Hi everyone! we are getting so close to the conference. A few reminders!
The Hotel RL is NOW SOLD OUT. We have a second block of rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn which is a short distance away from the RL and we are working with both hotels to
use their shuttles to take you back and forth. If you have not booked your room yet, please let me know and I will get you in to the Hilton Garden Inn. The price is a little higher, but still very reasonable at $139 per night. If you have made a reservation
at the Hotel RL and no longer need it, please do not cancel but let me know and I will reassign it.
There are still plenty of spaces left for either the Optum Focus Group, or the movie Focus Group. Please send Jessica Misilo an email if interested.
Thanks so much
Robin
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Have you already registered and are still deciding what else to do?? Well, there are a few things happening we want to share with you
1.
On Monday July 10th, from 8:00am- 4:00pm, The Utah DD Council is hosting a Celebration of Self-Determination. During this event, participants will hear from Jonathan Martinis, a national leader in supported decision-making;
listen to self-advocates and their supporters share success stories, and more.
In addition, they are hosting a dance to Celebrate Self-Determination. The flyer is attached.
2.
During the upcoming NACDD conference July 11-14 in Salt Lake City, one of our conference sponsors, Optum, is conducting focus groups and is looking for your valuable input. We know there are varying feelings and experiences around managed
care in the I/DD community, and Optum wants to hear your thoughts, and invites you to share your experiences during either of the two scheduled sessions. Meal/beverages will be provided for your participation.
Please be assured:
·
This is not a sales pitch
·
Participation is strictly confidential
·
Nothing shared will be attributed to participants
Your input is important. Please help us by sharing your opinions and viewpoints. We want to hear from all participants, people with IDD, family members, Council staff, and personal care attendants. All are welcome
to participate.
When and Where: TBD (either dedicated space at Hotel RL or at off-site restaurant). Potential days and times include Wednesday evening dinner (after welcome reception) or Thursday evening dinner. We will
determine both when and where once we get RSVPs.
We hope to have two sessions and each session will be limited to 20 people, including participants and personal care assistants. In addition, a representative from Optum will be on site at the Hotel RL if you
are not able to participate in one of the group sessions, and would like to still offer your opinions. We will provide the name, timing and location as we get closer to the conference.
Please respond to me, Robin Troutman at
xxxxxx@nacdd.org, if you are interested in participating
3.
We have another opportunity for a small focus group at the conference. Jennifer Tennican, an independent documentary filmmaker from Jackson, Wyoming, is looking for a small test audience to screen and provide feedback on a rough cut
of her work-in-progress, Hearts of Glass.
Participants will spend an hour watching the film and then another 30-45 minutes discussing various aspects of the film with the Director/Producer. The version of the film to be screened will be “rough” (i.e. temporary music or none at all, no
graphics, minimal transitions, no color correction, etc.). Comments and feedback are meant to provide perspectives from the disability advocacy world.
Hearts of Glass tells the story of the critical first year of operation of Vertical Harvest (VH), a highly innovative, but risky, experiment in growing crops and
providing meaningful employment to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. VH is an urban farm on 1/10 of an acre at an elevation of 6,237 feet. The high tech hydroponic greenhouse is located in Jackson, Wyoming, a mountain town with extreme
seasonal fluctuations in weather, population and demand for goods and services. Hearts of Glass delves into perspectives both inside and outside this social venture and explores VH’s impact on the lives of its employees, its financial viability and
its potential for replication in other communities.
If you are interested in participating in this discussion please send an email to Jessica Misilo at
xxxxxx@nacdd.org. Time and date of this discussion group is still being worked out and may conflict with other activities planned at the conference.
Most importantly please register for the conference and Technical Assistance Institute! We can’t wait to see you all and look forward to all of the speakers and presenters.
Robin Troutman
Deputy Director
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
1825 K Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006
202.506.5813 Ext. 105 (Phone)
202.506.5846 (Fax)