 13 years ago, as a result, an unexpected triple left turn.  Since that time, she has made it her mission to promote positive inclusive community collaboration, education, and communication on the topic of emergency design.  Currently, she is an Inclusive Community Director for No Town Left Behind, support person for the Miracle Collaboration League, Public Relations for Storm Trooper Network and sits on a variety of committees including the National Council of Independent Living-Emergency Preparedness since 2009.  She has authored a workbook called, “Emergency Preparedness Plan,” which speaks for you when no one else is available to speak for you when you or no one else can. She is also published in Exceptional Parent Magazine, an educator, presenter, two-time caregiver, and mom.  
Lillie Greiman has worked for RTC: Rural since 2012. She received her MA in Geography from the University of Montana and her research interests include housing, community participation, community development and large dataset analysis. She is invested in working with community partners to help find and develop the tools they need to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Born and raised in Montana she enjoys exploring Montana’s backroads, small towns and rural landscapes. 
Sara Grivetti PhDc, MA, CRC, CEO of Disability Network/Michigan, has nearly 20 years of experience working with CILs. One of her primary projects is serving as the CIL lead for Michigan’s No Wrong Door efforts, including NFT and Options Counseling.
Jennifer “Jai” Hale-Gallardo, PhD, is a Health Science Specialist and a medical anthropologist at the Office of Rural Health Resource Center in Gainesville, FL. Her research focuses on the social, cultural and environmental determinants of health for rural Veterans and how the VA can better meet their long-term independent living needs.
Whitney Harris holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Orthotics and Prosthetics from St. Petersburg College in 2012. After the completion of her residency in Denver, CO, she became a Certified Prosthetist by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Pedorthics. Learning that her passion was in disability advocacy and not patient care, Whitney switched career paths and returned to Florida to work in the non-profit industry for three years before joining the team at the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology as Comptroller. Whitney fills her time with multiple volunteer roles. She currently sits as Youth Member on the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living’s Board of Directors, Secretary for the Association of Youth Leadership Forums, Public Member Director of the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, a long-time volunteer at Florida’s YLF and council member for the Florida SILC. She is currently attending the University of Central Florida to obtain her Masters in Nonprofit Management.
Tannis Hargrove has worked at the RTC: Rural since 2012. She has a B.S. in Sociology from Montana State University and an M.S. in Health Promotion from the University of Montana. In her free time, she enjoys walks with her dog, being outdoors and riding her bike. 
Jaime Harrell
Danny Housley is the Assistive Technology Acquisition Manager with Tools for Life, Georgia’s AT Act Program overseeing Credit-Able, Georgia’s Alternative Financing Program. He finds funding solutions and resources for people with disabilities to increase or maintain their independence. Danny is also the board chair for disABILITY LINK in Atlanta.
Paul Jones is the manager of the National AgrAbility Project, a USDA-funded program for agricultural workers with disabilities administered through the Breaking New Ground Resource Center at Purdue University. He has been with Purdue’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program since 1998 and began managing the National AgrAbility Project in 2008.
Mimi Kinney is the Transition Coordinator at Traverse Bay Area ISD. Wesley Cross and Ruthy Ransom are counselors at MRS who work with transition age youth. Renee Cencer is an employment specialist who contracts with MRS to provide services for transition age youth. All members contribute to the successful partnership between the agencies.
Luke Koppisch has more than 20 years of experience in the in the disabilities field before joining the Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) in 2009 as Transition Coordinator. In 2012, he became ACI’s Deputy Director, overseeing independent living planning, information and referral services, as well as housing, transition and employment readiness programs.  Luke was also employed for 7.5 years at the NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities, where he co-facilitated the Monday Morning Project, a statewide advocacy effort. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a Master of Arts degree in Education, both from Seton Hall University.
Autumn Kubatzke County Manager Started at RAMP in 2013 and currently oversees the direct services in her county as well as assists with the Youth Curriculum and programs for outreach and logistics.
Joan LaBelle is the Executive Director of Disabled Resource Services (DRS), one of nine Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in Colorado.  Joan has lived with her disability since the age of five. She has more than 35 years (both as a youth and an adult) within the disability movement. In addition, she is the current Colorado SILC Chair.
