Ensuring that all children, youth, and adults with disabilities, and those receiving educational supports, are valued by and contribute to their communities of choice. |
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Oct. 3 Forum: How Facility Bias Affects Benefits
Heidi Hamilton, disability services director for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and Michael Gamel-McCormick, disability policy director for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, will join researchers at the Institute on Community Integration and others at an Oct. 3 online public forum exploring how disparities in funding for services affects people with disabilities.
The policy forum, Institutional Bias in Long-Term Services and Supports for People with IDD, will feature a discussion of issues raised in a recent ICI Policy Research Brief. The brief recommends policymakers eliminate the funding advantage that institutional settings such as intermediate care facilities have as Medicaid entitlements, and place home- and community-based (HCBS) services on equal footing. The brief also calls for enforcing all provisions of the 2014 Medicaid HCBS Rule to promote person-centered services and individual choice, among other recommendations.
“With recent developments in HCBS funding and workforce shortages, it is especially important not to lose sight of the gains made as people with disabilities moved out of institutions and into community settings where they have much more control over their daily lives,” said Julie Bershadsky, director of ICI’s community living and employment focus area. “This brief explains the roots of the bias toward institutional care, and we are excited for the discussion with key stakeholders it will generate in the policy forum.”
Register here for the forum on Oct. 3, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Read more about the Oct. 3 Policy Forum. |
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Identifying Autism in Rwanda
The Institute on Community Integration this summer trained community health workers in Rwanda on identifying the signs of autism in children and on principles for addressing the needs of people with disabilities in rural communities. The work was done in July under a College of Education and Human Development Global Signature Grant.
ICI’s MacDonald Metzger partnered with Autisme Rwanda on the four-day session.
“Here in Rwanda, we have many kids and adults with autism,” said Rosine Duquesne Kamagaju, founder of Autisme Rwanda. “My hope is that news of this training will spread, and that doctors, teachers, and community health workers will ask for help in caring for them so that they have the opportunity to have a job and a future.”
Read more about identifying autism in Rwanda. |
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Prevalence: Extending ICI’s Research
ICI researchers are extending their methodologies used in reporting autism prevalence to unlock critical information about cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and muscular dystrophy.
Partnering with Gillette Children’s, a global cerebral palsy research center, the Minnesota-Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (MN-ADDM) team at ICI over the next year will provide surveillance estimates of cerebral palsy in Hennepin, Ramsey, and Anoka counties, which account for nearly 40 percent of the state’s population. The work, led by ICI’s Jennifer Hall-Lande,
is part of the Centers for Disease Control’s network of surveillance sites tracking the number and characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. Under a separate agreement with the CDC, ICI investigators are using administrative claims data to estimate prevalence of spina bifida and muscular dystrophy.
The work involves collecting and analyzing personal characteristics of people identified with different disability types, creating a more detailed picture of who is affected and what types of services communities need to provide.
Katrina Simons (pictured), an ICI community program specialist who lives with cerebral palsy, is part of the team working on the project.
“Prevalence isn’t just about knowing how many people live with a certain disorder; it’s about making sure people who do live with a disorder are able to access the supports that work best for them, so I’m hoping we can move more in that direction as we do this work,” she said. “Knowing there are others out there can make it a little easier to ask for help.”
Read more about the project. |
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How do college students with disabilities succeed? ICI, the AHEAD - Association on Higher Education And Disability, and the National Center for College Students with Disabilities investigated this issue and summarized their findings in a research poster called ”Research-Based Interventions that Work: Improving Retention and Graduation Rates for College Students with Disabilities.”
