Author: HDITrex

Two men with Down syndrome working on their phones.

Spring Seminar: Employment for Youth with Disabilities: Seeing a Brighter Future

Posted on | by HDITrex

“As an employer, I’ve been fortunate to have employees with intellectual disabilities who meaningfully contribute to our programs, and as a mother, I have been so proud of my own son with Down syndrome as he has worked in the community at a grocery store and is also working toward a career as a photographer, and I don’t think these are isolated cases of what success can look like. People with intellectual disabilities have much to offer when given the opportunity!” – Stephanie Meredith

Our Spring Seminar on “Employment for Youth with Disabilities: Seeing a Brighter Future” was held on Thursday, March 21, 2019 from 6:30 – 8:30pm ET, and it’s available now online.

The seminar was held at the UK Coldstream Research Campus Human Development Institute Training Room 1525 Bull Lea Road, Lexington KY. A link to the live video stream of the seminar was sent to registrants. Continue reading →

Five STEPS students sitting on a wall.

Supported Training Experiences Post-Secondary (STEPS) Helps Students with Disabilities Thrive in College

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by Amanda Corbin

The Supported Training Experiences Post-Secondary (STEPS) case study project provides leadership skill-building opportunities for college freshmen with disabilities who participated in the HDI Summer Leadership Experience (SLE) camp. HDI’s Teresa Belluscio leads the project. Teresa is a disability advocate with over twenty years’ experience serving underrepresented groups.

Five students participated in STEPS. After attending SLE camp as high school seniors, they graduated and began their first semester of college in August 2018. These five students met together regularly with Ms. Belluscio to discuss leadership and self-advocacy. They also became official peer mentors for high schoolers at the 2018 SLE camp where they worked with campers throughout the week. Continue reading →

Image of ADA flyer with same information as on web page.

The 4th Thursday ADA Talks: January

Posted on | by HDITrex

HDI and HDI CATS host an ADA Training series to be held on the fourth Thursday of each month covering different topics surrounding the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The next training will be led by Jason Jones and will cover “Accessible Technology & the Workforce: AT as a Reasonable Accommodation” on January 24, 2019 from 10-11am. You can register here or get more information by emailing hdiatcenter@l.uky.edu. Continue reading →

Man in a wheelchair looking up stair that are not accessible.

Spring Seminar: Universal Design for Learning—Designing Classrooms for All Learners

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“Universal Design for Learning (UDL) suggests that it’s not the students who need to adapt to fit the system, but rather that the system should be designed so that it can be made to fit each student’s learning needs. UDL presents an evidence-based framework that teachers can use to meet the needs of the variety of learners in their classroom.” – Jennifer Pusateri

Join us in person or online for our Spring Seminar series on Friday, February 22, 2019 from 1:00 – 3:00pm ET to learn more about “Universal Design for Learning: Designing Classrooms for All Learners.”

Learn more from experts Jennifer Pusateri, David Beach, Allison Posey, and Jennifer Levine. The seminar will be held at the UK Coldstream Research Campus Human Development Institute Training Room 1525 Bull Lea Road, Lexington KY. A link to the live video stream of the seminar will be sent to registrants.

Click here to register for the seminar. For help registering, contact walt.bower@uky.edu. Continue reading →

People sitting around a table at the community conversation.

KentuckyWorks holds Community Conversation in Louisville

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by Amanda Kelley Corbin

Self-advocates, families, and professionals gathered for a community conversation to discuss employment opportunities for individuals with significant disabilities on Monday, December 4th at Down Syndrome of Louisville. The event was facilitated by KentuckyWorks and had three co-sponsors—Down Syndrome of Louisville, the Kentucky Autism Training Center, and the Center for Accessible Living—the most co-sponsorship of any community conversation thus far. Continue reading →