Elle Livengood holds her master’s degree in Deaf Education and has taught in both Residential Deaf Schools and Mainstream programs across the country. As a teacher, activist and community advocate, Elle works to educate people about disability awareness, intersectionality, healthcare access and assistance animal rights and responsibilities.
Michael Lefevor is currently the Interim Executive Director for the Utah Statewide Independent Living Council (USILC). Prior to joining the staff at USILC, he worked at a CIL as a Community Integration and Youth Coordinator and served as a Council member. Michael has worked in the independent living field for 9 years and in the disability community for 14 years. He holds a degree in Nonprofit Management and loves working with youth. In 2013, he was one of the founders of the NINJA (New Ideas to Network Junior Advocates) Youth Leadership Conference, Utah’s version of a YLF.\
Joan LaBelle is the Executive Director of Disabled Resource Services (DRS), one of nine Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in Colorado.  Joan has lived with her disability since the age of five. She has more than 35 years (both as a youth and an adult) within the disability movement. In addition, she is the current Colorado SILC Chair.
Elle Livengood holds her master’s degree in Deaf Education and has taught in both Residential Deaf Schools and Mainstream programs across the country. As a teacher, activist and community advocate, Elle works to educate people about disability awareness, intersectionality, healthcare access and assistance animal rights and responsibilities.
Michael Lefevor is currently the Interim Executive Director for the Utah Statewide Independent Living Council (USILC). Prior to joining the staff at USILC, he worked at a CIL as a Community Integration and Youth Coordinator and served as a Council member. Michael has worked in the independent living field for 9 years and in the disability community for 14 years. He holds a degree in Nonprofit Management and loves working with youth. In 2013, he was one of the founders of the NINJA (New Ideas to Network Junior Advocates) Youth Leadership Conference, Utah’s version of a YLF.
Rosemary McDonnell-Horita is a fierce, determined disability advocate, and an educator. She is a queer, disabled, Asian American woman raised in Southern California. Through her advocacy work, she is constantly re-imagining the world around her to include disabled youth, queer/trans communities, and inserting the voices of youth of color. Currently, Rosemary is the Youth Transitions Coordinator at Atlantis Community, one of the first Independent Living Centers in the country. She strongly believes in honoring those who came before her and leading the way for future generations to continue to lead and make change in this world. 
Paula McElwee directed Link, Inc., in 1979 based in Hays, Kansas, one of the first ten centers funded through the Rehabilitation Act. She worked in the disability field in Kansas for 25 years and was appointed by two governors to serve three terms on the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas. In 2000 McElwee relocated to Fresno, California, where she serves on the board of Resources for Independence of the Central Valley, a long-standing California Center. Since 2006 she has also served as interim ED for four CILs in California, assisting the boards to transition to their next executive director.  Since October 2012, McElwee has worked with Independent Living Resource Utilization (ILRU) based in Houston, TX as the Technical Assistance Coordinator through its IL-NET, CIL-NET and SILC-NET programs. For access to the on-line technical assistance resources go to www.ilru.org McElwee can be reached by phone at 559-250-3082 or by email at paulamcelwee.ilru@gmail.com. And be sure to subscribe to her TA blog at ilnet-ta.org. 
Caity Mcmanis joined the Independent Living movement after her health problems arose at nineteen. When presented with the opportunity to become a part of the Youth Leadership Forum, the event sparked her passion and drive for IL and youth transition. She has since worked with the Colorado Youth Leadership Forum as staff and Division of VR in her rural town as a job coach.
Leanne Murillo is the Socialization through Recreation Coordinator and Empowering Youth in Transition Coordinator at ABILITY360 for the past 19 years. She got her bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation from ASU in 2000 and Bachelor’s in Business Management and Sociology from Ashland University in 1992.  Leanne is a Certified Recreational Therapeutic Specialist for the past 19 years working with individuals with any type of disability. The purpose of the RT process is to improve or maintain physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual functioning to facilitate full participation in life. Leanne has lived in AZ the past 24 years enjoying all the sunshine provided during the summer and winter!
Kelsey Shinnick Goddard (MA, University of Kansas, 2017) is a doctoral student in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science and a Research Project Coordinator for the Research and Training Center on Promoting Interventions for Community Living (RTC/PICL) at The University of Kansas, USA. Her research interests include independent living, health promotion and policy, and community participation for people with disabilities. In pursuit of her work as a scholar advocate, she has presented research findings to the United States Access Board in Washington, DC, and has served as a committee member on the Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns in Topeka, KS. She identifies as a person with a disability herself and strives to bring awareness to disability concerns through the intersection of research, policy, and advocacy.
