East Stroudsburg University will welcome Christian Huber, Keith Williams, and AJ Moncman as speakers at the 26th Annual Through Their Eyes conference on Friday, April 4. The conference speakers will share rich experiences in overcoming attitudinal, physical, and cultural barriers.
“This year’s speakers will carry on the tradition of delivering messages of hope and inspiration about life and the path to success and achievement in society,” said Domenico Cavaiuolo, Ph.D., professor of special education and rehabilitation.
The conference, which will be held at ESU’s Abeloff Center for the Performing Arts from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., aims to give those in attendance a personal perspective from people with disabilities that is unique, according to Dr. Cavaiuolo.
Christian Huber is a proud graduate of Bucks County Community College, where he received an Associate’s of Music degree. He is a singer-songwriter with six original songs and a neurodiversity-affirming music lesson video series on his YouTube channel. He also graduated with a certificate from Temple University’s Competence and Confidence: Partners in Policymaking (C2P2) program for disability advocates interested in creating systems that change with public policy. He is now a student at William Paterson University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in disability studies.
While attending Bucks in 2019, he discovered his passion for disability and mental health advocacy. By joining and eventually facilitating the Disability Pride Club for two years, he was fortunate to make friends with students with disabilities as they shared their stories. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also worked with Peyton Heart Project, a suicide prevention organization, to raise awareness about mental health, both virtually and on-campus, which eventually led him to work at NAMI Bucks County PA as a support group facilitator. Two years later, he worked at his local Intermediate Unit (IU) as a job coach.
In 2020, he joined Disability Equality Education (DEE) as a board member, where he applied for and received an October 2021 Disability Action Month proclamation from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, submitted testimony to the PA House Special Education Subcommittee in favor of the now signed into law bipartisan Disability Inclusive Curriculum Act, and recorded voiceovers for DEE’s Disability Inclusive Curriculum Professional Development series. He has been involved in various other disability advocacy causes, including with the newly renamed organization Statewide Advocates in Leadership (SAIL) directed by Dr. Josie Badger, where he wrote a song called “We’re Blazing a TRAIL” in favor of the bipartisan statewide paid family leave bill known as the Family Care Act.
Along the way, Huber was fortunate to become involved in Millersville University’s ADAPT disability activism club for students with disabilities, speak at last summer’s Pennsylvania Inclusive Higher Education Consortium (PIHEC) Conference on fostering cultures of voice in higher education institutions, and attended Millersville during the fall 2024 semester, where he worked as a coach in their inclusive postsecondary education initiative, Integrated Studies. He strived to facilitate executive functions of students as they completed homework and participated in their classes. He also volunteered as a fellow as part of the Center for Civic Responsibility and Leadership (CCRL), where he wrote the songs “You Gotta Vote” and “Victory in My Feet” to foster enthusiasm for voting in elections.
Keith Williams serves as the manager of the OVR Grant and Advocacy at the MyCIL, a non-profit Center for Independent Living in Northeast PA dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities. Since joining MyCIL in 1987, Williams has played a crucial role in advancing the organization’s mission through strategic oversight of grants from the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and staunch advocacy for adherence to the Americans with Disabilities Act. His personal journey with Arthrogryposis, a neuromuscular disability he’s had since birth, enriches his professional endeavors, providing a unique perspective that underscores his advocacy and leadership in the disability rights movement.
His efforts are instrumental in promoting greater access to employment opportunities and home and community-based services, alongside fostering community awareness on contemporary disability issues.
Williams actively contributes to the broader conversation on disability rights through guest lectures at regional academic institutions and civic organizations, advocating for the elimination of architectural, attitudinal, and communication barriers that hinder people with disabilities. He chairs the Lackawanna County Disability Action Committee and serves on statewide advisory groups, leveraging his expertise to influence policy and practice in favor of inclusivity. He attended the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act into law in 1990 and attended the 25th anniversary of the ADA in 2015, where he met President Obama and Vice President Biden.
Residing in Clarks Green, Pa., Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from King’s College and a master’s degree in human resources administration from The University of Scranton.
AJ Moncman was born blind with a condition called Libers congenital amaurosis (LCA). He grew up in Center Valley and went to Southern Lehigh High School. During his time there, he was a state-champion powerlifter and took fifth in the country. He plays drums and bass in jazz bands, rock bands, and other live shows. Moncman was the captain of the drumline during his senior year at SLHS in the marching band. He was also an assistant football coach at Parkland High School and is continuing his coaching path as a student assistant football coach here at ESU, where he works primarily with the offensive line and special teams units.
Moncman speaks on “Why to Wow” and tells his story of overcoming obstacles, and explaining how having a positive mindset will lead to positive outcomes.
“The Through Their Eyes conference is intended to provide the audience with an understanding that people with disabilities are contributing members of society capable of accomplishing great things, despite their challenges,” Cavaiuolo said.
The conference is open to the public and it is free of charge. For more information contact Dr. Cavaiuolo at 570-422-3893, or dcavaiuolo@esu.edu.