presenters

A best selling author, inspiring speaker, and inclusion advocate, Dr. Julie Causton began her career as an educator and then 14 years as a tenured professor at Syracuse University. In 2012 she founded Inclusive Schooling, a premiere company solely devoted to delivering professional development which transforms schools and lives. She has spent the past 25 years nearly obsessed with discovering innovative practices and teaching others about inclusive education through her wildly engaging presentations.

Janet Mock is the New York Times bestselling author of two memoirs, Redefining Realness and Surpassing Certainty about her journey as a Black and Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) trans woman. She’s also a writer, director, and producer, most known for her path-clearing and historic work on the Peabody and Emmy award-winning series, Pose. Her other credits include Netflix’s limited series Hollywood, a revisionist take on 1940s show business, and the global true-crime sensation, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The Honolulu native is the recipient of many honors, including Harvard University’s Artist of the Year Award, the PEN Center’s Award of Honor, ESSENCE’s Black Women in Hollywood Award, and TIME’s 100 most influential people list. A passionate collector of Black art and an in-demand speaker and lecturer, Janet serves on the boards of the Brooklyn Museum and the Arcus Foundation for social justice.

Since 2019, three friends joined forces to pave the way for the future of AAC. We have done more than reject old ideas and assumptions: We've started new ones. Guided by our tenacity, we fuse unique techniques from around the world of AAC to create a new understanding of communication and competency. The MOD Squad takes everything you thought you knew about how those with speech related disabilities communicate and blows it up. Destroying the old to make room for the new. To achieve optimal understanding, our messages take time to create, we can honestly say we are worth your patience.

Johanna Vazquez-Sharman is a veteran inclusive educator in NYC's public schools and is currently serving as a citywide instructional coach with the NYU ASD Nest Program. The ASD Nest program goal is to partner with NYC public schools to establish inclusive cultures and advance the development and implementation of educational practices for autistic learners. Johanna holds two masters degrees from Brooklyn College- one in special education and the other in school leadership. 

Carly Georgen is a special education teacher at Cape Cod Hill Community School in New Sharon, Maine. She has taught for 6 years in Title 1 schools across Western Maine, and is working on obtaining her master's in Special Education with a concentration in Inclusive Education and Leadership at the University of Maine at Farmington. She is a change-maker who loves mentoring preservice teachers and collaborating with colleagues and families to further inclusive practices at her school, district and beyond. 

Sherrill is a graphic recorder, illustrator, art educator, and founder of Meaningful Marks LLC, based in the Milwaukee, WI metro area where she uses visuals and graphic recording to uplift, and amplify the work of nonprofits, educators, and corporate sector clients having conversations and creating generative and transformative change in their communities. She leads visual literacy workshops to empower people to use visuals to increase connection, clarity, and collaboration. She is the author of Heart Speak: A Visual Interpretation of Let Your Life Speak and contributing author to Social Action Stories: Impact Tales for The School & Community.

Nkaujnou Vang-Vue serves as the principal at Lake View Elementary School in the Madison Metropolitan School District in Madison, WI.  Through this work, she has gained a deep sense of urgency and commitment to provide learning opportunities and services to students with disabilities that are inclusive and equitable. She believes that what is good for students with disabilities is good for all students. In partnership with her special education team, they've advocated for systems, environments, and materials that are conducive to supporting students' growth and access to learning.

Joseph DeBarbieri is Superintendent of the Baldwinsville Central School District, the third largest suburban public-school system in New York State’s Onondaga County.His motivation to engage in doctoral studies is a direct result of examining equity data as a district-leader and noticing change is needed. His dissertation titled, Leading for Equity: Understanding the influences, realities, resistance, and beliefs around tracking and acceleration in suburban school districts, has motivated his work to challenge his beliefs, biases, and privileges by growing and learning as an inclusive and socially just leader.

