Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEDD, LEND, IDDRC) Offers Free Resources on Inclusive Higher Education and Stories from Families Living in Rural Counties

March 29, 2018

Two new resources are available to download free of charge from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEED, LEND, IDDRC). The first, Inclusive Higher Education: Practices and Perspectives from the Southeast, is a compilation of keynote and breakout presentations from the 3rd Annual Southeastern Postsecondary Education Alliance Capacity Building Institute. The second resource is a special edition of Kindred Stories of Disability, which includes the experiences of individuals with disabilities and their families living in rural counties in Tennessee. Both resources are relevant to an audience beyond Tennessee and the Southeast.

Inclusive Higher Education: Practices and Perspectives from the Southeast

This publication was developed by the Tennessee Developmental Disabilities and Independent Living Networks and with leadership from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VKC UCEDD). It pulls together informative presentations from the 3rd Annual 2017 Southeastern Postsecondary Education Alliance Capacity Building Institute. Held in Nashville in 2017, the booklet highlights best practices and perspectives in the field of inclusive higher education.

The aim of the free publication is to encourage more programs on college, university, and community college campuses across the nation, and to share information across established programs that are looking for new ways to grow their programming.

You can download the free resource from the website of the Tennessee Inclusive Higher Education Alliance found at the link below.

To read Inclusive Higher Education: Practices and Perspectives from the Southeast, visit: http://tnihealliance.org/resources/ihe-practices-and-perspectives/

Kindred Stories of Disability: Considerations from Families Living in Rural Counties

Each year, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center UCEDD collaborates with The Arc Tennessee to produce a collection of stories that highlight the challenges individuals with disabilities and their families face as they navigate service systems and supports. Booklets are shared with Tennessee legislators and policymakers during Tennessee Disability Day on the Hill and the Disability Policy Seminar.

In the 2018 edition, Kindred Stories of Disability: Considerations from Families Living in Rural Counties, many of the families interviewed report travelling two to four hours to the nearest cities to see doctors, psychologists, behavior analysts, and occupational therapists. Some families report having to end much needed services because the travel it requires to access them is too burdensome. Other families are unable to access a service they know their family member needs, such as a dentist or a teacher who has received training or who has experience working with people with disabilities. Some parents report having to quit their jobs to stay home and care for their sons and daughters, sacrificing additional income or insurance that are critical components to accessing what they need to thrive.

To read Kindred Stories of Disability: Considerations from Families Living in Rural Counties, visit: https://vkc.mc.vanderbilt.edu/vkc/resources/kindred/