The Arc of Minnesota’s 2015 Annual State Conference and Awards Banquet will be on Oct. 23 and Oct. 24.

With its theme, “A Working Life,” the conference will feature a wide array of topics of importance to people with disabilities and their families as they weigh the opportunities and choice of competitive employment as an outcome of publicly-funded services.

Those in attendance can expect to hear real-life success stories from people with disabilities who are successfully employed in competitive jobs, about benefits that are available to benefit and support making employment a successful choice and to find out about best practices in the working world that build jobs around the interests and skills of those with disabilities.

The conference’s keynote presenter Nancy Brooks-Lane will share about the possibilities of a working life with real stories of people with disabilities who made the choice and succeeded in obtaining competitive employment.

Brooks-Lane has assisted persons with significant disabilities obtain customized employment or state their own business and has mentored, trained and provided technical assistance to self-advocates, families, providers, citizen advocates and social and political leaders. According to a press release her diverse skills include training, technical assistance and side by side mentoring in best practices; organizational and system change strategic planning; and align policy, funding and change.

The state conference will run from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 24. At 7p.m. the night before, the group will host its annual awards banquet to spotlight the accomplishments of outstanding Minnesota organizations and individuals.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to register as space is limited. Registration can be done at www.thearcofminnesota.org/state-conference.