The 2012 ADDP Conference & Expo will take place on Friday, March 23 from 8 am to 3:30 pm, at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. All members of the disability community are invited to attend this inspiring day of workshops, speakers and inspiration!
The Keynote Speaker at the conference this year will be author and advocate Rachel Simon. Rachel Simon is an award-winning author and nationally known public speaker. She is best known for her critically acclaimed, bestselling memoir Riding The Bus with My Sister, which was adapted for a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie of the same name. Her most recent book, the novel The Story of Beautiful Girl, will be coming out in paperback in February, following months of literary and popular acclaim.
Meet Rachel Simon
Rachel Simon is the award-winning author of six books and a nationally-recognized public speaker on issues related to diversity and disability. Her titles include the bestsellers, The Story of Beautiful Girl and Riding The Bus with My Sister. Both books are frequent selections of book clubs and school reading programs around the country. Rachel’s work has been adapted for theater, NPR, the Lifetime Channel, and Hallmark Hall of Fame, whose adaptation of Riding The Bus With My Sister starred Rosie O' Donnell and Andie McDowell, and was directed by Anjelica Huston.
Rachel Simon’s awards include The Secretary Tommy G. Thompson Recognition Award for Contributions to the Field of Disability from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, and creative writing fellowships from the Delaware Division of the Arts, the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, and the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation. She is one of the only authors to have been selected twice for the Barnes & Noble Discover New Writers Award. Rachel Simon lives in Wilmington, Delaware. In addition to her literary success, Rachel is a dynamic speaker who has presented at The Mayo Clinic, The Arc of The United States, ANCOR, National Down Syndrome Congress, the Community Association Transportation of America and the University of California.
At left is an excerpt from a presentation Rachel conducted for Riding the Bus With My Sister. She is currently on tour promoting her most recent book, The Story of Beautiful Girl. At the ADDP Conference, Rachel's keynote speech will include her background as a sibling, as well as her career as an author and how it relates to her experience with the human services community and its workforce. Rachel's books will be available at the conference!
The DCU Conference Center is adjacent to the large DCU arena.
50 Foster Street Worcester, MA 01608
Parking is directly across the street at the Major Taylor Blvd. Municipal Garage - 30 Major Taylor Blvd. on the corner of Major Taylor Blvd. and MLK Jr. Blvd. (formerly Central St.) off of exit 16 from Rt. 290.
Rachel Simon is the award-winning author of six books and a nationally-recognized public speaker on issues related to diversity and disability. Her titles include the bestsellers, The Story of Beautiful Girl and Riding The Bus with My Sister. Both books are frequent selections of book clubs and school reading programs around the country. Rachel’s work has been adapted for theater, NPR, the Lifetime Channel, and Hallmark Hall of Fame, whose adaptation of Riding The Bus With My Sister starred Rosie O' Donnell and Andie McDowell, and was directed by Anjelica Huston.