Pac Rim 2008 Info

Pac Rim Speakers

Assistive Technology

Academy-Award nominated producer Janet Cole has been working in the field of feature documentary production and distribution for nearly 30 years. Most recently, she was Executive Producer of Granny D Goes to Washington (PBS 2006) and Freedom Machines, a PBS Fall Special on POV that explored the role of technology in transforming the lives of people with disabilities. Learn More...

Jacquelyn Brand was the founder and first Executive Director of the Center for Accessible Technology in Berkeley, California, one of the earliest technology resource centers that served people of all ages and with all disabilities. Her work grew out of a personal challenge to find appropriate technology for her disabled daughter, Shoshana and led to the creation of the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) in 1987, uniting parents and consumers across the country. Learn More...

Autism

Brenda Smith Myles is a recognized expert on autism, Asperger Syndrome and special education and has written extensively on the subject. She is on the faculty of the University of Kansas. Learn More...

In 2003, Hawaii filmmakers Don and Julianne King realized something was wrong with their three-year-old son, Beau. Around age two-and-a- half, Beau started loosing his ability to speak, his coordination, and was becoming disconnected from the outside world. Determined to help Beau, his parents brought him to the best doctors in the U.S. and took along a video camera to document the results. Two months later, Beau was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Learn More...

Disability Studies

Elizabeth DePoy is Professor and Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Education in Disability Studies at the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, University of Maine. Her publications include 7 print books, three electronic books, and over 60 journal articles. Her teaching and research interests are in methods of inquiry, universal access, and social justice. Learn More...

Dr. Stephen Gilson is professor of Interdisciplinary Education in Disability Studies at the Center for Community Inclusion and disability Studies, University of Maine. His research interests and publications have focused on disability identity, experiences of domestic violence and women with disabilities, disability theory, disability as diversity, universal access, social justice, and health and disability policy and advocacy. Learn More...

Employment

One of Ireland’s most high profile women, Caroline Casey, 35, founder of the Aisling Foundation and 02 Ability Awards became a household name for the successes she achieved during her 1,000 km solo elephant-back voyage across India and her circumnavigation of the world in eighty different forms of transport. Learn More...

Empowering People with Disabilities: Independent Living

Patricia Wood is the author of the newly released book titled Lottery. She was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. She has served in the U.S. Army, worked as a Medical Technologist, been a horseback-riding instructor, and most recently taught marine science in a public high school working with high-risk students in Honolulu. Learn More...

Hidden Disabilities

Kathleen Tavenner Mitchell is currently the Vice President and National Spokesperson for the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and a noted international speaker on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Women and Addictions. Ms. Mitchell is a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor, has a Master of Human Services degree and twenty-two years of experience as a national educator, clinician, and lecturer. She was appointed to the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Learn More...

Pōkā Laenui comes from the Wai‘anae community of Hawai‘i. He has multiple backgrounds. Racially, he is of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Caucasian ancestry; nationally he identifies as a Hawaiian although currently under the governorship of the United States of America; educationally he has been trained from a western perspective (licensed attorney) while his informal and social upbringing has been from an indigenous Hawaiian and an eastern perspective. Learn More...

Pac Rim Conference & International Forum

Kay Nagata has been involved in promoting “disability inclusive development” during her 24-year career with the United Nations. Prior to her current position at the UN HQ, she had served as the disability focal point at the International Labor Office (ILO) Geneva, the UN ESCWA (Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon), UNTAET East Timor, and the UN ESCAP (Bangkok). Learn More...

Deanna Gregorio is the Sectoral Representative of the Persons with Disabilities Council of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), which advises the Office of the President on legislation and programs that concern disabled Filipinos. Learn More..

Patricia A. Morrissey, PhD, Commissioner, Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to Dr. Morrissey’s appointment, she was a senior associate with Booz Allen Hamilton, an international technology and management-consulting firm. Learn More...

Manulani Aluli Meyer is the fifth daughter of Emma Aluli and Harry Meyer. She is from a large family with roots in Hilo and Wailuku, who grew up on the beach of Kailua, O’ahu. She is an outdoor experiential educator and coach who entered the philosophy and teacher-education field because of the needs of our time. Learn More...

Pacific Footprints of Change: Walking the Talk

Ron Hager provides training and technical assistance to the P&A/CAP network on special education. He has specialized in disability law, particularly special education, since 1979, when he started his legal career in Buffalo as a VISTA attorney. Learn More..

Jane Hudson provides technical assistance and training to P&As regarding abuse and neglect and access issues. She has extensive knowledge of the P&A acts, P&A access authority, investigations and seclusion and restraint. She facilitates the P&A Access Authority Workgroup, which meets monthly to discuss current access issues in the P&A network. Learn More..

Teach to Reach All Learners

Hill M. Walker, Ph.D., is a Professor of Special Education, Co-Director of the Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior, and Director of the Center on Human Development in the College of Education at the University of Oregon. He has a long-standing interest in behavioral assessment and in the development of effective intervention procedures for use in school settings with a range of behavior disorders. Learn More..

An international scholar at the University of Oregon who served as the first commissioner of the National Center for Special Education Research, Edward J. Kame‘enui has co-authored more than a dozen textbooks on topics related to reading, curriculum design, and managing classroom behavior. He has published more than 130 research journal articles and book chapters. Learn More..

Daniel Hubbell is the technical evangelist for Microsoft’s Accessibility Business Unit. His focus is on increasing the awareness of technology based accessibility solutions for consumers and regularly speaks at large-scale events and conferences on the topics of Accessible Technology. Hubbell also oversees the partnership between Microsoft and 3rd party AT manufacturers as the manager of Microsoft Accessible Technology Vendor Program. Learn More..

Transition to Adulthood

Dr. Hewitt B. Clark, best known as “Rusty,” is the Director of the National Center on Youth Transition for Behavioral Health and is a Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies at the Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. Dr. Clark received his doctoral degree in Developmental and Child Psychology from the University of Kansas and came to the University of South Florida after directing a comprehensive mental health center for children and families in Nevada, where he was affiliated with the University of Nevada. Learn More...