We went to the movie theater and saw this neat movie about African chimps.  The movie was about a chimp who lost his mother and a male chimp adopted him and took care of him.  We chomped on yummy popcorn with yummy butter on it.  We had a great time!

When the weather got a bit warmer, we all went outside and made bird feeders. This was a really fun and messy activity. We took gooey peanut butter and spread it on selected pine cones and put bird seed on it. We can see some of the birds come and eat the seeds every now and then.

We also had volunteers come from the state of Michigan.  They were really nice gals and they helped us dye Easter eggs.  We munched rice crispie treats with them.

We also had a yummy lunch for Easter and had spaghetti, salad, and delicious garlic bread!  After we were all full, we had a great Easter egg hunt!

That just about sums up April here at the DSL worksite!

…from the comfort of this wooden bench.

The new storage shed and benches were real-world work experience for a group of students who took on the challenge of adding Aggie-themed storage to our new play area. They built the seating, too, and finished it all on time and under budget.

Thanks, students, for creating a structure that’s almost too cute to be called a storage shed.

For more on the students’ project, visit the College of Agriculture’s Main Banner blog.

Congratulations also the the EEJ College of Education and Human Services, home to the CPD. Six of Utah State University’s top ten most popular degrees came from the college: Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education; Interdisciplinary Studies; Family, Consumer and Human Development; Human Movement Science; Psychology; Elementary Education Science.

Here’s a list of our graduates:

Graduate degrees:

Rafael Guttierez, Master of Science in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences. He is the Hispanic Liaison for families receiving services in the Up To 3 program.

Melanie Peckham, Master of Social Work. She is a graduate assistant with the Up to 3 program.

Bachelor’s Degrees:

Jennifer Carman, Bachelor of Science in Social Work. She works as a bachelor practicum student in Up to 3.

Tressa Johnston, Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. She works as a physical therapy assistant with the Up to 3 program.

Reyna Perry, Bachelor of Arts in Social Work. She works with the National Children’s Study.

Lauren Whatcott, Bachelor of Science in Social Work. She’s a bachelor practicum student in Up to 3.

 As special educators we encourage parents not to be too rigid in their expectations.  We worry that they might underestimate the potential of their children.  “It’s way too soon,” we say, “to try to predict your child’s future abilities today.  Let’s work hard, keep talking to each other and not pigeon-hole him just yet.”  This is surely a message of hope, but it is a realistic one. 

 Those of us that work with young children, particularly, can attest to the sudden and remarkable progress which can occur when we find the right gateways to access children’s potential. I wonder if sometimes we underestimate our own potential,too.

Fifteen years ago I was working as a signing aide in a preschool classroom for the hearing impaired in Logan, Utah. Steve Noyce, now the superintendent of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, came into the class and, for some reason known only to him, saw the potential for more in me. He encouraged me to contact the Multi-University Consortium Sensory Impairment Education Program (VISEP) at the Center for Persons with Disabilities. 

 Because of Mr. Noyce’s willingness to encourage a stranger and his commitment to the development of potential at every level, I made that phone call and was introduced to many, many people who were equally committed to the development of potential: Cyndi Rowland, then head of CECSEP (currently the Early Childhood Alternative Teacher Preparation Program, EC-ATP),  Marlene Deer, currently the head of EC-ATP, Jan Wiggins and Marilyn Madsen, Sensory Impairment faculty at the University of Utah.  These remarkable people’s vision for children included finding and “growing” the best educators they could.

VISEP’s flexibility in working with adult learners’ needs and responsibilities facilitated not only my being the first person in my family to go to college, but also the first to graduate. The compassion and tractability of the teaching staff at USU and the cyclical structure of the course offerings at both the U and USU allowed me to succeed at both the undergraduate and graduate levels despite my daughter’s multiple, serious surgeries and caring for ailing and elderly relatives. 

Dr. Judith Holt, Director of VISEP, and her “eye on the target” mentality helped to keep me focused on my goals and pushing forward to complete, not only my Bachelor’s, but a Master’s degree, also!!  This was almost unthinkable when I began!

Words can’t properly express the impact that the CPD programs have had on my life. Nor can they express appropriately my appreciation for all that I have learned, and the opportunity it has given me to share with others and nurture their potential for growth and progress.  I am profoundly grateful.

Karen Borg, Director

Parent Infant Program for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind

Did you know that 8.5 % of the population has a disability that affects their ability to use a computer?

According to WebAIM’s presenters at the last CPD Brown Bag Discussion (Jared Smith, Jon Whiting, Tom Galloway, & Dio Hernandez) , when we talk about web accessibility, we’re not talking about rocket science.  There are “information systems flexible enough to meet the needs of the broadest range of users…regardless of age or disability.”

Whether we are talking about vision/hearing impairments, motor, or cognitive impairments, there is an application or accommodation that will expand the user’s ability to operate a computer.  And WebAIM knows them all!

One of the great things that has come out of WebAIM is its web accessibility evaluation tool called WAVE.  Anyone can test how accessible their web page or entire web site is, simply by inputting an URL address and reading the results.  Not only does WAVE let you know what is inaccessible, it can help tell you how to fix it.  It couldn’t be easier.

You should check out the WebAIM web site and try out the WAVE tool. You will also find articles and resources, training and technical assistance, newsletters, blogs, checklists and guides for accessibility.

WebAIM is a great resource and provides a valuable service in this computer age.

Mathew’s thoughts were based on his personal experiences about being employed as a person with a disability, what that means, and what responsibility those in similar situations have to advocate to “eliminate discrimination and remove barriers to full inclusion and acceptance” in the work place.  His message was to all employers, urging them “to stand up and embrace the challenge that is before you, and provide leadership within your programs to recruit and retain the most qualified applicants and employees from diverse backgrounds.”

