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2007 Invitation

May 1, 2007

Bill Kiernan

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of the AUCD Program Planning Committee, we are pleased to issue this Call for Participation in the 2007 AUCD Annual Meeting and Conference. The event will be held November 10, 2007 - November 14, 2007 at the Renaissance Washington Hotel, Washington, DC. The theme of this year's Annual Meeting and Conference is:

Tomorrow is Here Today:
The Interrelationship of Research, Education, Service, and Policy

Change is not a passive process but rather a process that is stimulated by knowledge and creativity and motivated by passion. The evidence based practices of yesterday must frame the policy, education, and services of today. Our challenge is one of acting now on what we know, what families and consumers want, and what society should expect: a fully inclusive community.

The 2007 AUCD Annual Meeting is a call to act, understand, expand, and integrate findings and education with policy and practice. The constraints of tradition must give way to inquiry, understanding, learning, and practices that reinforce the expansion of a system embracing self determination, interdependence, and inclusion.

UCEDDs and LENDs are interdisciplinary, broadly focused, and positioned to take the lead on creating the future of tomorrow. Our mandate requires us to examine and understand the interrelationship of research, education, service, and policy in a way that addresses today's issues and tomorrow's challenges. The 2006 Annual Meeting focused on partnerships; this year's meeting will reaffirm that emphasis and look at ways to shape systems that address the potential of those partnerships today as well as tomorrow.

The 2007 AUCD Annual Meeting will offer us a chance to consider, both individually and as a network, what we have learned through our research, how we can more effectively and efficiently translate this knowledge into practice, how we can set the foundation for our future workforce, and how we can frame, reframe, and expand policies that support full community membership for persons with disabilities and their families. Through the lens of life-long learning, meeting attendees will hear how our colleagues are building today the future platform for success for persons with disabilities. Singularly-focused advocacy organizations will share their views, current needs and expectations of the AUCD network in responding to their needs. The challenges of far-reaching systemic changes will stimulate debate among policy makers and the network about the future. Future leaders will share their knowledge and give us a look into tomorrow through their research. Join your colleagues in the challenge of how we think about today and use it to shape how we should think about tomorrow.

The following materials will assist you in responding to this Call:

The theme for the 2007 AUCD Annual Meeting is broad and allows emphases in many areas that promote the interrelationship of research, education, service, and policy at the international, national, state, and local levels. Our focus is on the individual as well as the family and our environment is the community. We welcome the submission of important work in all areas. As you consider possible presentations, we are especially interested in learning more about topics that:

  • Explore changes and challenges of the future
  • Explore international, national, and local relationships addressing collaborations across cultures and communities
  • Offer strategies and present results that demonstrate the translation of research into practice and policy formulation
  • Cultivate leadership development of student trainees and others
  • Increase our diversity and cultural knowledge and competence
  • Involve multiple AUCD members and existing partners
  • Address leadership development at all levels
  • Demonstrate research-to-systems-change outcomes and promising practices

We welcome proposals from all segments of the AUCD network and its partners, including faculty, researchers, program directors and staff, graduate students, individuals with disabilities and their family members, policymakers, administrators, and other advocates. We also ask your to help ensure full participation of all attendees by paying special attention to the accessibility guidelines and related resources available on the AUCD website.

The 2007 AUCD Annual Meeting and Conference is a special opportunity to share your interests, talents, and perspectives with others in the network and our partners. The Planning Committee looks forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Signature

William E. Kiernan, Ph.D.
Chair
2007 AUCD Conference Planning Committee