We would like to thank everyone who attended our inaugural “Amplifying Voices of Disability” virtual day of learning on February 22! A unique program for IHD, this event was developed with input from IHD’s consumer advisory council (CAC) and focused on hearing directly from disability activists and self-advocates about the topics that matter most to them. The entire event was delivered via Zoom to ensure that the content would be available to anyone interested in attending, regardless of where they live or work.
Overall, 131 people registered for the event, some from as far away as West Virginia, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Montana, with each of the five sessions attracting about 100 virtual attendees. Importantly, almost 50% of attendees came from non-metropolitan areas in the U.S. – a group that is often underserved when it comes to training opportunities.
Based on participant feedback, the event was a great success: one attendee commented that they “loved all of the different presentations, the diversity of the presenters, the representation, and the compilation of information.” Another stated, “The speakers and content were fantastic and the topics were so well chosen. I appreciated how well they challenged us and taught us a great deal based on their background and education.”
Given the success of this inaugural voices of disability event, we plan to host similar virtual days of learning in the near future. Check out the IHD webpage for updates and information on upcoming events!