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Ashley Mathy

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Angela Marx, PhD

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Sydney Badeau

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Cindy Bentley

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Nathaniel Lentz

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

7:30 - 9:00 a.m. - Registration, Networking, and Breakfast

9:00 - 10:00 a.m. General Session 1, Welcome and Keynote

Keynote: Designing a Happy and Healthy Life - Africa West Ballroom

Are you ready to focus on what your brain and body need to be healthy and happy?

Join team members from People First Wisconsin and Place of Mind’s Dr. Angela Marx to learn about how people with disabilities and their allies benefit from making it a priority to “improve health and healing.” Discover how your mind works, how it responds to stress, and how to feel better. Learn from People First Wisconsin’s
self-advocate leaders about strategies that help them each day to design their lives their way.

Moderated by Ashley Mathy

Ashley is a Self-Advocate Leader with People First Wisconsin and the former Chair of Wisconsin's Board for People with Developmental Disabilities.

Tuesday Keynote Replay

10:00 - 10:45 a.m. Networking Break and Exhibitors

10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Really Good Learning Sessions

Building Disability Policy Leaders in Wisconsin

Learn how the Wisconsin Disability Policy Program supports disability leaders through hands-on policymaking. A current Fellow and Intern will share their experiences, skills gained, and impact, followed by a discussion. This session is ideal for those interested in a career in disability.

Room: Africa 10

Presenters: Sally Flaschberger, Matt Glowacki, and Jenny Price

Session Materials

Team Building & Leadership Activities to Create Meaningful & Inclusive Connections

Developing meaningful and purposeful connections to others is crucial to being a good self-advocate. Learn to connect to others while working on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Learning the value of connecting with others will increase your leadership skills and allow you to become career and community ready. This session will involve hands-on small and large group sessions to develop strong team-building and leadership skills focused on meaningful human connections.

Location: Africa 20

Presenters: Brian Kenney and Ashley Mathy

Session Materials

Caregiving for the Caregiver: Bio-Hacking Self-Care

As caregivers, we often treat relaxation as a luxury rather than a necessity. In this session, we'll discuss ways to prioritize self-care, address caregivers' unique challenges, and explore strategies for maintaining emotional well-being. We’ll also share how Wisconsin families are tapping into local caregiver support systems to better manage demands through an informational presentation and guided discussion.

Room: Africa 30

Presenters: Marcey Clements and Ellie Sherven

Session Materials

Supported Financial Management - Special Needs Trust, ABLE, MAPP, and Fiscal Agent

This session will provide an overview of financial management programs for individuals with disabilities, including Special Needs Trusts, ABLE Accounts, the Medicaid Purchase Plan (MAPP), and the role of Fiscal Agents. Attendees will also learn about futures planning tools that interface with financial planning. An
interactive Q&A will follow, with informational materials provided.

Room: Africa 40

Presenters: James Giese, Vicky Gunderson and David Pinno

Session Materials

Building a Future: Building Blocks

How well do you know yourself? Can you explain what is most important to you? This session will give you tools to explore future planning through self-discovery. Join Stefanie Primm, Executive Director, LOV Inc. and a team of advocates, families and professionals to lay the foundation for your future. This workshop is for professionals, family members and self-advocates.

Room: Africa 50

Presenters: Stefanie Primm and Advocate Panel

Session Materials

Navigating the Long-Term Care System and Self-Direction

Learn about Self-Direction and the process of hiring, training, supervising, and sometimes firing employees. We’ll cover common errors, benefits of support brokers, and working with long-term care agencies. A panel of experts and an IRIS participant will answer questions and share how they work together to support your success as an employer.

Room: Africa 60

Presenters: Jonathan Claflin, Amanda Flater, Dana Glinski, Randi Johnson, and Lisa Lontz

Session Materials

Advocate Your Way (in Family Care)

Speaking up for yourself is important to get what you need in life. Join us to learn how to do this, including how to say what you mean and mean what you say. We’ll show examples from Family Care to help you advocate your way. You will also get to try out different skills in a fun, hands-on activity with your peers and a facilitator to see what works best for you. You’ll get lots of useful written info, and you can choose what you’d like to take home.

Room: Africa 70

Presenters: Jean Eldredge, Katie Erickson, Kelly Gochenaur, Mary McKeown, Aaliyah Muhammad, Rebecca Mulhern, Kayla Smith and Scott Struckmeyer

Session Materials

Peer Support Groups: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How?

As a Certified Peer Specialist, Sammie has facilitated over 550 Peer Support Groups and will share her knowledge and enthusiasm. She will begin her presentation with a personal story about her lived experience and will follow-up with information about peer support. The opportunity to participate in a trial Peer Support Group will be offered. An in-depth open discussion will conclude the session. You will walk away with a feeling of renewed hope and empowerment, equipped with the knowledge and confidence to make real change in your community.

Room: Africa 80

Presenter: Samantha Sackmann

Session Materials

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Lunch and Networking Break

1:00 - 2:15 p.m. Really Good Learning Sessions

Let's Get to Work! Assistive Technology Strategies and Solutions

Technology is evolving quickly, creating greater access for people with disabilities to live, learn, and work. Assistive technology (AT) programs and services are often an untapped resource, and you’ll hear firsthand experiences with AT devices and services throughout education and careers. This session will include demonstrations, real-life examples, and current information about programs and resources in Wisconsin and beyond.

Room: Africa 10

Presenters: Ashley Baker, Ashley Parkhurts, and Laura Plummer

Session Materials

Empowering Youth with Disabilities: Navigating Transition

Join us to explore three free online tools—Before Age 18, Explore-Work, and Transition Discoveries—designed to help youth with disabilities prepare for life after high school. These interactive sites offer activities on career exploration, independent living, and goal setting, with tips for families, educators, and service providers to use in transition planning. ERI will also share details about our Driving Assessment for youth considering driving.

