Is your UCEDD or LEND eager to drive global change in disability inclusion? Host a Fellow from the prestigious Professional Fellows Program (PFP)! The PFP supports mid-career disability rights professionals from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia to participate in a five-week Fellowship in the US in Spring 2024. As a host, we will match you with a Fellow whose professional interests and goals align with your organization to exchange disability-inclusive civic engagement knowledge and practices.

Stock photography lacks disability representation. The photos are often staged and use models without disabilities resulting in misrepresentation and unnatural scenes. The UK Human Development Institute (HDI) created a library of 1000+ photos that you can download, share, and

AUCD is excited to announce (3) openings for the AUCD Emerging Leaders Internship and (5) openings for Council Trainee Representatives. Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year are now open and close on August 4th, 2023.

South Dakota LEND faculty and alums volunteered for Healthy Hearing Screenings at the South Dakota Special Olympics 2023 Summer Games in Spearfish, SD. Marni Johnson Martin (Interdisciplinary Training and Clinic Director - USD Center for Disabilities), Elizabeth (Liz) K. Hanson (SD LEND Discipline Head for SLP and Research) were joined by former discipline head, Paul Brueggeman (Audiology) and graduated trainees: Carly Johnson (Audiology) and Maya Gogoi (Medicine), along with other volunteers, to screen 90 individuals.

This year, 28 fellows have earned full MNLEND certificates, along with seven intermediate trainees who joined the program for a more limited, focused experience. They come from University of Minnesota academic disciplines, including Public Health Administration, Law, Social Work, Psychology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pediatric Dentistry, and many more; or are community members in disability-related professions, self-advocates, or family advocates.

Most people receive care from a variety of health professionals throughout their lives, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, people who run public health programs, and more. Unfortunately, not all of these professionals have experience providing care to people with disabilities. The Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities in the Department of Family & Community Medicine in the College of Medicine - Tucson works to ensure that future health care providers are prepared for some of the unique challenges they may face.

A MN LEND fellow searches neuroimaging databases for patterns that could lead to more personalized and effective strategies for regulating emotions, or developing social cognition, among other skills.

Recently, our UCEDD joined our sister agency, the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council, and other organizations, including the Iowa Association of Community Partners, Iowa Caregivers Association, ASK Resource Center, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Serves and Iowa Workforce Development, to develop a new recruiting tool. "A Job That Matters: Learn How You Could Become a Direct Support Professional" is publication that features a series of stories about the job, the people who need supports and services to live in the community, and the people who do these jobs in different ways. The publication was recently inserted into local Sunday newspapers and is being circulated electronically throughout the state to build awareness and support DSP recruitment.

South Dakota LEND trainees, Kylie Hamman (Audiology), Abby Myers (Physical Therapy), and Kaylee Schmidt and Emily Bruinsma (Occupational Therapy) joined clinical outreach ventures to Antigua and Santiago Atitl�n in Guatemala during spring break 2023. The groups were led by LEND discipline heads Patti Berg-Poppe (PT), Shana Cerny (OT), and Liz Hanson (SLP), and were also joined by former discipline head, Lana Svien (PT-retired), all from the University of South Dakota.

The Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD) and Think College National Coordinating Center (NCC) are happy to announce this opportunity to learn and practice policy advocacy skills is once again available to students and staff of inclusive higher education programs. If you or someone you know works for or attends a postsecondary education program for students with intellectual disability, you can apply to be a Think College Policy Advocate (TCPA).