News
7/16/2019
Tuesdays with Liz: Voting
You can VOTE! Learn all about overcoming voting barriers for people with disabilities with Liz. Liz discusses how to get to the polls and how early voting might be the right option for you.
7/15/2019
Emergency Preparation Toolkit for Children and Adults (CT UCEDD/LEND)
The CT LEND program spends one day at the CT Legislature learning to speak to and educate legislators about issues related to persons with disabilities living in CT. The LEND trainees meet in small groups with individual legislators. One of the groups met with CT State Representative Liz Linehan and discussed emergency preparation for persons with disabilities and shared Flipbook. "Tips For Emergency Personnel: Supporting People with Unique Access or Functional Needs (including disabilities) "Representative Linehan wanted to share it and make it more accessible for a family in her district who had a child who was a non-reader and nonverbal. Representative Linehan brought the toolkit to the Connecticut General Assembly to advocate for a bill to enhance communication between emergency responders and children and adults with disabilities in times of crisis.
7/12/2019
UCEDD Supplement Status Memorandum
7/10/2019
Autism CARES Act of 2019: Mark Up
The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support (CARES) Act of 2019 (H.R.1058) will be a part of the Health Subcommittee markup on Thursday, July 11. This is a critical next step in the reauthorization process.
7/9/2019
Tuesdays with Liz: Ivanova Smith Shares Her LEND Story
Ivanova Smith shares her experience with the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs, which are funded through the Autism CARES Act. The act is up for renewal by Congress and needs to be reauthorized or renewed by September 30 the end of 2019 in order to continue to provide funding for programs like LEND. Join Ivanova and Liz in educating members of Congress about the importance of LEND and CARES.
7/8/2019
AUCD Welcomes Interns
AUCD is pleased to welcome this year's interns to our office to join our staff, learn about initiatives of the network, and assist with projects of national significance to people with disabilities, their family members, and communities. We are lucky to have several interns joining us for differing lengths of time and working on a variety of topics across different departments.
7/8/2019
Georgia's Postsecondary Graduation Inagural Classes (GA UCEDD)
Inclusive postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities are growing across the nation and in Georgia. Currently, Georgia has nine of the more than 260 inclusive postsecondary programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities at universities and colleges across the country.
7/8/2019
Midwest Advocacy & Leadership Conference Draws Support from Four UCEDDs
UMKC Institute for Human Development (MO UCEDD) welcomed over 220 participants May 31 - June 2, 2019, as lead organizer and co-sponsor of the SOAR Regional Advocacy and Leadership Conference. SOAR, Seeking Opportunities for an Advocacy Revolution, invited people with disabilities, their family members, and disability system professionals from Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas to lead the change they wish to see. Events included a variety of opportunities to gain new leadership and personal skills.
7/8/2019
New Initiative to Improve Autism Diagnosis and Evaluation Commences for Professionals (DE UCEDD)
Experts and other stakeholders in the Delaware autism community are taking action to improve diagnostic practices for autism, which has risen in prevalence by 80 percent in Delaware over the last decade. Delaware-specific guidelines will be created to ensure that diagnostic evaluations are informed by research and incorporate local resources and services. The process began with two days of training and workshops hosted by the Delaware Network for Excellence in Autism (DNEA) on June 24-25 at the Virden Center in Lewes. The events were led by Dr. Stephen Kanne, the executive director of the University of Missouri Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, a nationally known expert on diagnosis of ASD.
7/3/2019
Parent Workshop: An Opportunity for Empowerment, Feedback, and Community Inclusion (NY UCEDD/LEND)
By: Diana Rodriguez, LMSW
The annual parent workshop was held on Wednesday, May 29th, 2019 from 8am-3:30pm. It was put together by Diana Rodriguez, LMSW, Sarah Warnet, M.S. CCC-SLP, and Daniella Soba, OT. A total of 50 parents came and were provided with free breakfast, lunch, tote bags, supplies and folders with information for the parents to take home. At the end of the workshop we sit down with the parents to debrief on how the day went and if there are things that need improvement. This gives the families an opportunity to be part of the actual creation of the workshop.
7/3/2019
Special Education Initiative - A community voice for special education (TX UCEDD)
The Texas Center for Disability Studies (TCDS) at The University of Texas at Austin has launched a new initiative to engage community members in providing guidance to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on special education issues.
7/2/2019
OHSU Institute on Development and Disability UCEDD elevates University Job Carving Program (OR UCEDD)
The OHSU Job Carving Program now has a public face on the UCEDD's website. This university-wide effort has created opportunities for over 30 people with disabilities and is starting to shift institutional culture. The program recently received national recognition from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) 2019 Inclusion Cultivates Excellence Award. This award recognizes and celebrates institutional initiatives and programs that have made a significant impact with respect to inclusive and equitable workplace practices, particularly those that have brought about cultural change throughout the organization. The UCEDD provides technical assistance and guidance to the program. The Job Carving Program webpages went live on June 20th.
7/2/2019
Tuesdays with Liz: Winner of the ADA Video Contest!
This video was created by the first-ever winner of the AUCD video contest, Emerging Leader Taylor Carley! Taylor is the Self-Advocacy Coordinator for the Institute for Disability Studies, the UCEDD center in Mississippi. Taylor and his colleagues, Dan Lewis and Emilee Flurry, share why they think the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is important, along with what it means for them for people with disabilities to be included in their communities.
7/1/2019
22q at the Bronx Zoo (NY UCEDD/LEND)
Rose F. Kennedy UCEDD/LEND's Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC) partnered with Einstein Buddies, (a medical school service learning club), Children's Hospital at Montefiore 22q11.2 specialty clinic, Bernice Morrow's Einstein Genetics lab and Harboring Hearts to sponsor 22q at the Bronx Zoo. The International 22q11.2
6/26/2019
Statewide Capacity Building and Coordination with TWC and LEAs (TX UCEDD)
Statewide Capacity Building and Coordination with TWC and LEAs Individuals with disabilities face challenges in their transition from school to adult life, especially in the transition from school to employment. Federal legislation requires local and state education agencies to work with the state vocational rehabilitation agency to facilitate a smooth transition from school to employment. Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and Texas Education Agency (TEA) have developed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to help guide the two agencies for collaborations.
6/25/2019
Board President Amy Hewitt Testifies at the Reauthorizing Autism CARES Act of 2019 Hearing
Amy Hewitt, AUCD Board President and Director of the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, gave a powerful testimony on the importance of reauthorizing Autism CARES at the Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing on Tuesday, June 25, 2019.
