The premier gathering for self-direction professionals, advocates, and stakeholders. This is the only national conference dedicated entirely to self-direction. Every session, every conversation, and every connection is focused on advancing choice and control for people with disabilities and older adults.

Because we want a wide range of individuals to be able to attend, we offer discounted registration rates for qualifying non-profit organizations, government entities, information and assistance roles, and consumers/family caregivers. The registration process will automatically identify the available discount you qualify for based on the information you provide.

Reduced registration rates are available for the following:

• Government entities: Anyone who currently holds a position in a city, state, county, or federal agency.

• Nonprofit: Anyone who works for a nonprofit organization that generates less than $10 million in revenue each year.

• Information & Assistance Professionals: Anyone who currently holds a job in the Information & Assistance role: including support brokers, case manager or independent facilitator, or equivalent.

• Individuals who Self-Direct and Families: We encourage you to use the reduced registration rate if your employer or program budget can support your attendance. Grants are available for those who need financial support—apply below.

It is extremely important to us to have people with lived experience at our conference, so we offer a Conference Travel Grant. We will offer full registration awards as well as heavily discounted tickets to individuals who self-direct and their families. The grant can also include travel and transportation costs. 
You can review additional details and the application questions before filling out the online form.

The application deadline is March 6, 2026. Start the online application.

Thank you to our Founding Partners! Your organization was sent a discount access code. If you're a Founding Partner and need the code, please reach out to Brenda Vitale at brenda@selfdirectioncenter.org.

Need to pay by check or purchase order? No problem! You can reserve your conference registration now and pay later.

Simply complete the registration form with your contact information. When you reach the payment step, select "Pay Later" to reserve your spot without immediate payment.

Within three business days, we'll send you an invoice with payment instructions. Payment is due within 30 days of registration to confirm your attendance.

Accepted payment methods: Check, Bank Transfer/ACH, and Purchase Order.

All tickets are nonrefundable. Substitutions may be made at any time. If you wish to substitute a registrant, please contact the Self-Direction Center at the earliest opportunity.

Whether you want to host an unforgettable evening or expand access for all participants, your sponsorship helps make this national gathering possible — and demonstrates your leadership in advancing self-direction.

Contact Brenda Vitale at brenda@selfdirectioncenter.org for a copy of the Sponsorship and Exhibitor Prospectus. 

We extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsors, whose generous support make this conference amazing! 

Proposals are due by February 6th.

Before you get started, review our Guidance for a Successful Proposal to understand what the Content Committee looks for and how to make your session stand out.

Review the tips before submitting your proposal to ensure your application is as strong and competitive as possible.

Review the Guidance for Successful Proposals

Please Note: To submit your proposal, you'll need to create an Accelevents account. The good news? This is the same account you'll use to register for the conference.