AUCD Central Office News

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AUCD Welcomes New Staff

AUCD is pleased to welcome several new and talented staff to our Central Office! We are excited about the expertise they bring and the contributions we are confident they'll make in working for the network and people with disabilities. Read more...

Throughout October, we have been featuring stories about disability employment on the blog in celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Read more...

Network News - People on the Move

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Dr. David O'Hara selected as a Health Information Technology Fellow by the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology at HHS

David O'Hara, Ph.D., WIHD's Chief Operating Officer, has been selected as a Health Information Technology (HIT) Fellow by the Office of the National Coordinator of HIT at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. O'Hara was nominated by consultants from the Regional Extension Center on HIT for New York State, based on the innovative work being done at WIHD on accessible patient experience surveys, and health education and health promotion materials for use on smart technologies, such as iPads and Android devices. Read more...

Dr. Joann Yuen Appointed Director of the University of Hawaii Center on Disability Studies

Dr. JoAnn Yuen will begin her role as director on January 1, 2015. She has been with the Center on Disability Studies (CDS) the University of Hawaii since 1999 and has served as associate director since 2013. Yuen is the former chair of the COE Faculty Senate. Read more...

Dr. Bryant-Claxton Named Executive Director of the Institute for Disabilities Studies (MS UCEDD)

Dr. Beth Bryant-Claxton brings a wealth of experience as a clinical psychologist and administrator into her new role as executive director of The University of Southern Mississippi Institute for Disability Studies. Read more...

Texas LoneStar LEND Welcomes Two Additional Faculty Members

The LoneStar LEND Program is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to our faculty. Amy Wood, Pharm.D., BCOP and Loukia Tsami, MA, BCBA are joining us as Family Faculty members, each bringing a tremendous amount of experience and passion for their work. Read more...

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Reading Clinic (TN UCEDD) Welcomes New Associate Director

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEDD) Reading Clinic has had plenty to celebrate these days, with the arrival of new Associate Director Brooke Soden, Ph.D., and the acceptance of a $50,000 Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grant that will be used to provide Reading Clinic scholarship funds to families who might not be able to afford tutoring services otherwise. Read more...

Network News - Activities & Resources

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"Dr. Jennifer Reesman, supervising neuropsychologist of the Deafness-Related Evaluations and More (DREAM) Clinic and a former LEND trainee, recently took part in a ceremony recognizing the passage and signing of Maryland Senate Bill 103. Dr. Reesman is the chair of the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Council, and led the collaborative work on this legislation. Read more...

New Reports Describe Long-Term Supports and Services The Research and Training Center on Community Living at the Institute on Community Integration (MN UCEDD) has released two new reports containing detailed data on services for people with disabilities and their families nationwide. Read more...

TIPS for Kids (Missouri's LEND) is a partnership between UMKC's Institute for Human Development (IHD), Missouri's UCEDD, and the UMC's School of Medicine, Dept. of PM&R. The LEND is located in Columbia. The didactic classes specific to Autism Spectrum Disorders have been shared by UMC via video conference with professionals and family members who meet at the UCEDD. This year, the LEND decided to offer the presentations as videos in an online training for professionals, families, and graduate students across the state of Missouri. Read More...

Formed in 2007, Cerebral Palsy Kinetic Connections is an organization of individuals with cerebral palsy, their families, and interested healthcare professionals with a mission to provide the cerebral palsy community with opportunities for mutual support, social activities, and educational programs, and to advocate for increased research locally and nationally. Many individuals and families from Kennedy Krieger Institute participate in CPKC. Read More...

The Developmental Disabilities Network - comprised of Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, Inc. (MPAS), the Developmental Disabilities Institute at Wayne State University, and the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Council - released their Employment First report at a press conference today outlining the dismal employment circumstances in Michigan for individuals with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Read more...

The Symposium will include a talk from Patrick J. Kennedy, Former U.S. Representative. More information for the event will become available on our website at www.jfkpartners.org in early 2015. Read more...

More than 100 attendees, exhibitors and volunteers from across Iowa participated in a self-advocacy conference entitled "Make Your Mark" in Coralville, Iowa from October 1-3. The conference provided an opportunity for Iowans with disabilities to learn and grow as advocates and agents for change. ID Action, a project of the Iowa DD Council which focuses on citizen advocacy and civic participation, hosted the conference. Mike Hoenig, an advocacy program coordinator at the Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD), Iowa's UCEDD, served on the conference planning committee and provided technical assistance throughout the event. CDD also served as a conference sponsor and exhibitor. Read More...

TRIAD Service AmeriCorps program returns to Mississippi UCEDD

The Training Resources and Information for the Advancement of Disability (TRIAD) Service AmeriCorps Program embodies Dr. King's statement through inclusive service. TRIAD Service AmeriCorps consists of members both with and without disabilities who serve local communities through the provision of education and resources.
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MN UCEDD Collaborates with Educators in India This month four faculty and students from Avinashilingam University for Women in Coimbatore, India, are at the Institute on Community Integration (MN UCEDD) working with ICI staff on strategies for helping students of all abilities and backgrounds in India reach a level of education that will make them competitive in the job market and everyday life. Read More...

Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law), a community-based program of the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) at Kennedy Krieger Institute, is pleased to announce its partnership with the Baltimore office of the world-renowned law firm of DLA Piper. Project HEAL is Maryland's only comprehensive medical-legal partnership. Read More...

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEDD) Researchers Find Face Memory Predicts Social Engagement in Children With and Without Autism Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEDD) Researchers have found that face memory strongly predicts social engagement in both children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  Read More...

Submissions

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News items may be submitted for consideration via the
AUCDigest Submission page.

AUCD Unleashed:
The Power of Engagement

This year's theme reflects our goal of achieving an elevated level of engagement with our respective and collective communities, networks, and well beyond in order to better inform, enhance, and enrich the work we all do to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families.

• AUCD2014 Has Gone Mobile!
  

• First time at the AUCD Conference? Watch this video before you arrive!
  

Training Volunteers to Help Children in Malawi (MN UCEDD/LEND)

Dr. Amy Hewitt from the Institute on Community Integration UCEDD and LEND at the University of Minnesota recently completed a visit to Africa where she participated in a collaborative training project with long-time colleague Mikala Mukongolwa of the Baulini Project and Dr. Jason Paltzer, Director of the Kingdom Workers Lutheran Health Alliance. The team made stops in Lusaka, Zambia, and Blantyre, Malawi, working with volunteers and families. Read More...

December 3, 2014
Washington, DC

April 17-18, 2015
Chicago, IL

May 18-19, 2015
Honolulu, HI