AUCD 360 - March 2022

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Calls for the Support, Protection and Safety of Ukrainians with Disabilities

The needs of Ukrainians with disabilities must not be ignored. Ukraine ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2010. CRPD Article 11 specifically addresses situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies and the protection obligations that exist in the context of armed conflict. UN Security Council Resolution 2475, unanimously adopted in 2019, also calls upon member states to “protect persons with disabilities in conflict situations and to ensure they have access to justice, basic services and unimpeded humanitarian assistance.” These international humanitarian and human rights laws must be respected. AUCD strongly supports humanitarian efforts focused on the needs of people with disabilities and their families in Ukraine. Read more...

Call for Vaccine Confidence Stories

Vaccine confidence is helping people understand why getting a shot is important.  Part of vaccine confidence is also listening to people’s concerns about a shot and giving them true information about it.  AUCD made this Friends and Family toolkit to help people talk to their loved ones about getting the COVID-19 shot.  As part of our project to increase vaccine confidence, AUCD is collecting stories. Why is getting vaccinated or boosted important to you?  Have you talked to your friends or family about getting the vaccine? How did it go? Read more...

Save the Date: AUCD for All Gala

Join us on April 27, 2022 for the AUCD for All Gala! This year’s Gala is open to all and will be hosted in a virtual, accessible format from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. The theme is Celebrating Leadership in Inclusive Science. During the Gala, we will honor those who champion inclusive science and work to ensure that people with disabilities are included in every step of the research process. The AUCD Virtual Gala is free for all, however, we are asking anyone who plans to attend to support AUCD by making a gift. Read more...

Spanish-Language Caucus Recruitment

AUCD is excited to announce the recruitment of new members for the AUCD Spanish-Language Caucus (SLC). The Spanish-Language Caucus is a workgroup open to Spanish-speaking individuals within the AUCD network. We hope for representation from all network roles (Spanish-speaking faculty, staff, Self-Advocates and LEND, UCEDD, and IDDRC current and former trainees). Read more...

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AUCD Members to be Appointed to President Biden's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Congratulations to AUCD's Shawn Aleong, Gabriel Martinez and Liz Weintraub! The Committee's mission is to provide advice and assistance to the President on a broad range of topics that impact people with intellectual disabilities and the field of Intellectual Disabilities. AUCD - AUCD Members to be Appointed to President Obama's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Read more...

Iowa's UCEDD Promotes Reading and Disability Representation as It Turns 50

Founded in 1972, the Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD/Iowa’s UCEDD) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. As part of the celebration, the UCEDD is making a contribution to the Disability Resource Library (DRL) at CDD. The UCEDD will purchase a series of books for the DRL that promote reading and disability representation in books. Read more...

Mailman Center Occupational Therapist Receives National Recognition

Douglene Jackson, Ph.D., OTR/L, LMT, ATP, research assistant professor and associate director of community engagement at the Mailman Center for Child Development, will receive the Roster of Fellows Award from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The AOTA Roster of Fellows recognizes occupational therapists who through their knowledge, expertise, leadership, advocacy, and guidance have made a significant contribution over time to the profession with a measured impact on consumers of occupational therapy, members of the Association, and their community. Read more...

The Ohio State University Nisonger Center's Pediatric Dentist Dr. Diego Solis Recognized as One of the Top Dentists in Columbus

Congratulations to Dr. Diego Solis, who is a pediatric dentist at the Nisonger Center's Johnstown Road Dental Clinic, for being included in the 2022 database of top Dentists. The Johnstown Road clinic provides comprehensive dental services for young preschool and early school-age children with and without developmental disabilities through age 21. Read more...

The Ohio State University Nisonger Center's LEND Genetics Counseling Fellow Elianna Miller Receives Awards

Elianna Miller, a LEND genetic counseling graduate student (class of 2022) was awarded the National Society of Genetic Counselors Assisted Reproductive Technologies special interest group award for her thesis work titled “Understanding Oocyte Donor Perceptions of Genetic Testing and Expanded Carrier Screening.” Read more...

Mark Crenshaw Named Assistant Director of CLD

Mark Crenshaw, MTS, has been named the Assistant Director of the Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) in the School of Public Health at Georgia State University (GSU). Mark currently serves as the Director of Interdisciplinary Training for GSU’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and the Training Director for Georgia’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (GaLEND) program. Read more...

