LEARN to hold disABILITY Summit Saturday

Mar. 11--LEARN's annual disABILITY Summit is an opportunity for families and individuals with disabilities to find connection and resources all in one place, according to LEARN Deputy Executive Director Bridgette Gordon-Hickey.

"We saw in our area a need for families to get more information," said Gordon-Hickey. That includes how to access agencies and other services that support youth and empower parents.

Now, after a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the summit will return on Saturday.

This year's LEARN Student Support Services' disABILITY Summit 2024 will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mohegan Sun Sky Convention Center.

Gordon-Hickey said the event is about equity and access so all youth have the ability to thrive during their school years and outside of school.

When LEARN started the summit about a decade ago, the regional educational service center focused the event on supports for transition-aged students with disabilities, before realizing a need to think about the whole child, from birth to age 22, she said.

The event also is open to people of all ages, she said. While some agencies are targeted to younger children, most agencies serve people throughout their lifespan. She said the event is for caregivers and families of youths and young adults with disabilities, individuals with disabilities, and professionals.

She said the event is designed to provide resources for all disabilities, from hidden disabilities, such as learning disabilities, attention needs, and mental health, to physical limitations, or more complex needs.

People can stop in to the free event throughout the day to get information from about 65 agencies, or listen to breakout sessions held at 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m.

Topics covered in the sessions include transition practices for people with autism spectrum disorder; information on Social Security disability benefits; how to navigate disability supports in college; college readiness for diverse learners; how to improve sibling relationships; and a panel on self-advocacy from the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center's Youth Advisory Board.

Families can visit booths to learn about services from state and other agencies, resources, support groups, and accessible activities, such as adaptive dance.

LEARN is a regional educational service center that has magnet schools and offers services, from professional learning to outplacement programs for students with disabilities.

LEARN's last summit in 2019 drew about 1,000 people, Gordon-Hickey said.

LEARN hopes to expand the event and have space for more vendors next year, Gordon-Hickey said.

Kathleen Stauffer, CEO of The Arc Eastern Connecticut, one of the participating agencies, said people with intellectual disabilities are among the most marginalized people on the planet, and she thinks the summit is terrific.

She said she's appreciative to both Mohegan Sun and LEARN for embracing an emerging awareness that all people matter and that all people have something to contribute and inclusion is good for business. She said statistics show that an organization with an inclusive demographic can improve their results by 87%.

Stauffer said she hopes there will be more events like the summit.

"I hope it's the beginning of a very positive trend," she said.

k.drelich@theday.com

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