News
1/21/2020
Tuesdays with Liz: Self Advocacy and Civil Rights with Rachel Mueller
"The ADA says that I can live my life just like everybody else. And civil rights, I learned that from Martin Luther King, Jr!" --Rachel Mueller, advocate with a disability The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) makes sure that legally, people with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else. Leading up to the ADA's 30th anniversary, Rachel Mueller, someone born after the ADA was made a law, tells Liz about how the ADA impacts her life.
1/20/2020
1Health Adds MN LEND
The MNLEND fellowship program was accepted as a designated 1Health Interprofessional Activity, the University of Minnesota's interprofessional education curriculum initiative that brings together students from a wide range of health-related disciplines. 1Health challenges medical, dental, social work, public health and other students to cultivate skills in teamwork, communication, and collaborative care. These skills are integral to the medical community's "triple aim" of improving patient outcomes, advancing population health, and reducing costs. In selecting MNLEND, 1Health's Interprofessional Education Team considered the program's mix of learners from different professions, its explicit focus on interprofessional learning and the authenticity of its learning activities.
1/20/2020
MN LEND Fellows Explore the Power of Mindfulness
Can mindfulness techniques help young families better support their children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities? A team of MN LEND Fellows (https://lend.umn.edu/) from the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration (https://ici.umn.edu/) aims to find out.
1/20/2020
New AAP Clinical Report: Promoting Optimal Development
The importance of early identification and intervention for children with developmental disorders has been widely adopted through the incorporation of developmental surveillance and screening into routine pediatric care. A new AAP clinical report provides pediatric clinicians with updated recommendations to expand this practice to promote the optimal development of every child.
1/20/2020
NH-ME LEND and New Mainers Public Health Initiative
An Interagency Parent Advocacy and Information Project
Over the past two decades, Maine has experienced a rapid growth of racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse populations. Although Maine's population is largely White (95%), children in Maine are disproportionately from minority populations; currently 9% of children in Maine are from a race other than White.
1/20/2020
Supporting Minnesota Jobseekers with Disabilities (MN UCEDD)
On several fronts this fall, ICI's Community Living and Employment team is creating better opportunities for people with disabilities to use work as a pathway out of poverty and contribute meaningfully in community life. This month, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced Kelly Nye-Lengerman's appointment to the State Rehabilitation Council (SRC), effective December 10. Nye-Lengerman (pictured), director of ICI's Community Living and Employment programs, will serve as Disability Advocacy Group Representative for a three-year term ending in January 2022.
1/20/2020
The Arc Minnesota launches new podcast about future planning!
The Arc Minnesota has launched a new podcast for caregivers of people with disabilities. Focus on the Future is a podcast about planning for the future, helping to answer the question, "What happens when I'm no longer here to care for my child?"
1/20/2020
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND) Introduces Genetic Counseling to its LEND Curriculum, Welcomes First Trainee from Inaugural Genetic Counseling Master's Program
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center's (TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND) Consortium LEND has seen a lot of change this year, including the installment of a new director, new program staff members, and growth within its cohort at East Tennessee State University. Among the changes is the addition of the genetic counseling discipline to LEND's Care Navigation practicum, thanks to LEND faculty member Laura Duncan, M.S., CGC, as well as its first long-term trainee from Vanderbilt's inaugural Master of Genetic Counseling program, Gianna Petrelli
1/17/2020
AUCD Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
As we begin 2020, we as a nation, including the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This landmark civil rights legislation impacts the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities and protects against discrimination and ensures and improves access to opportunities afforded to all.
1/16/2020
Ohio State LEND Leadership Project Aims to Build Relationships Between New Mothers and Healthcare Providers
Ohio State LEND faculty Lori Grisez (Physical Therapy) and Dr. Andrea Witwer (Psychology) initiated a program called Next Steps that aims to promote healthy development in infants and young children living in poverty in Central Ohio. The Next Steps program is an extension of the Moms2B program that was created in 2010 by pediatrician Dr. Patricia Gabbe and infant mental health specialist Twinkle French Schottke to address the alarmingly high infant mortality rate in Central Ohio.
1/15/2020
Speaking Up with 2019 AUCD Video Contest Winner Taylor Carley
Sometimes it takes awhile to find your voice. Winner of the 2019 AUCD Video Contest, Taylor Carley, talks about his YouTube series, Chit Chat Thursdays with Taylor, which he started after seeing Tuesdays with Liz! Taylor is an Emerging Leader from the Mississippi UCEDD, the Institute for Disability Studies (IDS).
1/14/2020
How to Help Puerto Rico
You can help Puerto Rico as it continues to be impacted by earthquakes! Supplies are needed by people who cannot stay in their homes due to earthquake damage. Puerto Rico's disability network coordinates a collection and distribution center for supplies needed by the disability community.
1/13/2020
AUCD Welcomes Jordan A. Kerr as Program Specialist for AUCD's Public Health Team
Jordan Kerr is a program specialist for AUCD's public health team. Her responsibilities include assisting in the development of project reports and publications and providing support and information on a wide range of activities that further the mission and goals of members of the AUCD network.
1/13/2020
New AAP Clinical Report: Identification, Evaluation, and Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Representing the first update in 12 years, an AAP clinical report on autism spectrum disorder (ASD), from the Council on Children with Disabilities and Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, will be published in the January issue of Pediatrics.
1/13/2020
New Resource Guide for Applying Public Health Informatics to Addiction Treatment (IL UCEDD/LEND)
This guide aims to provide medical and public health professionals with resources to help them create high-quality health-informatics-driven treatment strategies for those suffering from addiction to alcohol and drugs. These resources can lead to the development of targeted plans singularly tailored to individuals, which could make the goal of successful recovery more attainable.
1/13/2020
NH-ME LEND Graduate Honored by New Futures With Legislator of The Year Award
Rep. Joelle Martin, NH-ME LEND graduate, was recently honored with the New Hampshire Legislator of the Year award by New Futures, New Hampshire's leading health policy, and advocacy organization. After working for a decade as an executive in publishing, Martin's focus shifted to education and advocacy. As her daughter, who has a life-threatening food allergy, entered preschool, she began to educate her family and school community about severe food allergies. Soon after, she developed an educational program about life-threatening allergies for teachers and staff.