Gordon Richins, CPD Consumer Liaison

His words evoked a heart-felt response in Gordon Richins, the CPD’s Consumer Liason, that we think is worth sharing on our CPD blog.

Gordon’s response:

Mathew this is a very powerful and well written blog. I say this not because we are friends and colleagues but because it tells it like it is. To the point and “straight forward”.  Quoting your last response of…

We (people with disabilities) must take control of our own circumstances;
challenging the ones around us by pushing and strategically
situating ourselves in more leadership, management and other respectful roles
within our communities and places of employment –
We have no more excuses.

As an advocate and an individual with a significant disability I have experienced an enjoyable  life, of 32 years pre-injury  and 24 good years (post-injury) of a humbling life  benefitting from the hard work and sacrifice my peers have done. They gave me the opportunity to have the quality of life I and my friends enjoy, and some of my friends within the disability community sometimes take for granted.  

Tonight, May 8, OPTIONS for Independence, Northern Utah’s Center for Independent Living “CIL” will show the film Lives Worth Living, a documentary that chronicles the history of America’s disability rights movement, produced by the PBS Series Independent Lens. The screening of the film will be followed by a panel discussion on “The Disability Rights Movement: Past, Present, and Future.”

I’m proud of my presence and involvement within the disability community. I also owe a great deal of love and gratitude to my wonderful wife, Faustine, for 36 years of love, companionship and support thru the rough times and the many good times. This gratitude extends to Justin Dart who I’ve met twice, Ed Roberts, Helen Roth, Kelly Buckland, Dr. Marvin Fifield and numerous other disability advocates who helped pave the way for me and many others within the community.

There is still a great deal of work to be done by disability advocates. Mathew, your powerful words and example will certainly be part of the hard work ahead of us.  Thank you for the greater message your Blog brings to light for the disability community as well as the greater community we are all a part off.

Gordon Richins, Consumer Liaison, Center for Persons with Disabilities

Common Ground Outdoor Adventures, a non‐profit organization located in Logan, Utah is looking to fill two Spring/Summer internship positions. We are currently looking for persons that are dynamic, self‐motivated individuals to intern Spring/Summer 2012. Come and join the Common Ground team and learn desirable skills, build your resume, and contribute to the organization’s mission of providing life‐enhancing outdoor recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Hours: Full‐Time. Some weekends and evenings
Schedule: Hours will vary each week. Must be available to work some evening hours, overnight destination trips and some weekends. Stipend available: ($1,500)

Intern responsibilities will include: Organizing and carrying out outdoor recreation activities such as canoeing, cycling, and camping trips. Intern will assist program staff in all aspects of trip management, equipment maintenance, outreach etc. Each intern will also assist with preparations for annual fundraising auction by contacting 20 companies and securing donation for event.

Qualifications: Age 21. Self‐motivated/ team oriented. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. Desire to work with diverse populations. Clean driving record required. Current First Aid, CPR, and food handlers permit required (intern is responsible for securing these prior to starting internship).

How to Apply:

Submit resume AND cover letter to: programs@cgadventures.org or Common Ground Outdoor Adventures Intern Selection Committee, 335 N. 100 E., Logan Utah 84321 Fax (435) 713.2108. Be sure to include information specific to: 1) Your experience in the outdoors (which outdoor activities you have experience with); 2) Whether or not you have current required certifications; 3) Experience working with diverse populations.

You can also email Bryce Patten at programs@cgadventures.org with your resume and cover letter.

On June 8th, at the Little America Hotel, 500 South Main Street Salt Lake City, the CPD’s own Vonda Jump will be presenting her research on “Optimal Child Development.” Her presentation begins at 7:30 a.m.

Dr. Jump has spent years investigating how critical early positive interactions with infants and young children is in creating optimal brain development, particularly in alternative caregiving environments, such as foster care or orphanages.  She has traveled extensively in Ecuador, Haiti, India, and Russia, training orphanage caregivers about the importantance of providing  positive early interactions with the young children there.

Their stories break your heart. Babies abandoned because they are the wrong gender. Toddlers given away when another new mouth comes into the family. Infants struggling to survive after they’ve lost both parents. “We can’t change their stories, but we can give them hope and a fighting chance,” says Vonda Jump, senior research associate at the Center for Persons with Disabilities’ Research and Evaluation Division. It is her belief in that notion that has led her to create and teach relationship-based intervention programs, including infant massage, in orphanages in some of the world’s neediest countries.

At the Sunrise Session, Jump will be talking about specific types of interactions that promote brain development in infants, such as talking, touching, showing them toys/objects. According to her research, it takes only simple interactions to make a positive difference in the brain development of infants and young children.

Can you identify these current and past administrative assistants?

They are the peanutbutter in our pbj sandwiches; the hub in our wheels; the lightbulb in our lamps; the eye of our storms; and the key to our doors.

Who are they?  They are the administrative assistants who work at the CPD.  No office can function without at least one of them.  Some offices need two or three!

Have you told your administrative assistant how much you appreciate him or her lately?  Today, April 25th,  is a good day to do that–National Administrative Professional’s Day across the nation.

We want them to know how much we all appreciate the great work that they do, and how much we depend on their accuracy, dependability, knowledge, and cheerful attitudes.  We truly have the best administrative assistants in the world, right here at the CPD!

DDS is the agency which makes the disability decisions on Social Security applications. The Advisory Council members are either an individual with a disability or parent of an individual with a disability who has life experience within the SSA programs or an organizations appointed employee who works with the disability community,  such as health care agencies or state agencies.

 The advisory council meets every other month with Disability Determination Services key staff, to provide advice on various matters. The meetings are held in Salt Lake City. If interested, please contact the council chair, Gordon Richins at gordon.richins@usu.edu or phone 435-797-2832