BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The annual Americans with Disabilities Act Conference is returning to Bakersfield on July 30 and 31 at the Bakersfield Marriott in downtown. Tickets are still available for the two-day event, which is organized by the Independent Living Center of Kern County — the only independent living center in California known to host a conference of this kind.
The conference is designed to bring people with disabilities, advocates, and family members together to learn about their rights and the services available to them.
"This is all about educating the community on the rights of people with disabilities and understanding the services that are available for people with disabilities," Aaron Markovits, program manager for the Independent Living Center of Kern County, said.
This year's keynote speaker is former police chief Lyle Martin, who will speak about inclusion and moving beyond the legal aspects of the ADA. The director of the California Department of Rehabilitation will also attend, traveling from Sacramento to share her vision for the future of the ADA.
New this year, the conference will feature breakout sessions covering digital accessibility, the rights of parents of students with disabilities and individualized education programs, and a virtual reality demonstration of what it is like to have a disability.
The event has grown significantly since its early days.
"We started in the boardroom at our office and grew it to last year where we sold out the ballroom at the Marriott, so we're very proud and obviously it's something the community has gotten behind," Markovits said.
There are 20 independent living centers across California. As far as organizers know, the Independent Living Center of Kern County is the only one that organizes an Americans with Disabilities Act conference, and has been doing so for years.
"This has never been a fundraiser," Markovits said.
This year, however, a separate fundraiser has been added. On Thursday evening, the organization will host a casino night, which is independent of the ADA conference itself.
The overall mission of the Independent Living Center of Kern County is to support people with disabilities and elderly individuals in continuing to live in their homes independently for as long as possible.
Markovits said the conference serves a wide range of attendees, from those who are newly disabled and learning about available resources for the first time, to seasoned advocates looking to network and advance their work locally, statewide, or federally.
"Sometimes you have that person who's newly disabled and so they're just being introduced to the services and supports that are available to them," Markovits said. "That's a wonderful outcome, when someone who doesn't know where else to go gets connected and finds out about resources."
Tickets for the July 30 and 31 conference are still available. For more information, call the Independent Living Center of Kern County at 325-1063. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
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