Join us for our inaugural UCP Conference on Latinos with Disabilities.

The two-day virtual event happens Sept. 21-22, noon to 4 p.m. Eastern each day.

The goal of the conference is to provide a platform for discussions and presentations — and eventually training — on issues impacting Latinos in the disability community. While many of the topics addressed will also be of interest to the general disability community, the conference will highlight the distinct ways (culturally, socially, economically and historically) that Latinos with disabilities, their families and service providers shape the community.

Among the key outcomes of the conference will be the "2022 State of Latinos with Disabilities" report.

Conference Agenda

(More details coming soon)

Day 1 - Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022 - Noon to 4 p.m. Eastern

12 to 12:10 p.m. — Opening remarks by UCP CEO Armando Contreras and a representative of our premier sponsor, Waymo

12:10 to 1:15 p.m. — “The 2022 State of Latinos with Disabilities” UCP Communications Coordinator James Garcia presents a report on the latest information available regarding Latinos with disabilities in the United States, along with supplementary information about Latinos with disabilities Canada and Mexico.

1:15 to 1:30 p.m. — Break

1:30 to 2:35 p.m. — “Latinos with Disabilities: Barriers and Opportunities.” A panel discussion about the distinct social, cultural and economic barriers that contribute to the lack of adequate services and resources for Latinos with disabilities in the United States. Panel will also include a conversation about the opportunities for so called mainstream disability groups to engage the Latino community and ways that Latinos can proactively access services for their community.

2:35 to 2:50 p.m. Break

2:50 to 3:55 p.m. “The Browning of the Direct Care Workforce.” The longstanding direct care workforce crisis is worse than ever. The shortage of workers has grown. The waiting list for direct care is increasing. Wages for direct care workers are up but not enough for employers/service providers to deter them from taking higher paying jobs in other fields. This panel looks at the workforce crisis in the context of the increasing impact of Latino workers, including immigrants, and the strains a growing Latino population nationwide is having on disability services.

Day 2 – Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022 / Noon to 4 p.m. Eastern

12 p.m. — Opening remarks by UCP Board Chair Keith Graham.

12:10 to 1:15 p.m. – “Disparate Treatment of Puerto Rico Residents with Disabilities in Federal Programs and Benefits.” More than a century since it became a U.S. territory and five years after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, a new report by the National Council on Disability finds the U.S. has “reneged on the federal promise to bring” Puerto Rico’s nearly 700,000 people with disabilities “into the economic and social mainstream simply because of where they reside.” NCD Chair Andres Gallegos presents a scathing report on how “inadequate or nonexistent funding … creates devastating economic hardship” for Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable population, people with disabilities. Gallegos’ presentation will be followed by an expert panel discussion.

1:15 to 1:30 p.m. — Break

1:30 to 2:35 p.m. — “Mexico’s Disability Community.” The nonprofit disability service provider, Nuevo Amanecer, in Monterey, Mexico is one of the few organizations nationwide offering comprehensive counseling, treatment and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Executive Director Dr. Maria Ibarra joins a distinguished panel of experts on the types of services available in Mexico for people with disabilities, and how organizations like Nuevo Amanecer navigate local, state and federal regulations in the face of persistent bias against people with disabilities.

2:50 to 3:55 p.m. – “Who Counts Depends on Who Gets Counted.” The title for this panel was borrowed from a common refrain among researchers at John Hopkins University’s Disability Health Research Center. “The idea being that when you don’t have data about [communities of color or people with disabilities],” according to DHRC Director Bonnielin Swenor, “it is as if these inequities are absent.” Swenor calls the unwillingness by many researchers to acknowledge the importance and necessity of gathering comprehensive data about historically disenfranchised communities “data oppression.” This panel examines how a lack of data limits access to services for people with disabilities, especially among people of color.

3:55 – 4 p.m. – Closing remarks.

Special thanks to our premier sponsor for the conference, Waymo, and our supporting sponsor ANCOR.

Registrants will receive a Zoom link to the attend this live-streamed event 48 hours before the start of the conference.

Questions? Contact James Garcia at 602-460-1374 or jgarcia@ucp.org.

UCP 2022 Conference on Latinos with Disabilities

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