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June 2025 I Volume 11 I Edition 6 |
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Engaging Leaders and Transforming Systems: 2025 AUCD Leadership Academy
From June 1 to 6, nineteen leaders from 15 states and territories gathered in Atlanta for the 2025 AUCD Leadership Academy. The week focused on systems thinking, disability and civil rights history, power dynamics, and leadership development to equip participants to create meaningful change. |
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The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire is proud to announce that Andrew Houtenville, director of the IOD, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award from NARRTC. This award is the highest honor conferred by NARRTC and recognizes individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to the field of disability through research, teaching, service, knowledge translation, or advocacy. |
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The CDD’s Work-Based Learning Project is proud to celebrate Veronica Quintana, Special Education Director at Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, for receiving the prestigious Crystal Apple Award and being honored at the Texas A&M University College of Education and Human Development Dean’s Roundtable.
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At the 2025 Dean’s Roundtable event on May 16th, hosted by the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University, two exceptional leaders were honored for their transformative work in inclusive education. Anita D. Lang '02, Program Director, and Robert Pettit, Program Manager of Aggie ACHIEVE, were celebrated for their enduring commitment to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This recognition was generously sponsored by Patrick '71 and Dr. Sue Mahoney '94. |
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The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) (TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND) is proud to share two new toolkits and online courses. These educational resources were created by the VKC’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorder (TRIAD) and the Vanderbilt Consortium LEND Training Program. Cognitive Behavioral/Instructional Strategies (CBIS) are interventions based on the simple principle that thinking (internal behavior) impacts emotions/feelings and controls overt actions (external behavior). These are interventions used to teach learners to support their self-awareness and self-management skills. |
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The Center for Disability and Development (CDD) is proud to share that one of its standout Work-Based Learning projects, Buckles and Beans, was recently featured on the SpedTalk Podcast. Located in Belton ISD, Buckles and Beans is a high school coffee shop that offers more than just coffee—it provides a hands-on learning environment for students with disabilities. Under the leadership of instructor Amanda Maroney, students gain experience in customer service, food preparation, and business operations. The program helps students build critical job skills, confidence, and independence for life beyond high school. |
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The recently launched issue of the Institute’s Impact magazine resulted in swift action for author Patti Menzel. Menzel’s article shared her personal experiences with loneliness as someone with autism and how changing her living arrangements has made a positive difference in her sense of belonging in her community. “Everybody here has their own apartment. We have a community room with events like yoga, energy healing, music, and muscle conditioning. Or somebody will come and perform a concert or get our input on how to spend grant money in our town because our voices matter,” she wrote.
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The Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal (published by the Center on Disability Studies, College of Education, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa) is pleased to announce the release of Volume 20, Issue 2. As critical programs serving people with disabilities face unprecedented threats, efforts continue around the globe to confront injustice and imagine new possibilities. Since 2003, RDS has published hundreds of authors from around the world. |
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The Center continues to advance inclusive, place-based education through programs like Growing Pono Schools and seminars led by cultural practitioners such as Kahoaliʻi Keahi. Creative collaborations like DocSong demonstrate the power of storytelling and music in fostering connection and healing. The Disability Studies Initiative and interdisciplinary course offerings further broaden academic engagement with disability and inclusion across the University of Hawaiʻi. Support from the community continues to inspire and uplift this important work toward a more inclusive Hawaiʻi and world. |
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Dr. Bonnielin Swenor, a nationally recognized disability health equity advocate, delivered a powerful keynote at Georgia State University’s Public Health Research Symposium, emphasizing data-driven strategies to confront ableism and promote inclusion across healthcare, research, and policy. Her lecture marked the first time Center for Leadership in Disability (GSU UCEDD) co-led the selection of an endowed speaker, spotlighting disability justice and lived experience as essential components of health equity.
