Alexa Brill & Kathy Brill

Self-Advocacy

Ever wonder how people with significant disabilities can live independently? Hear from Alexa Brill and her Mom, Kathy Brill, on how Alexa uses smart home and other assistive technology to help her live independently in her own home. Also, learn how problems and barriers discovered along the way can be solved, and how her parents helped her achieve this independence.

Alexa Brill Bio:

Alexa Brill graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2013. She has worked for The Arc of Pennsylvania since 2014 as their Social Media Manager. Alexa currently serves as the President on the Board of Self Advocates United As 1 (SAU1). She has also served on the Smart Home Advisory Committee through the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), as well as the Wireless RERC Advisory Committee through the University of Pittsburgh. Most recently, she was a participant in the Assistive Technology Champions Program through Temple University. Alexa has Cerebral Palsy and is very passionate about advocating for the rights of people with disabilities, as well as helping to make sure they have access to the right technology. She wants to help as many people learn about, and access the technology they need to be as independent as possible.

Kathy Brill Bio:

Kathy is a Mom to three daughters. The process of working toward Alexa’s living independently started from the moment her daughter was born. Kathy is a believer in the need to think about the future when kids are young, and then envision, plan for, and problem-solve for those real and potential barriers before they occur.

She was co-founder and first director for Parent to Parent USA, and the first director for Parent to Parent of PA. She chaired PA’s State Interagency Coordinating Council for Early Intervention, a member of the Gaskin Panel, and several additional positions in PA.

She currently serves on the boards of Penn TASH, the National Advisory Board on Improving Health Care Services for Older Adults and People with Disabilities (NAB), President to MCIE (Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education), and DEE (Disability Equality in Education).

Kathy received the National Council on Disability 2006 Leadership Award in appreciation of outstanding contributions to the improvement of disability policy in the US. She holds master’s degrees in Education and Political Management with concentration in Grassroots Advocacy.

Alice Weshing

The Ochs AT Center

Details coming soon.

Constance Harrington

Director of Education and Accreditation, Tech First SHIFT

Enabling technology is everywhere, but making it work consistently in everyday life is another story. Too often, promising tools are introduced with enthusiasm, then lose momentum, fade into the background, or never become part of daily practice. This practical session takes a candid look at why that happens and, more importantly, what helps organizations move forward. Drawing from real-world Technology First implementation, we’ll explore the shifts that turn good intentions into sustainable practice. You’ll leave with practical, person-centered strategies to strengthen implementation, support staff, build consistency, and create technology solutions that are more likely to stick over time in practice.

Constance Harrington, MA, is the Director of Education and Accreditation for SHIFT and a nationally recognized subject matter expert on enabling technology and Technology First approaches to services. With more than 25 years of experience in the human services field, she has helped organizations across the country implement thoughtful, person-centered approaches to enabling technology that expand autonomy, opportunity, and quality of life. Throughout her career, Constance has helped organizations rethink what is possible when technology is implemented thoughtfully, strategically, and in alignment with person-centered values.

Known for combining strategic insight with practical, real-world application, Constance brings a unique blend of leadership, policy knowledge, and frontline experience to her work. Her presentations are recognized for moving beyond theory to provide meaningful recommendations, relatable stories, and actionable strategies that organizations can realistically implement. Over the course of her career, she has helped organizations move beyond simply adopting technology to building cultures and systems that use technology thoughtfully to support autonomy and meaningful outcomes. Whether advising decision-makers on best practices and system change, supporting organizations through accreditation, or speaking at national conferences and trainings, she is deeply committed to helping organizations build practical, sustainable approaches to enabling technology that improve outcomes and expand opportunities for the people they support.

Constance holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and is a graduate of the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities (NLC). Her work continues to focus on helping organizations build thoughtful, ethical, and person-centered approaches to technology implementation that create lasting impact.

David Taylor

Senior Co-Trainer, Self-Advocate, My Tech For All

Details coming soon.

Elman Suleymanov

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Ezra Reynolds & Brady Fulton

Enabling Tech Solutions

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Jennifer White

CEO, AbleOpps

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Jessica Daiger

SafeInHome

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Laurie Schaller

Manager of Financial Empowerment, National Disability Institute/ABLE National Resource Center

Discover how ABLE accounts and other funding sources can help individuals with disabilities save for and fund technology needs that support daily living, education, employment, and community engagement. From assistive technology and adaptive devices to AI-powered tools and digital connectivity, ABLE accounts provide a flexible, tax-advantaged way to pay for a wide range of expenses to help account owners achieve greater independence. Join us to learn more about ABLE and how it can support your financial future.

