
TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

6/20/2023
UNH and Kessler Foundation Report out on NTIDE May 2023: COVID-19 Lockdown's Impact on Visually Disabled Employment
New data show that while individuals with visual disabilities were slow to recover employment because of the effects of the COVID-2019 lockdown, they have made headway, depending on their level of disability, almost meeting their pre-pandemic levels. Possible reasons for their slower recovery include major safety concerns due to the shortage of personal protective equipment, less access to vaccines, and their vulnerability to severe consequences of COVID, according to experts speaking during last month's nTIDE Deeper Dive Lunch & Learn Webinar.

4/25/2023
Sonoran Center Trains Students to Close Disability Care Gaps
Most people receive care from a variety of health professionals throughout their lives, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, people who run public health programs, and more. Unfortunately, not all of these professionals have experience providing care to people with disabilities. The Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities in the Department of Family & Community Medicine in the College of Medicine - Tucson works to ensure that future health care providers are prepared for some of the unique challenges they may face.

4/13/2023
PATHS Student Highlights at Texas A&M Unviersity
The PATHS Program is an inclusive, two-year, certificate training program designed to prepare students, with and without disabilities, for a career as a Direct Support Professional - General, who will work with the elderly or people with disabilities in the community; as a Direct Support Professional - Paraprofessional who will work in school districts and other educational settings; or as a Child Care Professional who will work with children, ages birth to five years old in a daycare setting.

3/16/2023
Opening Doors, and Minds
A MN LEND faculty member's massive open online course (MOOC) is a Coursera hit. Wendy Looman's course is about families with young children, and how environmental factors such as housing and nutritious food, influence their outcomes.

3/16/2023
UCLA PEERS for Careers: Breaking Employment Barriers for Autistic Adults
There will be an estimated 700,000 autistic adults aging into adulthood over the next 10 years and yet, a staggering 80% of autistic adults are unemployed. UCLA PEERS� for Careers is an innovative offering to support autistic undergraduate and graduate students in successfully transitioning from post-secondary education to the workforce.

12/12/2022
Georgetown UCEDD Celebrates Inclusive Schools Week
During the week of December 5-9, 2022, the Georgetown University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (GUCEDD) celebrated and participated in Inclusive Schools Week in the District of Columbia (DC). Inclusive Schools Week celebrates the progress schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to students with disabilities. GUCEDD became involved in this celebration through the encouragement of community partners, Disability Rights DC at University Legal Services (DRDC) and Advocates for Justice and Education (AJE).

12/6/2022
New Article Published on LIFE Framework to Develop Emerging Leaders
A new article was published by Dr. Sharon Milberger and MI-LEND Program colleagues from both Wayne State University and Michigan State University. The article, entitled "Using a LIFE Framework to Develop MCH Leaders", examines the impact that the MI-LEND 'LIFE' framework has on the development of essential competencies identified within the leadership program.

12/5/2022
Va-LEND Assistant Director Presents at the Division for Early Childhood and International Society on Early Intervention Fall Joint Conference
Collaboration, teamwork, and leadership are fundamental to Va-LEND. Jackie Robinson Brock, MSW and Assistant Director of Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Va-LEND), demonstrated them all at the annual Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and International Society on Early Intervention (ISEI) Joint Conference held in Chicago this past fall.

10/17/2022
Jennifer Maeverde (ME UCEDD) Selected for Daniel Hanley Center's Health Leadership Development Course
Through a highly competitive application process, Jennifer Maeverde, M.A., LCPC, from the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (ME UCEDD), has been selected for the 2022-2023 Health Leadership Development course sponsored by the Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership in Portland, ME.

9/19/2022
Dr. Bates Attend Year 2 of Leadership and Economic Development Program
Dr. DeMetra Bates, Executive Housing Director, The University of Southern Mississippi Institute for Disability Studies (IDS), has recently completed the Year 2 of the 36th annual Community Development Institute (CDI) at the University of Central Arkansas on August 5, 2022. Dr. Demetra Bates was selected as a scholarship recipient for the Community Development Institute for the second consecutive year in June 2022.

9/15/2022
Building Futures Together Recognition Ceremony
On May 24, the Building Futures Together program held a recognition ceremony on campus for its trainees. Fifteen paraprofessional trainees from the first cohort received Certificates of Completion for Level 2 (on-the-job training) and 20 paraprofessional trainees from the second cohort received Certificates of Completion for Level 1 (didactic coursework training). Congratulations to all!

9/15/2022
Neurodiversity in the Workplace A Collaborative National Conference
Join the collaborative conference that brings together a community that is committed to improving employment outcomes for the neurodiverse workforce. Through collective impact, we will engage in dynamic discussions, learn from expert presenters, and build a network of change-makers who utilize diverse and inclusive employment practices. This conference empowers employers to build a dynamic workforce and enhance the workplace.

8/12/2022
Inclusive, Accessible Health Care the Focus of Free Continuing Medical Education Course
Primary care providers can receive three CME credit hours while learning how to provide better care to their patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A new Continuing Medical Education (CME) course aimed at facilitating more equitable and accessible health care for patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) is available through the University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities. The CME is a free and self-directed online course for physicians, nurse practitioners, and other licensed health care providers who require continuing education. Course completion grants three CME credit hours toward license renewal.

8/3/2022
ToTAL Summer Enrichment Academy 2022
For the first time since 2019, the Institute for Disability Studies (IDS) Summer Enrichment Academy provided in-person options to youth and young adults wanting to increase their employability skills. Beginning in 2018, IDS, through its Transition of Teens to Adult Life (ToTAL) Program, has hosted youth and young adults for a multi-week training and internship experience during the summer.

7/26/2022
IGROW Project at Texas A&M University Student Highlight
The future is looking pretty sweet for this amazing young lady! M.W. spent her summer exploring the world of baking and bakery ownership with Liz Smith of Country Road Baking Co.