Events

In this webinar you'll gain a clear understanding of the:
Key legal roles (Trustee, Agent, and Guardian)
Differences between Private Documents (like POAs and HIPAA releases) and Public Orders (like Guardianship)
Explain the critical roles of Wills, Trusts, and the Letter of Intent.

Come meet Providers and access Community Resources.

Learn about Project Spark Free program offering one-on-one guidance, services and tools to help people with an I/DD find a fulfilling job and thrive in their community

Learn about Employers Learn about Spark partner employers and available job opportunities

Community Resources Explore vocational rehabilitation services, Independent Living, Assistive Technology, and healthcare services. View a few of our vendors below!

A Quiet Room will be available for use by anyone who experiences sensory issues

Registration: Online or walk-in welcome

This Webinar session explores current employment outcomes for individuals with brain injury and places them within the broader national disability landscape. Participants will receive a practical overview of current employment data and national disability trends that promote job placement and retention. Attendees will also explore state and national resources developed specifically to support individuals with brain injury and gain concrete guidance to help navigate state vocational rehabilitation and other center systems, seek employment, and sustain meaningful work.

Empowering Youth Through STEAM, Surfing, and Self-Discovery
Dates: July 6 to July 31, 2026 | Location: Helen Keller National Center, New York
Ready to discover what you're capable of? HKNC's Summer Youth Vocational Program (SYVP)
helps youth explore careers through hands-on work experience at multiple job sites. You'll dive
into STEAM projects, experience activities like adaptive surfing, and develop self-advocacy skills,
all while discovering your strengths. SYVP is about exploration and possibility, giving you the
confidence and skills to shape your own future.
Program Highlights
● STEAM Activities: Engage in hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math
projects
● Adaptive Surfing: Combine physical activity with social-emotional learning, self-determination,
and career awareness
● Motivational Speakers: Hear inspiring stories from leaders and changemakers
● Self-Empowerment & Advocacy Workshops: Build confidence, communication, and
self-advocacy skills
● Work Experience: Participate in real-world job tasks and workplace readiness training
Come to NY and join your peers ages 16-24 from around the country to learn skills that lead to employment success, and to experience what NY can offer you. Enjoy a boat ride, treasure hunt, talent show, swimming, crafts, Dave & Buster’s, mall shopping, bowling, BBQ’s and NYC! It will be 4 memorable weeks over your summer!

Targeted Job Development (aka How to Know Where to Go to Look for Jobs That Make Sense).

We all know that individualized jobs are important for people with significant disabilities. But figuring out what would be good and then how to go find it can be overwhelming! This session will explore strategies of how to really apply the idea of personalized jobs. These strategies will lead the employment specialist to create a prioritized list of where to begin job development, who to contact and a name to get you in, what specific types of work you are seeking, and why you believe this company is a good fit for the individual. Network development, including who to invite into the conversation and how to do so, will also be included. These ideas are applicable in both urban and rural settings focusing the job development efforts on personal, direct relationships rather than impersonal "big box" strategies

This presentation will focus on how healthcare professionals and caregivers of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) can support them through the aging process, specifically when there are indicators of dementia present. Participants will learn about the aging process, including similarities and differences between neurotypical and neurodiverse populations. Special attention will be paid to differential diagnosis and diagnostic overshadowing of individuals with I/DD and dementia.