Independent Living Track Breakout Sessions
Chair Exercises
Wilma will demonstrate easy-to-follow chair exercises that require no special equipment or assistance, making it possible to maintain physical activity and mobility from the comfort of home.
White Canes in Powered Mobility
The presenter is an Orientation and Mobility instructor who has worked with numerous blind and low vision wheelchair users on cane travel over the past 25 years. She will generalize among wheelchair types and user needs to discuss how a blind or low vision traveler can stay independent on wheels or regain that independence through the white cane.
Structured Discovery Instruction in Independent Living
The Structured Discovery approach to teaching the blind has been developed by the organized blind movement. This presentation will discuss ways that the Structured Discovery approach can be applied to Independent Living instruction.
Audio Description and You
Audio-Reader provides live audio description at KC Starlight, The Kauffman Center, the Coterie Theatre at Crown Center (among others). In this presentation, Martha would talk about the AD Patron experience at the theater, answer questions about requesting AD or the process of becoming a trained describer, and can share digital AD resources that attendees may not know about like audiovault.net and the Audio Description Project. Martha would also like to use this presentation as an opportunity to chat with attendees about their AD experiences, preferences, and gather suggestions for addition theaters or methods of communicating with patrons. Audio-Reader additionally supports making art of all types more accessible and can talk about audio described museum tours and sculpture gardens.
Your Ride, Your Independence: Making Transit Work for You
Public transportation plays a vital role in supporting independence, but the variety of services and requirements can often feel overwhelming. This interactive workshop will introduce participants to the role of mobility management in making transportation options easier to understand and access. We’ll explore travel training as a tool for building confidence, walk through how to request reasonable modifications, and practice filling out paratransit paperwork. While highlighting supports available across the U.S., the session will also focus on resources in Oklahoma—especially for individuals with disabilities, including those experiencing blindness—so that public transit becomes a clearer, more accessible path to independence.
Exploring with Disabilities
This is a flexible presentation that addresses outdoor recreation through the lens of accessibility and inclusion. In addition to adaptive outdoor experiences, Joseph can incorporate discussions on conservation, Leave No Trace ethics, and responsible care for the environment, connecting outdoor recreation with education, service, and ministry.
Staying Safe
