Disability Resource Symposium
Engage. Encourage. Equip. Free event for families impacted by disability.
Engage. Encourage. Equip.
The Disability Resource Symposium connects families and caregivers impacted by disabilities with trusted West Michigan resources, equipping and encouraging them with support and expert guidance for a hope-filled future.
Engage, be encouraged, and be equipped at the Disability Resource Symposium on March 14, 2026. This year's theme: Empowered Decision-Making!
Engage. Encourage. Equip. Free event for families impacted by disability.
Engage. Encourage. Equip.
The Disability Resource Symposium connects families and caregivers impacted by disabilities with trusted West Michigan resources, equipping and encouraging them with support and expert guidance for a hope-filled future.
Engage, be encouraged, and be equipped at the Disability Resource Symposium on March 14, 2026. This year's theme: Empowered Decision-Making!
Good to know
Highlights
- 5 hours 30 minutes
- all ages
- In person
- Doors at 9AM
Location
1020 Monroe Ave NW
1020 Monroe Avenue Northwest
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
How do you want to get there?
Agenda
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Doors Open!
Check in begins at 9:00, when we unlock the doors and welcome you in! The first main stage session begins at 9:30, so until then, visit the exhibitors and grab some coffee, water, snacks, and information.
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Opening/Welcome: A Hope-filled Future (Main Stage)
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Main Session 1: Decision-Making at the Edges of Capacity, Julie Yonker
Decision-Making at the Edges of Capacity: Brain Science and Caregiving -Julie Yonker, Calvin University. Caregivers carry an extraordinary cognitive burden, navigating complex decisions while managing stress, uncertainty, and competing demands. This session uses brain science to explain how decision-making works under pressure, why overload leads to indecision or rapid choices, and how caregiving contexts challenge traditional ideas of “rational” decision-making. Grounded in brain science, this session reframes indecision and overwhelm not as personal failure, but as predictable outcomes of cognitive overload. Takeaways include how systems, professionals, and communities can better support decision-making at the edges of capacity.