Co‑presented by Dr. Daniel Wendler and Dr. Elizabeth Aslinger, this session equips disability professionals with a clear, research‑grounded understanding of burnout and its impact on the people they support. Drawing on Dr. Wendler’s expertise as a psychologist and Dr. Aslinger’s expertise as a biomedical researcher, the presentation blends clinical application with scientific insight to provide an comprehensive of what burnout is, why it develops and – most importantly – how to escape it.
Participants will learn to recognize burnout in the individuals they support, gain practical tools for overcoming burnout, and gain a new understanding of how burnout specifically shows up in the disabled community.
Learning Outcomes
- Recognize burnout and its effects
- Explain causes of burnout and how burnout is particularly prominent in the disability community
- Apply practical strategies for recovery from burnout and prevention of burnout
Individuals with disabilities often experience layered trauma resulting from medical systems, social exclusion, systemic inequities, and mental health conditions. These experiences significantly influence employment engagement and outcomes, yet disability-related trauma is frequently overlooked in vocational rehabilitation (VR) practice. This presentation highlights an innovative, intersectional approach to trauma-informed care (TIC) within disability disciplines, emphasizing cultural competence and counselor-centered practice. Participants will explore how disability, trauma, and identity intersect to shape vocational experiences and employment trajectories. The session bridges theory and application by translating trauma-informed principles into practical counseling strategies that promote psychological safety, empowerment, and meaningful employment. Designed for professionals in disability and workforce systems, this training reframes VR practice through a trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens that supports ethical, inclusive, and effective employment services.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe how trauma and disability intersect and explain how these intersections influence engagement, assessment, and employment planning in vocational rehabilitation practice.
- Demonstrate trauma informed care, culturally responsive communication strategies that promote emotional safety and strengthen the counselor client relationship with individuals experiencing mental health conditions.
- Apply at least two trauma informed counseling techniques within vocational rehabilitation interactions to support client autonomy, reduce re traumatization and reinforce the the professional counseling role if VR staff.
Sexual violence is a difficult but critical issue that people with disabilities, their families, advocates, and professionals must address. Research shows that individuals with disabilities experience sexual violence at significantly higher rates than those without disabilities. In response, the Arizona Sexual Violence and Disability Network and the Sonoran Center’s Silence to Safety project have partnered to develop accessible, trauma-informed resources that strengthen prevention efforts and improve community response. This session will highlight risk factors, systemic barriers, and practical tools designed to increase safety, awareness, and coordinated response. Participants will leave with information about available resources and strategies to better support people with disabilities in their communities.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe key risk factors and systemic barriers contributing to higher rates of sexual violence among people with disabilities.
- Identify evidence-based prevention and response strategies that are accessible and trauma-informed.
- Discover how to access resources to strengthen disability-inclusive sexual violence prevention and response efforts within their own communities.
This presentation examines how short documentaries can illuminate the lived experiences of people with disabilities while encouraging audiences to rethink their perceptions and roles in fostering inclusion. Presenter John Schaffer has spent more than 20 years creating award winning documentaries in collaboration with people with disabilities, centering authentic storytelling and representation.
The session features three short films, Matthew Part 2, Living In Visible Pain: Vince, and Picturing Inclusivity, each highlighting a different individual and disability experience. After each screening, participants will engage in a guided discussion exploring themes such as ableism, differences between non-apparent and apparent disabilities, caregiving, communication and community inclusion. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how documentary storytelling can challenge assumptions and inspire meaningful support for people with disabilities.
Learning Outcomes
- Participants will be able to analyze how short documentary films convey the lived experiences of people with disabilities and challenge common assumptions about disability.
- Participants will be able to identify themes such as ableism, caregiving, communication, and community inclusion as presented in the featured documentaries.
- Participants will be able to evaluate practical ways to foster more inclusive perspectives and behaviors within their own communities, informed by insights from the films and discussions.
- One film shows a person in immense pain and may be uncomfortable for some viewers.
Universal Design for Learning’s (UDL) principle of designing multiple means of engagement offers educators practical ways to foster motivation, relevance, and persistence among students. This session highlights strategies that help students connect emotionally and intellectually with learning by offering choices, building relevance, encouraging collaboration, and supporting self-regulation. Research shows UDL improves student engagement and academic success by proactively addressing learner variability and reducing barriers that can limit participation. Examples from elementary, middle, and high school classrooms will illustrate how designing for engagement supports a diverse student body. Participants will have an opportunity to explore with other participants how to apply the principle of engagement in their own setting during this hands-on session.
