AUCD360 - September 2017

Hurricane Response: Harvey & Irma

What Can I Do? Our primary goal is to link the local experts and resources of AUCD network members with targeted organizations and individuals as specific needs are identified. AUCD will continue to provide timely information and resources as the situation evolves. Read more...

AUCD 2017 Registration is Open!

The power of our collective voices working together to sustain vital supports and services for people with disabilities and their families cannot be denied. Whether you're a newcomer to the field or a seasoned professional, the AUCD Conference provides countless opportunities to share with and learn from colleagues across the network and beyond. Read more...

Gallaudet President Bobbi Cordano to Keynote AUCD 2017

Join us for the AUCD 2017 Conference opening plenary featuring keynote speaker Roberta "Bobbi" J. Cordano, JD., President of Gallaudet University. Cordano is a dynamic leader who became the 11th President of Gallaudet University in January 2016. She will discuss how we can use our leadership positions in academia to achieve better outcomes and greater equity moving forward.
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Spring 2017 ADA International Fellowship Hosts Selected for International Inclusive Education Travel

AUCD is excited to announce that four network members have been selected to travel to Kenya, Tanzania and Brazil through the ADA International Fellowship Program, an inclusive education professional exchange initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by AUCD and ICI-UMass Boston. Dr. Martin Blair, Director of the Montana UCEDD, Dr. Wendy Parent-Johnson, Director of the South Dakota UCEDD, Dr. Evan Borisinkoff, Director for Research and Evaluation at the North Dakota UCEDD, and Amy Starble, Augmentative Communication Consultant at the Vermont UCEDD, will support local ADA International Fellows who studied inclusive education at their UCEDDs in April and May as they implement projects designed with their guidance earlier this year. Read more...

Nutrition Efforts Reaching the Disability Community

AUCD is proud to continue its health efforts with "Nutrition is for Everyone" for a second year, made possible by a grant from the Walmart Foundation. AUCD-member centers in Arkansas (AR), Louisiana (LA), Mississippi (MS), Oklahoma (OK), and Tennessee (TN) will work to provide nutrition education for an estimated 25,000 people with disabilities. During the first year of the project. "Nutrition is for Everyone" reached over 85,000 individuals in the disability community across the country. Current efforts will continue to impact nutrition behaviors, ultimately decreasing the rate of obesity for people with disabilities. Read more...

AUCD Welcomes LaKesha Pettigrew (WI LEND) as the 2017-2018 Virtual Trainee

LaKesha Pettigrew is a parent of a young child with autism from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has her sights set on transforming her local community by increasing early identification of developmental delays and autism in underserved children.With the support from her LEND program at the Waisman Center, LaKesha has recently transitioned from a career in health insurance to the disabilities field and currently works as Wisconsin's first Autism Family Navigator for quality improvement efforts outlined by a grant from HRSA. LaKesha is the 2017-2018 Virtual Trainee for the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Network, where she works to enhance communication and community across the network's 3,000+ nation-wide trainees. Read more...

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Dianne McBrien Named LEND Director of Iowa's UCEDD

On July 1, Dianne McBrien, MD assumed the directorship of the University of Iowa's LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) training program. She succeeds Lenore Holte, PhD, who directed the interdisciplinary program for the past 10 years. Dr. McBrien is Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics with the Department of Pediatrics at Division of Developmental Disabilities at University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. She also serves as Medical Director for the Center for Disabilities and Development. Read more...

VIUCEDD Appoints New Executive Director

Join us in thanking Dr. Yegin Habtes for his tireless work as the founding and Executive Director for the Virgin Islands Center for Excellence in Developmental since 1994. Since its inception to now, we have seen VIUCEDD grow to serve as a community partner around issues pertaining to developmental disabilities. It has served as a resource for the VI community, and has provided many workshops and speakers addressing exemplary and evidence-based approaches for individuals with disabilities.  Over the last six months, the University of the Virgin Islands has been engaged in the process of searching for and hiring a new Executive Director. Through a national search, UVI has identified Dr. Kimberly Mills as the new Executive Director for the VIUCEDD. On behalf of The Consumer Advisory Council, the Virgin Islands Assistive Technology Foundation Inc. and the University of the Virgin Islands administration, we are sharing the exciting news that Dr. Kimberly Mills has been selected as the new Executive Director of VIUCEDD. Please join us is welcoming Dr. Mills to her new position. Read more...

Derrick Willis named Associate Director of Iowa's UCCED

On August 1, Derrick Willis, MPA, became the Associate Director of Iowa's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at The Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD) at University of Iowa Health Care. For the past twelve years, Derrick was a Research Associate and directed urban mission work for the Institute for Human Development, Missouri's UCEDD, working under the leadership of Dr. Carl Calkins, who has directed Missouri's UCEDD since its beginning. Read more...

