Pac Rim 2026
Events
UCEDD Pre-Conference at Pac Rim 2026
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
9:00 AM to 2:30 PM HST
Campus Center Ballroom
University of Hawaii Mānoa Campus
Weaving our Work Together
Join us at the 2026 International Pacific Rim Conference for a dedicated UCEDD trainee Pre-Conference hosted by the Center on Disability Studies (CDS) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. As one of 68 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) nationwide, CDS is committed to advancing the UCEDD mission of promoting independence, productivity, and full community participation for people with disabilities. Through this pre-conference, we invite you to engage with UCEDD trainees and leaders in discussions that drive progress and innovation in disability inclusion.
Calling all UCEDD Trainees, UCEDD coordinators and affiliates, and people interested in driving progress and innovation in the disability community.
How to Register
Please let us know you are attending. Our lunch orders have closed but we are happy to welcome you. Please register using the following link:
https://go.hawaii.edu/xZD
Program
You may access a digital form of the program using the following link:
https://go.hawaii.edu/idR
Contact
SUPERFEST Disability Film Festival
Thursday, May 28, 2026
4:15 PM – 5:00 PM – Reception
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM HST – Film Fest
ART Auditorium (ART 132)
University of Hawaii Mānoa
Overview
We are delighted to announce that Pac Rim 2026 will host SUPERFEST Disability Film Festival as part of our Conference Day 1 events on May 28 , 2026, and will be available without additional charge to all Pac Rim Conference Attendees
SUPERFEST lets audiences join to enjoy films accurately reflecting disability while also bringing to light stories marginalized inside the disability community. It is one of the few festivals worldwide that is accessible to disabled filmgoers of all kinds. In addition, it educates audiences (non-disabled and disabled) to challenge stereotypes of disability (historical and current).
Contact
Dr. Raphael Raphael
rraphael@hawaii.edu
Promoting Quality Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities: Building and Implementing Culturally Responsive Vocational Rehabilitation Programs
Sunday, April 13, 2025
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM HST
Monday, April 14, 2025
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM HST
Ala Moana Hotel
410 Atkinson Drive, Honolulu, HI 96814
The Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Quality Employment (VRTAC-QE; www.tacqe.com), funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA; H264K200003), works closely with state vocational rehabilitation agencies (SVRA) to build capacity for improved collaboration, VR service delivery, and quality employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
Through this workshop, participant sites in the U.S. Territories (American Samoa, Guam, and CNMI) will continue their collaboration in addressing employment challenges and barriers unique to territories in the Pacific Rim using culturally responsive strategies. With support from course facilitators, each site will continue working on and sharing progress updates based on their short-term and long-term goals to improve quality employment outcomes within their program (i.e., policy development, accompanying procedural elements including training, forms, etc.).
At the end of this event, participant sites will be able to:
- Describe key policies and evidence-based practices (EBP) that promote quality employment outcomes in vocational rehabilitation.
- Describe the administrative and programmatic supports needed to implement self-employment/alternative business planning policy and practice.
- Learn how other territories are implementing VR policy and practice in culturally responsive ways to improve quality employment outcomes.
- Share implementation updates and progress made toward achieving short and long-term quality employment goals through collaborative work conducted by the PacRim CoP.
- Contribute to the repository of resources, goals, and ongoing implementation of quality employment strategies helpful for use in the U.S. Territories.
Disability Studies: International Forum
Monday, April 14, 2025
9:00 AM – 2:15 PM HST
Virtual via Zoom
Join us to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Pac Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity. This year’s theme is “By Us and For Us: Legacy and Future of Our Movement”. This pre-conference meeting will explore the importance of this slogan for the growing field of Disability Studies.
Disability Studies is an interdisciplinary field which invites us to question our assumptions about disability, impairment, access, and accountability by considering the categories race, class, gender, and sexuality in our analysis.
From a Disability Studies lens, the pre-conference will explore topics such as disability access and accountability, university policies, and ways to deepen our conversations about the factors that shape our individual and collective experiences of disability in our teaching and activism. Join us on Monday, April 14th (9:00 am – 2:15 pm) for the free, virtual, pre-conference featuring the following events:
- A keynote by Disability Studies scholar Margaret Price, author of, Crip Spacetime:
Access, Failure, and Accountability in Academic Life. Dr. Price will present new research
on the experiences of disabled academics. - A presentation by Pamela Cushing on “Disability Studies: State of the Field”
- A teaching and pedagogy panel featuring University of Hawai’i faculty sharing the ways
they include Disability Studies materials, approaches, and pedagogy in their classes. - A graduate student panel showcasing how students from diverse disciplines integrate
Disability Studies into their scholarship and professional fields. - An open forum with Directors of Disability Studies Programs.
If you plan to join us, please register for the pre-conference day under the “click here to learn more” tab.
At the end of this event, participants will be able to:
- Identify innovation and disability activism in the field of Disability Studies.
- Increase understanding of the impact of Disability Studies from the perspective of students, scholars, and community members’ experience.
- Be knowledgeable on how to support accessible and inclusive academic environments.