Forum to Explore World of Disabilities

A Community Forum in Newbury Park on Saturday, May 5 will explore the world of people with disabilities: Who is in this population and what do they face in terms of housing, employment, education, safety and health care?

The 7 p.m. forum at the Conejo Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will spotlight issues of access, inclusion and acceptance that those in the disabled community face. The presenters will be Dani Anderson, executive director of the Independent Living Resource Center, a nonprofit that serves Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, and Lee Ann Holland, co-founder of Thrive Conejo, an organization that advocates for inclusive education where children at all academic levels from the gifted to those with learning disabilities would be schooled together.

The speakers will describe services available in the community to those with disabilities and offer guidance on how everybody can play a role in removing barriers to acceptance and inclusion.

The Independent Living Resource Center notes on its website that although some barriers to inclusion are obvious, others are less so and may require advocacy to illuminate and solve the issue. The nonprofit has four offices in the tri-county area and it offers a comprehensive range of services. Its mission is to promote full access, equal opportunity and maximum success and self-sufficiency for all people with disabilities.

The Community Forum at 3327 Old Conejo Road in Newbury Park is open to the public and free; donations are welcome. For information, visit forum.cvuuf.org or contact Grace DiTommaso through the church office at (805) 498-9548