Colleen McLaughlin, MEd Appointed Associate Director of The Boggs Center (NJ UCEDD/LEND)

Colleen A. McLaughlin, MEd was recently appointed the Associate Director of The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities at Rutgers University. Ms. McLaughlin is responsible for directing the Center's Disability Policy and Community Training and Technical Assistance initiatives. In collaboration with the Executive Director, Ms. McLaughlin coordinates the Center's UCEDD related functions and strategic planning. Read more...

Nick Nucci Appointed Assistant Director for Administration at The Boggs Center (NJ UCEDD/LEND)

Nick Nucci recently joined The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities at Rutgers University as Assistant Director for Administration, directing financial and administrative operations. Mr. Nucci has over thirty years of experience in state government with the New Jersey Department of Human Services. He served for nineteen years as a financial auditor for the department, auditing both governmental and private agency contracts. Read more...

Sandy Root-Elledge is Recognized by the Wyoming Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities

Congratulations to Sandy Root-Elledge, Executive Director of the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities. Sandy was honored with the Bright Star Award for a professional by the Wyoming Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. The Bright Star Award is presented annually and recognizes a professional within the state who has made significant contributions to the field of disabilities. Read more...

Jenness Roth (TN Boling) named to Tennessee Council on Autism Spectrum Disorder

Governor Bill Haslam signed legislation passed by the Tennessee General Assembly that creates the Tennessee Council on Autism Spectrum Disorder to establish a long-term plan for a system of care for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Jenness Roth, Family Faculty Coordinator at University of Tennessee Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities, was one of the nine "citizen" gubernatorial appointees to this Council. She will serve a three-year term alongside the heads of a variety of governmental agencies. She is the parent of a 31-year-old son with ASD. Read more...

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Bacon Receives Special Retirement Message from Senator Harkin

Robert Bacon, MA retired from Iowa's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) after 19 years as director. Bob joined the Center for Disabilities and Development at the University of Iowa in 1979, initially hired as the Coordinator of the Instructional Technology Unit back when the University of Iowa housed the University Hospital School. At a time when institutionalization of people with disabilities was more commonly the norm, Bob's passion and leadership around promoting and advocating for the civil rights of people with disabilities in Iowa were quickly recognized. Read more...

UCCEDD's Healthcare Advocacy Strategies Engage New Advocates and Allies (OH UCEDD)

Like many UCEDDs across the Network, the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCCEDD) was actively involved in educating individuals with disabilities, family members, professionals, and policy-makers about the healthcare changes proposed during this spring and summer. It was a fast-paced time of advocacy, an opportunity for seasoned advocates to teach others about legislative action, and a chance for new advocates to find their passion. The importance of raising voices and awareness has been and continues to be critical in this fight. Throughout the ongoing process, UCCEDD identified a need for healthcare policy education and activation and we'd like to share what that has looked like for us." Read more...

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEDD, LEND, IDDRC) Investigator Develops Initiative to Focus on Empowering Young Adults with Autism

A new initiative, developed by Beth Malow, M.D., M.S., Burry Chair in Cognitive Childhood Development; professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center investigator, aims to improve the lives of young adults with autism spectrum disorders who often end up socially isolated once they leave school. The initiative, called Spectrum Pathways, begins with a week of engagement, where Vanderbilt University students and participants take part in activities that range from visiting the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere or the Frist Center to navigating public transit. Read more...

Black Girls Viewed as Less Innocent Than White Girls, Research Finds: Dr. Jamilia Blake (TX UCEDD)

Biases revealed in a new report may shed new light on why black girls are disciplined more harshly than their white peers. The report, Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls' Childhood, focuses on adult perceptions of black girls and finds adults view black girls as less innocent and more adult-like than their white peers. Read more...

Dan Habib Screens Mr. Connolly Has ALS at a Washington, DC Event Hosted by NH Congresswoman Annie Kuster and Sen. Maggie Hassan (NH UCEDD/LEND)

Dan Habib travelled to Washington, DC to screen his film Mr. Connolly Has ALS at an event hosted by New Hampshire Congresswoman Annie Kuster along with New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan and Washington Senator Patty Murray (not in attendance). The event also included a panel discussion of the role of Medicaid funding to support inclusive K-12 education for students with disabilities. Last year, New Hampshire schools received $29 million in Medicaid funding.
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Diversity Fellows Impact Entire Campus Community (TX UCEDD)

Three students from diverse backgrounds with a common goal - make life better for people with disabilities. That's the idea behind the Graduate Fellows Program with the Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M. Over the course of a year, three graduate students participate in interdisciplinary training, work on projects with CDD researchers and attend several workshops and conferences related to diversity and disability issues. Read more...

Speak Up Speak Out: An Inclusive Speech Event Making a Difference (MS UCEDD)

Speak Up Speak Out was an inclusive self-advocacy program for youth and young adults with and without disabilities. Each morning we began with a few icebreakers allowing each participant to become more comfortable sharing about themselves with the group. Then we moved on to tongue twisters which were a crowd favorite! Everyone got the opportunity to try out the tongue twisters individually which led to a lot of laughs and an easy-going atmosphere. Read more...