University of Wyoming College of Nursing Awards Peter K. Simpson Advanced Practice Nursing FAN Award

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing at the University of Wyoming is pleased to announce that Canyon Hardesty, M.S, CHES is the 2022 recipient of the Peter K. Simpson FAN Award. This honor is in recognition and appreciation for work and commitment to the DNP program, its faculty, and students. Hardesty is an associate director at the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND), Wyoming's UCEDD, as well as the director of community training and education. Read more...

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National Advisory Council Convened to Inform Coordinated and Integrated Data Systems for the Early Identification (CIDSEI) of Young Children with Developmental Delays or Disabilities Project

On January 25th, 2022, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and the Help Me Grow National Center (HMG National) convened its first national advisory council meeting to inform the Coordinated and Integrated Data Systems for the Early Identification (CIDSEI) of Young Children with Developmental Delays or Disabilities project. The advisory council is made up of the following members from national organizations and federal agencies.Read more...

Engaging Young Adults with IDD-MH and Researchers in Comparative Effectiveness Research
The Center for START Services is proud to announce the launch of a new website that can support meaningful partnerships between people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and mental health service experiences (IDD-MH), family members, mental health providers, and researchers. View the website to learn more. Read more...

MI-DDI Community Trainers Talk About Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)

Community Trainers will be available to educate individuals and families through virtual meetings. They have facilitated trainings across Michigan which include presentations with self-advocates, people with disabilities and their family members, schools, behavioral health organizations such as Pre-Paid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs) and Community Mental Health Services Program (CMHSPs), and advocacy agencies. Meet our Community Trainers below. Hear about different aspects of the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) rule in their own words. Read more...

This pics across the disability field, including best practices, supports and services, advocacy, and leadership are part of the discussion in the new podcast, "Accessible". The idea for a podcast grew from a conversation about how we, at the UCEDD, could support the Missouri Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities prepare students for work in the field of developmental disabilities,” George Gotto, director of IHD, said. “We also want to educate other professionals in the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) field who may not know the full extent of the existing support systems in Missouri.” Read more...

The Center for RENEW Implementation has received a grant from the NH Charitable Foundation to provide the RENEW (Resilience, Empowerment, and Natural Supports for Education and Work) model in New Hampshire to youth and young adults involved in the juvenile justice system or who are in residential treatment. RENEW is a research-based individualized planning and care coordination process for transition-age youth and young adults, ages 15-25. Developed in 1996 by IOD staff, RENEW has been shown to improve high school completion, employment, and post-secondary education participation rates among our most vulnerable youth. Read more...

Dr. Phillip Rumrill to Deliver Hanoch Livneh Lecture on Psychosocial Adaptation Research

The Council on Psychosocial Adaptation Research (PAR) has invited Dr. Phillip Rumrill, Director of Research and Training at the UK Human Development Institute, to deliver the prestigious Hanoch Livneh Lecture on PAR at the 2022 National Council on Rehabilitation Education Conference in San Diego, California. The title of the presentation is Strategies for Meeting the Psychosocial Needs of People with Emerging Disabilities across Phases of the Rehabilitation Counseling Process. Read more...

Opening Doors: UNH-4U Program Introduces Students with Intellectual Disabilities to Campus Life

Hats off to UNH-4U students on a successful first semester! UNH-4U students explored campus, attended classes, and made meaningful social connections. The IOD congratulates them on completing their first semester as UNH Wildcats! To learn more about their experiences, read "UNH Today’s" full feature story about the inaugural class: https://bit.ly/3HBCBhm.

A College Exploration Conversation with Jake and Christy (Maine UCEDD)

It’s a cold morning in late November and Jake, a high school junior, sits on the edge of a leather couch in the University of Maine’s historic Heritage House. He’s accompanied by his mother, Christy; and Hailey Howard, his vocational rehabilitation counselor from the Maine Department of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR).
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The Ohio State University Nisonger Center Clinical Trials Program is Recruiting Participants!

The Ohio State University Nisonger Center's clinical trials team is currently recruiting participants for three studies: Axial; Otsuka and Aurora. The clinical trial is evaluating an experimental drug, AB-2004, that offers a novel approach for the treatment of irritability associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study builds upon research that has shown there is a significant difference in the bacteria located in the gut, or digestive tract, of children with autism compared to those children who are not on the autism spectrum. They are looking for Autistic diagnosed individuals aged 13-45 male and female. For more information, please visit https://www.theautismstudy.com/ or contact Arielle Mulligan at [email protected].

Prospects for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Epilepsy

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a method for focal noninvasive cortical stimulation where small intracranial electrical currents are induced by a strong extracranial magnetic field. Unlike most brain stimulation techniques that are deployed for treatment in drug-resistant disorders, TMS stands out as a method with as much diagnostic as therapeutic capacity. Read more...

