You're Invited to AUCD 2021!

Learning Together: Connecting Research and Lived Experience

April 22, 2021

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

It is my pleasure to extend an invitation to the AUCD 2021 Conference, taking place November 15-17.  This year's theme will be "Learning Together: Connecting Research and Lived Experience."  Because we don't know what November will be like, this will once again be held as a virtual event.

We are excited to have our AUCD community explore the connection between people with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who carry out research about disabilities.  How we talk about research and the words we use make a big difference in how we think about research.  We hope the conference will give us a chance to learn about ways to talk about research that everyone can understand.  We also hope to learn how research can make life better for people with disabilities and their families, what we can learn from the experiences of people with disabilities and their families who have participated in research, and ways to improve the way we carry out research that can improve the relationship between the research community and the disability community.

We anticipate hearing some stimulating presentations, learning about cutting edge work going on at our member institutions and beyond, and engaging leaders in disability lived experience and policy about the role of research in the lives of individuals with disabilities.  We also look forward to discussions of ways individuals with disabilities can be actively involved in research as advisors, participants, and as members of research teams.

I'm personally looking forward to learning about your ideas, your research, and your experience at this year's conference.  It should be a very stimulating and rewarding event for everyone.

Daniel Armstrong, Ph.D.
AUCD President Elect and 2021 AUCD Conference Chair
Director, Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami School of Medicine

Plain Langauge Description about Conference:

The focus of the AUCD 2021 Conference will be on the connection between people with disabilities and their families, and the professionals who do disability research. The Conference will explore:

Ways to talk about research that everyone can understand;
How we can use research to make life better for people with disabilities and their families;
What we can learn from the experiences of people with disabilities and their families who have participated in research;
How we can ensure equity, and include all people with disabilities and their families in every step of the research process;
Research or experiences that can help improve the relationship between the research community and the disability community.