Beth Potter – Page 15

The Rehabilitation Services Administration Funds Partnership to establish Technical Assistance Center on Quality Employment

Posted on October 27, 2020 | by Beth Potter

In concert with the University of Wisconsin and other committed partners, the University of Kentucky (UK) Human Development Institute (HDI) is part of the new Technical Assistance Center (TAC) on Quality Employment. Christina Bard, Community Education Director and Dr. Phil Rumrill, Director of Research and Training, will lead HDI’s involvement in this five-year project to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

The TAC will work closely with partners, state vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs, employers, disability advocacy organizations, and other national-level employment and disability resources to provide customized training and credential programs to meet employer demands in the post-COVID-19 economy. The TAC will emphasize career pathways for STEM fields, apprenticeships, supported and customized employment, self-employment and business engagement.

The UKHDI will also lead the TAC team in conducting a comprehensive national needs assessment of state VR agencies regarding high-priority quality employment areas that should be the focus of technical assistance, pre-service training, and continuing education for VR counselors, college and university personnel, community rehabilitation providers, and other stakeholders in total workplace inclusion. In keeping with the ideals of Participatory Action Research, all UKHDI training, technical assistance, and credentialing efforts will be guided by input and direction from members of the disability community.

Contact Christina.Bard@uky.edu if you have any questions.

The Kentucky Alternate Assessment Project

Posted on October 26, 2020 | by Beth Potter

The Kentucky Alternate Assessment Project (KAAP) is a result of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990 and is designed to include students with significant cognitive disabilities in the statewide school accountability system. Kentucky was the first state to offer an inclusive educational assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Since the first assessment, KAAP has spearheaded national efforts for inclusive assessment accountability. Project staff provide leadership on national and state projects and through congressional testimony.

The KY Alternate Assessment Project is composed of four measures, two academic and two career or technical. The two academic components are Attainment Tasks which assess the content areas of reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science and the Transition Attainment Record (TAR) which is the alternate assessment for the college preparatory tests (e.g., SAT, ACT).

The two career components are the Employability Skills Attainment Record (ESAR) which indicates how well students are prepared to complete specific job skills as they relate to the Kentucky Occupational Skill Standards Assessment and the Career Work Experience Certification (CWEC) which indicates completion of a series of preparatory courses equivalent to Career and Technical Education End of Program Assessment.

The four components measure demonstrated student performance on the various academic and/or technical components, allowing for student participation in annual accountability. High quality accessible alternate assessments promote the use of research-based, effective practice and instructional strategies, in inclusive classrooms.

The KAAP staff housed at the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute provide regular communications, resources, and technical support to teachers across the state. Jaci Norman is the Project Director of the KAAP staff which includes Jacqui Kearns (Principal Investigator), Cory Cameron and Daniel Lee (Illustrators), Maurice Dawson, Darrell Mattingly, Aaron Piercefield (Technical and Logistical support), and Tina Buster and Karen Guettler (Program Operations). Contact Jacqueline.Norman@uky.edu for more information.

HDI staff receive the Tom Gravitt Advocacy Award

Posted on October 12, 2020 | by Beth Potter

Jason Jones, Disability Specialist, and Dr. Kathy Sheppard-Jones, Executive Director, have received the 2020 Tom Gravitt Advocacy Award from the Kentucky Congress on Spinal Cord Injury (SCI).

This award recognizes individuals who have had an exemplary impact on the SCI community and the disability community at large. These individuals enrich the lives of people with disabilities by being an advocate who fosters respect, access, and equal opportunities for all.

The award is named after Tom Gravitt, who obtained a SCI in his early twenties and fought tirelessly for almost 50 years as an advocate for all people with disabilities. This year’s recipients join previous Tom Gravitt Advocacy Award winners including Beth Bryant (2016), David Allgood (2017), Richard Moloney (2018), and Sasha Rabchevsky (2019).

Haley wearing a black shirt smiling at the camera in front of a blue mural

Percussion Empowerment Project

Posted on October 1, 2020 | by Beth Potter

A UK Human Development Institute (HDI) Fund for Excellence award has been given to Haley Potter, BA, to fund a pilot project aimed at teaching young girls about music, percussion, and performance. This inclusive extracurricular activity will be accessible to all students who identify as female. Students will learn how to read and interpret music, study the history of percussion and female percussionists, and practice performance etiquette. Supports will be provided to students as needed to participate fully in the class.

The HDI promotes inclusion and independence in all areas of life. The music industry, especially band, is historically male-dominated and many young girls may be discouraged or become uninterested at an early age. Young girls who look for inspiration from adults will rarely find a female band director, as 80% of band directors at large, public middle and high schools are male (MTD Research). The Fund for Excellence award will support the project aims to increase the inclusion of young girls in the percussive arts by addressing the challenge of gender bias and increasing the confidence and musical knowledge of the participants.

Contact Haley.Potter@uky.edu for more information.

Communication Initiative for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Posted on September 30, 2020 | by Beth Potter

A UK Human Development Institute (HDI) Fund for Excellence award has been given to Jacqui Kearns, PhD, to create a set of unique online modules for speech/language pathologists, case managers, direct support workers, and program administrators, on developing communicative competence for the adults that they serve. Though many gains have been made in communicative competence for people with significant cognitive disabilities, we have learned that students who do not have a symbolic mode of communication can develop symbolic levels of expressive communication (Holman, 2011). The Teaching Age Appropriate Academic Learning via Communication (TAALC) Project* and Kentucky National Core Indicator Data suggest that the communication needs of many adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are not being met.

The Fund for Excellence award will support the development of a set of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association-certified professional learning modules to meet the communication needs of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who do not currently have or use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This will increase awareness and promote the availability of AAC and services for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Contact jacqueline.kearns@uky.edu to learn more.

*funded by the Kentucky Department of Education