Join us in Salt Lake City!
On March 21, 2025, we will bring together Direct Service Providers (DSPs), as well as other professionals, students, self advocates, caregivers, and family members to learn how we may all "Honor Our Intersectionalities".
Date: Friday, March 21, 2025 from 9am - 4pm
Location: Utah State University Taylorsville Campus
920 W Levoy Drive
Taylorsville, UT
Registration is now closed.
Scholarship Opportunity
We will be offering a limited amount of scholarships (up to $300 per applicant) to assist Utah service providers, graduate or undergraduate students in the human services fields, self advocates, or family members of people with disabilities who would like to attend the conference and need financial help to do so (based on distance, number of attendees, and other potential need).
If you are interested in receiving scholarship funds to help you join us in March, please send us your information by February 28, 2025.
We are also offering scholarship opportunities for organizations that are bringing multiple attendees. If you would like to access this funding opportunity for your organization, please email eduardo.ortiz@usu.edu.
Intersectionality is the acknowledgement that everyone has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression. And we must consider everything and anything that can marginalize people, whether it's gender, class, sexual orientation, physical ability, or mental health.
Conference Schedule
| Sessions | Additional sessions | |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 - 9:30 am | Registration | |
| 9:30 - 10:20 am | Keynote Speaker Darren Parry |
|
| 10:30 - 11:20 am | Intersection of refugee experiences and disability Jacy Farkas |
Intersection of LGBTQ+ and disability Melissa Malcolm King |
| 11:30 am - 12:50 pm | Lunch + tabling event | |
| 1:00 - 1:50 pm | Mental health and gender differences Matthew Wappett |
Rural life and disability Rayna Sage & Lillie Greiman |
| 2:00 - 2:50 pm | Digital accessibility and intersectionality Brenda Smith & Christopher Phillips |
Disability and aging Jen Morgan & Libby Oseguera |
| 3:00 - 3:50 pm | Concluding session Panel discussion |
Meet Our Presenters
| Keynote Speaker: Darren Parry |
 |
Darren Parry is the former Chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. Darren serves on the Board of Directors for Utah Humanities and the PBS Utah. He attended the University of Utah and Weber State University and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Education. In 2024, he received an Honorary PhD in Education from Utah State University. Darren is the author of “The Bear River Massacre, A Shoshone History” and teaches in the Environmental Humanities department at the University of Utah. He lectures around the country on Native American issues surrounding history and Indigenous views related to sustainability. He recently gave a lecture at the University of Copenhagen and spoke about Indigenous views to Climate and Environment. His passions in life are his wife Melody, 7 children and 17 grandchildren. His other passion is his Tribal family. He wants to make sure that those who have gone before him are not forgotten. |
|---|---|---|
| Jacy Bell Farkas |
 |
Jacy Bell Farkas, PhD, is the Director of the Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities at the University of Arizona. Jacy’s work focuses on access and equity for multiply marginalized populations at the intersection of disability. She leads multiple efforts related to person-centered and inclusive practices, youth to adult transition, and intersectional research. Jacy is a former UCEDD trainee and a past chair of AUCD’s Multicultural Council. She earned her doctorate in Human Development and Family Science at the University of Arizona. Jacy identifies as a neurodivergent Black-Filipina mother, scholar, and advocate. |
| Melissa Malcolm King |
 |
Melissa Malcolm King is a dedicated author, advocate, and community leader whose work focuses on diversity, intersectionality, and empowering marginalized communities. She serves as a columnist for Innerversion Magazine, a contributor and board member for West View Media Newspaper, a monthly exhibitionist for Exponent 2 Magazine and at the Utah State University Department of Education's Office of Disabilities and Inclusion, she shares her motivational essays and advocate for inclusive educational practices. Melissa is the former International President of Affirmation LGBTQ Mormons, Families and Friends Organization and has taught Special Education for over 10 years. Melissa Malcolm holds a Bachelor's degree in Elementary and Special Education, an M.A. in English Language Learning and Curriculum Development, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado in Denver, where she focuses on leadership in educational equity, justice, and diverse identities. |
| Matthew Wappett |
 |
