The Council Presents

The Council Presents Webinar Series Logo The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) offers this webinar series as a monthly gathering designed to provide valuable information, resources, and discussions on intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

Sessions are held on the fourth Thursday of each month from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with sessions lasting from 30 minutes to an hour. Each session features expert insights, community updates, and opportunities for engagement with community stakeholders, professionals, and individuals with I/DD.

Whether you are a self-advocate, family member, service provider, or policymaker, these sessions are designed to keep you informed and connected.

Join us on the fourth Thursday of the month at 1:00 pm (ET) from January through October.

Register for the next webinar!

Webinar Schedule - 2026

All webinars are recorded and found on NCCDD's YouTube channel.

March 26, 2026: Housing Roundtable

Join for a Housing Roundtable to hear about issues and strategies that will help people with I/DD obtain and maintain housing in a place of their choice in the community. Planned panelists include:

NCCDD member Carol Conway, a parent who has extensively researched ways that parents of adults with I/DD can leave their home to their adult child after they pass away or are no longer able to care for the child.
Laura Wells, the Executive Director of HOPE North Carolina, will discuss how HOPE NC is working to create inclusive housing options for adults with I/DD across the state, as well as current HOPE NC inclusive housing communities in the Triangle.
Suvya Carroll, a person with I/DD, will discuss living with a roommate in a thriving housing community.

View the webinar recording

April 23, 2026: ABLE Accounts: Save Money Without Losing Benefits

Christine Farrelly from the NC Department of State Treasury will talk about ABLE accounts. ABLE accounts are special savings and investment accounts for people with disabilities. They allow you to save money without losing benefits like Medicaid or SSI. During this session, you will learn who can open an ABLE account, how the accounts work, and why they can be helpful. You will also learn how to use this money-saving option, which many people with disabilities may not know about.

View the webinar recording

May 28, 2026: Registered Apprenticeship

Registered Apprenticeship is an employer-driven training strategy that strives to meet the needs of the employer while providing an on-the-job learning experience coupled with related classroom education and reward for skills gained. The result is a nationally recognized credential and continued career opportunities.

In this session of our series, join us as we hear from Dale Yarborough, Deputy Director of the ApprenticeshipNC, who will lead us through an overview of apprenticeship training programs, and respond to your questions on this valuable pathway to employment options.

View the webinar recording

June 25, 2026: Plain Language

Plain Language is “clear, straightforward, and only uses words necessary to make sure all people can understand and participate.” This definition is from the Association for University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). Join us for the June session of “The Council Presents” to learn more about Plain Language. We will talk about how to write and speak using Plain Language, why it is helpful, and more. The discussion will feature two presenters.

Liz Weintraub works for AUCD as Senior Advisory Specialist. Liz has taught many of us how to advocate and use Plain Language in our policy and advocacy work. Her podcast “Tuesdays with Liz” uses Plain Language discussion of important policy topics every week.

Deborah Bosley, Ph.D., is a former tenured professor of technical writing at UNC Charlotte and the Founder and Principal at The Plain Language Group, LLC. For 20 years, she has worked with government agencies, corporations, and universities to create clear, concise, and understandable content.

July 23, 2026: ADA 36th Anniversary

July 26, 2026 will mark the 36th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA says that employers and places open to the general public must provide reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. But how does a person with a disability successfully request and secure an accommodation? During this session, hear from people with I/DD and other disabilities who have successfully received accommodations. They will share their lived experience and talk about how they did it to help the next person who might need similar access to a job, a building, a service, or an event.

August 27, 2026: Olmstead 101

This session will be a Panel Discussion including the history of the Olmstead Decision, national Olmstead policy achievements, an overview and implementation update of the North Carolina Olmstead Plan, and an opportunity for self-advocates and panelists to talk about how the Olmstead Decision has impacted the lives of people in North Carolina and across the country.

We will hear from state experts, including Bryan Dooley, self-advocate; Deb Goda, former Director of NC DHHS Olmstead Section; Kelly Crosbie, Assistant Secretary of the DMH/DD/SUS; Corye Dunne, Director of Policy of Disability Rights North Carolina, and C. Talley Wells, Executive Director for NCCDD and former Georgia “Olmstead Case Lawyer.”

September 24, 2026: Work Together NC

Work Together NC is a statewide initiative focused on the transition to and through adulthood for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The goal of Work Together NC is to help individuals find the community supports they need to transition and thrive as adults. This might include finding a job or a place to volunteer, post-secondary education, housing, social and recreational opportunities, and more. Presenters include Anna Ward, WTNC Director and NCCDD Member; Jacklyn Boheler, WTNC Project Coordinator; and Kenneth Kelty, WTNC Backbone Team Member and NCCDD Member.

October 22, 2026: NCCDD Five-Year State Plan

The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD/the Council) staff and members will present the Council’s 2027-3031 Five-Year State Plan. The Five-Year State Plan sets the Council’s priorities and guides how funding is invested to improve services, supports, and opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) across North Carolina. The Council’s state plan was developed with extensive public input from North Carolinians concerned with IDD to help ensure that the plan reflects the needs and lived experiences of the I/DD community. The plan went into effect on October 1, 2026. Join us and learn about future Council investments and how North Carolinians concerned with I/DD contributed to how the Council will invest its funds for the next five years.

More Episodes on YouTube

The Council Presents webinars began in 2025. You can find more video recordings of each webinar on NCCDD's YouTube channel.