Disability Rights & Inclusion

Workshop Description: Start learning about disability, disability justice and the role we all play in making the world a more equitable and accessible for people of all ages with disabilities. You’ll learn more disability experiences and examine scenarios to determine how to reduce barriers and increase inclusion. This will be done through an interactive approach with some discussion, small group work, and other activities.

Participants can expect: Discussion, Hands-on Activity, Small group work

This workshop is offered: AM, Sessions 1 & 2

Speaker Bios: Carrie Kerska, Karli John, and Heather Stelljes are three former middle and high school teachers now working in disability and accessibility field share more about what they've learned about disability identity, rights, and justice. They now work with disabled college students at the University of Wisconsin. They support equitable access for students with a variety of disability experiences and continue to do their own learning about disability justice.

Workshop Description: Advocacy means speaking up and taking action to make positive change. In this session, researchers and advocates will present how they are using art-making to understand and strengthen advocacy in the local autistic community. Students will discuss art, storytelling, and social change and have an opportunity to create their own advocacy-focused vision board collage.

Participants can expect: Discussion, Hands-on Activity, Advocacy / Action, art project (mini collage)

This workshop is offered: PM, sessions 3 & 4

Content Level: Beginner 

Speaker Bios: 

Helen Rottier is a Researcher at the Waisman Center in Madison, where she explores how to include disabled communities in disability research through community-engaged methods.

Jina Chun is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who works with individuals, families, and communities to improve employment experiences and support inclusive transitions from school to adulthood.

River Kratochvil is an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying rehabilitation psychology and founder of NeuroPride, a student organization for neurodivergent community and advocacy.

Workshop Description: Autistic kids have unique health needs, but historically the healthcare system has not been set up to effectively meet those needs. Neurodiversity affirming healthcare is care that embraces neurodiversity and addresses the unique needs of children with autism. This workshop will help students learn what neurodiversity affirming healthcare looks like and explore ways to advocate in a healthcare setting.

Participants can expect: Discussion, Small group work, Verbal Presentation / Lecture, Q&A

This workshop is offered: PM, sessions 3 & 4

Content Level: Beginner

Speaker Bio: Katie Kastner is a developmental pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin Waisman Center where she provides medical care for children with developmental delays and disabilities. She also works in medical education to provide training for medical students and residents related to disability advocacy and developmental care for children.

Workshop Description: Learn about neurodiversity, a group that includes anyone with an atypical brain, as a category and as a movement. Discuss what neurodiversity is, how to be more inclusive towards neurodiverse individuals, and the kinds of action needed to make today's world more inclusive and accommodating. Have a friend with ADHD or anxiety? Diagnosed recently with depression or as autistic and want to learn more about yourself? Come and learn how to interact best with those who are neurodivergent.

Participants can expect: Discussion, Hands-on Activity, Problem-solving, Small group work, Advocacy / Action, Verbal Presentation / Lecture, Game(s)

This workshop is offered: AM, sessions 1 & 2

Content Level: Beginner 

Speaker Bio: The West High Neurodiversity Club is a safe space for neurodiverse students and tries to make West High a more inclusive place.

Workshop Description: Learn about the pillars of Special Olympics while also discussing post HS opportunities within the organization including sports, leadership roles, and programs to stay healthy after school.

Participants can expect: Discussion, Movement, Verbal Presentation / Lecture

This is a unified workshop. Participants will be partnered with a student with disabilities. 

This workshop is offered: PM, sessions 3 & 4

Content Level: Beginner

Speaker Bio: Bobby Tearney is the UCS manager for the Madison area as well as the Young Athlete coordinator. I graduated from UW-Madison in 2022 with a degree in rehabilitation phycology and I am from Cambridge Massachusetts.

Workshop Description: This workshop centers original storytelling, accessibility, and collaborative creation in alignment with Encore Studio’s mission to amplify artists with disabilities. We invite participants to explore creativity, confidence, and connection through theatre games, movement, and improvisation in a supportive, inclusive environment. Students build foundational acting skills — including listening, imagination, and ensemble collaboration — while discovering their unique artistic voice. Designed for all abilities and experience levels, the workshop prioritizes accessibility, joyful participation, and creative expression over performance perfection.

Participants can expect: Discussion, Hands-on Activity, Problem-solving, Small group work, Movement, Game(s)

This workshop is offered: PM, sessions 3 & 4

Content Level: Beginner 

Speaker Bio: Jessica Jane Witham (She/her/hers), 

Jessica is an arts administrator, disability rights advocate, producer, director, performer and teaching artist.  She has spent over 35 years working in different aspects of performance and production and has worked as an actress, an administrator and a technician regionally as well as in NYC. Favorite professional moments include working with the stage management team as the “tail of the amoeba” welcoming His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Overture Center to performing and co-producing Cirque du Sylvee, a circus burlesque spectacular at The Sylvee, featuring Foxy Veronica’s Peach Pies, a burlesque troupe Jessica founded in 2004. She has worked with many wonderful companies including American Players Theatre, Forward Theatre Company, Music Theatre of Madison, Theatre Lila, the NYC Frigid Festival, and the NYC Fringe Festival. Additionally, Jessica is a yoga teacher specializing in trauma sensitive yoga, and founded the hybrid theatre-yoga program TheatriKidz Yoga. Jessica attended American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and UW–Madison where she received her BA in cultural anthropology and MA from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration.

Jessica is currently the Managing and Program Director of Encore Studio for the Performing Arts (Wisconsin’s first professional theatre company for actors with disabilities).  Working in the community of professional theatre, Encore actors develop their creative skills and talents to communicate, through the performing arts, a challenging and authentic message about disability and culture. Encore actively promotes an environment where each individual's talents, skills and abilities can be fostered and developed to reach their goal of having a career as a performing artist.