Access Rec Boston: Fall Conference, Tuesday October 27th

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Join us for a day of networking, learning and community building! Meet other professionals who understand the unique challenges and opportunities to providing recreation programs for people with disabilities and participate in sessions that apply to the work you do!

When: Tuesday, October 27th
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

at Special Olympics Massachusetts, Yawkey Sports Training Center
512 Forest St. Marlborough, MA**

Click here to register!

ATRA Pre-Approved CEUs available

Access Rec 2015 Members*: $30
Non-Members: $60
Students: $20

Not yet a member? Join here
*Remember, Organizational members can send up to three staff at the member rate!

Keynote: Valerie Fletcher
Executive Director, Institute for Human Centered Design

valerieValerie Fletcher has been Executive Director since 1998 of the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD).  Fletcher writes, lectures and works internationally. She generates opportunities for IHCD and has broad oversight of all consulting and design services. She created the IHCD User/Expert Lab which has over 200 people engaged in the evaluation of places, products and services. Her research focus is integrated social and environmentally sustainable solutions for multifamily housing, healthcare, culture, workplaces, and the public realm.

Fletcher’s career has been divided between design and public mental health and she is the former Deputy Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health where she oversaw the largest participatory planning process ever undertaken in a state mental health system.  She was Principal of Fletcher Studio Design from 1978-1985.

She is a Special Advisor on Inclusive Design to the Open Society Institute and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and Councilor for the International Association for Universal Design (IAUD) in Japan. She recently completed an international universal design benchmarking project for the government of Singapore and is creating a website on accessibility and universal design for the US National Endowment for the Arts.  Fletcher has a master’s degree in ethics and public policy from Harvard University.  The Boston Society of Architects awarded her the Women in Design award in 2005. She co-chairs the Design Industry Group of Massachusetts.

 

 Opening Session: “The Art of the Schmooze” with Robbie Samuels, MSW

robbieForming and cultivating relationships is at the heart of any successful fundraising campaign, volunteer drive, committee effort or community building activity. This workshop will benefit anyone that wants to sharpen their in person networking skills or share their successful techniques: community members, seasoned fund-raising professionals, board members, senior management, grassroots organizers and anyone that wants to create welcoming community spaces. This workshop will benefit both introverts and extroverts by sharing practical tips on ways to engage someone in a conversation, keep it rolling, exchange information and wrap up, along with many other important techniques to cultivate and grow new networks.

A common thread is the concept that we have a role personally in helping make a space welcoming to a diverse membership and that there are specific ways body language and spoken language affects our ability to do that. 10 minutes will be set aside so participants can practice by networking with their fellow attendees. Afterward we’ll review where participants felt stuck and seek answers from each other.

 

Afternoon Breakout Sessions:

Supporting Individuals with Autism

Presented by Board Certified Behavior Analysts from Advances Learning Center, this session will provide attendees with simple, evidenced-based methods to enhance their work with people with autism. Underlying principles of Applied Behavior Analysis will be discussed and attendees will have the opportunity to collaborate on how these principles are at play in their work settings. Attendees will learn strategies to increase participation and arrange incidental opportunities for student success.

Innovative Adaptive Equipment: A panel discussion

Learn how this panel of creative individuals develop equipment solutions that increase access to recreation. Through imaginative recycling, low-tech approaches, creative design processes and innovative re-use of high tech equipment, these individuals have each found new ways to open recreation to people with disabilities. You will learn how to make simple adaptations to equipment you have on hand, creative ways to find the partners you need to access the technology and expertise needed to get your idea built, and new ways of thinking about adaptive equipment and why it is something within everyone’s reach.

All About Financial Statements

This session will provide an overview of “GAAP” financial statements, internal financial statements, and tax teturns, including best practices on preparing them. Come away with the ability to understand an entity’s financial strength or weakness based on reviewing a financial balance sheet, understand what outsiders are looking at when they review your financial statements, and prepare best practices internal financials that are useful to the organization.

 

Schedule at a Glance:
  • Registration & Networking 8:30-9:00 a.m.
  • Opening session 9:00-11:45 p.m.
  • Lunch 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
  • Keynote 12:45-2:00
  • Break 2:00-2:15 p.m
  • Afternoon sessions 2:15-3:45 p.m.
  • Wrap Up 3:45-4:00 p.m.

*The American Therapeutic Recreation Association has approved .45 CEUs for this opportunity. Certificates of Attendance will also be available.

**Ample, free parking is available. A shuttle will be provided from the MBTA Southborough Commuter Rail station before and after the conference. Please email Chenine at chenine@accessrecboston.org no later than Friday, October 23rd if you would like to utilize the shuttle.  

The Access Rec Spring Conference is sponsored by:

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