Academics

Disability Rights & Inclusion: The 3rd Annual Conference

Thursday, March 12 - Friday, March 13, 2026
In person at Touro Law and Online via Zoom

The conference, hosted by Touro's Jewish Law Institute, will bring together an exceptional group of national and international experts who will provide deep insights into the most pressing issues facing the disability community. These distinguished speakers will guide participants through innovative approaches, critical lessons learned, and strategic recommendations for promoting disability rights and inclusion across various sectors.

Conference Accommodations
Please contact us at tlccle@touro.edu for more information about or to arrange accommodations.

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services are available for in-person and virtual attendees in need of live captioning of spoken speech.

Hotel Information
Arrangements have been made at a nearby Marriott for conference speakers and guests to receive rooms at a discounted rate. You can make reservations here.

CLE Credit
A total of 13.5 credits are available for practicing attorneys who attend this full conference.

  • Day 1: 7.5 total credits: 4.5 Ethics and Professionalism and 3 Areas of Professional Practice credits
  • Day 2: 6 credits total in Areas of Professional Practice

Attorneys wishing to attend CLE courses at or through Touro Law Center may apply for tuition assistance.
Non-profit organizations, caregivers, and Touro staff, student, and faculty discounts are also available.
For more information, please contact tlccle@touro.edu or call (631) 761-7006.


Thank you to our conference sponsors:

Dr. Basil Guralnick Bernstein Tzedakah Fund, Walmart, Inc., Eyemmersive, Ira and Andy Raphaelson Charitable Fund, Center for Community Inclusion, HD Sunflower USA Corp, Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, TeachAbility Publishing, Touro Law's Disabled & Allied Law Students Association (DALSA), Touro Law Review


CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Thursday, March 12, 2026 (Day 1)

8:30 a.m. — Breakfast

9:00 a.m. — Welcome

  • Elena B. Langan, JD, Dean and Professor of Law, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center
  • Samuel J. Levine, JD, LLM, Director of the Jewish Law Institute and Professor of Law and  Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center (Conference Organizer)

9:15 a.m. — Employment  

This panel will explore how modernizing recruitment and employment practices can increase accessibility, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and advance justice for individuals with sensory disabilities and neurodivergence.

  • Dominick Bruno, Vice President of People & Culture, Aspiritech
  • Laila Wendy Chouinard, Coordinator of Curriculum and Training, Helen Keller National Center
  • Joseph Melillo, National Employer & Business Relations Specialist, Helen Keller National Center
  • Jedzeidy Cruz, Business Consultant, Voya Financial, Neurodiversity Advocate, and Founder of a Workplace Neurodiversity Support Group

  • MODERATOR: Michelle Zakarin, JD, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Legal Process, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

10:15 a.m. — Self-Advocacy 

This panel examines self-advocacy through personal and familial perspectives, highlighting how individuals navigate identity, disability, and disclosure in both life and work. Through lived experiences, it explores the power, challenges, and impact of speaking openly about disability to foster understanding, dignity, and inclusion.

  • John Kelly, JD '24, Assistant Town Attorney, Town of Brookhaven
  • Owen Kelly, Self-Advocate
  • Bret Parker, JD, Executive Director of the New York City Bar Association; Co-Chair of the Patient Council of the Michael J. Fox Foundation

  • MODERATOR: Cara Dagostino, JD, Assistant Dean for Academic Excellence & Bar Success and Assistant Professor of Law, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

11:00 a.m. — Judicial Perspectives  

This panel offers judicial perspectives on disability rights, access to justice, and the role of courts in addressing barriers faced by people with disabilities. These distinguished justices draw on their experience from federal and state courts and discuss how disability issues arise in litigation, judicial decision-making, and the broader pursuit of equity within the legal system.

  • The Honorable Joseph F. Bianco, United States Circuit Judge, United States Circuit Court for the Second Circuit
  • The Honorable Rachel E. Freier, Supreme Court Justice, Kings County Supreme Court, Civil Term
  • The Honorable Loretta A. Preska, Senior United States District Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

  • MODERATOR: Myra Berman, JD LLM, Associate Dean for Experiential Learning & Special Programs and Associate Professor of Law, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

11:45 a.m. — Law and Society (I)

This panel examines how personal identity and mental health shape legal education, practice, and policy. It addresses the legal and ethical complexities of involuntary commitment while highlighting how firsthand experience can inform more humane and responsive legal systems.

