Call for Speakers Opens October 1!
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 55th NDSC Annual Convention will be held in Denver at the Sheraton Denver Downtown from July 15 to 18, 2027, 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.
For those attending the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group (DSMIG) conference, DSMIG sessions will conclude by Friday evening July 16, 2027 with no overlap to the Saturday or Sunday General Conference Workshop Sessions. The Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action (DSAIA) Pre-Conference will be occurring from July 14-16, 2027.
General Conference Workshop speakers will need to register for Convention and will receive discounted registration price of $100. Deep Dive speakers will receive a free Convention registration. Self-advocate General Conference speakers do not need to pay to register for General Conference. All general conference speakers will receive free wi-fi for the Convention space.
If a modified version of your proposal would also be applicable to the Youth & Adult Conference, please consider submitting a Y&A Speaker proposal. The Youth & Adult Conference is designed to be a fun, educational, empowering, and inspiring experience for self-advocates (individuals with Down syndrome) ages 15 and older.
Sessions may be 60 or 90 minute sessions. Deep Dives will be held Friday morning.
General Conference Workshops: Offered in multiple workshop cycles from Friday, July 16 to Sunday, July 18, 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 17, 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 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, 2026 – Call for speakers opens
November 20, 2026 – Call for speaker proposal submission deadline
February 12, 2027 – All those who submitted will be notified if the proposal was approved or declined
March 3, 2027 – Early registration and hotel opens for accepted speakers
March 9, 2027 – General registration and hotel opens to all
Please note the schedule is subject to change.
Questions? Email info@ndsccenter.org