https://bit.ly/3KVJpdZ. |
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Institutionalization Bias in Long-Term Services and Supports for People with IDD
Editors: Agnes Cole, Brian Begin, and Sheryl Larson
Medicaid requires states to provide institutional services to eligible Medicaid recipients, but allows states to have waiting lists for recipients preferring home and community based services. This results in an institutional bias in Medicaid funded long-term supports and services. This Policy Research Brief recommends reducing the use of institutional services; eliminating Medicaid’s institutional bias by making HCBS an entitlement; and promoting person-centered services, full community inclusion, and individual choice. |
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Empowering Families Toolkit
Authors: E. Tardio, Kathy J Strunk, Andrew R Hinkle, Sheryl Lazarus
This toolkit was developed by ICI’s National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) to provide accessible materials for parents about topics related to assessment-related State Systemic Improvement Plans and State-Identified Measurable Results that states commit to reaching. These materials are designed to help support their participation in stakeholder meetings. The toolkit includes short video clips and printed flyers. The materials are designed for dissemination through social media, state websites, and at meetings. |
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NCEO Parent Fact Sheets
A set of fact sheets developed by NCEO to provide accessible materials for parents about state assessments. |
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Book Chapters Published
Liu, K. K., Phillips, S., Wu, Y.-C., Peterson, D.,
Mentan, C. F. T., & O’Donnell, K. (2023). Where do I go? What do I do? Training educators of rural English learners to provide accessible instruction and assessment. In M. R. Coady, P. Golombek, & N. V. Marichal (Eds.), Educating multilingual students in rural schools: Illuminating diversity in rural communities in the United States (pp. 155–177). Brill.
https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004546608
Mentan, C. F. T., Peterson, D., Wu, Y.-C.,
Liu, K. K., & O’Donnell, K. (2023). Creating social change for English language learners by improving access to grade-level instruction. In A. Esmail, A. Pitre, A. Duhon-Ross McCallum, J. Blakely, & H. P. Baptiste (Eds.), Literacy, vocabulary, and acculturation: A critical education triangle for English language learners
(pp. 149–156). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. |
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Journal Article Published
Stancliffe, R. J., Pettingell, S. L., Houseworth, J., &
Tichá, R. (2023). Participation and companions for socially inclusive community activities by U.S. adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 61(4), 326–344. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-61.4.326 |
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MIHEC Learning Community Event: ”Strategic Partnerships Derived from Common Goals”
September 19
3:00 - 4:15 pm Central Time
Oklahoma has inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) options for students with intellectual/developmental disabilities that are Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs and an IPSE program for degree-seeking students with autism. The strategic partnerships that support students’ access to college and community employment are an essential component of Oklahoma’s IPSE initiatives. Presenters Julie Lackey (pictured at left) and Yolanda Scott (right) helped build these partnerships, which tap existing resources and funding to support students, IPSE staff, and off-campus employers when students work off-campus while enrolled and pursue competitive integrated employment after graduation. This free Zoom meeting is hosted by the Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education Consortium.
Register. |
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College Transition Series with Elizabeth Hamblet
ICI’s National Center for College Students with Disabilities has sponsored Elizabeth Hamblet this fall to share her expertise on preparing students with disabilities for successful college transition. She has worked as a learning disabilities specialist in college disability services offices for two decades. Hamblet is the author of Seven Steps to College Success: A Pathway for Students with Disabilities and a
concise guide on transition, and her work has appeared in numerous journals. Register for all four of these free Zoom sessions.
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September 26. Preparing Students with Disabilities for Successful College Transition
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October 24. Understanding Shifting Laws in College Transition for Students with Disabilities
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November 14. College Accommodations: Why They Change and What is Commonly Available (or Not)
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December 5. The College Disability Services System: Accommodations and Students’ Responsibilities and Rights
Session times: 6:30–7:30 pm Central Time/7:30–8:30 pm Eastern Time |
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Charting the LifeCourse In-person Sessions
October 1, 8, and 15
1–3 pm Central Time
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
13801 Fairview Drive
Burnsville, MN 55337
Charting the LifeCourse provides opportunities for exploring, planning, and sharing with others about what you want and need to meet your goals across the lifespan. Many people with and without disabilities have difficulties in planning for and communicating with others about what they want and the support they need. Charting the LifeCourse is a planning method used in schools, employment, community, and disability services in Minnesota. It is designed to include people’s support networks, such as friends and family members, to learn and take part in planning along with their loved one. This informational three-session event is led by ICI’s
Claire Benway. It is hosted by All Abilities Advocates at Prince of Peace and is open to the community. Funded by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Childcare is available.
