About

March 6-7, 2025
In-person & Virtual
Touro Law Center, 225 Eastview Drive, Central Islip, NY

CLE credit available 


ABOUT THIS CONFERENCE: 

The conference will bring 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 will include 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 will share their perspectives as individuals with disabilities, family, friends, and caregivers.

The conference is organized in partnership with Touro Law Center's Jewish Law Institute.

NYS CLE credit is available to participating attorneys.

REGISTRATION:

In-Person registration - CLE credit included: $125
Virtual registration for CLE credit: $30
Virtual registration without CLE credit: FREE

 

HOTEL INFORMATION:

A special rate has been secured at the Marriott for conference participants. Please use this link to reserve your room.



CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Thursday, March 6, 2025 (Day 1)
9:00 a.m. – Breakfast

9:30 a.m. -- Welcome

  • 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
    (Conference Organizer)

9:45 a.m. -- Employment (I)

  • Salomon Chiquiar- Rabinovich, Esq., Chair, Attorneys with Disabilities & Allies Section, Hispanic National Bar Association --Harnessing Neuroinclusion: How to Incorporate Neurodiversity in Leading and Managing Change Organizational Strategies
  • 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

11:00 a.m. -- 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

12:30 p.m. -- Lunch and Keynote Address

  • John Elder Robison, Neurodiversity Scholar, College of William & Mary; New York Times bestselling author of Look Me in the Eye

1:30 p.m. – 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?

2:45 p.m. -- Cultural and 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

4:00 p.m. -- Cultural and 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

5:30 p.m. -- Dinner and Keynote Address

  • Hardeep Rai, Founder & CEO, The Kaleidoscope Group -- Disability: A Different Dimension
    Friday, March 7, 2025 (Day 2)

Friday, March 7, 2025 (Day 2)

9:00 a.m. – Breakfast

9:30 a.m. -- Welcome

  • 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
    (Conference Organizer)

9:45 -- Law and 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

11:00 a.m. -- 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
  • Moish Tov, Founder, CEO & Chairman of the Board, JoyDew -- JoyDew: A Human-Rights Based Model for Adults with Autism

12:15 p.m.—Lunch and Keynote Address

  • Abdus Satar Dulal, UNESCAP Disability Rights Champion, Founder & Executive Director, Bangladesh Protibandhi Kallyan Somity (BPKS) -- Persons with Disabilities’ Self-Initiative to Development- PSID

1:15 p.m.-- 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

2:00 p.m.—Closing Remarks

  • Samuel J. Levine, Professor of Law and Director, Jewish Law Institute, Touro Law Center (Conference Organizer)

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE:

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