Connecticut Partners in Policymaking 2021

The University of Connecticut Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
and the CT Council on Developmental Disabilities are pleased to announce the first in our
Building a Great Life webinar series for families, “Building a Great Life in Our Schools
and Communities”

Presented by Dr. Erik Carter
Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt University
His research and teaching focuses on evidence-based strategies for
supporting access to the general curriculum and promoting valued roles
in school, work, community, and congregational settings for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, autism, and multiple disabilities.
Friday, October 23, 2020 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Via Zoom (link provided once registered)
Register for this Webinar: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-a-great-life-in-our-schools-and-communities-tickets-123017613995

2020 Building a Great Life flyer FINAL

REV UP! Register Educate Vote Use Your Power

Posted on July 22, 2020July 22, 2020 by Vergean, Bethanne

HAVE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE? If not, why are you hesitating? Are you unsure of the eligibility requirements to vote in Connecticut? Do you think that you are already registered to vote? Here is some information to help answer these questions:

To register to vote in Connecticut, you must: 1) Be a U.S. citizen; 2) Be 18 years old on or by Election Day; 3) Be a resident of a Connecticut town.

To check on whether you have already registered to vote, use the Voter Lookup Tool from the Office of the Secretary of the State. Here is the link:

https://portaldir.ct.gov/sots/LookUp.aspx

Registering to vote in Connecticut is easy. Click on the link below to register to vote online.

https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do

REVUP – Register Educate Vote Use Your Power

National Disability Voter Registration Week

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Vergean, Bethanne

National Disability Voter Registration Week (NDVRW) aims to increase the political power of people with disabilities by sharing resources and getting folks registered to vote. This year, NDVRW is July 13-17.

Every year, the REV UP Campaign coordinates National Disability Voter Registration Week (NDVRW) to increase the political power of people with disabilities by sharing resources and getting folks registered to vote. This year, NDVRW is July 13-17. With an estimated 35 million people with disabilities eligible to vote in 2020, we invite state and local organizations to participate in NDVRW in order to raise the disability voice and civic participation across the country!

COVID-19 Update: Although some states are slowly opening up, we are focusing on supporting the disability vote through digital organizing techniques throughout NDVRW!

Connecticut Voter Registration Page : https://voterregistration.ct.gov/OLVR/welcome.do

To learn more about National Disability Voter Registration Week visit and the REV UP Campaign: htps://www.aapd.com/advocacy/voting/national-disability-voter-registration-week/

The ADACC State Conference will now be virtual!

Posted on June 29, 2020June 29, 2020 by Vergean, Bethanne

The ADA Coalition of Connecticut are excited to be bringing you Four Fridays of Virtual Lunch and Learns. A total of eight breakouts covering a range of topics including Disability Etiquette, Web Accessibility, Public Rights of Way, Service Animals and more. Where appropriate, the ramifications of the pandemic will be included in the discussion. Mark your calendars for the following dates and watch your email for more on the topics and registration information! There will be two breakouts each day from 10:30 am – 11:45 am and from Noon – 1:15 pm.

Friday, October 30th

Friday, November 6th

Friday, November 13th

Friday, November 20th

More information to come!

COVID-19: How UCEDDS and LEND programs can partner with state and local special education systems during this, and future pandemics

Posted on May 11, 2020 by Johnson, Annmarie

AUCD Webinar –

COVID-19: How UCEDDS and LEND programs can partner with state and local special education systems during this, and future pandemics
Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Webinar

John Eisenberg, Executive Director of The National Association of State Directors of Special Education will highlight what is currently happening across the country to support students with disabilities in schools, and he will discuss recommendations on how UCEDD and LEND Programs can be instrumental in helping state and local systems deal with the many obstacles faced by service providers. He will also provide some tips and strategies that participants can use immediately and in the future.

To register: https://www.aucd.org/template/event.cfm?event_id=8656&id=16

Covid Connections

Posted on April 30, 2020May 11, 2020 by Johnson, Annmarie

As we started to stay at home and isolate, the UCEDD and the Cross Disability Lifespan Alliance began hearing from members of the disability community who wanted to connect with each other, to share experiences, and maybe just have some fun!! After surveying the Alliance membership, the Covid Connections Calendar was developed for May 2020. Click the link to go to the Calendar.

The Calendar provides an opportunity for both informal and formal conversation There is also a cooking class, a sign language class and meditation.

Groceries and kitchen items needed for the cooking class can be found by clicking this link. The recipe is for Chicken Piccata. Please join us to make your dinner and have some fun. See the calendar for the date and time.

Here are a few things to know:

Registration – You do not need to preregister for any of the events on the calendar unless you need a sign language interpreter. Please contact Daria Smith at daria@ctsilc.org if you need a sign language interpreter.
Connecting to Zoom – Below is the link to use for any of the Covid Connections events. This link should work for all the May Covid Connections activities.

Topic: CT Cross Disability Alliance’s Covid Connections

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7511814142?pwd=YllZWmNmblZhYkxvS2thS3JReUxPUT09

Meeting ID: 751 181 4142

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdJkRmP9J1

If you have ideas for or would like to facilitate Covid Connection Events, please let us know. We welcome ideas and help

ALL Means ALL: Building a Great Life for Everyone

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Johnson, Annmarie

ALL Means ALL: Building a Great Life for Everyone in our Communities

In Our Shoes

Posted on February 27, 2020February 28, 2020 by Johnson, Annmarie

In Our Shoes: Providing Person-Centered Healthcare to Persons with Disabilities.

On Feb 26th The UConn UCEDD, CT LEND program, and medical/dental student Disabilities Interest Group (DIG) provided an interactive panel discussion titled "In Our Shoes: Providing Person-Centered Healthcare to Persons with Disabilities." Panelists Chris Blake, Molly Cole, Linda Barry and Keith Mullinar shared their expertise, experiences, and perspectives about how future healthcare providers can improve healthcare for persons with disabilities and their families.

Building a Great Life for Everyone in our Communities

Posted on February 20, 2020March 11, 2020 by Johnson, Annmarie

POSTPONED : A Conference for People with Disabilities, Parents, Caregivers, Family Members and Providers

New date will be in the Fall

Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Erik Carter, Professor of Special Education, Vanderbilt University

Erik Carter, Ph.D., is a Conrelius Vanderbilt Professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt University. His research and teaching focuses on evidence-based strategies for supporting access to the general curriculum and promoting valued roles in school, work, community, and congregational settings for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, autism, and multiple disabilities.

Ricky and Donna Thorton, Self-Advocates, Maryland

Ricardo and Donna Thorton met when they were teenagers at the Forest Haven Institution for people with developmental disabilities in Laurel Maryland. They had both been placed in institutions at an early age. They petitioned the DC government to allow them to marry and move into an apartment of their own and they were married in 1984. Defying the odds, they went on to have a son and successful careers. Ricardo retired as a library aid at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library and Donna retired as a housekeeper for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. They now enjoy spending time with their three grandchildren. They are frequent speakers at conferences across the country. Their story was the subject of a made for TV movie in 2003, "Profoundly Normal".

Presentations and Workshops on a variety of topics.
Light breakfast and lunch will be provided.
There is registration fee for this conference.
Please contact Disability Rights Connecticut at 860-297-4300 to arrange for a sign language interpreter.

Date And Time

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT