CCIDS
News
CCIDS Offers
Workshop Series to Support Volunteer Opportunities for Maine
Citizens with Disabilities
The University of Maine
Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies is
offering a three-part series of statewide workshops to
encourage and support the participation of Maine
citizens with disabilities in national service and
volunteering. The free workshops are being coordinated
by Project Director, Janet May, as part of the Center’s
National Service Inclusion Project funded grant,
Project Ready to ServeMaine. The
Maine Commission for Community Service,
Alpha One: Maine’s Center for Independent Living,
and
Speaking Up for Us of Maine are also partners on the
project.
The first workshop, “What
Can National Service/Volunteering Do For Me?” provides
information about community-based volunteering and other
opportunities in National Service Programs such as
AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and VISTA. Participants also
receive information about Maine’s Work Incentives
Planning and Assistance Program (WIPA) to help current
and future volunteers make informed decisions about
their earnings and state and federal benefits.
Photo caption: Chris
Coughlin and Rose Davis review materials from the
Project Ready to ServeMaine workshop on volunteering at
Alpha One in Bangor, Maine.
Photo credit: Sandra Horne
Two additional workshops are
planned for the fall: the second workshop will provide
information from the perspective of current National
Service members, "A Day in My Life - What Do National
Service Members Do?”; and the third workshop will cover
the application process, "Getting Involved - How to
Become a National Service Member or Volunteer." Each of
the three workshops will be videotaped and offered
online.
CCIDS Participates in
Commercial to
Promote Volunteerism in Maine
Project
Ready to ServeMaine staff member and AmeriCorps alumnus, Avery
Olmstead, will appear with Daryle Carter,
University of Maine Cooperative Extension Senior Companions Program
representative, and Elizabeth Cole, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer
currently serving with the
Maine
Commission for Community Service, in a videotaped commercial to
promote volunteerism and
VolunteerMaine.org. VolunteerMaine.org is a free web-based statewide
volunteer center which serves as a link between agencies looking for
volunteers and people interested in volunteering.
“The commercial will feature volunteers of different generations and highlight that people with disabilities can
serve in their communities as well,” notes Rochelle Runge of the Maine
Commission for Community Service and commercial sponsor. The commercial,
produced by Time Warner Cable, will begin airing in late August or early
September on the following cable channels: History, TLC, Comedy Central,
CNN, MSNBC, and A&E.
Photo caption: Time Warner Cable producer
Eli Poulin and AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer Elizabeth Cole prepare for
commercial taping to promote volunteerism in Maine.
Photo credit: Sandra Horne
The Center for Community
Inclusion and Disability Studies has been awarded one of
three 2009 National Service Inclusion Project Grants for
Project Ready to ServeMaine, a collaborative
partnership that will result in a measurable increase in
the application, enrollment and retention of Maine
national service members and volunteers with
disabilities. This 12-month project builds upon a
successful, creative collaboration between the Maine
Commission for Community Service and the Center for
Community Inclusion and Disability Studies since 2002.
The
National
Service Inclusion Project at the
Institute for Community Inclusion—University of Massachusetts
Boston, in collaboration with the
Association of
University Centers on Disabilities, conducts a comprehensive program
of training, technical assistance, and dissemination designed to
increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in
Corporation for National and Community Service funded programs.
Project Ready to ServeMaine will
improve outcomes for Maine citizens with disabilities by forging strong
partnerships between Alpha One, Maine’s Center for Independent Living;
Speaking Up for Us, Maine’s Self-Advocacy Network; the Maine Commission
for Community Service; and the AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Vista programs
in Maine.
Under
the leadership of Project Director, Janet May, the Center’s Coordinator
of Transition and Adults, (pictured at left with Avery Olmstead)
Project Ready to ServeMaine will not only support the participation
of Maine citizens with disabilities in national service and
volunteering, but will also help Maine volunteer and national service
organizations to better support participants with disabilities.
President Obama
Commemorates 19th Anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act and Signing of UN Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities
On July 24, 2009, President Barack Obama issued a
proclamation celebrating the 19th anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act:
Today we celebrate the 19th anniversary of the
enactment of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Signed into law on July 26, 1990, this landmark legislation
established a clear mandate against discrimination on the basis of
disability so that people with disabilities would have an equal
opportunity to achieve the American Dream. . . . I call on Americans
across our country to celebrate the progress we have made in
protecting the civil rights of people with disabilities and to
recognize the step forward we make with the signing of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Inspired by the advances of the last 19 years, let us commit to
greater achievements in the years ahead.
