Thank you to our 2025 presenters & attendees!

Keynote Speaker: Jennifer White-Johnson

Jennifer White-Johnson (Jen) is a Disabled and Neurodivergent artist and designer educator who centers Black Disabled joy and futures in her work, informed by disability justice and Black feminist disability framework. Jen has presented her disability justice activist work and collaborated with a number of brands and art spaces across print and digital such as Target, Coachella, and Adobe Design. Her work is also permanently archived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National African American Museum of History and Culture in DC. Jen holds a BA in Visual Art from The University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and a MFA in Graphic Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she also imparts her knowledge as a current instructor. Jen resides in Baltimore, MD, with her husband and 11-year-old son.

Keynote Speaker: Eric Garcia

Eric Garcia is the Washington Bureau Chief and Senior Washington Correspondent at The Independent and the author of the book We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation. He is also a columnist for MSNBC. He previously worked as an assistant editor at The Washington Post’s Outlook section and an associate editor at The Hill, as well as a correspondent for National Journal, MarketWatch, and Roll Call. He has also written for Daily Beast, The New Republic, and Salon.com. Garcia is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Concurrent Sessions

Unleashing the Power of Neurodivergent Voices: Embracing Disability as a Source of Creative Revolution | Jennifer White-Johnson

Ezra: Authenticity and Inclusion in Hollywood | Alex Plank, Actor, Film Producer, & Co-Founder of WrongPlanet.net

Teaching the Taboo: Inclusive Sex Education Tools for Parents and Providers | Blake Warner, M.A., Clinical Psychology Intern—Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Treatment Track at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior

Disability Isn't a Dirty Word: The Normalcy of Neurodiversity | John Marble, Founder of Pivot; Writer/Speaker on Innovation, Autism, & Neurodiversity

Why Are the Employment Rates of Adults with Autism So Low? A Peek Into the Challenges Involved in Solving This Complex Puzzle | Marjorie Solomon, Ph.D., Oates Family Endowed Chair in Life Span Development in Autism, Professor of Psychiatry, Associate Director, MIND Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine

The Anti-Ableism Manifesto Zine-Making Workshop | Jennifer White-Johnson      

Progress and Challenges in Neurodiversity: A Community Conversation | Dr. Josie Blagrave, Chico State Kinesiology Faculty & Autism Clinic Director 

Autism: How Bad Ideas About Autism Harm Autistic People | Eric Garcia

About the Neurodiversity & Disability Symposium

As disability rates in the United States rise—currently nearing 13%—individuals and families in rural areas face unique challenges, often lacking access to crucial services and information. The Neurodiversity & Disability Symposium seeks to address these gaps by amplifying the voices of Neurodivergent and Disabled individuals, while also providing education for families, educators, and service providers in our region and beyond. With a commitment to inclusivity, we bring together a diverse range of topics and speakers to support all members of our community—ensuring that everyone has access to the knowledge and resources they need.

*Note: This program uses identity-first language where appropriate, while also recognizing that some individuals prefer person-first language. To accommodate the spectrum of preferences, we utilize both. To learn more about these perspectives, visit the AccessATE site.