News
5/29/2020
The impact of the COID-19 pandemic on the nation's disability community
In a world that often fails to acknowledge the value, contributions, and at times even the presence in society of people with disabilities, the spread of COVID-19 carries a unique set of challenges and dangers for the disability community.Armando Contreras, President, and CEO of United Cerebral Palsy National and other advocates for people with disabilities say there needs to be much more awareness among the general public, the health community, and elected officials about the way in which tens of millions of people with disabilities nationwide are being affected by the spread of the coronavirus.
5/25/2020
MN LEND Fellows Use Their Training in COVID-19 Response
The MN LEND Fellows at the Institute on Community Integration shared stories of how their work is being impacted by the pandemic.
5/22/2020
During Unprecedented Times, Kansas LEND Emerging Leaders Take Action
There was a call for action - and Kansas LEND trainees responded. As a statewide Stay at Home Order was announced in Kansas in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, Kansas LEND trainees were quick to create and disseminate resources for Kansans with disabilities and their families.
5/20/2020
Kansas Autism Annual Conference Goes Virtual
This year's Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART) bi-annual conference Autism Across the Lifespan co-sponsored by Kansas LEND was quickly and successfully re-imagined to be held virtually on April 10th via zoom. LEND faculty members Leni Swails, Ph.D., Rene Jamison, Ph.D. and Skylar Bellinger, Pd.D. partnered with Matt Mosconi, Ph.D. and Sean Swindler of KCART to present on the unique challenges faced by individuals with ASD, their caregivers, and providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
5/18/2020
Communication is Vital: Learn how the WI UCEDD is helping pave the way for intubated COVID-19 patients
At the Waisman Center, home of Wisconsin's LEND, IDDRC, and UCEDD, clinicians in the Communication Aids and Systems Clinic (CASC) join a new international task force designed to help patients on ventilators communicate while intubated. CASC is one of 10 different specialty clinics within the Waisman Center and offers specialized services for those who benefit from augmentative and alternative communication aids (AAC). One clinician in CASC, Sarah Marshall, a speech-language pathologist (SLP), has been working with the international task force to develop free communication supports and tools for patients on ventilators due to COVID-19. For patient's suffering from this potentially life-threatening illness, communication with providers and loved ones can be vital. Due to restrictions placed on visitors and the nature of intubation, patients needing intubation and placed on ventilators often find themselves alone and unable to communicate their needs.
5/18/2020
COVID-19 Information for People with Disabilities, Older Adults, and Others with Functional or Access Needs
Project REDD under the leadership of Dr. Laura Stough has begun to provide resources online for people with disabilities, older adults, and others with functional or access needs. We are updating the site daily and we are working on the REDDy Directory to update and list sources who can also help provide services during this crisis. You can also submit information on the REDDy Site to be included - it's changed slightly since it was hacked into recently and you may submit entries and we will post them.
5/18/2020
In Crisis, MN UCEDD/LEND Responds
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and training specialists at the Institute on Community Integration (MN UCEDD/LEND) are launching several new ventures aimed at supporting people with disabilities through the crisis.
5/18/2020
Telehealth & You
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth practices are increasingly being used to deliver health care services. MI-DDI developed the resource, "Telehealth & You", to communicate information on these services as well as debunk some common telehealth myths.
5/16/2020
STEP UP Continues Engagement Virtually
COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the ability to get together in person for socialization and community service . . . no more recreational events, no going to the mall, no going to the movies, no going to the parks, no more monthly meet ups for different socialization opportunities, and no more community service events. This has certainly affected our inclusive organization, STEP UP to Leadership Advisory Council, a leadership and service council for individuals with and without disabilities. As everyone has moved to social distancing, STEP UP members have expressed their need for social interactions with their peers, weekly routines, and community engagement. The Institute for Disability Studies (IDS) is offering something new that will keep the STEP UP members engaged and active in a different way.
