Improve Yours: A Call for Healthy Communities is the theme for the 2014 Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities Conference. Held December 8 and 9 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis, 2014 marks 20 years of the annual conference and this year emphasizes the critical need to ensure Indiana’s communities promote health – physical, mental, cultural, and social – for all citizens.
The two day conference hosts a wide variety of speakers from across the US who each have a connection to disability and health and wellness. This year’s keynote speakers include:
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett – Best know for putting the city “on a diet,” Cornett focused $800 million on parks, urban transit, wellness centers and infrastructure to enhance the quality of life for residents.
Mary Paterson, Ph.D – Associate Dean, School of Nursing at The Catholic University of American – Dr. Paterson has provided consultation and testimony on health care policy issues for the US Senate, the California and Nevada legislatures, and the Maryland State Nurses’ Association, among others. She has provided technical guidance and consultation to international health projects in more than 20 countries.
Julie Willems Van Dijk, R.N., Ph.D. – Associate Scientist and Deputy Director, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute – Dr. Van Dijk’s research focuses in the area of quality of community health improvement planning processes. She has worked with numerous partners across the nation to improve the health of communities nationwide and has worked in local public health for 21 years holding roles as a public health nurse, director of nursing and health officer.
In addition to the keynote speakers is an impressive roster of speaker sessions with topics such as:
- Violence as a Health Issue
- Crosswalks to Health: Complete Streets
- Enriching Life through Social Interaction: Vistability
- Affordable Housing: Opening Your Community To All
- And several more
During scheduled breaks, visit the Assistive Technology Lab hosted by our ownINDATA Project. Attendees will have the chance to get up close and personal with the latest assistive technology devices for low vision, hearing, mobility, independent living and more. You’ll see demonstrations of equipment and software, as well as learn about loans and funding assistance.
To register for Improve Yours: A Call for Healthy Communities, visithttp://gcpdconference.org before November 21. A limited number of scholarships are available for Indiana SSI, SSDI or TANF recipients. For more information, contact Sandy Kite Hunt, Healthy Communities Conference Coordinator, at (317) 786-7272, (866) 786-7272 or skh4hog@comcast.net.