Within the proclamation, the President announced that
the United States will sign the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities (CRPD). United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Susan Rice will sign the treaty on Thursday, July 30th at the United
Nations in New York as required under international legal
arrangements. President Obama was joined by Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton in the East Room of the White House.
Their remarks on this occasion can be viewed on the White House website
through YouTube. To view the captions in the YouTube video click on
the arrow in the lower right-hand corner then click on the CC button to
turn on captions.
Download an
accessible PDF of the July 24, 2009 White House Press Release here.
Maine Developmental Disabilities Network
Gathers in Hallowell
(July 10, 2009) Faculty and staff
representing the Maine Developmental Disabilities (DD) Network (the
Maine Developmental Disabilities Council, the Disability Rights Center,
and the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and
Disability Studies) convened at the Maple Hill Farm Inn and Conference
Center near Augusta to review organizational priorities and to discuss
current and future areas of collaboration based upon joint areas of
interest and expertise.
The three sister DD institutions (the State
Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Protection and Advocacy
System, and the University Center for Excellence in Developmental
Disabilities) are congressionally authorized through The Developmental
Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-402)
(DD Act) designed to assist individuals with developmental disabilities
in reaching their maximum potential through increased independence,
productivity, inclusion, and community integration.
As a result of this one-day retreat, new
staff collaborations are underway in the areas of housing and
transition, as well as an annual network newsletter and a listserv.
(Photo caption) Maine DD Network
Front row
(left to right): Kathleen Young, Julia Bell, Karen Farber, Helen
Bailey and Jodi Benvie
Second row (left to right): Valerie Smith, Rachel Dyer, Susan
Russell, Kathy Son and Rick Langley
Third row (left to right): Peter Rice, Lu Zeph, Alan Kurtz and
Katrina Ringrose
Fourth row (left to right) Jill Downs, Linda Labas, Nancy Cronin and
Diane Smith
Top row (left to right): Fern Nadeau, Staci Converse, Mel Clarrage
and Kim Moody
Not pictured: Janet May and Sandra Horne, CCIDS.
(Photo credit: Sandra Horne, CCIDS)
CCIDS
Presents DIR®/Floortime™ Workshop
The Center
for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies hosted a workshop, DIR/Floortime™:
The Power of Relationships for Addressing Developmental Challenges, on
June 24-26, 2009 at the University of Maine. Kathleen A. Platzman,
Ph.D., and Dave Nelson, M.S., were the presenters.
Forty
professionals (teachers, developmental therapists, occupational
therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists,
psychologists, social workers, and mental health personnel) who serve
children with disabilities from infancy through adolescence, attended
the 2½ day workshop. The program presented a relationship-based
framework that helps families and practitioners to understand and
address the individual sensory, motor, and processing challenges of
children with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental
disorders.
(May 14, 2009) The University of Maine Center for Community
Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS), in collaboration with the
Maine Department of Education,
KIDS LEGAL, and
the Maine Parent
Federation, recently delivered a series of workshops for
foster/surrogate parents in Maine. The workshops, “Special Education –
Understanding Your Rights and Getting Results,” were developed to
increase the capacity of foster parents, surrogates, and Department of
Health and Human Services caseworkers to advocate effectively with their
school systems on behalf of children and youth in care.
CCIDS Research Associate Kathy Son
coordinated the workshops and collaborated with Cliff McHatten,
Maine Department of Education Surrogate Parent Program Director;
Sara Meerse, Directing Attorney of KIDS LEGAL; and Jan Diecchio, Parent
Information Training Specialist at the Maine Parent Federation.
Read more
about Foster/Surrogate Parent Training here.
(May 4, 2009) Three University of Maine
graduate students were recognized for successfully completing their
master's degree work within the
Graduate Specialization in Early Intervention, an interdisciplinary
graduate personnel preparation program sponsored by the University of
Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS), the
College of Education and Human Development (COEHD), and the Maine
Department of Education. The program, Training Opportunities for
Personnel (TOP): Birth – 5, emphasizes developmentally appropriate and
evidence-based practices and is designed to address Maine’s critical
need for highly qualified Early Childhood Special Educators who are
fully credentialed to serve young children with disabilities, ages birth
to five, and their families.
Read more about the
TOP celebration and presentations here.
