Renay had a good time at CalTASH 2026. First, reuniting with Lisa and Megan yet again is just the goal of the whole two-day conference. We do not get to see each other as often, but it is not a catch-up because we just have those parts of our lives that we know we are checking in on and then spending a little time growing professionally.
Opening Session
Getting to sit in on the panel of individuals talking about working and employment in California for people with disabilities was an interesting way to frame ideas for providing students with skills for jobs. Especially when one is looking at the rise in people who are less likely to be interested in attending college.
We think there is a lot of room for improvement in the range of offerings for employment for people with disabilities and the opportunities we can generate for individuals with differing skills. But starting with their preferences is very important.
Joy, Freedom, and Struggle: Disability and Math with Meaning
For the first session, this was a fun easy start for Renay. As a member of the UCLA Math Project, Joanna Haymen emphasized the importance of Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI). Using sentence frames to validate the participation of every student, to give students more math plays to experience.
Joanna ended with the quote ‘Hope is a discipline we must practice daily’ by Mariame Kaba.
Renay’s interest in the role of math and students with disabilities making progress is part of the ‘why’ we need to keep trying.
La Transicíon: Supporting Latino Planning for Life After High School
Some interesting insights came in this session. The first is language choices. While typically said as “independent living”, this also draws a picture of someone with a disability living with no one around. And within some Latino families, this is not the picture that they have for their family member with a disability. However, the idea of “independent living skills” encompasses all the skills one might use to live independently, like washing dishes, dealing with finances, handling laundry, to the level that someone with a disability could manage, the independent living skills are a spotlight for all those skills that help people be supportive in a family, but not necessarily on their own.
While typically said as “independent living”, this also draws a picture of someone with a disability living with no one around. And within some Latino families, this is not the picture that they have for their family member with a disability.
Transitions to adulthood in California are starting as soon as high school, and another highlighted concept is that the individual with a disability needs to begin participating in their IEP as soon as possible.
A reminder to use person-centered planning to support the individual and get them to the goals the student really wants.
Using AAC to Support Multilingual Engagement in Shared Reading Activities
Students with AAC need real literacy skills to be proficient with their AAC. And especially students who have bilingual families.
Getting the family trained to help connect the activities at home and at school to best guide the outcomes to increase vocabulary and understanding for the students.
The Vendors
The Vendors were bigger than ever, actually, this year. They took up the entire mezzanine, and there were several individuals who were microbusinesses.
The Bash
Food, music, dancing, an auction, and drawings. The CalTASH Bash is one of those events that seems silly on the top, but the Bash is one of those events with a little bit of tradition, and the reminder to all attendees, regardless of affiliation—disabled, professional, vendor, getting out on the dance floor even for one or two turns helps make those connections much clearer.
Saturday morning has always had a few options. Sometimes there is a second keynote to open, but we rolled right into breakouts.
Navigating Advocacy with a Smile
Renay met Daniel Stuckey and Stanford Stuckey a few years ago. Cory, Daniel’s service dog, was the newest member to come present with Daniel.
Daniel shared his experiences with talking with political leaders and all the experiences he has had testing new items for people with disabilities. There are a variety of tools being developed for wheelchair users that are designed to help them navigate different terrains more easily. Daniel has also helped work with Southwest and other airlines, looking at limiting the destruction of electric wheelchairs. They are excited by the robotics industry and how they can help people with disabilities.
Real Inclusion at School
Evan shared his journey to being a young teen. Viviana, his mother and a lawyer, looked at an event that started their advocacy journey. Viviana gave families tips and highlights to look at if they need to use a lawyer to advocate for their students’ inclusion in their education.
The Alternate Diploma Pathway
Renay has been following the Alternate Diploma Pathway for a while now. And hearing the work from Kristen Wright is reassuring that she is doing everything on her end to make sure her students are eligible to earn this diploma. The access to the Pathway seems to have some interesting hurdles right now, even though every California District is supposed to have a plan at this point.
Students who qualify for the Alternative Diploma Pathway are students who are eligible for the California Alternate Assessment. This test replaces the SBAC in California for individuals with disabilities.
The Inclusive Education Round Table
This last session before the closing remarks brings together some of the best minds in Education. While the format is not a lecture but a true discussion of pathways for everyone, this session was harder because the voices that have held on to inclusive education were just not in the room during this time. But the discussion needs to continue because we do not have inclusive educational opportunities for everyone in every district just yet. It is not about families who are choosing unexclusive options; it is the truth when there is no option but segregation, and that waiting is just crushing to families and students who know what a better social and academic outcome is waiting for their student, both with and without disabilities.
A Chat with Jim Lebrecht
We saw a trailer for his most recent documentary, “Change Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act,” which is an introduction to the fight for the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It was also a talk about his involvement in the creation of “CripCamp”. We found out some tidbits more about how the formation of the documentary came about, and shared the experiences of the 504 sit-ins.
The reminder that many who participated in both the 504 and the ADA protests were people with disabilities who were primarily in their twenties. That energy from someone who wants to see the world change for the better, that can change the world, is as important as possible.
And then, in thunder of applause, those who remained, over fifty folks, left the hotel, a little richer in knowledge and sharing the connections that only occur at a conference. Taking the information back to their campuses, their jobs, and their peers is the purpose. Acting on the new pathways with the best intentions is the purpose of every conference.
CalTASH ended, and Renay went out onto the street from the hotel to cross and get to the parking structure. But the lessons remain, and Renay cannot wait to try to figure out how to apply those lessons for us all.
Do you have any comments about this month’s blog? Do you have a question for us? Would you like to have an opportunity to pilot some materials at your campus? Find ParaEducate online here, here, here, and on our website. ParaEducate is a company providing materials, information, and strategies for people working in special education inclusion settings for grades K-12. ParaEducate, the blog, is usually published once a month during the academic school year. ParaEducate shares its findings at conferences, through its books, and through its academic adaptations.
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