PLENARY I: Nothing About Us Without Us: The Importance of Centering Disability Inclusion in Healthcare and Rehabilitation

The phrase Nothing About Us Without Us, is a South African proverb embraced by the disability, representing the importance of including people with disabilities and our lived experience into planning, decision-making.
Karen Tamley, is a leading national advocate on disability rights and inclusion. Born with a physical disability, she has used a wheelchair all of her life. In her plenary talk, Ms. Tamley will share her own journey from her early years growing up with a disability, receiving numerous surgeries and therapies in a time when society held few expectations and was largely inaccessible to people with disabilities. She will outline the key factors that helped her rise to become CEO of one of the nation’s largest and long-standing Centers for Independent Living and discuss strategies for advancing authentic rehabilitation research and treatment that can better the lives of people with disabilities.