Conference Overview

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of the AUCD Board and the Conference Planning Committee, I am pleased to issue this Call for Participation for the 2010 AUCD Conference, which will be held October 30 through November 3, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Crystal City, VA.  The theme of this year's conference is:

Going to Scale: Making what works accessible to all

Our programs have the common goal of seeking to improve services and supports for individuals with disabilities and their families. In our shared histories, we have made remarkable contributions toward achieving this goal. Many of the identified best practices in our fields have been developed in AUCD network programs and demonstrated to be effective through AUCD network research. Our training and technical assistance have brought them to the current and next generation of practitioners and advocates, and we have informed policy makers and the public by disseminating our work. Despite these efforts, too much of what we want for all occurs only in pockets of excellence - with leadership contributed by too few and constant pressures to compromise quality. Our collective next great challenge is Going to Scale through systematic efforts at expanding the scope, impact, quality, and reach of our practices.

Our theme has three elements:

• What works refers to the evidence-based and emerging practices that we use in providing supports, delivering services, and training others.
• Accessible means that materials, programs, and settings are designed to be readily accessed and utilized by individuals regardless of ability, language, location, or level of education
• And all means just that -- all, that our efforts are being implemented in ways that reach everyone throughout our states, including the chronically poor, geographically and socially isolated, and historically disenfranchised.

In many ways fulfilling this theme is a natural evolution for many of our programs. UCEDDs and LENDs are interdisciplinary programs with the mandate to examine the interrelationship and contributions of research, education, and service toward the goal of individuals with disabilities leading meaningful lives in welcoming communities. Most of us have strong roots in addressing the concerns of individuals and families and many of our programs have begun to shift our focus on whole systems within our states. Going to Scale requires us to consider the added element of ensuring public policies that support the dissemination, adoption, and sustainability of effective practices that are available to all.

Yet, we face very significant challenges. Our states are in fiscal crises, funding to our universities is being cut, and we are all being asked to do more with fewer resources. The AUCD Annual Meeting and Conference offers a wonderful solution to this dilemma. There are few greater efficiencies in our field than building on the ideas of others, learning what to do and what not to do in developing programs, and gaining invaluable insights into what works and why.

The 2010 AUCD Annual Meeting and Conference provides an exciting venue for sharing your latest information in disability research, education, service, and policy. At this year's meeting, you will learn more about:

• Models of service or training that operate at large units of scale -- national, multi-state, state, and large regions within states
• Collaboration and partnerships that promote the scaling up of effective practices
• Contributions of new technologies to training, services, and dissemination
• The role of cultural competence and diversity in the widespread adoption of innovation
• Ensuring quality in scaling up
• New considerations for research, such as assessing fidelity and cost-effectiveness
• Universal design as a strategy in going to scale
• Encouraging innovation and the push to discover the next important innovation
• Developing the leaders who can implement large-scale change

The 2010 AUCD Annual Meeting and Conference provide a special opportunity to share your interests, talents, and perspectives with others in the network and our partners. We look forward to your participation in the conference.

Sincerely,

Daniel Crimmins, PhD
Chair, 2010 AUCD Conference Planning Committee
President-Elect, AUCD Board of Directors

11/29/2011

2011 Conference in Review

"The Journey Continues: 40 Years Promoting Equity and Excellence through Research, Education, and Service" was another amazing gathering of self-advocates, family members, students, researchers, faculty, directors, and the DD Community.

11/29/2011

2011 Conference Photos

View photos of the 2011 AUCD Conference: plenaries, meetings, trainees, awards, and gala celebrations.

11/29/2011

2011 Conference Video

AUCD was pleased to partner with TV Worldwide for the recording of the 2011 opening and closing plenary sessions. Entitled, 'The Journey Continues: Where We've Been' and 'The Journey Continues: Where We're Going,' these sessions take us through 40 years of developmental disabilities history and ask emerging leaders in the AUCD network what they envision for the next 40 years. These videos are captioned and no registration is required to view them.

11/17/2011

Congratulations to those Honored at the 2011 AUCD Conference & Awards Gala

Over 600 people gathered at the 2011 AUCD Conference and Awards Gala to celebrate the 40th Anniversary or AUCD and to honor many of the deserving network members, partner organizations, and individuals who have made significant contributions to people with developmental disabilities, their families, and communities.

11/14/2011

2011 Conference Evaluation

Please take a moment to complete this evaluation form about the 2011 AUCD Conference. Your feedback and reflections will help us continue to improve the Conference and to meet the emerging needs of our growing network as we plan for AUCD 2012.

11/11/2011

AUCD Conference: Summary

Thank you to everyone who participated in the AUCD 2011 Conference. It was great to see old friends again, and to forge new relationships. We hope that all who attended were able to gain new information, meet new people, and leave feeling energized, refreshed, and excited about the many incredible activities happening in the disability community and throughout the AUCD network. Conference photos, presentations, handouts, an evaluation, and more are being posted daily on aucd.org/conference. Check back often for new postings. Don?t forget to save the date for AUCD 2012: December 2-5 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC.

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Too much of what we want for all still occurs only in pockets of excellence around the world - with leadership contributed by too few and constant pressures to compromise quality. Our collective next great challenge as the AUCD Network is Going to Scale through systematic efforts at expanding the scope, impact, quality, and reach of our practices.

There are few greater efficiencies in our field than building on the ideas of others, learning what to do and what not to do in developing programs, and gaining invaluable insights into what works and why. Attend the 2010 AUCD Annual Meeting and Conference and share in making what works accessible to all.