Dear Rehabilitation Psychology Community,
Thank you to all our members for your patience while we’ve been dealing with the unexpected and last second cancellation by the Charlotte Omni – there has been a whirlwind of activity and meetings to identify a solution and make sure that the conference will go on as planned. We’ve been working diligently with professional advocates, other resources, and the Omni to identify an alternative location for the conference.
The bottom line up front:
- This year’s mid-year conference will be returning to Austin, Texas rather than Charlotte.
- The conference dates remain February 22-25.
- 2024 is one year earlier than we had planned to return to Austin, and the conference planning committee is working hard to identify a new location for RP2025.
Below we wanted to share more of our process with the decisions that were made. To reiterate, we decided against changing the dates of the conference as so many who attend this conference have to make significant plans in advance, so the conference dates are still February 22-25. Keeping those dates, and with such limited notice, we had a very limited set of options to consider. Of the options we were provided with we ultimately decided that returning to the Austin Omni was the best option; this was for a variety of reasons, including having established relationships with the Austin Omni, which will ease the complexity of seeking out services on very short notice (e.g. A/V, poster stand rental), and also make it easier to implement the feedback we received to ensure that the upcoming conference is as accessible as possible.
Though we all acknowledge there are disadvantages to returning to Austin, including that some people had been looking forward to being in a new city, we ask for your understanding as we truly sought to find the best way forward in an incredibly challenging situation. We placed the highest value on being able to ensure accessibility, having a trusted relationship with the hotel staff, and negotiating for more perks. It is our hope that having an established relationship with the Austin Omni and familiarity with the venue will allow for optimal use of space, which may allow us to include more opportunities for attendees.
Finally, we acknowledge that the plan had been to return to Austin in 2025; please rest assured that your conference committee is already working on finding a new site for RP 2025 and are working to leverage any opportunities through Omni that are presented as a result of this unfortunate situation.
We would like to thank everyone for all their work in identifying a solution so close to the conference. Now that we have a signed contract, we are shifting to getting everything else in place including opening registration, ensuring the hotel block is in place, and finalizing the many other tasks that go into making the conference a success. Information about registration, hotel reservations, and acceptances will go out in the coming days. We look forward to seeing you in Austin, this time with all the great amenities and without a marathon to contend with!
Conference Board of Managers
ABOUT RP2024
The 26th Annual Rehabilitation Psychology Conference (RP2024) will be held February 22-25, 2024 in Austin, TX. The Pre-Conference Workshops will take place on February 22, followed by the Main Conference February 23 – 25. Registration will open in Fall 2023.
RP2024 is a continuing education program sponsored by the APA Division of Rehabilitation Psychology (Division 22) and the Academy of Rehabilitation Psychology (ARP), in affiliation with the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology (ABRP), Foundation of Rehabilitation Psychology (FRP), and Council of Rehabilitation Psychology Postdoctoral Training Programs (CRPPTP).
THEME
The RP2024 theme is “Dismantling Barriers within Society: Advancing Universal Design Across Science, Practice, and Policy.” Universal design emphasizes our rehabilitation psychology community’s shared commitment to promoting anti-ableism through accessibility, inclusion, and usability.
RP2024 will prioritize submissions that emphasize our RP value-laden beliefs and principles along with the principles of universal design: (1) Equitable Use; (2) Flexibility in Use; (3) Simple and Intuitive Use; (4) Perceptible Information; (5) Tolerance for Error; (6) Low Physical Effort; and (7) Size and Space for Approach and Use.
ABSTRACT TYPES AND SUBMISSION DEADLINES
Abstracts may be submitted beginning in July 2023. The following types of abstracts will be considered for RP2024:
- 3-hour Pre-Conference Workshops (max 6 presenters)
- 50-minute Oral Presentations (max 4 presenters)
- 50-minute Panel Discussions (max 4 panelists, including moderator)
- 25-minute Oral Presentations (max 2 presenters)
- Poster Presentations
Deadline for Workshops, Oral Presentations, and Panel Discussions:
September 18, 2023 (11:59pm ET)
Deadline for Posters:
October 30, 2023 (11:59 ET)
Abstract submission instructions and a link to the submission portal will be available here in mid-July.
AWARDS AND NOMINATION DEADLINES
Nominate your colleagues for RP2024 Distinguished Lectures and Division 22 Awards (see list below). Additional information about the history of each lecture and award is available on the Division 22 website.
Distinguished Lectures
- Beatrice Wright and Tamara Dembo Award Lecture on Psychosocial Aspects of Rehabilitation
- Leonard Diller Award Lecture
- Ethics Award Lecture
Division 22 Awards
Deadline: October 30, 2023 (11:59pm ET)
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Lifetime Practice Excellence Award
- Barry Nierenberg Lifetime Education Award
- Roger G. Barker Distinguished Research Contribution Award
- Mentoring Award
- Citizen Psychologist Award for Advancing Disability as a Human Rights and Social Justice Issue
- Business of Rehabilitation Psychology Practice Award
TARGET AUDIENCE
RP2024 is designed for psychologists, trainees (undergraduate students, graduate students, predoctoral interns, and postdoctoral fellows), and transdisciplinary rehabilitation professionals across career stages and settings (e.g., practice, research, teaching, administration, policy).
CONFERENCE FORMAT
RP2024 will be held in-person February 22-25, 2024. Presentations will be scheduled into 60- to 120-minute sessions, with rest breaks for every 2 hours of programming. The Conference Board of Managers is currently exploring options to provide on-site recording of presentations, to be made available to registrants for home study in the weeks following the conference. At present, the conference will not be live-streamed. This format would be similar to RP2023. Registration rates for in-person attendance and access to recorded content will be made available on the registration page in early Fall 2023.
APA CONTINUING EDUCATION STATEMENT
APA Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education (CE) for psychologists. APA Division 22 maintains responsibility for this program and its content. For more information about Division 22 or to inquire about membership, please visit https://div22.org/.
We anticipate providing CEs for in-person attendance, and possibly home study. Information regarding number of CEs and how to obtain CEs will be provided on this site closer to the conference.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AT RP2024
We look forward to offering several networking opportunities at RP2024. Stay tuned in the coming months for more information about:
- Breakfast Roundtables
- Social hours with the FRP, students (SLN), early career professionals (ECP SIG), and more
- Buddy/Newbie Program for First-Time and Returning Attendees
- Room Sharing Directory
- Division 22 Executive Committee meeting (open to all members)
Premier Conference Partner
Platinum Conference Partner
Gold Scientific Poster Session Sponsor
Silver Break Sponsor
Ethics Lecture Sponsor
Conference Exhibitors
Conference Friends
CONTACT THE RP2024 PROGRAM COMMITTEE
Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about RP2024 can be found on the Help Desk page. If your question is not answered in the FAQs or if you wish to contact specific Program Committee Members, complete the “Contact Us” form below.