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The Center on Disabilities And Human Development Monthly Newsletter
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Congratulations! To CDHD Staff for their years of service at U of I and CDHD
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Thirty Years
Karen Loffelman - IT Analyst
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Ten Years
Janice Carson - AT Project Director
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Five Years
Diana Salazar - Idaho STARS Consultant
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Twenty-Five Years
Robin Greenfield - CDHD Associate Director
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Five Years
Dan Dyer - AT Education Training Coordinator
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Five Years
Ellen Radcliffe - Idaho STARS
Lead Consultant
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Five Years
Shelly Wiemer - Idaho STARS Consultant
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Palouse Disability Acceptance Event
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CDHD trainees at Walk and Roll.
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Bryce Lambert standing at the booth.
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In order from left to right, Amy Chia (behind game), Aaron McNee, Jacob Perry, and Erik Guzman.
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WALK AND ROLL 2017
By Bryce Lambert
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On April 22nd, Families Together hosted an event to raise money for people with disabilities on the palouse. Denise Wetzel tirelessly worked with a small group of people to pull this event, Walk and Roll, together. The name alludes to the fact that it is possible to either walk or roll, via wheelchair, rollerblades, etc., along the 0.7 mile paved trail around the City of Moscow Playfields. According to the "Walk and Roll" website on first giving, this event aims to:
- Continue to spread awareness in our communities of individual with additional needs.
- Network with resources and organizations in our community that benefit those with additional needs.
- Fund-raise for 7 great programs (Teams) in our communities that benefit those with additional needs.
The teams are; Moscow High School Buddy Club, Families Together, Quad-City Down Syndrome Connections NW, Special Olympics Pullman, People First Washington, Self-Advocate Leadership Network, Special Olympics Moscow, and Walk and Roll’ stroll -- fun and disability awareness. Each is a designated local nonprofit agency that supports individuals with disabilities.
After the event, activities were available for those who wished to stay. Including; snacks, music, cheerleader performances, and the possibility of petting companion dogs. Sponsors created vendor booths with activities for participants. CDHD's trainee, Bryce Lambert, stayed in constant contact with Wetzel, in order to complete her leadership project. Lambert assisted in the planning of the event, the arrangement of supplies, and creation of a game for CDHD's booth.
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Interdisciplinary Training
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April 11th was the final training for CDHD trainees in the 2016-2017 school year. Trainees participating in leadership projects each gave a presentation, which covered an overview of what their project was and who it affected. The projects and trainees include;
Mia Giglio for Courageous Kids Climbing, Bryce Lambert for Walk and Roll, Mackenzie McDermott for the Interdisciplinary Book Club, Bailey Scrimsher for PATH-a hippo therapy activity, and Kiran Pelluri spoke about India Night.
Following that, trainees were broken into groups of four, paired with a University Faculty member, and given 15 minutes to prepare an elevator speech on what they do at the center and why they do it. The speeches were then presented to the entire room, including the Dean of Students-Blaine Eckles, Associate Dean of Students-Hassel Morrison, and Julie Fodor.
Amber Thompson, Liz Magelky-Seiler, and Olivia Lebens ended the training by sharing their experience at the Disability Policy Seminar in Washington D.C. Thompson shared that she believed it was a great experience.
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Back row: (left to right) Kalli Sorber, Kenyon Cornelius, Erica Hulquist, Deridre Gordon, Mike Gates, Tawny Espy, Xavier Renzowski.
Front row: (left to right) Toby Schulz, Caroline Doty, Barbara Gragert.
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Kalli Sorber (far left), who is the artAbility director, stands with Mike Gates, Erica Hulquist (to the right of the sign), and Barbara Gragert (far right) before the event on Monday evening.
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Mike Gates (left) with CDHD trainee, Chelsea George.
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CDHD employees, Brenda Ingalls (left), and Amanda Terhaar (middle) exploring the artAbility showcase.
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Another participant in the workshop was Barbara Gragert, who created works such as “Wall-E and Eva”, a clay sculpture based on the 2008 Disney-Pixar film “Wall-E” and “Tea Time”, a handmade tea set with a plate and two teacups. She also created a blackout poem titled “I’ve Arrived”. Gragert said “Tea Time” was her favorite work. Gragert said that in addition to participating in the artAbility workshop, she also paints and draws on her own as a hobby.
Xavier Reznowski, artAbility participant, says his favorite of his works was “Squidward’s House”, a clay sculpture of the Easter Island-inspired underwater home of Spongebob Squrepants’ neighbor in the popular Nickelodeon cartoon. In addition to the sculpture, Reznowski also worked in blackout poetry and Gelli prints. He said he especially liked Gelli printmaking and enjoyed both the process and resulting artwork. He says he also does some drawing outside of the workshop, time permitting.
The artAbility showcase was well-attended; about 100 people came to view the artwork and meet the artists. The CDHD hopes to continue the project with another round of workshops beginning in the fall.
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The third annual artAbility showcase was held on Monday, April 24 at the 1912 Center. The exhibition displayed artwork created by participants in the artAbility workshop. The workshop is a student-led project with support from the Center on Disabilities and Human Development and the Idaho Self-Advocate Leadership Network’s Moscow chapter.
Two local artists, David Herbold and Lianne Wappett and University of Idaho student Mackenzie McDermott served as guest instructors for the workshops. Over 200 works were created during the workshop of which sixty were displayed during the showcase. Participants created multiple works in several different mediums such as clay, Gelli prints and blackout poetry.
Mike Gates was one of the participants in the workshop and exhibition. His largest project was a clay sculpture modeled on an Egyptian pyramid. Gates incorporated real Egyptian hieroglyphs into his project, including translating his name into ancient Egyptian writing. Gates said the idea of doing a pyramid only came to him late in the course of the workshop, and his first pyramid sculpture exploded in the kiln and he had to recreate it. Despite the setback, he worked hard to get the large and detailed project completed in time for the art show. Gates said the pyramid was a time-consuming project, but he enjoyed creating it and considers it his favorite work. Gates said what he enjoyed most about attending the workshop was learning new skills in working with clay and Gelli printing as well as meeting new people as part of the workshop. He said he has not done any artwork prior to the workshop, but after attending he says would like to continue making art in the future.
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Barbara Gragert, artAbility participant.
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Xavier Renzowski, artAbility participant.
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Sensory Play
By Jessilyn Matthias
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Do you or someone you know ever have trouble sitting still or concentrating? Does a child (or adult) you know get overwhelmed by new or different experiences? Sensory “play” may help in these situations. People who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder or a sensory disorder may have trouble processing sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes in the environment and become overwhelmed. There is a wide variety of toys, materials, and equipment available to alleviate anxiety and calm down in stressful situations. For this edition of the AT Corner, I will focus on touch and movement.
Kids and adults alike may use “fidgets” like rubber animals, koosh balls, or squishy dough to stay focused and calm. Different textures of toys in play may also help process sensations in the real world. For example, if someone dislikes the feel of grass on bare feet (like me), this texture can be mimicked in play to adapt to that texture in the real environment.
Gentle movement by rocking or using a swing is beneficial to some people. Swings made of fabric, netting or simple platforms allow a soothing rhythmic motion for someone in a chaotic space or noisy classroom. What’s more, Autism Movement Therapy (AMT) has been shown to stimulate new neural pathways and connections in the brain. Move your brain by moving your body!
For more information on the topic of sensory play visit
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May 6 - Courageous Kids Climbing, UI Rec Climbing Wall, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
May 13 - Spring Commencement - Moscow, ID
May 29 - Memorial Day - UI Holiday
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DISCLAIMER
The CDHD Insider is a newsletter for CDHD staff, partners, and community. It is a tool used by the Center to keep everyone informed on the day to day work that is being performed and things to look forward to in the near future.
NEXT NEWSLETTER
May 2017
REMINDER
Be sure to check out the
CDHD Facebook page to stay updated on upcoming events at CDHD.
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Center on Disabilities and Human Development
1187 Alturas Drive
Moscow, ID 83843
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