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October 2008, Vol.8, No.10
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Dear AAIDD Friends and Colleagues:
- First national training workshop on the Supports Intensity Scale assessment to be held November 5-7, 2008, in Baltimore; Focus of workshop is to develop skilled interviewers.
- The ADA Amendments Act is signed into law, making way for a more generous application of the definition of disability within the United States.
- Around 3.5 million refugees with disabilities are among the most hidden, neglected, and socially excluded of all displaced people in the world; refugees with mental disabilities fair far worse than those with other disabilities, report reveals.
- National Children’s Study—the largest study of pregnant women ever conducted—is assigned new locations and study centers.
- Nominate someone you know for a national disability award from AAIDD.
FIRST NATIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOP ON THE SUPPORTS INTENSITY SCALE ASSESSMENT TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 5-7, 2008, IN BALTIMORE; FOCUS OF WORKSHOP IS TO DEVELOP SKILLED INTERVIEWERS
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) is hosting the first national training workshop on the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) assessment, a planning tool developed to measure support needs of people with intellectual disabilities in order to plan services and allocate resources for the individual. The workshop, conducted by AAIDD Senior Trainers, will be held from November 5-7, 2008, at the Maritime Institute near Baltimore, Maryland. The training workshop provides an in-depth look at the Scale and is geared toward developing essential interviewing skills for professionals conducting SIS assessments. The SIS has been adopted by 14 North American states and provinces, and the Scale has been translated into 10 languages.
To learn more about the event and register, click here or call 1 (301)-604-1340.
For more information on SIS training, visit http://www.siswebsite.org/cs/training. For questions, send an email to books@aaidd.org.
THE ADA AMENDMENTS ACT IS SIGNED INTO LAW, MAKING WAY FOR A MORE GENEROUS APPLICATION OF THE DEFINITION OF DISABILITY WITHIN THE UNITED STATES
President Bush signed into law, S. 3406, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, which clarifies and broadens the definition of disability and expands the population eligible for protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The ADA Amendments Act constitutes a landmark victory for the disability community. To read more, click here. To read the text of the ADA Amendments Act, click here.
AROUND 3.5 MILLION REFUGEES WITH DISABILITIES ARE AMONG THE MOST HIDDEN, NEGLECTED, AND SOCIALLY EXCLUDED OF ALL DISPLACED PEOPLE IN THE WORLD; REFUGEES WITH MENTAL DISABILITIES FAIR FAR WORSE THAN THOSE WITH OTHER DISABILITIES, REPORT REVEALS
“Disabilities among Refugees and Conflict-Affected Populations” by the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children is the first major report to address the critical needs of a virtually invisible population: refugees and people displaced within their own countries who suffer from physical, sensory, or mental disabilities. The report estimates that between 2.5 and 3.5 million of the world’s 35 million displaced people live with physical, sensory, or mental disabilities. Further, refugees with mental disabilities tended to be even more “invisible” and “hidden” from public view than those with physical disabilities. Refugees with mental disabilities are less likely to be identified in registration and data collection exercises; they tend to be more excluded from both mainstream and targeted assistance programs, and they are less likely to be included in decision-making processes or in leadership and program management structures.
To read the report, click here.
To read a fact sheet on refugees with disabilities, click here.
NATIONAL CHILDREN’S STUDY—THE LARGEST STUDY OF PREGNANT WOMEN EVER CONDUCTED—IS ASSIGNED NEW LOCATIONS AND STUDY CENTERS
On October 3rd, the National Institutes of Health announced 39 new locations and 27 study centers for the National Children’s Study, a large-scale endeavor designed to examine the effects of environmental influences on the health and development of 100,000 children across the United States by following them from before birth until age 21. The study is believed to be the largest study of pregnant women ever conducted. The total of new and existing study centers is 36, covering a total of 72 study locations. When the study is fully operational, it is expected to have approximately 40 study centers recruiting volunteers from the planned 105 study locations throughout the United States. Researchers involved with the study collect biological samples as well as samples from the women’s and children’s environment—air, water, and even house dust—to determine whether these and other environmental factors influence the children’s health.
To learn more about the National Children’s Study, visit http://www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov. For a transcript of the October 3rd meeting, visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/centers2008/transcript-of-Speakers-Remarks.cfm. For a news release on the meeting, visit http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/oct3-08_centers.cfm.
NOMINATE SOMEONE YOU KNOW FOR A NATIONAL DISABILITY AWARD FROM AAIDD
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) is accepting nominations for awards given to people who have made outstanding contributions in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilitY. Award categories include: Education; Full community inclusion; Historic preservation; Humanitarian; International; Leadership; Media; Research; Service; Special; Student; and Early Career. Deadline for nominations is October 31, 2008. The awards will be given out at the 2009 AAIDD Annual Meeting to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana. For questions, email books@aaidd.org.
AAIDD F.Y.I. is compiled by Anna Prabhala, Editor and is published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Formerly AAMR). Please submit comments, suggestions, tips, and news to annap@aaidd.org. Click here for more information on becoming an AAIDD member or to join. To purchase AAIDD products, visit http://bookstore.aaidd.org.
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