Hi, ArkAHEAD Members!
We have some big news to share! For our upcoming spring conference, ArkAHEAD is officially partnering with the Rehabilitation Counselors and Professionals’ Association of Arkansas (RCPAA).
Disability in Higher Ed: Stacking the Deck for ACCESS
By joining forces, we’re able to share our valuable ArkAHEAD session offerings with the rehab counseling community so they can better prepare the students they are working with who are headed to our campuses. It will also provide a much broader range of professional development and networking opportunities for ArkAHEAD members who want the most value for their professional development dollars.
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Event Highlights
· When: May 20–22, 2026
· Where: Oaklawn Event Center, Hot Springs, AR
· Credits: CEUs and CRC credits will be available.
· The Best of Both Worlds: As an ArkAHEAD attendee, you’ll have full access to our sessions plus the opportunity to attend RCPAA sessions.
Note: Rest assured, we’re keeping our traditions alive—our annual business meeting and awards ceremony will still be a central part of the schedule!
Hotel Information
RCPAA has partnered with Oaklawn to offer discounted rooms in the onsite hotel. Your stay includes access to all of the amenities Oaklawn has to offer including onsite restaurants and entertainment.
· Rate: $114 per night.
· Deadline: Call the Oaklawn reservations department at (501) 363-4625 no later than 11:59 p.m. on April 18, 2026 to guarantee the conference room rate.
· Booking Details: Please use Booking ID# BKG1486 or RCPAA 2026 Conference Room Block when calling. (More information at rcpaa.com)
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Registration & Membership Perks
Registration is now open through the RCPAA website. We’ve worked hard to ensure our members get the best value:
· Registration Link: Visit rcpaa.org to sign up.
· The “ArkAHEAD” Option: When registering, please select the ArkAHEAD option for the full conference.
· Member Pricing: RCPAA is honoring the membership rate for all ArkAHEAD members for both Early Bird and standard pricing. Just be sure to indicate your ArkAHEAD membership during the process.
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Individual Attendee Registration Guide
| Registration type (Regular registration 4/1/26- 4/28/26) | PRICE | EARLY BIRD (start 1/5/26- ends 3/31/26) | DETAIL/DESCRIPTION |
| RCPAA/NRCA member Registration | $300 | $245 | Current member of RCPAA/NRCA for entire conference. CRC Credits included. |
| Non-RCPAA/NRCA member Registration | $410 | $350 | Non-RCPAA/NRCA for entire conference. CRC Credits included. |
| Student (RCPAA/NRCA, ATP, PT/OT, or counseling student) | $20 | $20 | Currently enrolled full-time in a University Program. No credits. |
| Friday only OT Rate | $ 40 | This is for the OT ½ day conference rate. | |
| One day for CRC/CRP | $130 | $110 | One day training with education credits and CRC. |
| GROUP OF 5 RCPAA/NRCA member Registration | $1,250 | $1,025 | Current member of RCPAA/NRCA for entire conference. CRC Credits included. For a group of 5 people. |
| GROUP OF 5 Non- RCPAA/NRCA member Registration | $1800 | $1500 | Non-RCPAA/NRCA for entire conference. CRC Credits included. For a group of 5 people. |
| Presenter (day of) | $50 | $40 | Allows a person presenting a session at the conference on that same day to attend other conference sessions and receive CRC/CEU credits on that particular day only. You will need to follow proper session check-in procedure and stay for entire session. Presenter will have to register under a different option and pay if they want credits on days that they are not presenting. |
| Presenter w/ option to attend sessions on days not presenting. | $100 | $80 | Allows a person presenting at the conference to attend all conference sessions & receive CRC/CEU credits for all sessions attended. You will need to follow proper session check-in procedure and stay for entire session. |
| Retiree without CRC | $0 | $0 | Retiree. Conference fee waived. Admission to Retiree lunch included. |
| Retiree with CRC | $0 | $0 | Retiree needing CRC credits. Conference fee waived. Admission to Retiree lunch included. |
| 2026 RCPAA/NRCA Scholarship/Award recipient | $0 | $0 | For Recipients and up to two Family members to register for Awards dinner only! |
| RCPAA/NRCA Board Member/Volunteers/Student Workers Registration | $0 | $0 | Currently hold an RCPAA/NRCA/Southwest Region board member position or volunteer on a committee helping to help run the conference. |
| AROTA | $40 | Half day on Friday | |
| Late Registration | $510 | LATE REGISTRATION STARTING 4/29/26 |
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This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for us. We’re optimistic that this collaboration will lead to even better professional development and deeper connections across our communities.
We can’t wait to see you in Hot Springs this May!
All the best,
Julie Shelby ArkAHEAD President