Evan Shockley started having seizures the day after his 15th birthday. By the time he was 17 he lost his license because of his seizures. A few years later he was homeless for 3 years before he found his local CIL. As an Alumni of YLF, he is now a sought-after presenter on disability advocacy around the state and nationally. Evan also serves on the local Housing Authority Board of Directors.
Mica Stewart is a 2014 graduate of Arizona Youth Leadership Forum (AZYLF) and a 2017 graduate of Arizona Youth Engagement Academy. Elected to the AZYLF Leadership Team, and then as Co-Chair of the Arizona Youth Leadership Initiatives (AZYLI) Alumni Association, he now works as its Logistics Coordinator. Mica serves as the Secretary of the Diverse Ability Incorporated Board of Directors and is a full-time student at Arizona State University where he studies Computer Information Systems.
Dr. Corinna Stiles has held professional positions in the disability community since graduating law school in 2000. She started her career as the Advocacy Director at the Idaho Protection and Advocacy Agency from 2001-2012.  In 2012, she moved to the Rehabilitation Services Administration in the U.S. Department of Education to work as a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist. Dr. Stiles moved to the Administration for Community Living in 2014 and is currently the Acting Director of the Office of Independent Living Programs.  Since earning her PhD in May 2018 from the University of Idaho after defending her dissertation Second Life: Virtual World Case Studies Exploring Self-Determination of Adults with Developmental Disability, she likes to hit the open road and experience all that local communities have to offer. She has just over 50,000 miles on her 2016 Harley Softail Deluxe and has ridden through 36 states.  
Ned Stoller is a certified ATP, the agricultural engineer for Easterseals Michigan AgrAbility, and the developer of DisabilityWorkConsulting.com. Ned’s mission is to improve the quality of life for farmers and skilled-trades workers by finding assistive technology and methods that minimize physical pain, improve safety, and enable productivity.
Linda Taylor has been the ED at the Center for Independence in Western CO for the past 15 years. The Center has grown from a rented space in a defunct Union Carbide building in 2006 to a 21,000+ square foot facility that will be wholly paid off by January 2020.  Our Center houses 7 other non-profits that share the common space and collaborate on services. In addition, CFI Has opened two satellite offices. This last year CFI had 889 unduplicated consumers receiving 10,055 services. Rents, Interest, Fee arrangements with the Social Security Administration, DVR, and DEAF Interpreting all totaled grossed $254,817.77. Prior to that Linda worked for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Community Hospital, Disabled Ski Program at Powderhorn Ski Area and Vail, CO Mountain College, and CO Workforce Center in Steamboat Springs. Originally from Kansas City, Linda has found her permanent home on the rivers and mountains of Western CO.
Kenneth Thompson provides technical assistance, and training on accessible transportation, the ADA, and service planning. His over 30 years’ experience working in disability services includes managing a transportation system. Ken holds a Master’s in Public Affairs from Hood College. He has completed the ADA Coordinator’s Training Certification Program.
Kimberly Tissot proudly serves as the Executive Director of Able SC where she guides the staff in applying the philosophy of independent living to real situations. Kimberly believes in the value of individualized and community-based empowerment as she wants people to recognize their full potential. Under Kimberly’s leadership, Able SC has experienced years of growth, success and has become a nationally recognized Center for Independent Living. Kimberly’s road to disability rights began at an early age, after having her leg amputated from a rare childhood cancer, Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Kimberly began deciding her style of mobility, becoming the first soccer player with a disability in her town, and speaking up anytime she was treated differently. Kimberly has over 20 years of experience advocating for disability inclusion on a local, state and federal level, and internationally!  Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in human development from Boston University, Wheelock College of Education and a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina.
