SOAR Conference 2023

Individuals with disabilities gathered to discuss self-advocacy strategies, disability rights, building healthy relationships, inclusion in research, and more at the 2023 SOAR Conference hosted by the Self-Advocate Coalition of Kansas (SACK), the KU Life Span Institute’s Center on Developmental Disabilities (KUCDD), and members of the Heartland Self-Advocacy Resource Network (HSRN).
A person wearing a blue lanyard seated at a table with others in a large conference room
A man with short black hair speaks to an audience in a large room while seated in a motorized wheelchair in front of a stage
Hundreds of name tags with lanyards are spread on a black table as a person sorts through them
A man with short black hair speaks while seated in a motorized wheelchair in front of a stage
A person with short blonde hair wearing a red jacket smiles while sitting in a wheelchair at a table
A man with glasses and a black shirt and two prosthetic arms sits next to a man wearing a purple t-shirt in a small meeting room listening to a speaker
A man seated in a motorized wheelchair on stage faces audience members seated at tables raise their hands
Several people in a seated audience raise their hand while facing a stage
A woman with long black hair speaks into a microphone while seated a table in a conference room
A woman wearing a pink dress speaks while standing next to a man wearing a gray and blue shirt to a crowded audience
A woman wearing a blue shirt with a KU Jayhawk logo holds a microphone while seated at the front of a room in her motorized wheelchair
A man with short black hair and a beard sits with a screen device that is attached to his wheelchair next to a woman with brown hair and glasses who is speaking while holding a phone
A gray dog wearing a gray jacket curls up on the floor next to his owner's wheelchair, which has a SOAR Conference bag hanging from it
A woman with brown wavy hair wearing glasses and a blue shirt places a finger on her chin while listening from her seat in her motorized wheelchair
Five people stand or sit in wheelchairs in a circle and talk, with some of them wearing costumes
A woman with red hair and glasses wearing a black dress stands with a woman holding a stethoscope to her chest who has on a red and white costumed dress
A five-member band consisting of a singer, drummer and guitars perform wearing costumes performs
A person seated in a yellow shirt with a Scout sash decorated with badges sits at a chair next to a man wearing a white cape while seated in a motorized wheelchair
A woman with long brown hair holds a sign while posing for a picture with a woman with blonde hair wearing a bright pink dress holding two other signs