AADMD One Voice Conference 2025
By Drew Milne
On June 5 to June 8, 2025, the AADMD “One Voice” conference was held in Phoenix, Arizona. AADMD (the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry) is a non-profit organization of interdisciplinary health professionals, including primary care physicians, medical specialists, dentists, nurses and other clinicians, committed to improving the quality of healthcare for people with intellectual / developmental disabilities (IDD).
The AADMD “One Voice” conference is an annual conference for professionals in healthcare, education, and related professions to explore and share best practices to create systemic change to better serve the IDD patient population. This year's theme was “Rising Phoenix: A New Era in IDD Health", inspired by the conference location in Phoenix, AZ.
Celina Urquidez and Jim Warne represented the Sonoran Center.
“I attended the AADMD One Voice conference for the first time this year,” said Urquidez. “The goal was to connect with health care providers and to distribute resources developed for our various projects, namely the Pregnancy & Parenting project. I distributed educational materials for community members and also training opportunities for providers and their staff.”
Jim Warne participated in the event as a speaker. He first spoke during the opening keynote, sharing his and his family’s experience with disability. His opening address focused on intersectionality and how someone can embrace multiple identities, such as gender, race, profession, disability, age, and relationships.
Warne also participated in a panel focused on disability and representation in media. The speakers included Jim, a writer on a children’s PBS show, and a cast member on Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum. They answered questions about how they got into their current positions, how they feel people with disabilities are portrayed in film and television, and the ways that healthcare can be improved for individuals with disabilities.
The conference also featured a variety of informational sessions, panels, and forums. These events were divided into four “tracks”: Inclusive Curriculum, Intersectionality, Brain & Behavioral Health and Clinical Practice.
“A couple of sessions that stood out to me were on women’s health in individuals with IDD and the history of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),” Urquidez said. “The women’s health session included a panel discussing the needs and challenges of caring for female patients with disabilities. They discussed personal experiences, accessibility, and advocacy.”
When asked which part of the conference stuck out to her, Urquidez replied: “My favorite part was having the opportunity to network with attendees and other exhibitors. It is always good to learn more about the work others are doing and how we can work together to meet shared goals.”