Libby Waechter Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at birth, Liberty knew as a little girl that she wanted to be part of something great and sought to teach others about the disabled community. She wanted to be a voice for people who can’t speak up for themselves, like her twin brother James. He was also born with CP but a stroke at four weeks old led to his needs being more significant than hers. She joined the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign where she brought awareness to how hurtful it can be when somebody uses the “R Word” as a form of slang. Over the years, she has been going to different schools and sharing her experiences with staff across the board. She gave them advice on how to make their school a more inclusive and accessible environment. She got accepted onto the “Girls Leadership Council” (GLC) where she learned tools to help advocate for young girls and women on being treated equally in the workforce as well as academically. While attending she was given the tools and advice for starting her own foundation inspiring girls with disabilities and got the honor of meeting the former first lady Michelle Obama. She was Miss Teen CO (2017) where she got to volunteer for different organizations around the state of CO. Summer (2019) she got accepted into the “YLF,” where she learned how to advocate for her disability needs and went to the Atlantis center of Denver CO to learn about the disability movement and history.
Rebecca Williams has been employed as the lead Information Specialist since 2011 for the Southeast ADA Center. She provides technical assistance to callers throughout the southeast on the ADA. She has presented dozens of workshops and trainings to a wide variety of audiences both locally and nationally. She has been an audio describer since 2004.
Luz Semeah, PhD, is an Associated Health Fellow within the Health Services Research and Development Service at the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System (NF/SG VHS), Gainesville, FL.  She holds a Ph. D in Housing and a Master of Public Administration from the Center for Public Administration and Policy, both degrees from Virginia Polytechnic. Before coming to NF/SG VHS, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Florida, which was funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)

Advertising Sponsors
ANTHEM Proud to support you in building healthy inclusive communities. Proud to Sponsor the APRIL 2019 Conference
CENTENE Corporation Believes in a person-centered approach “Your goals are our goals” Proud to sponsor! Congratulations to APRIL on 25 years of advancing the rights of people with disabilities in rural America
 	
RTC on Promoting Interventions for Community Living Congratulates APRIL on a Successful 25 years! Our researchers are partnering with centers for independent living and their consumers to increase community living and participation. Life starts at home.  A usable home is one that fits your needs and allows you to be in control.  In this program, people with disabilities work with their local CIL and other community resources to assess and improve usability of their homes.  Life expands in the community.  In this program, people with disabilities learn a variety of ways to set goals that matter to them, overcome barriers, and build social networks so they can participate more fully in their communities. 
Healthy Community Living Available Now! Looking for new ways to support people in reaching their goals? Check out the Healthy Community Living program featuring two workshops: Community Living Skills (CLS) is for people to build their Independent Living Skills. Living Well in the Community (LWC) is for people to set goals for overall quality of life and wellbeing.  To get started, visit the HCL or RTC: Rural Vendor Table. Talk to someone with an “Ask me about HCL” button. Visit healthycommunityliving.com
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation: Paralysis Resource Center Free Information and Resources. The Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center provides much-needed information, programs, emotional support and customized assistance to individuals living with paralysis, along with their caregivers, families and medical professionals.  For more information call 1-800-225-0292
ADA National Network information, guidance, and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Call us toll free 1-800-949-4732 v/tty www.adata.org The ADA national network provides information, guidance, and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act to individuals, businesses, and employers at the local, state, and national levels. NIDILRR funded. 
MiCIL.com Data you can trust Heart Dedication 19 years strong
National Association of Statewide Independent Living Councils Presents SILC Congress 2020 February 24-26 San Diego, CA Holiday Inn San Diego-Bayside 4975 N Harbor Dr. San Diego, CA 92106  “Peer to Peer”

Many Thanks 
We are grateful to all the wonderful workshop presenters for sharing your information and lessons learned with the conference.
Thank you so much to our on the ground Michigan organizing team, especially Laura St. Louis, Community Organizer at Disability Advocates of Kent County for sitting on all our conference committee calls and helping us plan from a far.
Thank you to ILRU team to putting on another wonderful Preconference this year for us!
We appreciate the many months of hard work that our Youth Steering Committee puts in every year to put on a spectacular event for our youth. Especially our Chair, Mels Felton.
A special thanks to the Gun Lake Tribes for blessing our event on this very special anniversary year.
We appreciate all our sponsors, volunteers and vendors from the bottom of our hearts.  We cannot make this happen without you!
Thank you to our Board Members for all their volunteer hours and support through this process.
And to all our attendees. Thank you for choosing APRIL. YOU are the reason we put so many months of work into our program to make it the best it can be.