National Institute of Mental Health James Jackson Memorial Award

This award is named in honor of the late Dr. James Jackson, a renowned social psychologist who was the Daniel Katz Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. To acknowledge Dr. Jackson’s great impact on the fields of disparities research, minority mental health and his commitment to mentoring trainees, NIMH will honor an outstanding senior researcher (extramural or intramural) who has demonstrated exceptional individual achievement and leadership in mental health disparities research and excellence in mentorship, influence, and support of trainees. 2022 Award Nominations due April 18, 2022. Read more...

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MN LEND Fellow Receives Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship

Caroline Roberts (MN LEND 2020–21) has been awarded an Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship for the 2022–23 academic year, providing a stipend of $25,000 plus tuition. Roberts is a student in the University of Minnesota's Department of Educational Psychology and supports the work of a TeleOutreach Center workgroup that brings together Interdisciplinary MIDB researchers and clinicians focused on understanding and improving outcomes for children and youth who engage in self-injury. Read more...

MN LEND Fellow: Telling Disability Stories Through Music

In December 2021, AUCD trainee Alicia Zhang worked with MN LEND fellows Raniya Yimam and Brittany Miller to support a community-based, sensory-friendly vaccine clinic in Minneapolis, MN. Zhang, Yimam, and Miller are mentored by Dr. Jen Hall-Lande and Dr. Lynda Lahti Anderson at the MN LEND program at the Institute on Community Integration (ICI), which is also the MN UCEDD. Read more...

NH-ME LEND Spring Kickoff Event Helps Prepare Trainees for Disability Policy Seminar

Policy work is really problem-solving; always trying to figure out where we can find agreement on what government’s job is. - Maine State Senator Catherine Breen (D-Cumberland)In late January, the NH-ME LEND Program hosted a two-state panel discussion and a keynote speaker as part of their virtual Spring Semester Kick Off Event, Organizing to Influence Your State’s Policy. The session was designed to help prepare NH and ME trainees to participate in the annual Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, DC on March 28-30, 2022. Read more...

Ukrainian Students, Professionals and Human Rights Defenders: Use UC Davis Article 26 Backpacks

Article 26 Backpack is a safe and secure platform to store academic credentials, documents and human rights advocacy work product. As the situation in Ukraine grows worse UC Davis encourages students, professionals and human rights defenders to use Article 26 Backpack. Watch this short video in English explaining why and how to use Backpack. Please contact [email protected] for more information and additional support.

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 Disability Policy Seminar 2022

March 28-30, 2022 - Virtual

The Disability Policy Seminar is a three-day annual federal legislative conference co-sponsored by The Arc, Autism Society, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Association of University Centers on Disabilities, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, United Cerebral Palsy, and Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (the partners). The Disability Policy Seminar strengthens our federal advocacy efforts by having people from across the country come to Washington, DC to receive training and updates and visit their Members of Congress. The Disability Policy Seminar promotes unity, movement building, and amplifies the concerns of people with IDD before Congress. Read more...

American Climate Leadership Summit (ACLS 2022)

March 28-31, 2022 - Virtual

The 2022 American Climate Leadership Summit will be happening on March 28-31. This four day, virtual event will entail climate science, solutions, action, and activism. It will also feature the National Health + Climate and National Faith + Climate forums! Join from the comfort of your couch and register now to be inspired by local, regional, and national climate action. Register here: ACLS2022.org #ACLS22. 

Inclusive Public Health Communication Workshop Series: Public Health Communication 101

Monday, April 4, 2022, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET

Now more than ever it is critical to be an effective public health messenger. As a member of AUCD’s network, you are invited to attend a four-part monthly virtual workshop series (April – July 2022) led by a joint collaboration between researchers at UCLA Health and the Hood Medicine Initiative, sponsored by AUCD and the CDC. All workshops will focus on giving you the knowledge, tools, and skills to become an effective public health messenger for disenfranchised communities, with an emphasis on neurodivergent and disability communities during and post-COVID-19. Read more...

2022 State-of-the-Science on Disability Statistics

October 6-7, 2022

Out of concern for the health and wellness of our community, StatsRRTC has postponed the State-of-the-Science on Disability Statistics Conference to October 6 - 7, 2022. This hybrid event will be streamed online via Zoom and held in-person at the Holiday Inn, 550 C St SW, Washington, DC 20024. Registration will open after the Release of the Annual Disability Statistics Collection Webinar. Read more...

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