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Research Assistant Spotlight: Bradley McDaniels

by Bill Mazzoleni

Bradley McDaniels is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan. However, he has been in Kentucky since 1989. He is currently working on his PhD in Rehabilitation Counseling.

He received his BS in biology and chemistry from Eastern Kentucky University in 1992. He is working for Dr. Bishop as a Research Assistant on a national project funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). This project is aimed at assisting people with disabilities from underserved communities who achieve independent living and vocational goals. He chose to work at HDI specifically to be able to continue to work with Dr. Bishop who has been instrumental in his development both as a student and an aspiring professional.

Bradley’s favorite ice cream flavor is Rocky Road. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl is his favorite book. After completing his doctorate, he hopes to obtain a position at a research institution where he can implement what he has learned while a student at UK and RA at HDI. He is grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the outstanding work being done at HDI.

UK Memorial Hall

Summer Leadership Training Camp 2017

The Summer Leadership Experience is a wonderful opportunity for high school juniors and seniors with mild to moderate disabilities to get a glimpse of the college experience for a week this summer. This program is for students who want to transition to higher education. The Summer Leadership Experience is a day camp that will begin at 9 am on Monday, July 17th and will run through Friday, July 21st. Continue reading

Photo of military exercise.

Spring Seminar: “Serving Those Who Served Us: Understanding Military Culture and Disability Awareness in College”

Student veteran success within higher education is dependent in large part on higher education’s understanding of military culture. Since the gap appears to be at its largest on campuses nation-wide, it is imperative that we make the effort to better inform those who are involved in student success. While military experiences vary widely, all veterans regardless of their experience come back to a culture that views them differently simply because of that service. – Tony Dotson

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Photo of people at the Kentucky Transition Summit

Kentucky Transition Summit Brings Community Together to Shares Ideas About Employment for Youth with Disabilities

“The author Zig Ziglar was often quoted as saying, ‘the first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it exists.’  At the Kentucky Transition Summit we were joined by nearly one hundred-fifty concerned students, advocates, educators, administrators, and family members who took the first step by recognizing that we simply do not do enough to help our students with the most significant disabilities take their role in the workplace or in continuing education. They then took the next step by helping us identify four to five hundred ideas that could move us toward solving the problem.” Jeff White, KentuckyWorks Project Director

The Inaugural KentuckyWorks Transition Summit and Community Conversation took place on February 28 in Frankfort. Representatives from across the state packed into the large conference room at the Administrative Office of the Courts Building to begin a dialogue as to how to improve job outcomes for students with disabilities transitioning from school to the workforce. More than 150 participants, made up of educators, service providers, agency liaisons, parents and students, attended.  Continue reading

Photo of State Senator Will Schroder, Ashley Meier Barlow, Parent Allison Ball, KY State Treasurer Amanda Stahl, Advocate

Spring Seminar: “ABLE Accounts and other Financial Planning Tools: The Importance of Developing a Financial Identity”

Millions of persons with disabilities and their families are often relegated to a life of poverty as a result of not being allowed to build even the most modest levels of resources. Persons receiving supports through Social Security, Medicaid and other publicly-funded programs are often disqualified from those supports if they have more than $2,000 worth of countable resources or assets.  –Carolyn Wheeler

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