  • Michael Gilberg, JD, Attorney-at-Law
  • Rob Sanchez, JD, CEO/Founder, MouthMedia Network and Board Secretary, Autism Communities

  • MODERATOR: Tiffany Graham, Associate Dean for Campus Engagement and Associate Professor of Law, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

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

In this keynote address, Joel Elder Robison draws on his personal journey as an autistic adult to explore how society understands—and often misunderstands—neurological differences.

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

1:30 p.m. — Law and Society (II)

This panel examines how disability reshapes concepts of justice, rights, and belonging across legal, professional, and societal contexts. It explores reframing barriers as pathways to inclusion, recognizing spiritual care as a dimension of disability rights, and addressing access and belonging within legal institutions.

  • Chasity Bailey, JD, Associate Counsel: Corporate Transactions, Dominion Energy
  • Lucia Ann Silecchia, JD, Professor of Law, The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law
  • Alon H. Sugarman, JD, Litigation Associate Attorney, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

  • MODERATOR: Deseriee Kennedy, JD, LLM, Professor of Law, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

2:30 p.m. — Education  

This panel explores how educational institutions and communities can foster meaningful inclusion by examining pedagogical practices and cultural contexts. Drawing on perspectives from Finnish vocational education and Jewish religious and communal life, these presentations highlight strategies for providing effective feedback and inclusive learning environments for individuals with disabilities.

  • Evelyn Ansah Karkkulainen, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher in Educational Sciences (Special Education), University of Eastern Finland
  • Jeff Lichtman, PhD, Director, Student Mental Health Services; Assistant Professor and Lucille Weidman Program Chair, Jewish Childhood Education and Special Education, Graduate School of Education; Assistant Professor, Education, Lander College of Arts and Sciences, Touro University
  • Ruth Pack-Adler, JD, Education Attorney, Abdour Weiker, LLP

  • MODERATOR: Melina A. Healey, JD, Director of Clinical Programs and Associate Clinical Professor of Law, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

3:30 p.m. —  Services and Supports 

This panel examines how support services can be strengthened through investment, evidence-based practice, and centering lived experience. It addresses the role of philanthropy, participatory research with individuals with autism, and data-driven strategies for managing ADHD to improve mental health, daily functioning, and long-term outcomes.

  • Dorollo Nixon, Jr., JD, Owner and Principal Attorney, Nixon Disability Law  
  • Stephen M. Shore, EdD, Clinical Associate Professor, The School of Education, Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences, Adelphi University 
  • Veronica (Ronnie) Weinert, JD, OTD, OTR/L, Legal Fellow and Occupational Therapist, Clinical Law Center, University of Notre Dame

  • MODERATOR: Rivka Molinsky, PhD, OTR/L, ADAC, Professor and Associate Dean of Students and Innovation, The School of Health Sciences, Touro University

4:30 p.m. — Artistic Presentations  

This panel explores how artistic expression can challenge societal perceptions of disability and create shared understanding across neurodiverse experiences. Through music and film, the presentations examine art as a powerful, universal medium for reframing disability and fostering cultural change.

  • Joel Felsenstein, Founder & CEO, RockstarX  
  • Isaac Zablocki, Co-Founder and CEO, ReelAbilities Film Festival

  • MODERATOR: Rebecca Feinberg, JD, Distinguished Chair in Health Law, Bioethics & Policy and Associate Professor of Law, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

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

Hardeep Rai shares powerful insights drawn from his personal and professional experience as the founder and CEO of an international company that exclusively invests in disabled people with great business ideas.