Room: Africa 20

Presenters: Ashley Manuel and Jolene Wanek

Session Materials

Supported Decision-Making Your Way!

Supported Decision-Making is a growing option that allows people with disabilities to keep their rights while getting support in making decisions in the areas of life where they need help. This session will provide you with the basics of Supported Decision-Making and offer an inside look at how young adults with disabilities have utilized their agreements in their lives. We will also discuss how parents and guardians can help young adults develop better decision-making skills through practice and guidance.

Room: Africa 30

Presenters: Jordan Anderson, Ashley Mathy, and Jenny Neugart

Session Materials

Peer Mentoring for Confidence, Advocacy and Growth

Join Aptiv and ODC (Opportunity Development Center) Peer Mentors to explore how lived experience supports self-advocacy and independence. This interactive session will share real success stories and guide you through a fun goal-mapping activity. You’ll also learn tools Peer Mentors use to build confidence, solve problems, and celebrate wins.

Room: Africa 40

Presenters: Nate Hundth, Shawn Inrcke, Lindsay Kugler, Ashley Mathy, Anna Morehouse, Kate Norby and Tina Wiley

Session Materials

Mapping My Path Forward

Our self-advocates will introduce and demonstrate how to use a tool called a “Pathways Map,” which is a person-centered method of planning for the future. The tool will be introduced and explained. It includes sections on how to reflect on a person’s history, how to identify one’s personal goals, and how to be inspired by dreams for the future. The Pathways Map is interactive and visual. It can be adapted for different communication technologies and used for many different kinds of planning like living independently, finding a job, dating and romance.

Room: Africa 50

Presenters: Amber Hammond, Alex Knapp, and Nick Koplydowski

Session Materials

Advocate Your Way (in IRIS)

Speaking up for yourself is important to get what you need in life. Join us to learn how to do this, including how to say what you mean and mean what you say. We’ll show examples from IRIS to help you advocate your way. You’ll also get to try out different skills in a fun, hands-on activity with your peers and a facilitator to see what works best for you. You’ll get lots of useful written info, and you can choose what you’d like to take home.

Room: Africa 70

Presenters: Jean Eldredge, Katie Erickson, Kelly Gochenaur, Mary McKeown, Aaliyah Muhammad, Rebecca Mulhern, Kayla Smith and Scott Struckmeyer

Session Materials

Finding Comfort When Life Seems Hard

We all have times when we feel stressed out or upset. Join us to find the things that you see, touch, and hear to make you feel calm and safe. In this session, you’ll get time, space, and help to create your own self-soothing plan using an easy-to-use visual tool. You’ll explore how to notice when you need support and what truly works for you. Your finished plan is yours to take home and use in everyday life. Self-soothing helps lower stress, makes you feel better, and deal with life’s challenges with confidence—your life, your way.

Room: Africa 80

Presenters: Angela Marx, PhD and People First Wisconsin Team

Session Materials

2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. - Networking Break and Exhibitors

2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Movie - Choose the Pond (Africa West)

3:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. - Really Good Self-Advocate Learning Sessions

The Road to Getting My Driver's License

We will talk about the challenges of obtaining a drivers license, from determining feasibility to preparing for the written test, driving lessons, road test and finally the responsibility of having a car.

Room: Africa 10

Presenters: Kelly Weyer with Judi Weyer

Session Materials

Drive for Change; One Advocate's 125-Mile Wheelchair Journey

To raise urgent awareness about the lack of home healthcare access for Medicaid recipients and to advocate for higher wages for home health aides, the essential workers who support people with disabilities in living independently, Carl drove his wheelchair from Neenah to Madison. Carl will share the highs and lows of the journey and where his advocacy is taking him next.

Room: Africa 30

Presenter: Carl Schulze

Session Materials

Circles of Support and My Community

Richard will share how people in his life have supported him, covering his experiences growing up on the Autism Spectrum, his education, making friends, his long employment journey, serving as a board member for The Arc-Dane County, and being an active part of his community.

Room: Africa 40

Presenters: Richard Brissette with Nathaniel Lentz

Session Materials

Disability Leadership

Organizations supporting people with disabilities have historically been led by non-disabled people. Kristi will talk about her experiences with sharing her voice as a person with lived experiences; a person who has the best understanding of their world and their preferred future. Kristi will share her opportunities to help non-disabled leaders learn the benefits to organizations when senior leadership includes people with disabilities.

Room: Africa 50

Presenters: Kristi Scheunemann with David Morstad

Session Materials

How Do I Get There from Here?

Are you trying to turn advocacy into employment, while attempting to understand what your lived experience is really worth? Please join Matt as he reflects on his experience leveraging: code-switching, positive intention, and cultural inclusion, into a successful internship with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. You’ll discover how to transform your personal challenges into professional strengths and create pathways to meaningful employment. Lived experience is knowledge gained from things someone has personally gone through.

Room: Africa 60

Presenters: Matt Glowacki

Session Materials

My Journey to Self-Advocacy

Since returning from Florida, Amber Hammond has become a strong advocate. Seeking more control over her life, she began with the Partners in Policymaking program, which fueled her commitment to change. She later led ACAP members in a task force, organizing letter-writing and phone campaigns in response to proposed Medicare changes.

Room: Africa 70

Presenter: Ashley Hammond

Session Materials

5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - Dinner and Diehard Awards

3:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Break and Hotel Check-in

6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Community Block Party! Dancing, Giant Games, Pictionary and more! Something for everyone!

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