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The Center on Disabilities And Human Development
Monthly Newsletter
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It's been a busy spring at CDHD with trainee projects and activities! Six trainees graduated and we wish them all the best! Check out the summer full of training, camps and activities.
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CONGRATS To CDHD Trainees!
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Pictured left to right: Amber, Emily, Michelle, Chelsea, and Kalli
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Best Wishes to all our Graduating Trainees!
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Amber Thompson: Amber was a political science major at the University of Idaho. At the CDHD, she was a trainee assisting with general CORE functions and disability policy research. In February 2017, Amber went to Washington D.C. to attend a disability policy conference.
Emily Botterbusch: While at CDHD, Emily was an IdahoSTARS trainee where she performed data-entry tasks. She majored in psychology at the University of Idaho and graduated May 2017. In the future, she would like to start training to be an occupational therapist.
Michelle Fischer: Michelle was a double major in psychology and communication at the University of Idaho. While at the CDHD, she assisted a Ph.D. student with virtual-reality research.
Chelsea George: At the CDHD, Chelsea was involved in child and youth studies with clinical services, and also assisted the Ph.D. student with virtual-reality research. She graduated from the University of Idaho with a psychology degree.
Kalli Sorber: Currently a program technician for the IdahoSTARS project, Kalli double-majored in Psychology and Sociology. As trainee at CDHD, she was a data entry specialist, and documented the training progress of Idaho child care professionals. In the future, Kalli wants to be a university professor and travel to every U.S. state.
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Bailey Scrimsher: Emily worked as a trainee for IdahoSTARS where she performed data entry. At the University of Idaho, she majored in psychology with an emphasis in disability.
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Creating a Switch Adapted Nerf Gun!
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Boise Idaho Assistive Technology Project staff, Nicholas Stallings, created a switch adapted Nerf gun! Its fully automatic with 40 feet of shooting distance and a 25-dart magazine. Available to check out at the Boise lending library with a custom made stand. Check out the how to video to see how he did it!
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Enjoy a look at the artAbility project! Check out the types of workshops and meet the instructors, artists and take a walk through the 2017 artAbility Showcase!
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Vandal Summer Academy & AAC Camp
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College Experience for Students
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Vandal Summer Academy will be held July 9-14. The Academy is for students with disabilities age 15-21 interested in attending a two or four year college.
The program provides the opportunity for students to experience staying on campus and will focus on career readiness, job exploration, self advocacy, recreation and independent living skills.
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Advancing
Adventures in
Communicating Camp (AAC)
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AAC Camp is a day camp specializing in increasing the expressive communication abilities and socialization skills of kids, teens, and young adults who use speech generating devices. Camp is held on the NNU campus in Nampa and runs from June 5-10th.
The AT project is a major sponsor for the St. Luke's AAC Camp and provides workshops for campers with a library full of Assistive Technology.
AAC Camp Info
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Summer Professional Development
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Summer Institute 2017
Brenda Fossett, Ph.D., BCBA-D will present June 12-13 in Boise on Functional Assessment and Positive Behavior Support for Students with Complex Communication Needs.
SESTA Regional Trainings
A full two-day conference of presentations and breakout sessions focused on exploring the Universal Design for Learning framework to improve outcomes for students with disabilities ages 3-21.
Available in Boise, Pocatello and Coeur d'Alene. Professional Development Credit will be available.
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Idaho's Developmental Disabilities (DD) Network
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Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities
By Ryan Locke
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The Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities, or the DD Council for short, is an Idaho state organization established in 1978 and a partner to the Center on Disabilities and Human Development on multiple projects. Its mission is directed by the federal Developmental Disabilities Act (DD Act) and the state Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities Act. The DD Act requires every state to have a triad of organizations: a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), a Developmental Disabilities Council, and a Protection and Advocacy (P&A) organization. The CDHD is Idaho’s UCEDD and Disability Rights Idaho is the state’s P&A.
Christine Pisani, Executive Director of the DD Council, says the organization works to fulfill its mission by taking direct feedback from adults with intellectual developmental disabilities (I/DD) and families of children with developmental disabilities about what services best meet their needs in order to improve service systems like the Developmental Disabilities Service System or the Vocational Rehabilitation Service System.
The role of the DD Council as mandated by these laws is work in three areas: Advocacy for and with people I/DD and their families; Capacity Building to improve access to needed services for children and adults with I/DD, and intellectual and improve the communities ability to meaningfully include people I/DD; and Systems Change, providing innovative strategies in creating services that best meet the needs of people with I/DD to improve independence, choice, control, flexibility, and participation in their home communities. Read More >
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Tell us how we're doing! We would love your feedback.
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KNFB Reader App
By Jessilyn Matthias
For people who have vision deficits or print disabilities such as dyslexia, screen readers can be an essential tool for reading everything from newspapers to iPad screens. The Kurzweil National Federation of the Blind Reader Enterprise is an excellent option.
The KNFB Reader Enterprise app, the license version of the KNFB Reader, allows the user to hear text read aloud on their PC, Mac, or other devices. Other features include: text detection, synchronized text highlighting as it is read aloud, and ability to change the color, size, and font of the text for easier viewing. The app is available for phones and devices using iOS, Android, devices, and PCs and laptops using Windows 10. Although the KNFB Reader is available in the App Store for single license purchase, Leading Edge Vision, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is offering a special discount on bulk user and device licenses for site administrators.
Administrators who manage a large number of users (at a school, for example) can buy multiple user licenses for devices. The app may be deleted or moved to other users’ devices as students leave or enter the program. Licenses for specific users can be purchased in packages of two, three, or four devices, depending upon what devices the user needs to operate.
Don’t forget to come back!
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Community Advisory Committee Updates
By Shiloh Blackburn
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The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) met May 31st to review the CDHD five-year plan and to create a CAC work plan to support CDHD activities.
The CAC would like to recognize and thank Eilleen Waddell for her time and dedicated service on the committee. Eilleen, a parent advocate from Fruitland, has been a wonderful example and her experience and ideas have greatly helped the committee fulfill its role in helping to create the CDHD's 5-year plan. She leaves us this year to go on to new adventures. We look forward to honoring her at our fall meeting.
Eilleen, we shall miss you!
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CAC Co-Chair applies for Fellowship
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Shiloh Blackburn, CAC Co-chair, applied for the Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC) national self-advocacy fellowship program. The fellowship will provide a year-long opportunity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to develop and grow their skills as leaders.
Shiloh was notified that she was one of the applicants to receive the award. Fellows will work with a supporting host organization, which receives $5,000 to pay the fellow when they have completed their work. Shiloh will work on adapting current trainings to an accessible, online format and to create policy statements in accessible formats.
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DISCLAIMER
The CDHD Insider is a newsletter for CDHD staff, partners, and community. It is a tool used by the Center to keep everyone informed on the day to day work that is being performed and things to look forward to in the near future.
NEXT NEWSLETTER
June 2017
REMINDER
Be sure to check out the
CDHD Facebook
page to stay updated on upcoming events at CDHD.
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