  • Hardeep Rai, Founder & CEO, The Kaleidoscope Group

Friday, March 13, 2026 (Day 2)


8:30 a.m. — Breakfast

9:00 a.m. — Welcome

  • Samuel J. Levine, JD, LLM, Director of the Jewish Law Institute and Professor of Law and  Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center (Conference Organizer)

9:05 a.m. — Religion 

This panel examines the intersection of religion, disability rights, and legal obligation, with a focus on how faith-based institutions navigate responsibilities to individuals with disabilities. The presentations explore access to religious education, tuition equity, and the broader tension between individual rights and communal duties within religious frameworks.

  • Solange Captan, JD, Founding Member & President, Solange Captan Legal P.C.  
  • Rabbi Itamar Rosensweig, PhD, Professor of Jewish Law and Jurisprudence, Yeshiva University and Rabbinic Judge, the Beth Din of America

  • MODERATOR: Rena Seplowitz, JD, Bruce K. Gould Distinguished Professor of Law and Faculty Advisor to Touro Law Review, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

9:45 a.m. — International Perspectives 

This panel brings an international lens to disability inclusion by examining how institutions can move beyond misconceptions to create practical, empowering supports for individuals with disabilities and neurodivergence. Through diverse perspectives, the presenters highlight innovative, lived-experience–driven approaches to building more inclusive systems worldwide.

  • Eugene Nivorozhkin, PhD, Associate Professor in Finance, University College London
  • Selvakumar Ramachandran, PhD, President & CEO, Eyemmersive, Inc. 
  • Tamar Schapira, Co-Founder/CEO, SenseIT; Board of Directors, Accessibility Accelerator

  • MODERATOR: Cynara Hermes McQuillan, JD, Associate Professor of Law, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

11:00 a.m. — Cultural and Societal Perspectives (I)

This panel explores how cultural norms, organizational practices, and legal frameworks shape the lived experience of those with disabilities in professional and academic settings. The presentations highlight personal perspectives on practicing law with dyslexia as well as how leadership-driven inclusion, accommodation structures, and individualized legal approaches lead to systemic change and dignity-centered inclusion.

  • Salomon Chiquiar-Rabinovich, JD, Founder, Salomón Chiquiar-Rabinovich Esq LLC; Chair, Attorneys with Disabilities & Their Allies, Hispanic National Bar Association  
  • Doron Dorfman, JSD, Professor of Law, Seton Hall Law School; Affiliate, Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School 
  • Adam M. Samaha, JD, Inez Milholland Professor of Civil Liberties, New York University School of Law
  • Maxwell Stearns, JD, Venable, Baetjer & Howard Professor of Law, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law

  • MODERATOR: Rodger Citron, JD, Associate Dean for Research & Scholarship and Professor of Law, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

12:15 p.m. — Lunch and Keynote Address 

This keynote focuses on resilience, advocacy, and systemic change in the face of barriers experienced by people with disabilities.

  • The Honorable Richard Bernstein, Associate Justice, Michigan Supreme Court

1:00 p.m. — Cultural and Societal Perspectives (II)

This panel examines cultural and societal forces shaping disability through historical analysis, contemporary inclusion practices, and evolving human rights frameworks. The presentations address past abuses, the recognition of non-visible disabilities, identity and otherness, and how changing understandings of neurodiversity affect the rights of individuals diagnosed with autism.

  • James T. Fisher, PhD, Professor Emeritus of American Studies and Theology, Fordham University  
  • Lynn Smith, Hidden Disabilities Program Director, USA, HD Sunflower Program  
  • Aviam Soifer, JD, Emeritus Professor, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mãnoa
  • Moish Tov, CEO, JoyDew Foundation

  • MODERATOR: Jorge R. Roig, JD, Associate Professor of Law and Director of Neighborhood Programs, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

2:15 p.m. — Closing Remarks

  • Samuel J. Levine, JD, LLM, Director of the Jewish Law Institute and Professor of Law and  Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center (Conference Organizer)

Thank you to our conference sponsors!

  • Dr. Basil Guralnick BernsteinTzedakah Fund
  • Walmart, Inc.
  • Eyemmersive
  • Ira and Andy Raphaelson Charitable Fund
  • Center for Community Inclusion
  • HD Sunflower USA Corp
  • Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP
  • TeachAbility Publishing
  • Touro Law's Disabled & Allied Law Students Association (DALSA)
  • Touro Law Review

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