Registration is free. |
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MIHEC Community of Practice Gathering: ”Inclusive Teaching, In Practice and Theory”
October 17
3:00 - 4:15 pm Central Time
A Zoom gathering of Minnesota college and university faculty and staff who are either interested in or part of their campus’ inclusive higher education initiative. Facilitated by faculty members Annette Romualdo of University of Minnesota Duluth and Diana Joseph of Minnesota State University, Mankato. Register for this free Zoom meeting. |
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Charting the LifeCourse Online Sessions
Begins October 18
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 pm Central Time
Charting the LifeCourse helps you plan a good life with your child or young adult. Develop supports that help your family member live the life they want. Join us for six Zoom sessions that include planning for changes in routines, communicating with teams, developing Individual Education Plans, planning out-of-school activities, and balancing risk and safety. The first session, about going back to school, is on October 18.
Learn more about Charting the LifeCourse and register. |
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2023 Minnesota Gathering
In-Person and Online
October 24 and 26
October 24
Two locations in-person
North Region
Cloquet Forestry Center (near Duluth)
South Region
Wood Lake Meeting Center, Rochester
October 26
Online via Zoom
Person-centered practices assist people in creating a positive and meaningful life and build on people’s unique interests and strengths. The Gathering is your annual event to meet and learn how person-centered thinkers are planning, providing, and organizing services rooted in listening to what people want and helping them live in their communities based on their choices. Disability-related services, nursing homes, behavioral health organizations, family homes, and other human service programs are just a few examples of settings where person-centered strategies are used to improve quality of life. Scholarships to the Gathering are available.
Register for the Gathering. |
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Jerry Smith. On August 16–18, Smith
attended the Arkansas Waiver Conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where he interviewed direct support professionals, disability service providers, and individuals receiving supports for a series of public service announcements encouraging DSPs to get vaccinated. |
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Chet Tschetter and Megan Sanders. On August 17 and 31, Tschetter (pictured) and
Sanders presented the virtual frontline supervisor trainings “Employee Development & Coaching” and “Establishing & Maintaining Healthy Teams” to frontline supervisors from the Community Provider Network of Rhode Island. |
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Pete McCauley and Jerry Smith. On August 20–24, McCauley (pictured) and
Smith traveled to Rhode Island to film DSPs for a realistic job preview and a series of recruitment public service announcements for the state. This is part of a larger workforce development project by ICI’s Direct Support Workforce Solutions consulting group. |
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Renáta Tichá. On August 22–24, Tichá
visited former ADA fellow Pavan Kumar Bada at KL University (an engineering university) in Andhra Pradesh, India. Bada, who studied at ICI for six weeks in 2017 as an ADA fellow, invited Tichá to KL University as a follow-up to his fellowship to help him establish an assistive technology center for the university and the community. KL University agreed to establish this center based on the visit and drafted a memorandum of understanding between the center and ICI for additional collaboration. Tichá also presented to students and faculty about community inclusion using technology. |
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Mary Hauff. On September 3, Hauff, co-leader of the Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education Consortium, volunteered at the Minnesota Council on Disability booth at the Minnesota State Fair. |
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Success, in Smaller Steps
ICI alum Teri Wallace dropped by the Institute recently to help celebrate the 35th anniversary of Impact magazine.
“It felt like being home,” said Wallace, now the interim associate vice president for research and dean of the extended campus at Minnesota State University, Mankato. “I spent my years with ICI in Pattee Hall, so the structure is of course very different, but the people and the feeling were the same, and I only wish I had more time to sit and reconnect with colleagues.”
Wallace worked at ICI from its earliest days in the late 1980s until 2010, when she left for Mankato to serve as a professor of special education. Starting as a graduate research assistant at ICI, she held a variety of positions, including principal investigator and assistant director.
Today, she’s working on improving Minnesota State Mankato’s transfer system. Last year, for example, the school signed a collaborative agreement with Riverland Community College that helps associate’s degree holders from Riverland to go on to complete their bachelor’s degrees online at Minnesota State. Distance-learning and other flexible options are critical for community college students looking to further their careers, she said, because they are often tied to their current communities due to family and other obligations.
Read more about Wallace. |
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This email was sent to ICI staff by Institute on Community Integration, 2025 East River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, USA. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
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The University of Minnesota stands on Miní Sóta Makhóčhe, the rightful homelands of the Dakhóta Oyáte. ICI recognizes that the U.S. did not uphold its end of these land treaties. It is the current and continued displacement of the Dakhóta Oyáte
that allows the University to remain today. At ICI, we affirm our commitment to address systemic racism, ableism and all other inequalities and forms of oppression to ensure inclusive communities. |
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