Dr. Therese Willkomm Is Keynote Presenter at Gulf Region Education Assistive Technology Conference in Qatar (NH UCEDD/LEND)

Therese Willkomm, Ph.D., a Clinical Associate Professor at the Institute on Disability was a keynote presenter at the 2017 Gulf Region Education Assistive Technology (GREAT) Conference in Doha, Qatar. She taught day-long courses on Making Assistive Technology Devices in Minutes and an iPad Bootcamp in pre-conference masterclasses. During the two day conference she also presented on "101 ways to use an iPad camera out to support individuals with disabilities" and "Apps for OCD, ADHD, LD, Anxiety, and Executive Function Impairments." Read more...

New Release - #RDSJ Volume 13 Issue 3 of Review of Disability Studies

We are excited to announce the publication of Volume 13 Issue 3 of Review of Disability Studies, an international, peer-reviewed journal. Discover diverse voices in this issue ranging from Self Advocates, Rehabilitation Counselors, Creative Writers, Influential Bloggers, and Education Experts. Read more...

• Call for Papers: Special Forum Fall 2018
• Call for Proposal - Dismantling Ableism: The Moral Imperative for Leaders

Kessler Foundation to Release First Survey Soliciting Perspectives of Supervisors of Employees with Disabilities

According to the 2015 Kessler Foundation National Employment and Disability Survey, the first nationally representative survey to examine the workplace experiences of Americans with disabilities, nearly 69% of American adults with disabilities are "striving to work." Respondents were found taking at least one of the following actions: working, seeking a better position or more hours, actively job-hunting, networking with family and friends, or getting the necessary rehabilitation, education, and/or job training to prepare for employment. Read more...

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18th Annual Chronic Illness and Disability Conference: Transition from Pediatric to Adult-based Care

October 5, 2017, Online Broadcast

AUCD is proud to support the online broadcast of the Baylor College of Medicine's: 18th Annual Chronic Illness and Disability Conference: Transition from Pediatric to Adult-based Care. All MCH Training Programs and UCEDDs are invited and encouraged to participate remotely. Host a live stream of this conference for trainees, faculty, staff, families, and others at your center or program. Eligible broadcast sites include MCH training programs, UCEDDs, and Title V programs. Read more...

Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity

October 9-11, 2017, Honolulu, HI

The Pacific Rim International Conference, considered one of the most 'diverse gatherings' in the world, encourages and respects voices from "diverse" perspective across numerous areas, including: voices from persons representing all disability areas; experiences of family members and supporters across all disability and diversity areas; responsiveness to diverse cultural and language differences; evidence of researchers and academics studying diversity and disability; stories of persons providing powerful lessons; examples of program providers, and; action plans to meet human and social needs in a globalized world. Read more...

Organizational Change Forum: Sheltered Workshop Conversion to Community Employment

October 10-11, 2017, Burlington, VT

In 2002, Vermont closed its last sheltered workshop for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Former Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords noted, "As we close this chapter on work centers in Vermont, I hope that we encourage others to follow Vermont's lead to a place where all of us work side by side." In this spirit we invite you to join us in Vermont this fall to continue the dialogue to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. We'll examine the issues of policy change, training, and culture-shift needed to foster the conversion of sheltered workshops to community-based employment services. State policy makers, Developmental Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, Advocates, and Families are encouraged to attend. State teams are strongly encouraged!Read more...

2017 National Lifespan Respite Conference

October 11-13, 2017, Huntsville, AL

The theme for the conference, Take Off with Respite, is not only a nod to the incredible history of the space industry in Huntsville, AL, also known as Rocket City USA, but also reflects the mission of respite care services. To take off is to move forward quickly, rise to meet challenges, heighten awareness, and push innovation. This phrase can also mean to take a break, relax and rejuvenate. The conference will create the "space", inspiration and momentum needed in order to prepare our organizations to take flight in the mission to support the nation's family caregivers. Read more...

AUCD 2017: Lift Your Voice

November 5 - 8, 2017, Washington, DC

The power of our collective voices working together to sustain vital supports and services for people with disabilities and their families cannot be denied. Whether you're a newcomer to the field or a seasoned professional, the AUCD Conference provides countless opportunities to share with and learn from colleagues across the network and beyond. Read more...

2017 Ruderman Inclusion Summit

November 19-20, 2017, Boston, MA

The Summit will bring together 1,000 people from a variety of sectors including: tech, policy, human services, fashion, education, social justice, business, housing, advocacy and more to network and share best practices. Our goal is to inspire, motivate, and arm attendees with the know how to keep up the work of advancing full inclusion of people with disabilities in every aspect of life. These two days will be packed with over 15 panels and plenaries! Read more...