Learning Outcomes
- Participants will be able to apply UDL-aligned strategies to increase learner autonomy, demonstrate relevance, and support persistence within an inclusive learning environment.
- Participants will be able to evaluate engagement strategies and make recommendations for enhancing engagement given commonly witnessed barriers to engagement.
Caregiver mental health support often falls short when services are not disability-informed. Many parents report high emotional labor in care, including educating providers, justifying caregiving stress, and navigating models that overlook disability context. This session presents an alternative approach: support grounded in disability knowledge, trauma-informed practice, and social model/Independent Living principles. Core elements include reducing explanatory burden, validating caregiver experience, reframing guilt and self-blame, supporting boundaries and self-care, and aligning support with child autonomy and independence goals. Mixed-methods findings show this approach improves therapeutic fit, engagement, coping, and emotional well-being because caregivers feel understood rather than judged through a generic parenting lens. Participants across clinical and community roles will leave with practical strategies to strengthen caregiver mental health outcomes for disabled people and their families.
Learning Outcomes
- Differentiate disability-informed caregiver mental health support from service models across clinical, educational, rehabilitation, and community settings.
- Identify at least three barriers that reduce caregiver & family engagement and well-being and explain their impact on outcomes.
- Apply at least two disability-informed, trauma-informed strategies in participants’ own roles (e.g., validation, reduced explanatory burden, reframing guilt/self-blame, boundary and self-care support).
- Demonstrate how to align caregiver support with child autonomy, dignity of risk, and family quality-of-life goals using a social model/Independent Living lens.
- Evaluate one change they can make at the practice or program level to improve disability-responsive mental health support for disabled people and their families.
Launching into Work is an evidence-informed occupational therapy framework designed to prepare adolescents and young adults with disabilities for competitive integrated employment. The session integrates research-identified predictors of employment success, including paid work experience, vocational preparation, self-determination, and workplace communication skills. Participants will explore how to apply predictor-based strategies and occupation-centered practices to improve employment readiness and long-term job sustainability. Practical tools, real case examples, and actionable planning steps will be provided to support implementation across education, VR, and community settings.
Learning Outcomes
- Participants will be able to identify evidence-based predictors of employment success (e.g., paid work experience, self-determination, vocational preparation) and explain how each informs intervention design.
- Participants will learn how to implement occupation-based strategies that strengthen job readiness including communication, workplace planning, and self-advocacy skills.
- Participants will gain practical tools to translate predictor research into transition plans and employment supports across education, VR, and community settings.
This session introduces the hot button topic, and the influence of, the “tech first” movement. It consists of two 30-minute presentations delivered back-to-back:
Millions of Hours. Thousands of People. Supporting Independent Living at Home and in the Community
Better outcomes don’t come from changing the person — they come from improving the conditions around them.
As demand for services grows and staffing challenges persist, this session uses real-world data and case examples to demonstrate how Remote Supports Services reduce wait times, strengthen stability at home, support daily health routines, build independence, and help people stay connected. Attendees will gain practical insight into how technology-enabled services can expand access to support and improve quality of life while addressing social determinants of health.
Learning outcomes:
- Recognize common challenges people face before Remote Supports and the changes that can occur after support is in place, using real-life stories and examples.
- Identify key standards and components of quality Remote Supports Services, including assistive technology, human support, and proactive engagement.
- Describe how Remote Supports can help people live safely at home, build independence, and stay connected to their communities.
Expanding Independence: Evidence-Based Remote Supports for I/DD and HCBS Transformation
HCBS providers face workforce instability, increasing service complexity, and rising expectations for person-centered, community-based outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This session presents an evidence-informed examination of technology-enabled remote supports using ShiftAbility’s implementation framework of it’s Smart Living model, with real-world applications of the Heylo platform across more than 15 states. Grounded in data driven implementation processes, HCBS policy alignment, fidelity monitoring, and ethical technology use, the presentation shows how remote presence communication, individualized smart sensing, and blended staffing enhance independence, improve consistency, and reduce workforce strain. Multi-state case examples span community living, employment, and transition services, and outcomes data.
Learning outcomes:
- Understand the foundational evidence supporting remote supports and blended service models in I/DD and HCB
- Identify actionable steps to assess organizational readiness, pilot design, and implementation fidelity.
- Apply practical frameworks for measuring outcomes in independence, workforce engagement, and service quality.
The presentations will be followed by a 15-minute question and answer period.
