AdvoCon 2024 Speaker information

Friday November 1st, 7-9pm

Opening Ceremonies, Land Acknowledgement and Keynote Speaker

Keynote Speaker

Symbia Barnaby is an Indigenous woman of Haida and Mi’kmaq descent. She currently lives on the traditional unceded territory of the Coast Ts’msyen People, on what is known traditionally as kxeen . Her traditional feasted Haida name is Guu Gaa Jung and her spirit name is Warrior Woman. She is a single mother of 6 children (5 of which have neurodivergent). She is trained as a Practical Nurse, a Reiki Level 3 Practitioner and, a Traditional Helper. Symbia is a fierce community inclusion advocate. She is also a storyteller, a filmmaker, and a Wisdom Translator.

Symbia volunteers with several community based organizations aimed at supporting the healing of generational and systemic trauma. She has developed and run workshops on decolonization, anti-racism, health equity, inclusive education, disability and intersectionality. She also consults on research projects with various agencies and individuals wanting to understand equity, policy and protocols through an Indigenous lens with her business called Healing Nation Coaching and Consulting.

Saturday , November 2nd, 10am-11am

WORKSHOP TITLE : Navigating the BC Human Rights Tribunal System

BIO : Kim Block is a mother to two children and a wife in a family with multiple disabilities and neurodiversities. She is a person who stutters and has been an advocate in the stuttering community for over 20 years through keynote speaking, facilitating support groups, writing children’s books and workshop presenting to various groups across Canada and the United States.

She is currently completing her second BA degree at Simon Fraser University in Criminology and Legal Studies. Her first degree is a BA in Human Relations and Family Life Education from Concordia University, Montreal. Kim’s passion has evolved in advocating through a human rights lens. Through her own educational advocacy, she has navigated the BC Human Rights Tribunal system, Ombudsperson BC, the Professional Conduct Unit, and the Office of Information and Privacy Commissioner. Kim’s goal is to provide as much information and support to parents as possible through her own lived experience, her blog, website and volunteer work.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION : Through Kim’s lived experience of navigating the BC Human Rights Tribunal system for the last four years, she will present her key learnings, essential tips and tricks, and all of the information she wishes she had known before entering this system. Knowledge is key.

Saturday, November 2nd, 11 : 15am-12 : 15pm

WORKSHOP TITLE : Guide to Home Learning & Tips on Teaching Outside the Box

BIO : Jeanette Dyck has been teaching privately for over 40 years as a music teacher initially, but that quickly expanded to tutoring other subjects as they came up. She automatically adapted her teaching style to accommodate the needs of her students as if they were not sufficiently engaged, they would lose interest and not be able to focus.

Her own two boys are enrolled with an online learning school when it became clear that public school was unable to support their learning needs. She is currently an admin on both the BC Homeschoolers and Online Learners group and the BC Home Learners : Inclusive Education / Diverse Needs Edition, with the goal of helping families navigate their options and share teaching ideas that are accessible for struggling students and affordable for families.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION : Home Learning options and strategies for families when classroom learning is not a good fit.

Saturday, November 2nd, 12 : 30pm-1 : 30pm

BIO : Levonne Abshire (she / her), MEd., COC, is a second-generation Filipina, whose family immigrated to Canada in the 1960s and has lived as uninvited guests on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples : Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh for over 40 years. Despite having multiple degrees and certifications in education, EDI and coaching and having worked in the field of education for over 20 years, it is her lived experience that is of most value in her disability justice work. She is the solo mom to a Filipino-Black Autistic teen, navigating the intersections of race and disability in education, healthcare and employment. Levonne continues to volunteer with a number of disability support and advocacy organizations, including BCEdAccess.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION : Self-advocacy is the ability to communicate one’s needs. People who self-advocate are more likely to thrive in school, work, and life. This presentation will share strategies to help students with disabilities learn to be self-advocates, as well as provide an opportunity for participants to share their successes in teaching their students to be self-advocates.

Saturday, November 2nd, 1 : 45pm-2 : 45pm

WORKSHOP TITLE : The Potential of School District Accessibility Plans

BIO : Jennifer Branston is a dedicated advocate for inclusive education and disability rights within the North Vancouver School District (NVSD SD44) and the broader disability and autistic communities in British Columbia. She has a deep commitment to fostering equitable educational opportunities and addressing ableism. Jennifer serves on the North Shore Disability Advisory Committee and has been a board director at both Autism Community Training (ACT) and Autism B.C. She also chairs the North Vancouver Parent Advisory Council (NVPAC) and its Disability Advisory Committee. As a UBC Health Mentor, she shares her experiences to support the education of future healthcare professionals. In addition, Jennifer actively works to educate others about ableism, sharing her personal journey as an autistic adult and parent through the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser University (SFU). Through her advocacy and educational efforts, she strives to promote greater inclusion and understanding within education and the wider community.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION : We are pleased to invite you to participate in this workshop dedicated to exploring the various aspects and potential of school district accessibility plans.In addition, we will focus on the importance of relationship building with educators and administrators to foster a collaborative and supportive environment.Join us for an informative and interactive session where you can learn how to navigate and leverage accessibility plans, build strong relationships, and advocate against ableism to ensure a supportive and inclusive educational environment for all students.

Saturday, November 2nd, 3pm-4pm

WORKSHOP TITLE : Panel Discussion : Advocating for Inclusive Education through PACs and DPACs

BIO : Tracy is a settler on the stolen lands of the Lekwungen and Wsanec Peoples. She has ADHD and autism, and is a parent to three amazing adult offspring with disabilities. She has also been an active volunteer in BC schools in many roles for over 25 years and was awarded the 2019 Victoria Community Leadership Award in Lifelong Learning for her work as the founder and Executive Director of the BCEdAccess Society, advocating for equitable access to education for children and youth with disabilities. She is thrilled to continue her work in education advocacy as the Executive Director of the BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC).

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION : Join us for a panel conversation led by Tracy Humphreys, Executive Director of BCCPAC, featuring PAC and DPAC members actively involved in inclusive education.

• PACs and DPACs Roles : Understand their advisory role in the School Act and how they serve as platforms for parental advocacy.
• Advocacy Tools : Hear how PACs and DPACs can effectively advocate for change and improve inclusive education.
• Inclusive Education Subcommittees : Learn about the formation and impact of these subcommittees within PACs and DPACs.
• BCCPAC’s Advocacy Project : Hear about BCCPAC’s initiative to train advocates in districts to support families in navigating and advocating within the education system.

Whether you’ve been involved for years or are new to PACs and DPACs, this panel will help you understand the potential of your school and district PAC communities to help move accessibility and inclusion.

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