NEADS Conference 2004 - Right On!

Conference Information

The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) and our Lead Sponsor - BMO Financial Group are pleased to announce our upcoming conference: Right On! The conference will take place at the Delta Ottawa Hotel and Suites, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from November 12th - 14th, 2004. The Delta (361 Queen Street) is located in the heart of downtown, and close to everything that makes the capital one of the country's most popular tourist and convention destinations. Hotel rooms are also available at the Radisson.

Hosted by the NEADS national office and a conference planning committee of the Board of Directors, chaired this year by Jason Mitschele, this event will be an exciting opportunity for: students, consumers, advocates, educators, service providers, employers and all others interested in exploring key issues of concern to our members.

We are encouraging schools to sponsor student delegates to attend the conference. Hope to see you in our nation's capital in November!

Conference Format

The meeting will serve as a dynamic and vital forum of information exchange - one that will emphasize strategies and successes, strengthen existing partnerships and forge new ones. The theme of the 2004 conference - Right On! relates to various rights that our members value and promote including: human rights, access rights, equality rights, education rights, and employment rights.

We will open with a reception on Friday evening, November 12th, which provides an excellent opportunity for conference participants to get to know each other. Workshops and plenary sessions will run all day Saturday, November 13th, concluding Sunday, November 14th at 4:30 p.m. Our Annual General Meeting and the Board elections will be held on Sunday.

The conference will function on a single-track format, with delegates participating in three workshops and interactive discussions. The conference will start and end with plenary sessions. The opening plenary will introduce the conference theme and format, the closing plenary will bring everyone together to draw the conference to a close.

There will also be an area in the hotel devoted to exhibits, with employers, vendors, government programs, and non-governmental organizations invited to set up displays. Please contact the national office for more details on the exhibit space, or consult the Web site.

Within the context of the conference, delegates will address NEADS' project work, policy development, and ongoing advocacy on behalf of the membership. It will also provide members with an opportunity to elect a Board of Directors to govern the Association for the next two years.

Registration

The cost of registration is set at $90.00 CDN for student delegates and $150.00 CDN for all others. An early registration fee of $70.00 CDN for students and $130.00 CDN for all others will be offered to those who register and pay on or by October 8th. This payment includes access to all conference proceedings, the opening reception on Friday evening, the conference banquet on Saturday night and a two-year NEADS membership.

Conference registration forms, along with information and nomination forms for those interested in running for a position on the NEADS Board of Directors, will be available online at www.neads.ca. Materials can also be obtained by contacting our national office. Golden Planners, the event management company, is handling conference registration.

Hotel

The Delta Hotel is offering a conference rate for delegates of $115.00 per night, single and double occupancy (not including tax). Those interested in attending can book, and pay for, their own accommodation under the conference room block by calling the hotel directly at (613) 238-6000 or toll free (800) 268-1133.When booking, mention the name of the Association, the conference title and the reservation file name GONEA7. Wheelchair accessible rooms are available upon request at the same rate.

Delegates can also book rooms at the Radisson Hotel, which is located just down the street from the Delta. A limited number of rooms are available at the Radisson (402 Queen Street), for $99.00 per night, single and double occupancy (not including tax). Those interested can book (and pay for) their own accommodation under the conference room block by calling the hotel directly at (613) 236-1133 or toll free (877) 557-5565. When booking, mention the name of the association, and the event. Wheelchair accessible rooms are available upon request.

Visit the Delta Ottawa Hotel & Suites Website

Visit the Radisson Hotel Ottawa Parliament Hill Website

Download the Delta Hotel Floor Plan in PDF

Questions

If you would like more details about the conference you can contact us at: NEADS, Rm. 426 Unicentre, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada, by telephone (613) 526-8008 (Voice and TTY), by fax (613) 520-3704 (Attention Frank Smith, National Coordinator), and by e-mail conference2004@neads.ca.