Best-selling author to speak locally
Haddonfield, NJ… Rachel Simon, author of the best-selling memoir Riding the Bus with My Sister, will be joined by Al Condeluci, Ph.D., a national expert on disabilities in a one-day seminar designed to help people with disabilities overcome barriers and achieve greater participation in community life.
The event – “Building Communities for All Abilities” – is the first of a series of seminars offered by Bancroft NeuroHealth through the Clarence York Lecture Series. The first lecture will be held at the Cherry Hill Library May 28, 9 am - 4 pm.
Guest speaker Simon will draw from her inspirational journey of riding the bus with her sister, Beth, who has developmental disabilities, to discuss life’s stages affecting families of people with disabilities.
Keynote speaker Condeluci, a national consultant on human services and community issues, will offer culture-shifting ways to be inclusive and supportive of all people. Condeluci, an instructor and consultant for the University of Pittsburgh, is also CEO of United Cerebral Palsy of Pittsburgh and author of six books on community and culture.
Two panel discussions, including self-advocates, family and community members and Bancroft NeuroHealth staff will discuss how to cooperatively overcome challenges and create positive involvement in the community.
The $25 admission includes continental breakfast and lunch. Lecture is free to persons served and Bancroft employees.
Human-services, education and healthcare professionals who support those with disabilities, persons with disabilities and their families are encouraged to attend.
The series honors Clarence Nelson York, Ed.D., a leader in education and advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities. Dr. York has helped governments and private agencies worldwide develop programs for persons with special needs. He served as president of Bancroft NeuroHealth from 1964 to 1984. Dr. York will assist in hosting the proceedings. The lecture series is dedicated to enriching and expanding the lives of people with disabilities through program innovation and excellence.
The Clarence York Lecture Series is made possible through a bequest by Charlotte Taylor. Taylor, the mother of a man helped by Bancroft, served as a Bancroft board member and emeritus trustee for many years.
Now celebrating its 125th Anniversary, Bancroft NeuroHealth annually serves more than 1,300 children and adults with developmental disabilities, brain injuries and other neurological impairments. Based in Haddonfield, NJ, Bancroft has sites in Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, Ocean, Salem and Middlesex counties in New Jersey, and in Delaware. Programs include education, rehabilitation, vocational, residential, evaluation and treatment services.
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