The 19th Annual Family Café will be held June 16th-18th at the Hyatt Regency Orlando.
Held since 1998, Family Café is Florida's premiere event for persons with disabilities. Its mission is to offer individuals with disabilities and their families exposure to a range of resources, networking opportunities, and the opportunity to hear from and ask questions of elected officials. In addition to hundreds of workshops -- that include many on self-advocacy, a packed exhibit hall, and several social events, The Governor’s Summit provides direct access to policy-making officials and is a major highlight of each year’s event.
For those who are unfamiliar with the event, here is a little background on the Family Café. It holds several core values which define it as an organization. They are as follows:
To provide better information and access to resources for those with disabilities statewide.
To provide individuals a place to network, share information, influence public policy and the way services are delivered.
Family Café believes that the individual is more important than governmental procedure and that individuals deserve to live in an environment of excellence as opposed to an environment of adequacy.
Finally, Family Café believes that all individuals deserve equal opportunities to live the life of their choosing despite a person disability; this includes everything from social activities to gainful employment.
Highlights of the event include three days of catching up with old friends and making new ones, unprecedented access to public officials, and great guest speakers. There is no registration fee for persons with disabilities and their family members as Family Café strives to be as accessible as possible.
More information can be found at the Family Café website here, including information on nearby hotels as the Hyatt is full. Do not miss this great opportunity for networking and education. Come and join fellow self-advocates and register today!