People First of West Virginia has moved its September 9-11 statewide self-advocacy conference from Jackson's Mill near Jane Lew to Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley.
The venue change is tied directly to Lewis County's flood recovery. Robert L. Bland Middle School was left unusable by the July 21 flood, and Lewis County Schools leased space at WVU Jackson's Mill through May so middle-school students can continue attending classes. That school relocation displaced the conference from its originally announced venue.
People First's official Facebook page shared the relocation report Wednesday, corroborating the change. The organization's older conference webpage still displayed Jackson's Mill when the portal checked it, making the updated notice especially important for anyone who registered using the original location.
The dates have not changed. The 33rd Annual Self-Advocacy Conference will run Wednesday through Friday, September 9-11, at Cedar Lakes in Ripley.
This year's keynote speaker is Sean McElwee, a cast member of the Emmy-winning A&E series "Born This Way." McElwee, who has Down syndrome, is an entrepreneur, athlete and public speaker whose work centers on independence and self-advocacy.
The three-day program brings together West Virginians with intellectual and developmental disabilities for sessions on leadership, empowerment and community building. People First says self-advocates vote on the conference programming. The 2026 theme is "Freestylin' to Self-Advocacy."
People First of West Virginia operates as a program of The Arc of the Mid Ohio Valley. It is funded by the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council and supported by the Sister's Health Foundation.
Registered participants should update travel plans for Ripley and contact People First directly if they need confirmation, lodging guidance or accessibility information. The organization lists 304-422-3151 and [email protected] as contact information.
The WV News relocation report provides the new venue and the Lewis County school connection. The change was subsequently shared by the official People First of West Virginia Facebook page.