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March 2025 I Volume 11 I Edition 3 |
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AUCD Leadership Academy
Deadline Extended! Apply by: Tuesday, April 1, 2025
AUCD and the Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) are proud to present the 8th Annual AUCD Leadership Academy. The AUCD Leadership Academy is a week-long intensive experience, paired with a year of pre and post interactions designed to enhance the skills of current and emerging leaders from disability networks to build coalitions to improve systems of supports and services. The Leadership Academy engages participants from UCEDDs, LENDs, IDDRCs and the wider community of disability partners to come together to immerse themselves for a week of study, shared experiences, self-evaluation, and skill development. |
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AUCD Welcomes Lillie Heigl as Senior Policy Advisor
Sandy Root-Elledge, the Interim Executive Director of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, announced that Lillie Heigl, Esq., MPA, has been hired as AUCD's Senior Policy Advisor. Lillie will serve in this key leadership role to coordinate and conduct activities that educate the AUCD Network and our diverse stakeholders on our work, mission, and key priorities. She will also provide analysis of the impact of federal and state legislation and regulatory changes for our members as well as persons with disabilities and their families. |
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AUCD Condemns the Administration’s Efforts to Dismantle the Department of Education
AUCD condemns this Administration’s attacks on the Department of Education and the President’s Executive Order “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities” attempting to dismantle the Department of Education.
Formally dismantling the Department of Education requires an act of Congress. Action Item: Call your Members of Congress—your Representative and Senators—and reach out to your state officials, such as the governor’s office, to educate them on the important work that the Department of Education does to protect and support students with disabilities and their families. You can reach your Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. |
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AUCD’s Statement on the HHS Announcement: “This Jeopardizes the Health and Safety of People with Disabilities"
On March 27, the Administration announced changes to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which include mass staffing reductions and reorganization of many sub-agencies in the name of reducing duplicity and increasing efficiency. “This jeopardizes the health and safety of people with disabilities by decimating the systems that support them,” says Lillie Heigl, AUCD’s Senior Policy Advisor. Action Item: Call your Members of Congress—your Representative and Senators—and reach out to your state officials, such as the governor’s office, to educate them on the important work that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) does to protect and support people with disabilities and their families. You can reach your Members of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. |
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Governor Brian Kemp has appointed Martha Haythorn to the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she will serve as a council member. Haythorn is an alumna of GaLEND, a program housed within the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University.
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A new initiative by the Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities (NCED) housed in the College of Education & Human Development and the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) is transforming vaccination experiences for individuals with disabilities across Nevada. The Sensory Friendly Vaccine Kit Project, designed to support both children and adults with disabilities or special healthcare needs, aims to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress associated with vaccinations through specialized tools and techniques. |
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The scholarship will support students in the Next Steps at Vanderbilt program. Established by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND), Next Steps is a four-year, postsecondary certificate program for neurodiverse students. |
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A new article in the "Early Childhood Education Journal" challenges whether developmental milestones—such as the expected age for a typically developing child to drink from a cup or climb stairs—are universal across cultures. Ankita Bhattashali, PhD, from the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice (IDRPP), is the lead author. She hopes early childhood education programs will add some considerations to their teacher training, in addition to using the developmental milestones. They could use mentor families to help prospective teachers understand cultural differences in minority families. |
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The University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration's National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) collaborated with the Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) initiative to standardize accessibility feature terms for assessments. Historically, terminology varied, so NCEO and the CEDS initiative worked with state education agencies, test vendors, and assessment consortia to create common definitions. |
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Danelle McGuire's son, Treyson Wallace, was born with developmental challenges that doctors couldn't explain for 14 years. Despite failing a hearing test and having a clubfoot, his symptoms remained unexplained, even after extensive testing. In 2021, Treyson was referred to the neuromotor development clinic at the Waisman Center, where whole genome sequencing identified a rare mutation in the AGO1 gene, causing a neurodevelopmental disorder with language delay and epilepsy. This mutation affects only a few hundred people worldwide, and Treyson is the 40th known case.
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Want proof that college can make a big difference? "From Learning to Earning: The Impact of Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disability" breaks down the numbers, showing that people with intellectual disability who go to college have better job opportunities and higher earnings. |
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This set of resources from Think College is all you need to educate and inform people about the transition to postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability. This list of Think College resources is perfect to share at a transition or college fair, an IEP meeting, a school board meeting, or a local education conference. |
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The "Policy Unpacked" section of ThinkEquitable.com offers accessible explanations of public policies affecting people with disabilities, including topics like the U.S. Constitution, executive orders, memorandums, and proclamations, as well as public comments on updates to Section 504. |
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The Children’s Centers at Texas A&M University held their annual Read Across America Day on March 3. Center staff, PATHS instructors, and PATHS students took time during the day to share the magic of books with the future generation of Aggies. The Center on Disability and Development Program Manager, Tanya Baker, was even allowed to read her own children's book, "Harvey the Hiccupping Hippopotamus." |
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The Texas Transition Conference, held on February 19-21 in Houston, featured an inspiring keynote session on Work-Based Learning. Highlighted during the session were three exemplary school-based enterprises: Cleburne ISD’s The Hive, Pharr San Juan Alamo’s Pathways to Independence, and Midway ISD’s Panther Ink. Each of these innovative projects has been supported by Texas A&M University’s Center on Disability and Development’s Work-Based Learning Project.