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Tune in to the latest DDNJ Author Insights episode featuring Megan Best, Amanda Johnston, and Sarah Demissie, coauthors of a recent article on civic engagement programs for youth with disabilities. The conversation highlights the importance of self-advocacy, relevant policies, and future research directions. A full transcript is available in English and Spanish. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or the DDNJ Podcast page. |
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The Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) UCEDD, in partnership with CommunicationFIRST, has released the final report from the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Peer Support Project. This report outlines key findings and national recommendations to improve peer support for people who need or use AAC. Explore the full report, executive summary, and plain language summary on the project webpage.
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MN LEND graduates and leaders recently celebrated accomplishments and urged one another to resolve dire challenges facing people with disabilities. Those challenges include the proposed elimination of federal LEND and other programs providing services and support to the disability community.
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Urgent Call for Papers: A Critical Juncture for the DD Network
Deadline: July 4, 2025
The Developmental Disabilities Network Journal issues this urgent call for papers at a pivotal and precarious moment for the disability community in the United States. The proposed elimination of University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Protection & Advocacy organizations, and other essential programs like LENDs, and IDDRCs represents an existential threat to the infrastructure that supports individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, and the professionals who serve them. The impact of these proposed cuts would be devastating, unraveling decades of progress in promoting community living, inclusion, and self-determination for people with disabilities.
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Call for Posters: Advancing Mental Health Research in IDD
Deadline: August 8, 2025
The National Research Consortium on Mental Health in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NRC on MH-IDD), hosted by the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire and supported by YAI, is now accepting poster submissions for its 2025 Annual Meeting. Researchers are invited to share work related to mental health and intellectual and developmental disabilities, including qualitative studies, pilot projects, and innovative practices. Top posters will be recognized on the NRC website, and one presenter will be selected to attend and present at the in-person meeting in Baltimore on October 7, 2025. |
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2025 Training Institutes
July 8-10, 2025, Oxon Hill, MD
The Training Institutes is a national gathering of experts and leaders working at the federal, state, and local levels to transform public systems, programs, and services for children, youth, young adults, and their families. The 2025 Training Institutes, Building a World Where Young People Thrive, brings together nearly 2,000 practitioners, policymakers, researchers and evaluators, administrators and managers, peer support partners, Medicaid specialists, managed care experts, family and youth leaders, and educators in health and human services.
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TechSummit 2025
Friday, September 12, 2025, Dublin, OH
The Ohio State University Nisonger Center, in partnership with Assistive Technology of Ohio, Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities, and Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council present TechSummit 2025 – an in-person one-day conference with a focus on technology use to benefit people with developmental disabilities. At this event, attendees will hear from people with lived experience, engage with experts, and explore technology solutions for themselves.
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UC Davis 24th Annual MIND Summer Institute on Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Conference
Friday, July 25, 2025, Sacramento, CA
Join the UC Davis MIND Institute on July 25th in Sacramento, CA for the 24th annual Summer Institute on Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. This year’s theme, Bridging Science and Real Lives: Research, Practice, and Advocacy in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, will guide a full day of learning, connection, and meaningful dialogue. Attendees will hear from MIND Institute experts who will present the latest research findings, including intervention strategies for fragile X syndrome and ADHD, as well as new insights into the role of environmental factors in shaping neurodevelopmental outcomes.
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2025 Mountain State Conference on Disabilities (MSCD)
September 18-19, 2025, Morgantown, WV
The Mountain State Conference on Disabilities is hosted by disability partners across the state including the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities, the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council and Disability Rights of WV. This conference will explore strategies and services that support people with disabilities of all ages and their families by focusing on ways to improve care, communication and self-determination through best practices. It will also highlight the lived experiences of people with disabilities, their caregivers and families. |
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Texas Transition Conference
February 18-20, 2026, San Marcos, TX
The Texas Transition Conference (TTC) is a three-day event focused on supporting youth with disabilities as they move from school into successful adult lives. The conference offers valuable information, resources, and strategies across five key areas: student-focused planning, interagency collaboration, student development, family involvement, and program structure. TTC brings together a diverse group of participants, including educators, transition professionals, service providers, families, individuals with disabilities, employers, policymakers, and community partners. |
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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 not to be inferred. |
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