*** Submit your proposal online ***

The 20th Annual National APSE Conference will take place from June 30 - July 2, 2009 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The APSE conference focuses exclusively on facilitating integrated employment outcomes for people with significant disabilities. This year, Milwaukee will be the place to share their knowledge and expertise on the latest and best innovations related to employment!

• Come network and celebrate with other APSE members from across the country as our conference turns 20!
• Join together to make APSE the national membership organization on employment!
• We can make "Employment for All" a reality!

Presentations are encouraged on a wide range of topics within eight theme tracks related to improving and expanding integrated employment opportunities, services, and outcomes. If you wish to submit a conference proposal, please review the descriptions for the themes, and submit a proposal according to the instructions provided. The submission deadline is February 12, 2010.

Presenter Requirements

• All presentations must support APSE’s mission to improve and expand integrated employment opportunities, services, and outcomes for persons experiencing disabilities.
• Presenters should have the ability to present their material in ways that engages the audience and promote learning among the attendees.
• As a membership organization focused on advocacy, APSE has limited resources, and is unable to pay for travel, speaker or registration fees for conference presenters. If your presentation is accepted, you must register for the conference.
• All presenters must be APSE members at the time of the conference. If you’re not an APSE member, check out all the great benefits of membership at: http://www.apse.org/members/join.cfm, or call 804-278-9187.
• Presenters are responsible for bringing and/or covering the costs of audiovisual equipment used during their sessions.

Theme Tracks

• Job Development and Marketing - Suggested session topics: a) Job development during tough economic times; b) Expanding beyond traditional and typical jobs; c) Speaking the employer’s language: “You say accommodation I say supporting productivity”; d) Strategies for accessing employment in federal, state and local government; e) Use of social networking technology for job development; f) Being systematic and strategic in job development activities; g) High growth, emerging sectors, green jobs: making sure people with disabilities are at the table; h) Labor market trends and utilizing labor market information; i) Dealing with on-line applications and testing; j) Cross-agency job development strategies; do they make sense?; k) The challenge of ex-offender issues; l) Employer & service provider open discussion
• Consumer, Family and Self-Advocacy - Suggested session topics: a) Understanding your service options; b) Choosing a quality service provider; c) Taking charge of your employment services and supports; d) Your employee rights and responsibilities; e) Getting serious about employment: real wages, not just a supplement to benefits; f) Families as essential partners; h) Effective consumer advocacy for a pro-employment agenda and policies; i) Spreading the pro-employment message among your peers
• Transition from School to Adult Life - Suggested session topics: a) Best practices in creating employment experiences during high school; b) College and other post-secondary options leading to employment; c) Transition: Why is success so difficult?; d) How do we get schools to focus on employment?; e) Adopting UDL principles in transition planning; f) Transition: Rethinking the whole process; e) Accessing general career and technical education
• Public Policy and Funding - Suggested session topics: a) Funding options for employment supports; b) Employment First: Real change or a passing fad?; c) Effective public policy advocacy; d) The ADA at 20: Where it stands; e) Getting the system unstuck; f) The case for community employment as cost effective
• Quality Service Delivery - Suggested session topics: a) Raising expectations: part-time work and staying on benefits isn’t good enough; b) Integrating individuals within general job training to expand work skills; c) Behavior issues: not an employment barrier; d) Employment success for individuals who stretch the limits; e) Building the service system of the future; f) Solving the transportation challenge; g) Accommodations and assistive technology: is lack of staff knowledge and creativity getting in the way?; h) Self-employment: examples of best practices; i) Self-employment: are people really earning a living?; j) Job coaching: recognizing the complexity; k) Quality post-placement supports; l) Moving organizations from facility to community-based employment
• Leadership and Personal Development - Suggested session topics: a) Ensuring integral roles for job seekers in services: can we do better?; b) Community employment as a choice: discussion & debate; c) Responding to the needs of diverse populations; d) Strengthening the direct service workforce; e) The 21st century workplace: working across generations; f) Building an APSE chapter; g) Our future leaders: where will they come from?; i) People with most significant disabilities: are they being forgotten?; j) Core employment values and beliefs: what are they, how do we integrate them, how do we make sure they aren’t forgotten; k) Integrating a strong employment focus within professional pre-service education
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse - Suggested session topics: a) Evidence-based practices; b) Dealing with ambivalence about going to work; c) Working with veterans with mental health issues; d) Creating a pro-employment culture; e) Disclosure of psychiatric disabilities in the workplace; f) Using a peer support model

Session Format and Length

Sessions may use a variety of formats, including lecture with questions and answers, panel discussion, and cracker barrel/open discussion. APSE encourages sessions that actively engage participants, including sessions that are facilitated open discussions on important topics that do not necessarily include a formal presentation. Presentation guidelines and tips will be provided with session acceptance letters. Sessions can be either 60 or 90 minutes.

Submission Instructions

To submit a presentation proposal, please complete the Call for Presentations on-line application. While submission of responses on-line is preferred, individuals may also complete the Call for Presentations response form, and submit the form by email or U.S. mail. Information to be included in the response:

1. Session title, presenters, target audience, session format, length, theme track.
2. Abstract for conference program (150 word limit). Please remember this is your marketing piece, and should be worded in a way that generates interest in attending your session.
3. A list of 3 to 5 learning objectives. Examples of wording for learning objectives:
   • Increase knowledge of approaches to disclosure and accommodation request.
   • Identify effective placement strategies for individuals with more significant disabilities.
   • Enhance strategies for ensuring that placements reflect individual interests and preferences.
4. A session description (maximum 500 words) that expands the information in the session description. This description may include an outline of the information to be presented, ways the presentation supports expansion of employment in integrated settings for persons with disabilities, strategies for engaging the audience, and any other information you feel may be useful in evaluating your proposal.
5. A resume, CV or a short biography – maximum 200 words, for each presenter.

While submitting on-line is preferred, if you are not submitting your proposal on-line, it may be emailed to: david.hoff@umb.edu or sent via U.S. mail to:

David Hoff
Institute for Community Inclusion
University of Massachusetts
100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125

If you have questions or need assistance in preparing your response to the Call for Presentations, please contact David Hoff at: 617-287-4308 (voice); 617-287-4350 (TTY); david.hoff@umb.edu

The submission deadline is February 12, 2010.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the quality of the proposed presentation, and the presentations support for APSE’s mission and values. The conference program committee will review all proposals and notify lead presenters by March 12, 2010.