Day 1 Keynote: Sally Bailey, MFA, MSW, RDT/BCT 

Sally Bailey recently became Professor Emeritus of Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS, where she directed the Drama Therapy Program for 25 years, along with the Barrier-Free Theatre for adults with and without disabilities. Barrier-Free Theatre: Including Everyone in Theatre Arts (Idyll Arbor) is the recipient of the American Alliance for Theatre in Education’s Distinguished Book Award and Drama in the Inclusive Classroom (Routledge) addresses how to improve all students’ executive functions and social skills through drama games and activities. Previous to K-State, she worked for 13 years in the Washington, DC area as a registered drama therapist with recovering addicts and with people with disabilities of all ages. A past president of the North American Drama Therapy Association, she is a recipient of the Gertrud Schattner Award for distinguished contribution to the field of drama therapy in education, publication, practice, and service and their 2018 Teaching Excellence Award.

Book links:

Drama in the Inclusive Classroom: Activities to Support Curriculum and Social-Emotional Learning by Sally Bailey (2021) https://www.routledge.com/Drama-for-the-Inclusive-Classroom-Activities-to-Support-Curriculum-and-Social-Emotional-Learning/Bailey/p/book/9780367860042 

Available in paperback and eBook 

Barrier-Free Theatre: Including Everyone in Theatre Arts — in Schools, Recreation, and Arts Programs — Regardless of (Dis)Ability by Sally Bailey (2010) 

https://idyllarbor.com/product/barrier-free-theatre-including-everyone-in-theatre-arts-in-schools-recreation-and-arts-programs-regardless-of-disability/ 

Day 2 Keynote: Kelli Suding, M.Ed. 

As an Accessibility Specialist on CAST’s Accessibility team and a Technical Assistance Specialist for the Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES), Kelli ensures accessible educational materials and technologies for equitable learning opportunities. She has extensive presentation, keynote and training experience and excels at connecting theory to practice.  

Kelli holds a teaching license in general education and special education, aligned with her masters in Learning and Technology. Her instructional background includes working with students needing various levels of intervention. Before CAST, Kelli was a Specialist for a state education agency, supporting students with learning disabilities and autism, and leading public schools in providing equitable access through accessibility, assistive and accessible technologies (AT), accessible educational materials (AEM), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). 

Day 3 Keynote: Dr. Kerry Margo, Ed.D.

Dr. Kerry Magro (Mah-grow) Ed.D. was nonspeaking till 2.5, diagnosed with autism at 4 and didn’t speak in complete sentences until 7 years old. Today as an adult he is an award-winning autistic professional speaker, best-selling author and autism consultant to Netflix’s Emmy-Award Winning Series ‘Love on the Spectrum U.S’and the HBO series Mrs. Fletcher. His work also includes being hired as a writer for the PBS Kids new series ‘Carl the Collector’ featuring the TV Network’s first-ever autistic main character.

He started professional speaking 14 years ago via the National Speakers Association after he fell in love with theater as a child to help with his social and communication skills. Today he has spoken at over 1400 events during that time include 2 TEDxTalks and a ‘Talks at Google’ presentation. In addition, Kerry is CEO & President of KFM Making A Difference, a nonprofit organization that hosts inclusion events and has provided 150 scholarships for autistic students for college and counting since 2011. He’s provided 27 small business grants for small businesses that hire people with disabilities and has played Santa Claus for autistic and special needs children for the past decade to give them an opportunity to meet Santa in a sensory-friendly environment.

In his spare time, he hosts a Facebook Page called Kerry’s Autism Journey that now has 314,000 Facebook followers where he does on-camera interviews highlighting people impacted by a diagnosis to help break down barriers in our community. His videos he’s produced have been watched over 35 Million times.