Dr. Erin Vinoski Thomas Announced as Director of the Georgia State University Center for Leadership in Disability

Following an intensive national search, Dr. Erin Vinoski Thomas was selected to lead the Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) at Georgia State University. The CLD is one of 68 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) in the U.S., funded by the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The CLD is situated in the Mark Chaffin Center for Healthy Development, a University Research Center housed in the School of Public Health.

Let’s Send a Message: DSPs Do More

Direct support professionals (DSPs) help make it possible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to live full lives in the community. Let’s send a message that we value this work by telling regulators to make “direct support professional” the official title used by the government to recognize and categorize the profession of supporting individuals with IDD.

What you can do now: Before Aug. 12, submit comments to the Office of Management and Budget that explain why you support the creation of a distinct Standard Occupational Classification for DSPs. 

Reminder All UCEDDs: No Cost Extension Requests

End date of Public Health Workforce grant: 9/30/2024. No Cost Extension Requests must be submitted in grant solutions 30 days prior to the end date of grant or by 8/30/2024 for Public Health Workforce requests. Be sure to follow directions in this link No Cost Extension (DOCX).

UCEDD Success Stories: The Center for Leadership in Disability Presents 8th Annual AUCD Leadership Academy Cohort

The Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) out of Georgia State University, with support from the The Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD), presents the 8th Annual AUCD Leadership Academy cohort! 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.

Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, and Wayne State University Produce Video on Independent Facilitation

Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute (MI-DDI), Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS), and Wayne State University collaborated to produce a short feature on independent facilitation for the person-centered planning process.

Special Journal Issue Focuses on Mental Health, Intellectual/Developmental Disability

Articles in the latest Developmental Disabilities Network Journal examine health care, self-determination, building neuro-inclusive communities, trauma-informed care and more. This special issue was a collaborative venture with the National Research Consortium on Mental Health and Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities.

UCEDD Success Stories: Enhancing Regional & National Collaboration: UMKC Hosts Regional Open House with Kansas and AUCD

The University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Institute for Human Development hosted a Regional Open House in on April 16th at the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus, bringing together 18 leaders from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), the University of Kansas, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. This meeting focused on engaging the three entities in conversation about future opportunities for collaborating on programs, funding, networking and more.

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND) Researchers Awarded $2.48M in Special Education Training Grants

Two Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN IDDRC, UCEDD, LEND) researchers have received two training grants totaling $2.48 million in funding from the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. The new grants address the need to train culturally conscientious special education teachers of students with high intensity needs. One of the grants will support training for teachers of students with limited or no functional speech. The other grant will support training for teachers of students with visual impairments. Both grants seek to recruit candidates from historically underrepresented groups or with a unique interest in supporting students from culturally and linguistic diverse backgrounds.

Highlights From the 39th Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi

On February 27th, the Center on Disability Studies (HI-UCEDD) welcomed over 750 attendees representing 12 countries from across the globe to Honolulu, Hawaiʻi to the 39th Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity both online and in-person. In celebration of the conference theme, Beyond Access: Building a Culture of Belonging we aimed to explore how we all live to belong, to be part of something greater than ourselves.

Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities: Removing barriers to vaccine access with rural Spanish speakers with disabilities

The Administration on Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are funding local trusted disability and aging partners to build vaccine confidence. In Montana, ACL/CDC funding supports the Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities, the Montana Developmental Disabilities Council, Disability Rights Montana, Montana Centers for Independent Living, Area Agencies on Aging, and Aging and Disability Resource Centers. These funded partners are coordinating activities to connect people with disabilities and older adults to vaccination resources.