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Staff at the Center for Development and Disability at the University of New Mexico are incredibly proud of this informative conversation from their Spanish speaking community members. This discussion includes challenges associated with locating resources, including online support in their spoken language. Parents may find it difficult to share a diagnosis of autism with the family and lack feelings of support when it comes to their own mental health. They end up feeling alone and isolated due to not meeting cultural expectations. Furthermore, they are unable to communicate in English with other families that could otherwise be a supportive outlet. |
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Dr. Makhaya Malema, a visiting scholar from the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, shares his insights on disability leadership in leisure and recreation, while exploring the powerful concepts of Ubuntu and the disability rights slogan Nothing About Us Without Us. Dr. Malema is at UMKC through a university partnership focused on learning about our disability network. "Accessible" is a podcast that opens the door to disability leaders and their ideas and is hosted by George Gotto, director at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Institute for Human Development, and Amelia Reighard, director of Program Development. |
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The DODD Mentorship Program is a collaboration between the UCCEDD, the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC), and various independent living centers. Through this grant, we conducted peer mentorship training for family members/caregivers as well as teens and adults with disabilities over a 10-month period. From April to December 2024, UCCEDD hosted two training sessions per month, successfully training 31 family members and caregivers. Our partner independent living centers provided eight training sessions and trained 44 self-advocates successfully. |
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Understanding Disability through a Data Lens
It’s before lunch, and Anna Bolgrien’s (MNLEND 2020-21) work for the day has already touched on mental health, HIV, and water quality. As a senior research scientist and project manager for the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Social Research and Data Innovation, Bolgrien relishes the breadth of data management projects on her plate.
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The CACTI Blog: My Contributions in Accessibility and Inclusivity
By Anahy Fernandez, 2024-2025 Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Approach to Disability in Professional Practice Intern. The Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities has fueled and supported my passions in the field of public health during my internship. I was faced with many new things throughout this experience, including new populations to serve, new skills to learn, and new people to interact with. |
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Review of Disability Studies Call for Reviewers
Apply by March 31, 2025
The editor and editorial board of the "Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal" invite your participation in peer review of manuscripts as a member of our Manuscript Review Board.
The contributions of our Manuscript Review Board are critical to the publication process. As a reviewer, you will gain valuable experience in publishing and help shape global discourse around disability. Individuals with expertise in disability studies and a commitment to social justice are invited to become reviewers for this quarterly, peer-reviewed journal that has been serving the global community since 2003. |
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Thursday, April 3, 2025, Boston, MA
The Healthy Weight Research Network Symposium will provide a forum for researchers, clinicians, people with disabilities, family members, and other interested individuals to learn about current research and practice in supporting children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to maintain a healthy weight and healthy lifestyles. |
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Disability Policy Seminar
April 7-9, 2025, Washington, DC
The Disability Policy Seminar is the premier opportunity to cultivate support on Capitol Hill and amplify the concerns of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) before Congress. The seminar brings together passionate advocates, including people with disabilities, experts, and professionals in the field, to learn about key issues and advance the grassroots movement for people with IDD. |
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Gatlinburg Conference
April 7-10, 2025, San Diego, CA
The Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is one of the premier conferences for behavioral scientists conducting research on intellectual and developmental disabilities. It has a rich history that started in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in 1967, and the name of its original location remained. Each year, Gatlinburg Conference brings together scientists from around the world to gather to discuss research and collaborations in the field. |
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Charting the LifeCourse Showcase 2025
April 29, 2025 - May 1, 2025, Kansas City, MO
The UMKC-Institute for Human Development’s LifeCourse Nexus is hosting the ninth annual Charting the LifeCourse Showcase April 29-May 1, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. During the sessions, people who use CtLC, family members, and professionals will share practical solutions and strategies for using CtLC in their daily lives and across many levels of change. Sessions will provide hands-on learning opportunities or direct application and encourage collaboration. |
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International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute
April 29, 2025 - May 1, 2025, Kansas City, MO
Celebrating 25 years in 2025, the International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute is a premier educational experience focused on evidence-informed inclusive practices for children with disabilities. |
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11th Annual Autism Conference & Expo
May 28, 2025, Atlanta, GA
The Autism Conference & Expo of Georgia is an annual event that provides an opportunity to share knowledge and resources about support for individuals with autism and their families in Georgia. It represents the collaboration and contributions of an alliance of leading self-advocates, family members, community partners, state agencies, and other stakeholders.
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Items may be submitted for consideration via the AUCD Public Promotion Page. Submissions are due on the second Friday of the month. AUCD 360 is promoted on the last Friday of the month. |
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AUCD | 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1000 | Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
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This newsletter is in part supported by the Administration on Community Living (ACL) through a technical assistance contract for the URC and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a National Professional Organization for Persons with Developmental Disabilities. The content of this material does not necessarily reflect the views and policies of any federal agency. No official support or endorsement by federal agencies is intended nor should be inferred. |
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