COMMUNITY EDUCN & DISSEM COUNCIL (CEDC)
3/29/2024
Highlights From the 39th Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
On February 27th, the Center on Disability Studies (HI-UCEDD) welcomed over 750 attendees representing 12 countries from across the globe to Honolulu, Hawaiʻi to the 39th Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity both online and in-person. In celebration of the conference theme, Beyond Access: Building a Culture of Belonging we aimed to explore how we all live to belong, to be part of something greater than ourselves.
11/2/2023
UCEDD Resource Center ExceLens Series: AUCD Emerging Leader: Blake Warner
Honoring the theme of the AUCD Annual Conference, this edition of ExceLens is excited to feature AUCD Emerging Leader Blake Warner. Blake has previously completed two years of SD LEND and is currently serving as a UCEDD trainee and completing a predoctoral internship at the UCLA Tarjan Center. Blake is passionate about advocacy and policy reform efforts, particularly for LGBTQ+ individuals in the disability community. The AUCD Community Inclusion Team was able to sit down with Blake and learn more about his interests, goals, and experience so far as an AUCD Emerging Leader. Please read on to see the highlights from Blake's interview!
2/25/2022
Request for Applications- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Coaches
Deadline to submit a proposal: March 21st, 2022
The UCEDD Resource Center (URC) launched a multi-pronged technical assistance initiative to support UCEDDs in implementing the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan. In continuation of this initiative, the URC is seeking applications from UCEDD leaders across the AUCD network to serve as Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion coaches. Coaches may provide individualized coaching to network members, respond to rapid response requests, and support implementation of the technical assistance initiative by presenting at webinars and supporting content of the ED&I Action Plan Implementation groups.
5/7/2021
Request for Proposals: UCEDD Leadership Development
Deadline to submit a proposal: May 26, 2021.
The UCEDD Resource Center (URC) is seeking consultation to develop a UCEDD Network Leadership Development Map ("Map") and TA plan. The Map will provide UCEDD network members with concrete information about the knowledge, skills, and abilities that they need to advance their careers within the UCEDD network and about existing strategies, resources, and opportunities to acquire those knowledge, skills, and abilities. The TA plan will identify gaps in the UCEDD network career pathways and provide the URC with recommended activities to address those gaps. Both documents will specifically attend to the unique needs of the network and network members to enhance career opportunities for individuals from historically underrepresented communities.
5/6/2021
Arizona's UCEDDs Collaborate, Provide Support for National Events
Arizona's University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) helped support two virtual conferences, the 2021 African American Conference on Disabilities (AACD) and the 17th Annual American Indian Disability Summit.
2/4/2021
University of Delaware's Center for Disabilities Studies and Software Developer Adapt Video Conferencing App for Students with Complex Communication Needs
Remote instruction poses significant obstacles for children with complex communication needs, including difficulty accessing Zoom, Google Classroom and other popular speech- and text-based communication apps. To give educators an alternative, the University of Delaware's Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS) became a beta tester for Co-VidSpeak, a video conferencing app originally designed for intubated hospital patients. Co-VidSpeak combines video with preset icons, words and phrases displayed around both conversation partners' screens, called "boards." Users can communicate by indicating the icons, words or phrases with their eye gaze.
1/12/2021
Plain Language Advisory Group
In 2020, the UCEDD Resource Center created a Plain Language Advisory Group. The group met to help the UCEDD Resource Center think about plain language and create plain language adaptations of resources. We want to share with the network about the importance of plain language and some lessons we learned from this work so far.
1/11/2021
#WhatsYourPurpose2021 Youth Transition Campaign
The Institute for Disability Studies (IDS) Transition to Adulthood Programs announce a new 2021 campaign, #WhatsYourPurpose2021. Throughout the year, transition leaders including youth/young adults with and without disabilities, their family members and those that serve them will be featured in short videos and social media posts promoting transition successes and challenging others to pursue their goals. Each video and post will highlight young adults and members of their support networks sharing their future life purposes.
1/11/2021
South Dakota UCEDD Provides National Deaf-Blind Training for Educators
Through a collaboration with the National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) and the Center for Disabilities Deaf-Blind Program, an online 4-course training series has been developed titled, Concentration in Deaf-Blindness and High Intensity Support Needs. This series provides an incredible foundation in deaf-blindness, training in communication strategies, assessment and instructional planning and life planning for educators working with students with deaf-blindness and/or students who have high intensity support needs.
1/4/2021
Bronx UCEDD Publishes Mapping of ASD Rates in Children by Language and Socio-Demographics in NY State
The Rose F Kennedy UCEDD's Research Coordinator, Ms. Katie McGrath, MSW, 'ABD' led this spatial analysis of data from the NY State Department of Education. In contrast to prior research on ASD prevalence, school districts with higher proportions of Black and Hispanic students had the highest rates of ASD.
10/19/2020
Telehealth: What is it? And how to make it work for you!
The University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the Oregon Health & Science University is excited to share a recently created series of 4 animated video modules on Telehealth. They were designed for adults with I/DD and, more specifically, for people who use communication supports. They would also be appropriate for kids (and families), and individuals who experience cognitive or language or literacy challenges.
10/13/2020
MN UCEDD Pinpoints Autism's Reach
To better quantify the prevalence of autism across Minnesota, investigators at University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration (MN UCEDD) will tap into large statewide education and social services databases under a new grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
9/9/2020
Closing gaps: Autism's health disparities
The MN UCEDD has joined a national research network that aims to improve the physical health and well-being of children and adults with autism. Led by UCLA and some of America's best autism researchers, the multidisciplinary team will study autism as it relates to overall healthcare access and quality, primary care utilization, physical activity, stress, sleep, substance abuse, sexual health, neurological issues, and genetics, among others. The project will also explore healthcare disparities among women and people from underserved or vulnerable populations.
9/7/2020
GSU UCEDD Opens PEERS Clinic
The Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) at Georgia State University (GSU) is excited to announce the PEERS Clinic at GSU. The Program for the Education & Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) Curriculum is a 16-week evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated individuals, who are interested in learning new socialization activities, including how to make and keep friends. PEERS may be appropriate for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression or other social and behavioral disorders.
9/7/2020
Researching COVID-19's Effect on People with Autism with SPARK
Members of the Kennedy Krieger Institute UCEDD were part of a team effort to research the effects of the pandemic on people with autism and to communicate coronavirus-related information this year. The Autism Research and Engagement Core of Kennedy Krieger's Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities is working with SPARK, the nation's largest autism research study.