Jonathan Mooney is a nationally recognized advocate for neurological and physical diversity, he’s been speaking across the nation about neurological and physical diversity for two decades, inspiring those who live with differences and calling for change. He has published three books: The Short Bus, Learning Outside the Lines, and Normal Sucks.

Shawn Ginwright, PhD, is a leading innovator, provocateur and thought leader on African American youth, youth activism and youth development. He is a professor of education in the Africana Studies Department and a senior research associate at San Francisco State University. He is also the founder and chief executive officer of Flourish Agenda, Inc., a research lab and consulting firm whose mission is to design strategies that unlock the power of healing and engage youth of color and adult allies in transforming their schools and
communities. Dr. Ginwright’s new book is The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves (North Atlantic Books.)

Dr. Bettina L. Love is an award-winning author and the Athletic Association Endowed Professor at the University of Georgia. Her writing, research, teaching, and educational advocacy work meet at the intersection of education reform, anti-racism, carceral studies, abolition, and Black joy.

As a nonspeaking autistic student who was denied access to effective communication until the age of 18, Jordyn Zimmerman has personal experience challenging the status quo, as featured in the documentary, This Is Not About Me.  Zimmerman earned her bachelor's degree from Ohio University and her Masters of Education from Boston College.

Elijah Armstrong is an epileptic who got his bachelors degree from Penn State in Education and Public Policy, and his Masters’ from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Education Policy and Management. He founded Equal Opportunities for Students in 2015, an organization meant to advance the rights of marginalized students in education. Elijah won AAPD’s Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award in 2021, and used the funding to partner with AAPD and The Coelho Center to start the Heumann-Armstrong Award, an award for students who have experienced and fought against ableism in education.

I have always been drawn to the field of special education and advocating for individuals with disabilities. I started off as a special education teacher at the middle school level and quickly transitioned into administration. I am currently serving in my 5th year as the Director of Special Education for East Moline School District. My research study focused on how collective teacher efficacy and teacher attitudes towards inclusion correlate with inclusive educational practices within Illinois elementary schools. I am a life-long learner and love to learn and grow every day!

I meet you and your team where you are in understanding autism, challenging behaviors, and/or how to build meaningful relationships with those on the autism spectrum. I believes in inclusion over segregation, relationships over compliance, and presuming competence over compensation. My professional trainings, team workshops, individual and family guidance all reflect these tenets.

Luke Radel is a rising sophomore at Syracuse University, studying journalism and political science at the Newhouse and Maxwell schools. He’s served on the board for The 21 Club of CNY and worked as an advocate for those with disabilities, especially his younger brother, Mark. Luke also works as a Medicaid self-directed worker with those who have Down syndrome or are on the Autism spectrum. Luke enjoys spending time with his parents, brothers, Mark and John Paul, and dog, Buttons.

Patrick G. Radel received his law degree summa cum laude from the University at Buffalo Law School, where he was the Executive Editor of the Buffalo Law Review. From 2002 to 2004, Mr. Radel served as confidential law clerk to the Honorable William M. Skretny, United States District Judge for the Western District of New York. Mr. Radel has represented families of students with disabilities at CSE meetings, in due process proceedings, and in federal court.  Pat left the private practice of law in June of 2023 to pursue other endeavors.  He lives in New Hartford, New York with his wife, Mary Snyder Radel, Esq., and their three sons.

Princess Daazhraii Johnson (she/her) is Neets'aii Gwich'in and lives with her three sons and partner on the traditional territory of lower Tanana Dene lands in Alaska. She is humbled to serve on the board of Native Movement and NDN Collective – collectively, she works to protect the lands, waters, animal and plant relatives that continue to take care of all of us. She has served on the SAG-AFTRA Native American Committee since 2007 and in 2015 she was appointed by President Obama to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Institute of American Indian Arts. She is a Sundance Film Alum, a current Nia Tero Storytelling Fellow and Creative Producer and screenwriter for the Peabody award-winning PBS Kids series “Molly of Denali”.