Springfield,IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) The 16th annual Empower All Abilities Conference took place this morning at Lanphier High School. The conference featured exhibits of several community service organizations that provided information and access to services to members of the community with disabilities, and families of those who have students with disabilities. Some of the organizations included Clean Slate Advocates NFP, Heartland HOUSED, and Springfield Center for Independent Living.

Attendees also had the opportunity to be a part of breakout sessions that covered topics like practical strategies for improving behavior, overview of mood disorders, and self-care: the best gift ever.

This year’s keynote speaker was Jordan Toma. The national motivational speaker, youth advocate, entrepreneur, and author, shared his story of perseverance with attendees. Toma was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and a reading comprehension learning disability, and he faced significant challenges throughout his elementary and high school years. Thanks to Toma’s mother, who believed in him and pushed him to pursue higher education, he eventually attended Centenary University, from which he graduated with a 3.3 GPA and a degree in psychology. Toma eventually went on to start his own business, in 2022 published his book, “I’m Just a Kid With an IEP,” selling over 100,000 copies, and has amassed millions of followers across several social media platforms. His message to parents is to not give up on their children. His message to students is that “right now is not forever, who you become is forever”.

The event was free and open to all members of the community.