Dr. Matthew Wappett is the Executive Director of the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice (UCEDD) at Utah State University. Dr. Wappett’s teaching and research on the effects of stress on learning and behavior helps individuals and organizations understand how to become more resilient and inclusive. Since 2009, Dr. Wappett’s work has increasingly been focused on issues of mental health, especially for the population of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Dr. Wappett was the driving force behind the establishment of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities National Training Center and is a founding Board Member of the Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities National Research Consortium at the Kennedy Krieger Center at Johns Hopkins Medical School. Dr. Wappett earned his Ph.D. in Special Education, an M.Ed. in Educational Studies, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Utah. Dr. Wappett has also participated in Clinical Training for Mind-Body Medicine through the Harvard Medical School. |
| Rayna Sage |
 |
Rayna Sage is a rural sociologist and social worker who joined the Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities at the University of Montana in 2016. As co-director of the Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, she uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to engage in participatory action research that informs programming, services, and community development activities that help improve community living for rural people with disabilities. Dr. Sage is particularly interested in how inequities related disability in rural communities intersect with other inequities such as racism and sexism. Before this position, she was a clinical assistant professor in Human Development at Washington State University, teaching and coordinating internships in human services. |
| Lillie Greiman |
 |
Lillie Greiman works as a Project Director at the Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities (RTC:Rural) and has been with the center since 2012. She works across numerous projects with partners across the country and is passionate about the collaborative work the RTC:Rural does to improve the lives of people with disabilities in rural communities. Her focus areas are: housing, community participation, rural community development and spatial and demographic analysis. |
| Brenda Smith |
 |
Dr. Brenda Smith is an Associate Director for the Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE) at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice (IDRPP) at Utah State University. In her role, she provides technical assistance and facilitation services for contracts with State Education Agencies and Local Education Agencies. She has experience leading several contracts and projects, including Indicator 8 parent surveys, Indicator 14 postsecondary outcomes surveys, and program evaluations. Brenda has stakeholder group facilitation experience at the local, state, and federal levels. She has a Ph.D. in Disability Disciplines with a specialization in Disability Studies. Her research includes activism among college students with disabilities and representation of students with disabilities in charter schools compared to traditional public schools. Brenda is also the Principal Investigator for the National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction. |
| Christopher Phillips |
 |
Christopher Phillips is currently working as the Digital Accessibility Specialist for the National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction (NCADEMI), which is housed at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice (IDRPP). Prior to coming to the IDRPP, Christopher was the Digital Accessibility Officer for Utah State and has previously worked as a special educator, instructional designer and in product management. |
| Jennifer Morgan |
 |
Jennifer Morgan is the Aging and Disability Program Manager and Project Lead for the COVER to COVER program at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy, & Practice. Her current work includes multiple projects impacting older adults, people with disabilities, Veterans and caregivers. Since 2011, she has worked closely with Utah’s Area Agencies on Aging. She will share experiences in her work with Utah’s Aging & Disability networks. |
| Libby Oseguera |
 |
Libby Oseguera has worked with the public for over twenty years in adaptive recreation, job coaching and many years of advocacy programming, policy work and active engagement in systems changes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She received a Bachelor of Science, Recreation at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas followed by a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council and is dedicated to supporting and empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to achieve inclusive, meaningful, and self-determined lives in their communities. |
Travel information
All listed prices and distances are estimates listed for your convenience. You may find different prices in your own research.
Local Transportation
| Estimated price from airport | Estimated price from hotels | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| UTA Bus | $2.50 | $2.50 | Day passes available |
| Car rental | $50-$100 per day | $50-$100 per day | $50-$100 per day |
| Uber | $20-$27 | $5-$8 |
Local hotels
| Distance from conference | Price/night | |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites: Salt Lake City South - Murray | 12 min, via car | $149 |
| La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Salt Lake City Midvale | 8 min, via car | $68 |
| Park Inn by Radisson Salt Lake City Midvale | 8 min, via car | $65 |
| Royal Inn | 11 min, via car | $53 |
| Hampton Inn Salt Lake City/Murray | 5 min, via car | $109 |