We need your support!
Help Sponsor this Conference
Participants from across the California disability community
With this conference, Disability Voices United brings together the people most impacted by racial, ethnic, geographic disparities with advocates and professionals.
Past DVU conferences have welcomed hundreds of members of the disability community from all over California.
The conference will take place on a cutting-edge platform called Whova, which will allow attendees to experience as close to an in-person conference as possible. Whova enables attendees to listen to and interact with speakers and panels, network with others, and meet with sponsors and exhibitors in our virtual Expo.
Disparity has consequences
For decades, Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families report feeling discrimination based on who they are and where they live. These stories are backed up by the data, which show that people of color and in certain parts of the state experience:
- lengthier delays in diagnosis
- greater educational segregation and lower levels of graduation
- fewer regional center services but more fear and intimidation
- poorer health outcomes and higher mortality rates
Despite millions of dollars in state investments to eliminate these disparities, the goal of equity is not close to being achieved.
A focus on solutions
This conference will focus on addressing the chronic racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities affecting Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
We will discuss the systemic barriers and institutional biases within various systems, including regional centers, education, health care, and others. We will use personal stories and data to guide us.
The event will feature keynotes, panels, and breakout sessions where participants can work together to find solutions to these challenging issues. Attendees will share practical ideas and policy recommendations to make these systems fairer for everyone, regardless of their race and place.
We need your support
Your sponsorship helps the disability community come together to create solutions – and is a great opportunity for you to visibly engage with this community. Sponsorships provide multiple ways to highlight your organization before and during the conference.
Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, MD, PhD