The theme for the 29th Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity-Being in Community-embraces the ideals of all people living together harmoniously and happily in a barrier-free world without fear of exclusion from social, economic or political life.

The conference brings together researchers, policy makers, activists and practitioners to share scholarship and ideas, and provides a forum for Nordic and international collaboration in intellectual disability studies. The first conference takes place in June 18 in Oslo, Norway, under the title Human righs and rule of law. The second conference takes place in June 20 in Trondheim, Norway, under the title Living conditions and quality of life.

This session, open to all HRSA staff and external stakeholders, will discuss the interprofessional efforts in the Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr). The session will feature presentations from the Divisions of Nursing, Public Health & Interdisciplinary Education, and Medicine & Dentistry.

What is the AUCD network? How will AUCD help me this year and into my career? How can I get involved in the Network? This webinar took place on October 8 and the audience learned the answers to these questions and more as they begin at a LEND or UCEDD.

The University of Kentucky's Human Development Institute (HDI) has created a National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Down Syndrome Resources that oversees three programs that complement each other in providing important resources and information for new and expectant parents learning about a diagnosis of Down syndrome. These programs include the Lettercase program, Brighter Tomorrows, and Down Syndrome Pregnancy. The Center provides this clearinghouse of nationally recommended resources so that medical practitioners, expectant parents, and new parents have access to accurate, current and balanced information about Down syndrome. The activities of the Center include the dissemination of free resources to medical providers and their patients, the development of new materials, and national medical outreach through presentations at medical conferences and journals.

The 2013 AUCD Conference will be held at the Washington, DC, Renaissance Hotel.

This 30-minute CORE webinar will provide an overview of internal and external evaluations, formative and summative evaluation and evaluation models for grant writing.

This webinar, presented by Kim Musheno, Director of Public Policy at AUCD, offered students, trainees and early career professionals an orientation to the policy issues and current legislation one can expect to learn more about at the 2014 Disability Policy Seminar. In addition to this content, attendees learned the basics of how to meet with Congressional representatives and deliver a unified message about federally funded programs that benefit people with disabilities.

On Sunday evening immediately before the Disability Policy Seminar, AUCD is hosting a special Trainee Symposium and Reception. Hill staffers will provide a behind-the-scenes look into what it takes to live and work on Capitol Hill and share the ins and outs of some current legislative items, and trainees will have plenty of time to meet others from around the country.