IHD would like to thank the 540 attendees who joined us for our 25th annual IHD Evidence for Success Disability Conference! Held from June 2-4, 2024 at the Wild Horse Pass Resort in Chandler, AZ, the conference featured keynote talks by self-advocates Mike May and Nina G, as well as 60 educational sessions and an exhibit hall featuring 50 assistive technology companies, government agencies, and disability organizations.
Other highlights this year included:
- free exhibit hall entry on Monday afternoon;
- a networking reception featuring a comedy performance by Nina G;
- a unique collaboration with the Center for Assistive Technology Training (CATT) at the Foundation for Blind Children;
- a sponsorship by the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (ADDPC) that brought a team from Marc Gold & Associates to present sessions on the topic of customized employment;
- sponsorship and support from Collaborative Technology Solutions;
- the introduction of day-long, four-session strands that provided participants the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about select topics; and
- NEW roundtable discussions that allowed attendees to share stories and experiences with other participants.
Participants had the opportunity to earn continuing education (CE) credits and to network with others who share a passion for creating a more inclusive world for people with disabilities.
Since its inception a quarter of a century ago, the IHD disability conference has been a collaboration between the Arizona Technology Access Program (AzTAP) at IHD, the Arizona Department of Education – Exceptional Student Services (ADE-ESS), and our state’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).
We are pleased to report that attendees expressed high levels of satisfaction with the conference, with 98% of survey respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing that their overall impression was high. Thank you to all who contributed to making this conference successful, and we look forward to building on this momentum at our next conference!