Katie Moore

Summit Co-Chair, Self-Advocate, My Tech For All

Details coming soon.

Sandra Wilcox & Marle Chen

Self-Advocate, My Tech For All & California Developmental Disabilities Council

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Sheryl Burgstahler

Professor, U of Washington DoIT program

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Steve Pelton

CEO, We Thrive Together

Details coming soon.

Steve Sutter

CEO, Creatability

Curious about artificial intelligence but not sure where to begin? This friendly, hands-on session takes the mystery out of AI and shows how everyday people can use it to save time, generate ideas, solve problems, and create useful content. We’ll explain the basics in plain language, explore practical examples, and share simple tips for getting better results. Participants will have an opportunity to try AI for themselves and leave with greater confidence, helpful techniques, and something they can proudly say they created with AI.

Suzanne Feit

Author

In this practical and engaging session, Suzanne Feit will demonstrate how ChatGPT can help educators create flexible, accessible learning experiences that respond to different abilities, interests, communication styles, and support needs. Drawing on more than 35 years of experience in special education and assistive technology, Suzanne will share simple ways to adapt reading levels, explain concepts in multiple ways, develop visual supports, generate personalized activities, and give learners meaningful choices.

Suzanne will also introduce her book, Family Adventures from A to Z Using ChatGPT, as an example of how one resource can inspire many different learning experiences. Educators and families can use the book’s activities as starting points, then work with ChatGPT to adjust instructions, language, format, complexity, and participation options for individual learners. Participants will leave with practical ideas for using AI as a supportive partner while keeping the educator, learner, and family at the center of the process.

Doug Golub

NYS AI Alliance

What are disability service providers using AI tools for today, and how are they deciding what is safe to use? This session will share practical examples from provider organizations and discuss the policies, staff training, privacy safeguards, and human oversight needed to use AI tools responsibly while keeping people’s choices and needs at the center.

Doug Golub is the principal consultant at Data Potato LLC and a former founder and president of a technology company serving home and community-based service providers nationwide. He works with organizations on AI governance, technology, quality improvement, and measuring outcomes. His current work includes helping the New York Alliance for Inclusion & Innovation develop practical AI resources and a learning community for providers. Doug is a Doctor of Public Health student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, concentrating in Health Policy and Management. He also serves on disability advocacy boards, as Treasurer of the ANCOR Foundation and Vice President of Finance for the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry.

Ariana Aboulafia

Details coming soon.

Ariel Simms

President and CEO, Disability Belongs

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Chris Patterson

NOSS

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Rachel Levy

VoiceiTT

Your speech is understood at home. Why isn’t it understood anywhere else? In this demo, see Voiceitt’s AI recognize non-standard speech in real time, the same speech mainstream tech like Siri and Alexa still can’t understand. This isn’t just about talking to a device. See how it supports interpersonal communication in the workplace and text-based communication like emails and texts. You’ll see exactly how it works, who it’s for, and how to get started. If a parent or therapist can understand you, AI should too, and now it finally can.

Dylan Makani

Co-Founder & CEO, Glint

Visual supports help people communicate, follow routines, and handle new situations with more confidence. Making them has always taken hours. In this session, we’ll build communication boards, visual schedules, and social narratives live in a few seconds with Glint, using real photos and a person’s own interests. You’ll see how families, educators, and support staff use them at home, at school, at work, and in the community. We’ll also talk honestly about where AI helps, where it falls short, and how to keep the person at the center.

Drew Simonik

Enrollment Specialist, StationMD

Learn about how StationMD is revitalizing the care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through their urgent telehealth service. Walk through each step on who benefits, how to initiate a visit, and how to make the most of having 24/7 urgent telehealth available at your fingertips!

Donna Bryant and 3 people with disabilities using Meta Smart Glasses

Executive Director, Arc, Davidson County, Tennessee

Details coming soon.

Sarvesh Chandran

Discover how an individual with severe speech impairments can communicate with multiple communication methods. Learn to use AI from the disability AI community, being a personal AI coach, and with free and paid courses. Explore the opportunities that higher education opens for people with disabilities.

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