Chyna Jenkins, a vibrant and determined young woman, uses assistive technology to express herself and live more independently, thanks to the support of her guardian Mickey King and a dedicated care team. After transitioning to community living with help from Iowa’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) program, Jenkins now enjoys greater freedom and control over her daily life. Her story, which highlights the power of communication, choice, and community to help create inclusive lives for individuals with disabilities, is featured in the latest issue of the Possibilities in Education and Training newsletter.
The Possibilities newsletter is published four times a year with funding from the Conner Training Connection grant program, a longstanding project of Iowa’s UCEDD, the Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD). The Conner Training Connection program receives mandated funding each year in accordance with a successful lawsuit filed on behalf of Evert Conner and other plaintiffs by Iowa’s protection and advocacy agency, Disability Rights Iowa (Conner v. Branstad, 1993).
UCEDD program coordinator Michelle Johnston manages the Conner grant, which includes distributing additional funding to participants in Iowa’s MFP program as they make their way from living in facilities to finding homes in the community. Johnston also maintains the Conner Training Connection website for the grant program. For the newsletter, she works with MFP transition specialists who identify individuals and family members to interview and share their stories. The newsletter also features books available through CDD’s Disability Resource Library.
Have questions about the Possibilities in Education and Training newsletter or the Conner Training Connection? Would you like to be added to the listserv to receive the newsletter? Get in touch with Michelle Johnston at [email protected].
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Visit The Conner Training Connection Website
