The Conference Program

• > Thursday 25 Nov
• > Friday 26 Nov

Conference delegates can listen to, participate in, and discuss presentations or workshops about;

• Current research.
• Service provision.
• Professional issues in disability support work.

Disability Support Workers may also wish to present a paper at the conference.

See the 'Call for Papers' form on this website for details.

Keynote Speakers: -

The keynote speakers confirmed so far are;

• Dr Sheryl Larson (USA) currently works with a team from the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota. She conducts research, training and delivers technical assistance on issues of staff recruitment and retention.
• Dr Christopher Newell will also be a keynote speaker delivering an address under the theme: "Narrating disability in Australia: Moving the other to us". Dr Newell is Associate Professor in Medical Ethics within the School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, teaching at undergraduate level and supervising post-graduate research. As a consultant, Dr Newell specializes in the provision of training and advice in the areas of human services and ethics.

Workshops

Delegates will be able to participate in workshops that explore a number of issues that affect the lives of people with disabilities and are of interest to support workers. The workshops will provide delegates with the opportunity to learn new skills, explore ideas, and get feedback on practice issues.

Papers

Papers will be presented on issues of critical importance to disability support workers and people with disabilities. The papers will be of half hour duration and will provide an opportunity to discuss issues or share information in a public forum.

Presenters will include disability support workers, service users, service providers, educators, and researchers.

Topics Covered in the Conference

A diverse range of topics and issues will be covered in the conference. This range ensures that the needs and interests of support workers across the disability sector will be met.

Workshops and papers may include topics such as:

• Advocacy
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Communication
• Community Access
• Counselling
• Dual Disability
• Recent development in policy and practice
• Human Relations and Sexuality
• Person centred planning and action
• Positive Behaviour Support
• Psychiatric Disability
• Working with families

Hours

Registration is open each day at 8.00am. After this most people can expect to be at the venue until 5.00pm. Some people choose to meet up after the conclusion of the conference each day. This is at the discretion of the delegate.