As an autistic woman with behavioral health needs, Whit Downing had seen the harm when systems didn’t coordinate—and the progress when they did. In her keynote, she shared her journey, the crises she faced and supports that helped, the shift from exclusion to having a seat at the table, and what self-determination meant. She highlighted how her team at the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities led state and national policy change, hoping to inspire others to help bridge forward.