David Whalen creates his customized presentations from the following principal seminars:
Disability Awareness
What’s the best way to greet someone in a wheelchair? How do you respond to challenging behavior? How much accommodation to disabilities is appropriate? Designed to inspire empathy and give practical tips, this seminar answers these and many other questions while presenting a close look at the life of people with disabilities.
Disability Awareness for Children and Teens
Young people encounter people with disabilities too, but they filter the experience in their own unique way. Whalen presents the insights from his Disability Awareness seminar in a way that resonates with children and teenagers.
Understanding Quality of Life
Professionals in the disabilities field are dedicated to enhancing quality of life. The foundation of quality care is rooted in the basic understanding of provider responsibility in modeling and teaching respect, disability awareness and how to overcome societal barriers. This presentation is designed to both educate and motivate service providers.
Serving Seniors with Developmental Disabilities
Ideal for geriatric professionals and caregivers alike, this presentation draws on Whalen’s work in this oft-overlooked and complex field. He covers the complete range of care necessary for this unique cohort, from identifying and assessing the issues involved to advocacy and staff training.
Special Education, Disability Awareness, and the Law
School districts, their administrators, teachers, and support staff face many challenges when it comes to serving students with special needs. This presentation brings together disability law, legal issues related to special education and disability awareness training. The program is customized to meet the needs of individual school districts and answer the difficult questions they face.
Emergency Preparedness and Disability Awareness
Designed specifically for emergency managers, first responders, and fire departments, this training incorporates the latest initiatives, as identified by the federal government, in preparation for emergencies that will involve individuals with disabilities. It incorporates disability awareness relative to the situations that emergency personnel will confront.
Law Enforcement and Disability Awareness
This training is specifically designed for all levels of law enforcement, including probation officers. It gets specific to the individuals and situations officers will confront. It highlights progressive program models that are currently being applied in departments.