OLMSTEAD UPDATES

News blog follows implementation of landmark 2014 federal consent decree that requires Rhode Island to remedy violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the U.S. Supreme Court's Olmstead decision. Over ten years, Rhode Island must reinvent state services for citizens with developmental disabilities to give them opportunities for supportive employment and meaningful activities in their communities.

Advocates in Action RI will sponsor its 23rd annual statewide conference Oct. 25 for teenagers and adults with developmental disabilities who want to learn to speak up for themselves, with a day-long schedule of workshops geared to useful topics for more independent living.

One presentation will feature a preview of what voters can expect when they arrive at the polls, with a lawyer from the Rhode Island Disability Law Center walking workshop participants through each step.

Andrew Palumbo, a transgender man who received a leadership award from Advocates in Action in 2017, will be the keynote speaker.

Friday, Oct. 19 is the last day to register for the all-day conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. Lunch is included in the conference price, $50 for each participant and $40 for each support person. (Anyone who wants to attend only the afternoon session may email Advocates in Action here for more information.)

There is an additional charge for a Halloween-themed dinner-dance at the end of the day. To register for the day or evening events, click here.