About this event

Description

"Going Upstream'' is a public health term used to describe what's causing the issues that we see in our schools and our communities. When we look upstream we find a surprising lack of state mandated requirements or laws for people with disabilities to receive sexuality education. No wonder we see high rates of sexual abuse, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, charged with a sex crime, losing ones job, and loneliness in this population. This group of people are experiencing these results in part because they lack basic sexuality education knowledge and skills.

What if our states required positive, inclusive sexuality education to people with I/DD in schools or in the communities. In this online workshop, we will hear two stories of states that made this happen, Illinois and Virginia. We will learn what works and doesn't work when trying to pass legislation and give you tips and tools for making laws and mandates a reality in your state.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this 90 minute workshop, participants will be able to:

  *   Explore the story of passing Illinois' HB 3299

  *   Explore the story of passing Virginia's HB134

  *   Examine the strategies for working upstream and getting laws passed within your state.

This is a 90-minute online workshop for professionals, administrators, self-advocates, parents, etc. We use Zoom, a video conference platform to deliver the workshop. There will be opportunity for questions and live engagement with the presenters.

Workshop Date: Thursday, December 2, 2021 from 2 pm to 3:30 pm eastern time (please note your time zone)

Access Instructions: After you register you will get a confirmation email with instructions on how to access the workshop. If you don't get the email check your spam. You must have a stable internet connection to join, or you can call in via phone.

Workshop Presenters:

Brian Kelmar is the cofounder and Chairman of Legal Reform for Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled (LRIDD), a parent advocacy group. LRIDD was created to help other parents who are going through similar situations and an advocacy for creating change in the criminal justice system for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He is a retired Navy Commander and carrier aviator. He has an undergraduate degree from Penn State, an MBA from Troy State and executive education from Harvard Business School. He lives with his wife in Richmond VA and proud parent of three boys. He enjoys running marathons.

Teresa Parks, MSW, NCG is the Deputy Director of the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission as well as Director of the Commission's Human Rights Authority. Parks holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana and is National Certified Guardian through the Center for Guardianship Certification. Parks is also a graduate of Illinois' Partners in Policy Making Program and the Institute of Special Education Advocacy through William and Mary Law School. Prior to working for the Commission, Parks was a nursing home ombudsman and program director for a community mental health agency. Currently, Parks serves on the board and education committee of the Illinois Guardianship Association, is an appointed member of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities and is a trustee for the Center for Guardianship Certification. She has also served on various local and regional disability-related boards and committees. Parks is the parent of two adult children, including a son with disabilities.

Diana Braun, As an eight year old child, Diana Braun found herself living in a state-run nursing home in Freeport, Illinois. Taken away from an abusive family, Diana and her brothers and sisters were scattered. At 12, she was sent to the Dixon Developmental Center. She vowed to one day close state run institutions and has devoted her life to doing just that. In her own words, "Institutions are not a safe place to be."

At 19, Diana left Dixon. After meeting Kathy Conour at a sheltered workshop, a friendship began that lasted 42 years. She took on the ambitious job of personal assistant to her friend and housemate, Kathy. Fearful of being shut away in a nursing home or forced into an institution, they escaped the system. Determined to live independent, noninstitutionalized lives and to earn more than menial wages at a sheltered workshop, Diana and Kathy moved to Springfield, built a house and successfully integrated into the community. The relationship between Diana and Kathy was documented in a film called Body and Soul that is described as:

"Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy, a PBS award winning film, looks at an unusual, symbiotic relationship between two people some would call profoundly disabled. In the film, two of the country's most remarkable advocates for people with disabilities, Diana Braun, who has Down Syndrome, and Kathy Conour, who has cerebral palsy, met three decades ago and vowed to fight to live independent lives. Told in an intimate, verite style, the film is a story of a compelling, creative friendship."

This film has inspired countless audience members by telling a story of determination and courage that led to two women living life on their terms. Kathy passed away in 2009, but Diana has carried the legacy of self-advocacy on. Diana and Kathy paved the way for disability rights to be seen as human rights, and as such, were awarded with an Illinois Human Rights Commission award in 2005.

Katherine McLaughlin, M.Ed., CSE is a national expert and trains individuals, staff, and parents on sexuality and developmental disabilities. She teaches sexuality education to people with DD/ID as well as trains them to be peer sexuality educators themselves. Katherine is the author of an agency and school curriculum: Sexuality Education for People with Developmental Disabilities, and has developed two online courses; one to train professionals, Developmental Disability and Sexuality 101, and one for parents: Talking to Your Kids: Developmental Disabilities and Sexuality. Katherine has spent her career trying to elevate the status of all people, which is why the new name for her growing company is Elevatus Training.
[Going Upstream: How to Get Legislation Passed in Support of Sexuality Ed image  4 images of the presenters Brian Kelmar Teresa Parks Diana Braun Katherine McLaughlin]

Erin Prangley
Director, Policy
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
1825 K Street, NW, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20006
(202)506-5813 x104