SOHP hosts Disability Awareness Conference January 2025!

By School of Health Professions | Apr 9, 2025

Disability is a concept often misunderstood by both the public and healthcare providers, leading to gaps in services to individuals with disabilities. In the United States, nearly 1 in 3 people live with a disability, according to recent CDC data. This conference aims to (1) increase awareness of current efforts at Downstate related to disability and (2) explore contemporary perspectives on disability, promoting better understanding and service delivery.

Opening Remarks (1:00-1:05pm) – Jamie Grecco, JD, Senior Vice President/Chief of Staff

Definition and Models of Disability (1:05-1:20pm) - Dr. Allen Lewis, School of Health Professions (SOHP) Dean

Attitudes: Reframing Perspectives in Service Delivery (1:20-1:45pm) - Dr. Brigitte Desport, SOHP Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives

Interventions to Improve Individual Functioning with Disability: Restoration vs. Adaptation (1:45-2:00pm) - Dr. Allen Lewis, SOHP Dean

What is Happening at Downstate Related to Disability (2:00-3:00pm) (Representatives from Physical Therapy - Dr. Puneet Dhaliwal, Assistant Professor; Occupational Therapy – Dr. Vikram Pagpatan, Assistant Professor and Admissions Coordinator; Applied Behavior Analysis – Dr. Jason Vladescu, Chair of ABA program; Department of Psychiatry - Dr. Jeremy Copland; Leadership Education Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) grant/COM/Pediatrics – Dr. Harris Huberman; Human Resources – Zachery Durkin, MSM, Assistant Director of the Office of Employee and Labor Relations; and Office of Student Affairs – Patricia Napolitano, MS Ed, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs; Moderator - Dr. Efekona Nuwere, Chair of SOHP Occupational Therapy Program [15 minutes for Q&A]

Each panelist has 5 minutes maximum to (a) introduce yourself and (b) state how disability relates to the area/unit/division you represent. The moderator will introduce the panel topic, ensure each panelist only uses 5 minutes, and facilitate any Q&A that ensues after the final panelist speaks.

Break (3:00-3:15pm)

Contemporary Perspectives on Disability (3:15-4:15pm) (Dr. John O'Neill - Director of the Kessler Foundation for Rehabilitation Research and Employment in NJ; Dr. Susanne Bruyere - Academic Director of the Yang and Tan Institute on Employment and Disability, Cornell University in Ithaca, NY; Self-advocate Perspective - Mabel Martinez-Almonte, OTR/L, MA., MHC, NCC, CFPS, CYMHS, ECDCS, MHFA for Adults and Children - The Mental Health Taskforce, NYSOTA Community of Practice; Family Member Perspective - Dr. Shushawna DeOliveira, SOHP Associate Dean for Program Operations and Quality; Moderator: Dr. Allen Lewis, SOHP Dean [15 minutes for Q&A]

Each panelist has 10 minutes to (a) introduce yourself and (b) discuss your key contemporary perspective on disability. The moderator will introduce the panel topic, ensure each panelist only uses 10 minutes, and facilitate any Q&A that ensues after the final panelist speaks.

Closing Remarks and Next Steps (4:15-4:30pm) - Dr. Allen Lewis, SOHP Dean

*Conference sponsored by the Downstate Office of Marketing and Communications and the School of Health Professions

Tags: Conference, Disability Awareness Conference, Disability, School of Health Professions