Three APS Autistic Students to Present at National Disability Rights Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 3, 2015

Three Arlington Autistic Students Chosen to Speak at National Disability Rights Conference in Oregon

Three Arlington Public Schools (APS) students who have autism were selected to give presentations at a national disability rights conference in Portland, Oregon, from December 2-4, 2015, as part of celebrations in honor of the 25^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Wakefield High School student Huan Vuong, 18, will present “Communication and Acceptance Is the Cure;” Stratford Program student Ben McGann, 19, will speak on “Man on Fire: Youth Leadership in Civil Rights;” and Wakefield High School student Emma Budway, 18, will present “Shut Out: My Story and the Need to Presume Competence.”

The conference, sponsored by the national disability rights organization TASH (www.tash.org), is expected to attract nearly 1,000 attendees, including many prominent academics, federal, state, and local government officials, as well as disability rights activists and supporters. Several APS officials also plan to attend the conference, which will focus this year on the theme of inclusive education.

The students submitted proposals to the national competition for speakers in early June 2015 and received word in August that their proposals had been accepted. Only 50 percent of proposals were accepted for this conference.

This accomplishment is notable not just because the three are high school students who beat out adults for the opportunity to present at a national conference, but because Vuong, McGann, and Budway each have disabilities that prevent them from using their voices to speak. Instead, they communicate by pointing to letters on a letterboard.

“The TASH Conference provides an opportunity for our children to demonstrate that they are unique individuals with a voracious appetite to learn,” said Donna Budway, Ms. Budway’s mother. “I know that TASH conference attendees will be excited to welcome our students as they demonstrate their desire and ambition to be more fully included in their schools and community.”

During their presentations in Portland, an interpreter will hold their letterboards and relay their speeches orally to the audience in real time. The three have been honing their presentation skills by providing public comment during recent Arlington School Board and Advisory Committee meetings. McGann noted that his desire to speak at the conference is part of a goal “to be a leader in the new civil rights movement.”

“We are so proud of these three inspiring students, who represent Arlington so well. These teenage disability advocates earned a coveted spot on the national stage to make the case for valuing the potential of special needs students and giving them the chance to learn and thrive with their nondisabled peers,” said Arlington Special Education PTA (SEPTA) President Katherine Harris.

The Arlington Special Education PTA (SEPTA) is a county-wide PTA affiliated with the national PTA and Virginia PTA. SEPTA focuses on special education issues and advocates for students with disabilities and their families and educators. Started in 2010, Arlington SEPTA is the first Special Education PTA in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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For more information: 

Maria Votsch

Arlington Special Education Parent-Teacher Association

Tel: 703-217-6227

Email: communication@arlingtonsepta.org