Call for Speakers Deadline Extended!
General Conference extended to: Dec. 1st
DSAIA Leadership Pre-Con and Youth & Adult Conference extended to: Dec. 31st
Each year, thousands of people from across the world attend the NDSC Annual Convention. For most, it’s to hear the latest information from world-renowned experts. For others, it’s a great vacation. However, for nearly all, it is the one-of-a-kind NDSC “giant family reunion” feeling that permeates the convention weekend that brings them back and attracts hundreds of new participants each year.
The 54th NDSC Annual Convention will be held in Orlando at the Hilton Signia from July 23 to 26, 2026, and features three opportunities for speakers to provide interactive workshops to the Down syndrome community. If you have more than one workshop idea or want to present at multiple conferences, please submit a separate application for each topic and conference. Each conference has separate submittal guidelines, selection criteria, and theme categories.
General Conference Workshops: Offered in multiple workshop cycles from Friday, July 24 to Sunday, July 26, are designed for parents, adult siblings, grandparents, caregivers, medical experts, and educational professionals. These sessions are designed for speakers to bring practical experience and insight to share with the Down syndrome community. Several general conference workshops are also offered in Spanish. También se ofrecen varios talleres de la conferencia general en español.
Youth & Adult Conference Workshops: Short sessions presented on Saturday, July 25, to groups of self-advocates who are attending the Youth & Adult Conference. These sessions are designed to be fun, empowering, and inspiring for self-advocates 15 and older.
Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action (DSAIA) Pre-Conference: Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action (DSAIA) is a membership organization dedicated to creating a powerful network of local, state, and national Down syndrome organizations, empowering them with the resources to better serve their communities. These sessions will be held from Wednesday, July 22, through Thursday, July 23, and will be attended by leaders who work in local, state, and regional Down syndrome organizations. These sessions are designed to provide attendees with best practices and professional development to better serve their Down syndrome communities through program implementation, organizational management, fundraising techniques, and other topics.
Schedule
· October 1, 2025 – Call for speakers opens
· December 1, 2025 – General Conference call for speaker proposal submission deadline
· December 31, 2025 – DSAIA Leadership Pre-Con and Youth & Adult call for speaker proposal submission deadline
· February 13, 2026 – All those who submitted will be notified if the proposal was approved or declined.
· March 4, 2026 – Early registration and hotel opens for accepted speakers
· March 10, 2026 – General registration and hotel opens to all
Please note the schedule is subject to change.
Questions? Email info@ndsccenter.org
