Our Speakers

Keynote 1: QOL-Based Service Models

Dr. Seree Nonthasoot

Member of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR)

Dr. Seree Nonthasoot is a member of the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) and the International Olympic Committee's Advisory Committee on Human Rights. Based in Bangkok, he is the Senior Executive Vice President at IRDP.org and serves on various boards, including Thailand Post and the Government Pension Fund. An expert in human rights, international law, ESG, and PPPs, Dr. Nonthasoot has worked on key ASEAN human rights initiatives. He taught at Mahidol and Thammasat Universities and holds a doctoral degree from Oxford University, an LL.M. from Columbia University, and an LL.B. from Thammasat University.

Prof. Christine Bigby

Director of the Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University

Professor Christine Bigby has extensive experience collaborating with disability support and advocacy organizations, focusing on social inclusion for adults and older people with intellectual disabilities. She led research on supported decision-making and quality of support in group homes. She is a Fellow of IASSIDD and has won the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability's Research Award four times. She has published 10 books, 52 chapters, 194 journal articles. She is the founding editor of Research and Practice in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and currently serves as president of the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability.

Dr. Lohsnah Jeevanandam

Senior Lecturer and Director of Clinical Psychology, National University of Singapore

Lohsnah Jeevanadam is a Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of experience and is currently Senior Lecturer and Director of the Clinical Psychology programme at NUS. Formerly with MINDS, she trains professionals on intellectual disability and sexuality, including for MOE and IMH. She has published in Current Opinion in Psychiatry and contributed to a local special needs textbook. Lohsnah also hosts a podcast on sex and disability. She consults for MOE and NCSS and leads a Community of Practice on healthy relationships in intellectual disability. In 2024, she joined SEAMEO SEN’s Expert Panel on sexuality education for learners with disabilities.

Rayson Ong

Senior Research Specialist, National Council of Social Service

Mr. Rayson ONG, a senior research specialist at National Council of Social Service, brings fresh perspectives to disability research through his leadership of a comprehensive longitudinal study examining quality of life and evolving needs of persons with disabilities and their caregivers—research that informs Singapore's Enabling Masterplan 2030. Drawing from his experience at the Community Psychology Hub and research at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, he offers insights into the intersection of policy and practical impact. His work on positive psychological interventions and the Work Support Profile instrument has contributed to improving employment support services for persons with disabilities.

Keynote 2: Supporting Families

Dr. Eunice Tan Meng Yin

Senior Lecturer, Head of Special Education Programme, S R Nathan School of Human Development, Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)

Eunice Tan is a faculty staff member at the Singapore University of Singapore (SUSS). She heads the Special Education programme at the university and is currently working on research projects involving individuals with special needs. She has a strong interest in special needs, especially in the area of autism. Eunice has been in the special needs field in Singapore for over 15 years. She is a great supporter and advocates for quality of life for all individuals with special needs, including the most challenged in our community.

Dr. Kwok Wai Ming Henry

Psychiatrist

Henry Kwok is a psychiatrist with over 30 years of experience, specializing in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Intellectual Disability Psychiatry. Kwok is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK), former Vice-President of IASSIDD and an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He established Hong Kong's first specialist psychiatric service for people with intellectual disabilities in 1995. Now in private practice, he provides clinical consultations to individuals with mental health issues. He is also serving various NGOs, special schools, and support groups in Hong Kong.

Mary-Ann O'Donovan PhD, MPhil, BSc (Mgt)

Director, Centre for Disability Studies

Mary-Ann O'Donovan is an Associate Professor of Disability Studies at the University of Sydney and Director of the Centre for Disability Studies. With extensive experience in the disability and public sectors in Ireland, her research focuses on accessibility and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in health, higher education, and housing. She has secured funding at national and state level in Ireland and Australia as the lead CI, and led many successful research projects. Beyond research, she has taught and developed curriculum for students with intellectual disabilities at University.

Keynote 3: Community Participation and Employment

Roger J. Stancliffe

Professor Emeritus of Intellectual Disability, University of Sydney’s Centre for Disability Research and Policy

Roger J. Stancliffe, PhD, FAAIDD, FIASSIDD, is Professor Emeritus of Intellectual Disability at the University of Sydney and a Senior Research Associate at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration. With over 48 years of experience, he is recognised for his work in community inclusion, self-determination, active support, and ageing issues. He has published over 200 research articles and presented worldwide. Stancliffe received the 2011 AAIDD Research Award and the 2019 Centre for Disability Studies Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a former editor of the Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability.

Dr. Peter Smith

Founder and Director, Centre for Disability Employment Research and Practice (CDERP)
Visiting Fellow, Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability, Cornell University
Fellow, School of Social and Political Science, University of Melbourne

Prof. Yang Lixiong

Professor of School of Labor and Human Resources Renmin University of China
Vice President of China Disability Research Institute at Renmin University of China

Yang Lixiong‌ is a professor at Renmin University’s School of Labor and Human Resources, specialising in disability policy and social security. With a Ph.D. in Sociology from Nankai University, he previously directed disability social security initiatives at the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (2014–2015). His research addresses disability rights, employment, rural disability support, and accessibility legislation.

A key contributor to China’s disability rights white papers and the Accessible Environment Construction Law, Yang has authored four books and over 30 academic articles. Yang serves as Vice President of the China Association for the Promotion of Disability Development and chairs its Labor Employment Committee.

