Those with disabilities, their families and community will tackle issues affecting people with disabilities and promote systemic change at the annual Voices That Count conference.
This is the 10th year for the conference, put on by the V.I. University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. It touches on an array of issues of importance to the disabled and their friends and families and allows residents a chance to interact with elected officials and government agency representatives.
Elected officials attend the conference and pay attention. In 2010, the conference raised the issue of home visitability, which ultimately prompted the V.I. Legislature to create tax benefits for retrofitting homes to be more accessible. (See related links below)
Attorney Haben Girma, the first deaf and blind student at Harvard Law School, will talk about her experiences in a keynote address. Business Insider magazine called Girma among the "21 Most Impressive Students at Harvard Law School” and the White House also recognized her as a Champion of Change. Girma graduated from law school this year and is currently employed as a Skadden Fellowship Attorney at Disability Rights Advocates in Berkeley, Calif.
The conference will be held on St. Thomas, Oct. 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the University of the Virgin Islands’ Administration and Conference Center and in St. Croix, Oct. 31, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the University of the Virgin Islands Great Hall.
There is no fee for the event but space is limited and registration is required. Register online at the VIUCEDD website or call 692-4265 or 692-4267 on St. Croix and 693-1322 or 693-1173 on St. Thomas for more information.
