PATTI + RICKY: A New Online Department Store for People with Disabilities
For people with disabilities, accessible and fashionable clothing options are often limited. To simplify shopping for people with disabilities, Alexandra Connell created PATTI + RICKY, an online store that offers fashionable and functional products.
 
PATTI + RICKY, which launched earlier this month, features products from 20 different designers, many of whom live with disabilities themselves. You can buy items like fidget jewelry, cochlear implant ear cuffs, braille imprinted products, magnetic shirts and wheelchair-friendly raincoats. Continue reading the full article at https://themighty.com/2017/07/patti-ricky-online-store-people-disabilities . 
New Format Available for Family Peer Support Training
Iowa Peer & Family Peer Support Training Program is launching a new Family Peer Support Specialist training. The training includes online training prior to an in-person training experience.  

Phase 1: Online Learning
NOW OPEN and must be completed by October 6
(15 hours of online learning must be successfully completed before acceptance to Phase 2)

Phase 2: In-person Training
October 17-20, 2017
Link Associates, 1452 29th St, West Des Moines, IA
You must attend all four days of in-person training; class is held 8:30 to 4:30 each day.

This training is  free , however, trainees must pay for their own lodging, food and travel costs. If you are currently employed as a Peer Support Specialist, check with your employer about covering these expenses. To apply send an email request to:

Looking for Examples of Family-School Partnership
Do you have – or know of someone who has – a great family and school partnership for children receiving special education services and supports? The Iowa Department of Education wants to hear from you.

Since there is a lack of consistent family and school partnership practices in the state, the Department is looking for promising practices – whether it’s a program, service, strategy or policy that shows potential for developing into an evidence-based practice. Promising practices can be in the early stage of implementation.

Nomination and application papers will be available soon. If you have questions, please contact Kim Drew, kim.drew@iowa.gov or Deb Chiodo, deb@askresource.org .
Save the Date for the 2017 LDA Iowa Conference in Sioux City!
"Keep Calm: Mindfulness, Mental Health, and More!" is t he focus of the 46th annual Learning Disabilities Association of Iowa conference.

Previously hosted in Des Moines, the conference will now be held in Sioux City at the Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center and features three keynotes and 15 breakout sessions!


Register before 10/16 to secure the Early Bird rate! Details and registration available at http://ldaiowa.org/conference/17conferencehome
Third Draft of Iowa’s State Plan for ESSA Available for Review
In mid-August, Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise announced that the  third draft of Iowa’s state plan   for meeting the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is available for public review and comment.

Iowa’s plan will be finalized and submitted to the U.S. Department of Education in September. Continue reading at https://www.educateiowa.gov/article/2017/08/17/third-draft-iowa-s-essa-plan-released-public-review.
7 Helpful Smart Home Devices for People With Disabilities

For people with disabilities, making a home accessible is key to promoting independence and personal choice. In recent years, creating a truly accessible home has become easier thanks to smart home technology.

Read more
themighty.com
ASK Resource Center's Fall 2017 Webinar Series
"Debunking Common Myths About Using Assistive Technology with Young Children"
Presented by Bridget Gilormini, Director of PACER's Simon Technology Center

Thursday, September 21 | Noon-1:00 pm | No cost!

Details and registration available next week at www.askresource.org/calendar.
Did someone share this email with you? Sign up for our mailing list!

ASK Resource Center | (800) 450-8667 | www.askresource.org 
The contents of this listserv email were partially funded by grants from the US Dept of Education, #H328M140017, Project Officer David Emenheiser, and the US Dept of Health & Human Services, #H84MC24065, Project Officer Andrea Williams, and a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation. These contents do not necessarily represent the policy of those entities,  nor should one assume endorsement by them. ASK Resource Center  serves as a Family Voices State Affiliate Organization, and is a member of the Parent to Parent USA Alliance.