Kuo-yu Wang, Ph.D

Adjunct Professor, Department of Medical Sociology and Social Work,
Kao-hsiung Medical University, Taiwan

With a background in social work and social policy, Dr. Wang has researched on ageing issues for people with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan for the last three decades. After retiring in 2016, she focused on integrating the CRPD into Taiwan’s policies and services. Dr. Wang chaired the First IASSIDD Asian Pacific Congress in 2005. She led national surveys on Taiwan’s disability population and has published widely on disability issues from both clinical and cultural perspectives. As a female scholar with disabilities herself, Dr. Wang’s works shed lights on life of people with disabilities in Taiwan.

Rhonda Faragher

Australia

Rhonda Faragher is a Fellow of IASSIDD and undertakes inclusive research in the field of Down syndrome. Research projects have included people with Down syndrome from the grant writing stage of projects through to publication of outputs. She employs and trains research assistants with Down syndrome to undertake field work and data collection.

Keynote 4: Technology and Inclusion - Enhancing Possibilities

Prof. Dr. Peter Zentel

Professor, Special Education and Inclusion University of Munich, Germany

Prof. Dr. Peter Zentel holds the Chair for Intellectual Disabilities at LMU Munich, Germany. With a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Tübingen, his focus is on education and participation for people with intellectual and complex disabilities. His research includes inclusive education, digital assistive technologies, and AI-based solutions. He has led numerous projects, contributed to educational policies, and published extensively on intellectual disabilities and inclusion.

A/Prof. Wong Meng Ee

Associate Professor, Psychology and Child & Human Development, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University

A/P Wong Meng Ee is an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, specializing in special and inclusive education. His research focuses on inclusive education, disability studies, assistive technology, and teacher education for students with visual impairments. Outside academia, he supports various charities for persons with disabilities and chairs iC2PrepHouse. He was the past chairman of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund. In 2023, he co-edited the book Not Without Us: Perspectives on Disability and Inclusion, which won the Best Non-Fiction Title award from the Singapore Book Publishers Association in 2024.

Asst. Prof. Victor Zhuang Kuansong

Assistant Professor in Disability Communication, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technology University of Singapore (NTU)

Kuansong Victor, Zhuang is Assistant Professor in Disability Communication at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University. He hopes to use his research to contribute to current debates about how inclusion happens both in Singapore and around the world.

Hari Jang

PhD Candidate, Department of Psychology and Child & Human Development,
National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University

Hari Jang is a PhD Candidate at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She is passionate about researching evidence-based practices (EBPs) to promote inclusive education through teacher professional development and support for children with special educational needs. With around 10 years of experience in the field of educational research, Hari has collaborated with various stakeholders. Specifically, her doctoral research supports general education teachers in implementing EBPs in inclusive settings through web-based training and coaching. Her work provides insights into how digital platforms can be leveraged to expand professional development and promote inclusive practices within the educational ecosystem.

Keynote 5: Planning for Effective Transitions -
Optimising Person-Centred Outcomes from School-Age to Adulthood

Dr. Chien-Hui Lin

Nanyang Technological University

Chien-Hui Lin is a Professor of Special Education at National Changhua University of Education (NCUE) with over 30 years of experience. She has served in various leadership and administrative roles at NCUE, including vice-President and Dean of the College of Education. Dr. Lin holds a Ph.D. from Lehigh University and specializes in curriculum and teaching for students with intellectual disabilities, applied behavior analysis, and sexuality education. She has received numerous awards, including the National Excellent Teacher Award in 2016. Dr. Lin has a strong passion for pre-service and in-service teacher preparation in special education and serves on multiple professional committees.

Dr. Delia Kan

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Child & Human Development,
National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University

Dr. Delia Kan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Child & Human Development at the National Institute of Education, NTU. Her research focuses on supporting autistic youth and individuals with intellectual disabilities in their transition to postsecondary education and employment, with a focus on fostering self-determination. She is also exploring how emerging technologies, such as generative AI, can serve as support tools for autistic adults and educators working with students with disabilities.

Vivienne Riches

Australia

Vivienne Riches is a registered psychologist, researcher, educator/trainer, and Clinical Professor with the Centre for Disability Studies, The University of Sydney. Her research interest and expertise in intellectual disability include transition from school to post school, employment, mental and emotional health, assessment and classification of support needs, person-centred Active Support, positive behaviour support, social and interpersonal skills, community living, lifelong learning and quality of life. Vivienne is currently a Board director of the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability, was inducted into the Disability Employment Australia Hall of Fame 2013, and is a Fellow of the Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability.

Keynote 6: Visions for the Future

Keith R. McVilly

MAPS, FCClP FIASSIDD B.A., Grad.Dip.Psych., M.Psych. (Clinical), PhD
Professor of Disability & Inclusion, School of Social & Political Sciences
University of Melbourne, Australia

Professor Keith R. McVilly PhD is a Registered Clinical Psychologist and Foundation Professorial Fellow for Disability & Inclusion at the University of Melbourne. His research focuses on promoting the well-being and inclusion of people with complex disabilities, particularly those with severe challenging behaviors. Keith has worked in various academic and clinical settings, including the University of Sydney, RMIT, Deakin University and the University of Minnesota. He has held leadership roles in the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities and contributed to national disability projects. In his spare time, Keith enjoys beekeeping and walking his dog.

Prof. Poon Kin Loong, Kenneth

Lien Foundation Chair Professor
Dean of Research
Director of the Centre for Research in Child Development
National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore

Kenneth Poon is a clinical psychologist and early interventionist by training. His research focuses on supporting the development and inclusion of persons with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Kenneth has held leadership and advisory roles with government agencies, social service agencies, and international bodies. He served as Treasurer of IASSIDD from 2020 to 2023 and was President of Rainbow Centre’s Board from 2018 to 2024. He currently represents Singapore as the child representative to the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children.