KIT a Hit at the LEAD Conference in DC

On August 14 I traveled to Washington, DC to attend the LEAD (Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability) conference. I was asked to co- present at this conference with my friend Sheri Sherman from the San Diego Zoo. We had a great time and our session was a hit. We presented on the building of bridges between the participants and their frontline staff and between them and their upper management. There were many sessions throughout LEAD on interesting topics I don’t usually get to hear about. One of the sessions I attended was on assistive technology. There are incredible items people have created to make museums, theater, and the arts more accessible. We were able to hear about these items, where they are being used and of course the cost so we can save up to have our very own. We were even able to test them out! Apparently they will be coming soon to Disneyland. What is it? Oh yes, sorry it is a hand held device, about the size of an iphone, (a little bigger) and it captions a predetermined script on an exhibit or attraction for those with hearing loss or who are deaf, in addition it can audio describe for individuals who are blind or have low vision. The changes in accessibility are quite amazing due to these types of technology.

Did you know that KIT will be co-hosting the LEAD conference next year with the San Diego Zoo? If you are a museum or cultural institution this would be a good conference for you to attend. The dates are August 26-29, 2010 in San Diego!

(pictured are Nili Mathews, KIT and Sheri Sherman and Bob Dillon, San Diego Zoo)

What We Did With Our Summer Vacation

The summer typically means less travel for the KIT staff. You are busy giving kids wonderful summer memories in camps, and we are busy at the KIT office creating new training, resources and materials that will be ready for you when the kids you serve are back in school. So, just when we settled in for the summer and got quite cozy in our office chairs...the phone rang and we were invited to visit the City of Brotherly Love to present at the US Army Exceptional Family Member Program manager's conference.

Of course, we never turn down a chance to talk about inclusion so off we went! Alissa and I flew to Philadelphia for a long (5 day) weekend to meet and mingle with EFMP managers from all over the world. Our session was lively and even though it was right after lunch the participants were very engaged and responsive. We also had a little time to see the historic sites of Philly, and while we did not eat Philly Cheese Steak (sorry, Philly, I am vegetarian) we did enjoy a huge pretzel.

Meanwhile, back at the KIT ranch there are a lot of exciting things going on. Have you heard about our upcoming fundraiser?

We hope your summer is going well and that you are making magic for children with and without disabilities. Remember to be in touch if there is anything we can do to help ensure that all children can enjoy a summer camp experience.