The First Annual "An Inclusive Life" Conference

For the past 20 years the Supported Life Institute has put together what most people consider to be the best conference in California for individuals with developmental disabilities and the people who support them. Held in Sacramento every October, the conference attracts over 1000 attendees and is notable for bringing visionary national leaders to California. Over the years, many people have wondered why southern California doesn’t mount an equivalent conference. With this in mind, we contacted Ron Mainini and Andy Faletti at the Supported Life Institute to discuss the possibility of putting on a "Supported Life South" conference in the Los Angeles area.

On Ron and Andy’s advice we contacted all Los Angeles County regional centers to find out if they thought this was a good idea and would consider providing financial support and staff assistance. Following personal calls to each regional center Executive Director, we had a donation from each and promises of staff support. We learned quickly that mounting a conference on the same scale as Supported Life in eight or nine months was not realistic. We scaled down the effort and decided to convene a one-day conference for approximately 300 attendees. We reserved space at the California Endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities in downtown Los Angeles to accommodate the conference.

Andy and Ron also advised us to form our own non-profit corporation; and with their considerable assistance, we began the process of forming a 501 C(3). In 2008 the Inclusion Institute was born!

The first Annual "An Inclusive Life" Conference took place on May 13, 2008. Approximately 230 people attended. Roughly two-thirds were professionals, and the rest were those with developmental disabilities along with their families and friends. Our Exhibitor Showcase included twenty organizations. Our keynote speaker Cary Griffin of Griffin-Hammis Associates presented an overview of Customized Employment. The conference consisted of nine breakout sessions focusing on Customized Employment; Work and Benefits; IRS Outreach; Family Life Transitions; Facilitated Communication & Assistive Technology; Self-Directed Services; Partners in Policymaking; Legislative Advocacy; and Post-Secondary Education. Joe Donofrio of CHOICESS facilitated a "World Café" at the end of the day in which attendees were given the chance to share what they had learned in their breakout sessions with the entire group. Following the café, more than half of the attendees stayed for a catered reception to talk, network and just unwind after a long and productive day. Conference evaluations submitted were overwhelmingly positive and everyone felt we should do it again next year.

To that end, we are pleased to announce that the Second Annual "An Inclusive Life" Conference will take place on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at the California Endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities in Los Angeles. Based on our experiences and the feedback received we will strive to make next years event even better than the first. We will start the planning process earlier, involve more partners in addition to the seven regional centers, and redouble our outreach efforts to people with disabilities, their family and friends. The Inclusion Institute and our partners are committed to making the "An Inclusive Life" Conference one of the most anticipated events in California. Mark your calendars!