Disability Rights Conference
About
March 6-7, 2025
In-person & Virtual
ABOUT THIS CONFERENCE
The conference brought together thought leaders from across the United States and around the world to assess the current state of disability rights and inclusion, explore innovative programs and approaches, consider lessons learned, and develop strategies and recommendations for promoting disability rights and inclusion across a variety of settings.
The conference speakers included researchers and scholars representing a wide range of disciplines, lawyers and advocates, communal and organizational leaders, employers, service providers, and educators. Many of the speakers shared their perspectives as individuals with disabilities, family, friends, and caregivers.
The conference was organized in partnership with Touro Law Center's Jewish Law Institute.
View/Download the Program
CONFERENCE VIDEOS
DAY ONE:
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Elena B. Langan, Dean and Professor of Law, Touro Law Center
Samuel J. Levine, Professor of Law and Director, Jewish Law Institute, Touro Law Center
Employment I
Laila Wendy Chouinard, Coordinator of Curriculum and Training, Helen Keller National Center -- Enhancing Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion for Individuals with Vision and Hearing Loss and the DeafBlind Community
Debra R. Comer, Ph.D., Mel Weitz Distinguished Professor in Business, Zarb School of Business, Hofstra University -- Countering Neuronormativity in the Workplace
MODERATOR: Tiffany Graham, Associate Dean for Campus Engagement and Associate Professor of Law, Touro Law Center
Employment II
Christine Ponzio, M.S.Ed., Executive Director Winters Center for Autism -- Employment and Autism: Bridging the Gap
Dr. Eugene Nivorozhkin, Associate Professor in Finance at University College London (UCL), SSEES -- Balancing Mandatory and Enabling Laws for Neurodiversity Inclusion: Insights from Finance and Jewish Tradition
Bret Parker, Esq., Executive Director, New York City Bar Association -- When Invisible Disability Hits Mid-Career – Going From Secrecy to Doing Epic Stuff
MODERATOR: Deseriee Kennedy, Professor of Law, Touro Law Center
Keynote Address I
Delivered by John Elder Robison, Neurodiversity Scholar, College of William & Mary; New York Times bestselling author of Look Me in the Eye
Education
Christian Killoran, Esq., Killoran Law, PC -- Roadblocks for Inclusion of Disabled Students Within the General Education Setting
Evelyn Ansah Karkkulainen, Doctoral Researcher, University of Eastern Finland, Department of Special Needs Education -- Experiences of Feedback Methods Among Students with Learning Difficulties in Finnish Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Dr. Jeff Lichtman, Director, Graduate Jewish Education / Special Education; Director, Student Mental Health Services, Touro University -- Universities & Students With Disabilities 2025: Where Are We, Where Are They?
MODERATOR: Melina Healey, Director of Clinical Programs and Associate Clinical Professor of Law
Cultural & Societal Perspectives I
James Fisher, Professor Emeritus of American Studies and Theology, Fordham University -- Elizabeth Kite and the Feeble-Minded Menace
Roger J. Jou, MD, MPH, PhD, Instructor of Clinical Child Psychiatry, Yale Child Study Center -- Cultural Autism Studies at Yale: Transformation into a Transformative Digital Movement
Randy Lee, Professor of Law, Widener University Commonwealth Law School -- Wrestling with Rights, Inclusion, Disability, and Miraculous Expectations
MODERATOR: Rodger Citron, Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship and Professor of Law, Touro Law Center
Cultural & Societal Perspectives II
Joel Felsenstein, Founder & CEO of RockstarX and Artist —Neurodiversity and Creativity
Adam M. Samaha, Inez Milholland Professor of Civil Liberties, New York University School of Law -- Disability Labels, Attitudes, and Action
Ron Sandison, Professor of Theology, Destiny School of Ministry --Brilliance of Autism: Utilizing Our Talents to Impact the World
Isaac Zablocki, CEO and Co-founder of ReelAbilities Film Festival--Reframing Disability: Film Changing Perception and Culture
MODERATOR: Rebecca Feinberg, Distinguished Chair in Health Law, Bioethics and Policy and Associate Professor of Law, Touro Law Center
Keynote Address II
Delivered by Hardeep Rai, Founder & CEO, The Kaleidoscope Group -- Disability: A Different Dimension
DAY TWO
Welcome & Law and Society Session
WELCOME
Samuel J. Levine, Professor of Law and Director, Jewish Law Institute, Touro Law Center
LAW & SOCIETY
Jon J. Lee, Associate Professor of Law, University of Oklahoma College of Law -- Speech Disfluency in the Legal Profession
Crystal DeVoss Mahany, MA, MPS, Adjunct Faculty | Paralegal Studies, College of Professional Studies, The George Washington University -- Statutory Support to Require Law Enforcement Training on Interactions With Individuals With Intellectual & Communicative Disabilities
Kate Pollack, M.Ed, M.S., Researcher, Activating Change -- Disability and Poverty Prior to Incarceration: A Foray into the Data and Stories Prior to Incarceration
MODERATOR: Myra Berman, Associate Dean for Experiential Learning & Special Programs and Associate Professor of Law, Touro Law Center
Services and Supports
Rob Sanchez, Esq., Board Member, Autism Communities -- Financial Limitations on People With Disabilities, Their Origin and Ways to Push for Change
Stephen Mark Shore, Ed.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Special Education, Adelphi University -- Senses and Sensibilities: An Inside View on Recognizing and Supporting Individuals with Sensory Challenges
Ziv Tirosh, Co-Founder & CEO, Pluro -- Web Accessibility: A Never Ending Story
Moish Tov, Founder, CEO & Chairman of the Board, JoyDew -- JoyDew: A Human-Rights Based Model for Adults with Autism
MODERATOR: Rivka Molinsky, Associate Dean of Students and Innovation, Touro School of Health Sciences
Religion & Closing Remarks
RELIGION:
Christina Jones, Associate Clinical Professor of Law & Director, Special Education Law Clinic
Notre Dame Law School -- Increasing Access to Private, Religious Education for Students with Disabilities
Jessica Lee, PhD Candidate in Church History and Historical Theology, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary -- Perceiving God: On the Dynamics of Truth, Light, Knowledge, and Madness
Rabbi Shua Mermelstein, Esq., Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Congregation Talmud Torah—Adereth El
Rabbi Itamar Rosensweig, Professor of Jewish Law and Jurisprudence, Yeshiva University -- Equal Concern and Special Obligations
MODERATOR: Rena Seplowitz, Bruce K. Gould Distinguished Professor of Law, Touro Law Center
CLOSING REMARKS:
Samuel J. Levine, Professor of Law and Director, Jewish Law Institute, Touro Law Center