5/13/2020
Action Alert: COVID-19
On Tuesday May 12, 2020, Congressional House leadership introduced legislative language for a proposed Package 4 of COVID-19 relief. This 1,815 page bill is a look at Democratic priorities for Package 4.
5/13/2020
MMI Aids in Effort to Provide Free Communication Tools
Jessica Gormley, Ph.D., assistant professor and speech pathologist at the Munroe-Meyer Institute, was part of a nationwide effort by members of the Patient Provider Communication Forum to produce free online communication resources to patients and their health care workers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
5/13/2020
Paths Program
The PATHS Program was an amazing growth experience for me. But I almost didn't even go. In fact, after visiting the PATHS open house day in Feb 2019, I told my mom that it looked like a nice program but the Texas A&M campus was way too big for me. Plus It would require me to navigate public transportation which I had never done before and I was terrified of doing it . But a week later I got in an argument with my little sister and I asked my mom where that PATHS application was! Now I am so glad I went ! It wasn't easy at first but Bridge 2 Career truly helped guide me into the right direction and grew in so many ways. By the end of Bridge 2 Careers I had fallen in love with CSTX and my mentors. I couldn't wait to get back in the fall to start the PATHS program. I was able to navigate the large Texas A&M campus experienced dorm life, learned about the neat TAMU traditions
5/13/2020
The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities (NJ UCEDD/LEND) Develops Transition Timeline for Families of Young Adults
The ability of young adults with developmental disabilities and their families to successfully navigate the transition to adult life and the various systems through which supports are available hinges upon clear and accurate information. The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, New Jersey's UCEDD and LEND, created Transition to Adulthood for Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities: A Timeline for Parents to provide a one-page overview of considerations at different points throughout transition, national resources, and information about services in the state. The Center partnered with a diverse group of parent leaders to develop and design this resource to ensure that the information included is applicable, accessible, and actionable.
5/12/2020
Dr. Stough and a group of scholars and practitioners have been selected as a Disability and COVID-19 Working Group by the Natural Hazards Center
The group includes 14 members from 9 universities and centers representing the 8 disciplines of: Communication, Disability Studies, Education, Educational Psychology, Psychology, Public Health, Special Education, and Social Work. The group includes 3 members representing minority groups, a student researcher, and all of our members themselves have or have family members with disabilities or special health care needs. The primary positions are similarly diverse and include researchers, teachers, practitioners, support personnel, and project directors. As each member of the group already have existing research agendas, teaching positions, or oversee projects aligned with this topic, they will bring knowledge from these experiences to the working group.
5/11/2020
AUCD's National Center on Disability in Public Health Shares COVID-19 Emergency Response Information
One of the most important tasks for AUCD's public health team and the entire network right now is sharing accurate, timely information on COVID-19 for the disability community. AUCD's Network Public Health Webinar Series on COVID-19 did just that, together with programs and centers across the network. This 4-part webinar series, hosted by AUCD's National Center on Disability in Public Health, reviewed timely public health information on what we currently know on disability inclusion as it relates to this emerging issue, reaching about 2,000 attendees through the live sessions. Fantastic speakers from the Health and Disability SIG, Emergency Preparedness SIG, Mental Health Aspects of I/DD, Nutrition SIG, Sexual Health SIG, FASD SIG, Family Discipline Network, and the Council on Leadership in Advocacy (COLA) participated alongside colleagues from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Please check the webinar series page for the recordings and share the links with partners and colleagues.
5/11/2020
NH-ME LEND Virtually Showcases Scholarship, Leadership, and Resilience
On May 1, 2020 twenty-one trainees from the 2019-2020 New Hampshire-Maine Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (NH-ME LEND) Program convened the first ever Virtual Capstone Poster Session and end of the year Celebration. Concluding the spring semester online, this dedicated group of trainees remotely collaborated with leadership partners to complete capstone projects throughout Maine and New Hampshire.