A Call to Conscience: Advancing Dignity for Adults with Severe and Multiple Disabilities
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"A Call to Conscience": Advancing Dignity for Adults with Severe and Multiple Disabilities
On Monday, July 27, 2026, SPARC and The George Washington University will host a landmark summit at the Jack Morton Auditorium in Washington, DC. This daylong gathering brings together thought leaders, policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers, advocates, and families around one simple truth: dignity is not a privilege — it's a right.
Adults with severe and multiple disabilities remain among the most isolated members of our communities. They face systemic barriers in healthcare, housing, education, and community life — barriers that too often go unexamined in the rooms where decisions are made. This summit changes that. For one day, we are putting their experiences, their needs, and their futures at the center of the conversation.
Keynote and Featured Addresses
The summit will open with a keynote address by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and feature a farewell address by Congressman James Walkinshaw, both longtime champions of disability rights and equitable public policy.
Three Fireside Conversations
Throughout the day, three moderated panels will explore the most urgent issues facing adults with severe and multiple disabilities today:
Panel 1 — Lived Experiences, Navigating Barriers, and Aspirations
Moderated by Maryland State Delegate Aaron Kaufman, a leading disability rights advocate. Panelists include Michael D. Toobin, Esq., Dr. Mark Coles, Mara Flynn — each parents of adult children with complex needs — and Liz Weintraub, Senior Advocacy Specialist at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.
Panel 2 — Health Care: Addressing Gaps and Advancing Equity
Moderated by Virginia State Senator Kannan Srinivasan. Panelists include Fairfax County BOS Chairman Jeff McKay, Professor Jessica Bonness (Marymount University), Dr. Kevin O'Connor (GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences), Hannah Irsfeld, Esq. (Vice Chair of SPARC and Medicaid reform expert), and Dr. Megan Mahowald (Marymount University).
Panel 3 — Reforms, Innovations and Bold Imagination: "Designing a Future That Includes Us"
Moderated by Virginia State Senator Barbara Favola, Chair of the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee. Panelists include Dr. Bonnielin Swenor (Johns Hopkins University Disability Health Research Center), Dr. Qing Zeng-Treitler (GW Biomedical Informatics Center), Jamie Dyke, LCSW (Elevance Health Center of Excellence), and Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn.
Who Should Attend
This summit is for anyone whose work, life, or advocacy intersects with disability and dignity: elected officials and legislative staff; healthcare providers and administrators; researchers, academics, and students; nonprofit leaders and direct support professionals; self-advocates; and the families and caregivers who navigate these systems every day. If you care about building a more just future for the most underserved members of our communities, this conversation needs your voice.
Date: Monday, July 27, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Jack Morton Auditorium, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
Admission: $50 general / $25 Virtual / $10 students
Seats are limited — register early.
Become a Sponsor
Sponsorship reflects a shared commitment to designing a future that expands dignity and possibility for some of our most isolated individuals. Sponsorship opportunities and registration are available at sparcsolutions.org/summit.
Dignity is not a privilege. It's a right. Join us.
On Monday, July 27, 2026, SPARC and The George Washington University will host a landmark summit at the Jack Morton Auditorium in Washington, DC. This daylong gathering brings together thought leaders, policymakers, healthcare professionals, researchers, advocates, and families around one simple truth: dignity is not a privilege — it's a right.
Adults with severe and multiple disabilities remain among the most isolated members of our communities. They face systemic barriers in healthcare, housing, education, and community life — barriers that too often go unexamined in the rooms where decisions are made. This summit changes that. For one day, we are putting their experiences, their needs, and their futures at the center of the conversation.
Keynote and Featured Addresses
The summit will open with a keynote address by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and feature a farewell address by Congressman James Walkinshaw, both longtime champions of disability rights and equitable public policy.
Three Fireside Conversations
Throughout the day, three moderated panels will explore the most urgent issues facing adults with severe and multiple disabilities today:
Panel 1 — Lived Experiences, Navigating Barriers, and Aspirations
Moderated by Maryland State Delegate Aaron Kaufman, a leading disability rights advocate. Panelists include Michael D. Toobin, Esq., Dr. Mark Coles, Mara Flynn — each parents of adult children with complex needs — and Liz Weintraub, Senior Advocacy Specialist at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.
Panel 2 — Health Care: Addressing Gaps and Advancing Equity
Moderated by Virginia State Senator Kannan Srinivasan. Panelists include Fairfax County BOS Chairman Jeff McKay, Professor Jessica Bonness (Marymount University), Dr. Kevin O'Connor (GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences), Hannah Irsfeld, Esq. (Vice Chair of SPARC and Medicaid reform expert), and Dr. Megan Mahowald (Marymount University).
Panel 3 — Reforms, Innovations and Bold Imagination: "Designing a Future That Includes Us"
Moderated by Virginia State Senator Barbara Favola, Chair of the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee. Panelists include Dr. Bonnielin Swenor (Johns Hopkins University Disability Health Research Center), Dr. Qing Zeng-Treitler (GW Biomedical Informatics Center), Jamie Dyke, LCSW (Elevance Health Center of Excellence), and Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn.
Who Should Attend
This summit is for anyone whose work, life, or advocacy intersects with disability and dignity: elected officials and legislative staff; healthcare providers and administrators; researchers, academics, and students; nonprofit leaders and direct support professionals; self-advocates; and the families and caregivers who navigate these systems every day. If you care about building a more just future for the most underserved members of our communities, this conversation needs your voice.
Date: Monday, July 27, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Jack Morton Auditorium, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
Admission: $50 general / $25 Virtual / $10 students
Seats are limited — register early.
Become a Sponsor
Sponsorship reflects a shared commitment to designing a future that expands dignity and possibility for some of our most isolated individuals. Sponsorship opportunities and registration are available at sparcsolutions.org/summit.
Dignity is not a privilege. It's a right. Join us.
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Where is it happening?
Jack Morton Auditorium, 805 21st St NW, Washington, DC 20052-0029, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherSPecially Adapted Resource Centers - SPARC
