KWC offers Design with Dignity webinars
Edmeston, New York, January 9, 2026 Join The Kennedy Willis Center on Down Syndrome for its 2026 Lunch and Learn webinars, Design with Dignity: Inclusive Environments for Older Adults with I/DD. The sessions are set for Wednesday, Jan. 21 & Feb. 4, at noon over the Zoom platform.
As people with intellectual and developmental disabilities age, they may develop memory loss and lose mobility. Aging research indicates that environmental modifications to reduce barriers and provide access to outdoor experiences can improve the well-being and sleep patterns of people experiencing cognitive declines and dementia. The webinar series will present evidence-based strategies for inclusive environments to family members, Direct Support Professionals, program administrators, healthcare providers, and others who offer daily support to older persons with I/DD.
Registration is $20 for both sessions: Attendees must register online at https://pathfindervillage.org/ innovation-kwc/education. The webinar presenters are Dr. Adel Herge, OTD/OTR/L, FAOTA, Jefferson Elder Care, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, and the Center's Director, Brittany Goodrich. The fee covers all materials and registered attendees will receive the session recordings and a post-webinar toolkit. (Credit card payments are processed through Zeffy, a PCI-compliant platform).
The series will share the planning considerations that were followed by the Center, Jefferson Eldercare, researchers, direct care staff, and building professionals during the construction of Holly’s Path at Chenango House at Pathfinder Village, a residential home that supports older individuals with Down syndrome. Holly’s Path was dedicated in July 2025 and is now yielding data on the beneficial impacts of outdoor therapy spaces and age-friendly environments. For more information, please email
Our Presenters:
Dr. E Adel Herge, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, FNAP is a board member of The Kennedy Willis Center. She is a Professor and Director of the BSMS OT Program in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Herge presents at various professional venues on topics related to intellectual disability, aging, dementia, and OT practices.
Brittany Goodrich, MS is the Director of the Kennedy Willis Center on Down syndrome. She is a consultant for caregivers and provider agencies, specializing in care planning across the lifespan. Brittany serves as an Affiliated Regional Trainer with the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices and has been a featured panelist at national I/DD conferences and roundtable discussions.
To learn more about The Kennedy Willis Center on Down Syndrome and its outreach initiatives, visit kwcdownsyndrome.org. Now in its 30th year, the Center was established in 1996 at Pathfinder Village with a three-fold mission: to provide education opportunities for families and the community-at-large regarding best practices in developmental disabilities, to serve as an information and life planning resource, and to host and support studies by accredited research organizations related to Down syndrome and other disabilities.
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