MaineDOT Publishes Transit
Toolkit
(April 2009) The MaineDOT Transit Toolkit is an
interactive workbook for
Maine
citizens seeking both general public and social service transportation.
The Toolkit provides definitions of service and detailed information
about regional transit providers, including contact information,
coverage area, cost to rider and eligibility requirements. The MaineDOT
Transit Toolkit is published by the Office of Passenger Transportation,
Maine Department of Transportation, with the assistance of the Federal
Transit Administration. The Toolkit may be downloaded from online here:
http://www.exploremaine.org/bus/MaineDOT-TransitToolkit.pdf or
consumers may call 207/624-3300 to receive a printed copy.
(April 30, 2009) Ten University of Maine undergraduates were recognized for successfully completing a 24-credit concentration in Interdisciplinary
Disability Studies during a ceremony at Wells Conference Center. Christa L. Carlson, Elementary Education major,
(at right) delivered the student address. Lu Zeph, Director of the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, welcomed the students and invited guests. Elizabeth DePoy, Coordinator and Professor of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies, and Stephen Gilson, Professor of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies, made remarks and presented the concentration certificates and stoles.
Read more about the
IDS Celebration of Achievement here.
DePoy and Gilson Awarded 2009
Senior Scholar Award
by Society for Disability Studies
Elizabeth DePoy and Stephen Gilson, (pictured here) professors of
Interdisciplinary Disability Studies, Center for Community Inclusion and
Disability Studies, and Social Work, have been named recipients of the Society for Disability Studies (SDS) 2009 Senior Scholar Award. The
Society for Disability Studies is an international non-profit
organization that promotes the study of disability in social, cultural
and political contexts. The SDS Senior Scholar Award recognizes scholars
who have made a lasting and significant imprint on the field of
Disability Studies and who have served as leaders and mentors in the
field.
DePoy and Gilson will be presented with the award at the
2009 Society for Disability Studies Annual Conference in Tucson, AZ in
June.
Read the award announcement from the Society for Disability
Studies here.
The Institute Brief – The Institute for Community Inclusion Professional Development Series
Issue No. 25 (December 2008)
Supporting Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Quality Employment Practices
by Alan Kurtz and Melanie Jordan
(Click image at right to view the PDF) or view
The Institute Brief in rich text version here.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including those with significant impairment or who have behaviors that others find challenging, can work when they are given appropriate supports. This publication addresses the need to carefully consider the demands of particular jobs, the physical and social environments, and how to provide instruction or accommodations that will make success possible.
This brief was developed by
Alan Kurtz, Research Associate, University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS); and Melanie Jordan, Training Associate, University of Massachusetts Boston, Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI); for the New England Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Award No. H264BO50009.
CCIDS and ICI are members of a national network of University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities established by the Developmental Disabilities Act and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Developmental Disabilities.
Previous issues of the Institute for Community Inclusion’s Institute Brief are available from their website.
(February 3, 2009) University of Maine President Robert Kennedy announced the availability of an online map of campus buildings with accessible entrances identified. The map was developed by Mike Hermann, senior cartographer in UMaine's Canadian American Center, under the leadership of Bonita Grindle, Associate Director, Office of Equal Opportunity. View the online campus map here. You can also download a pdf version of the accessible building entrances map by following this link.
CCIDS Coordinates Training Institute on Evidence-Based Practice Model in Early Intervention
(January 15, 2009) The Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS), under the leadership of Early Childhood Coordinator Linda Labas, M.Ed. (photo at left), recently collaborated with the Maine Department of Education on a two-day training institute to provide Child Development Services (CDS) regional site teams, site directors and state leaders with training in an evidence-based practice model for providing early intervention services in natural environments through a Primary Service Provider (PSP) approach. The training was followed by a planning meeting to implement this evidence-based practice model statewide.
The institute was facilitated by M’Lisa Shelden, Ph.D., PT. (photo at right), and Dathan Rush, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, of the Family, Infant and Preschool Program (FIPP), Morganton, NC. Shelden and Rush provide ongoing technical assistance to several statewide early intervention programs and are members of the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) Workgroup on Principles and Practices of Services in Natural Environments.
CCIDS will provide ongoing technical assistance and support to the Child Development Services regional site teams as part of LEARNS: Maine’s Statewide Systems Change Initiative for Inclusive Education, a State-University Cooperative Project between the University of Maine and the Maine Department of Education.
