PASADENA — The nonprofit organization Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California (APIDC) will host a special statewide conference on Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19, at the Pasadena Westin Hotel, 191 N. Los Robles Ave.
The conference celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The purpose of the conference will be to help support the hard-to-reach, fast-growing Asian Pacific communities.
This two-day conference will include speakers, youth role models, panel discussions, resource tables, and parent and consumer networking. The panel discussions will focus on topics such as autism, the Affordable Care Act, civil rights in employment and transportation, government benefits, independent living, college supportive services, mental health, and transition to adulthood.
The APIDC conference brings together consumers, families, agency representatives and advocates to identify effective mechanisms for delivering culturally competent resources to Asian and Pacific Islander families. A key component of the conferences has been to explore ways to educate not only API families on how to improve access to empowering resources, but also to educate health and service providers on the specific barriers facing APIs with disabilities, and to ensure the provision of culturally competent service delivery systems.
Co-sponsored by numerous agencies and community-based organizations throughout Southern California, the conference will be attended by a wide range of professionals, including social service agencies, representatives from the education field, attorneys and health care providers, consumers and families.
Corporate sponsors include the California Community Foundation, Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, California Wellness Foundation, Edison International, AT&T, Southern California Gas Company, Pacific ADA Center, Molina Healthcare and Care 1st.
APIDC’s goal is to bridge the service and cultural barriers that APIs with disabilities and their families may face. It acts as a network to connect disabilities organizations with API communities, API individuals with disabilities, and their families. (www.apidisabilites.net) For more information, contact Akiko Koh at (626) 321-6340 or apidc.conference@gmail.com. Early registration is encouraged and scholarships are available.