Utah Disability Today

Special DDNJ Issue Highlights DD Network Impacts

Last summer, the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal put out a call for submissions highlighting the DD Network. The resulting special issue offers a revealing look into the network’s critical impact on society. It includes perspectives from University Centers for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), Developmental Disability Councils, Protection and Advocacy (P&E) agencies, and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) programs.

These members of the disability network coordinate to improve services, research, training and policy in every state.

Mental Health and You: Bridging Mind and Body

August 28, 2026

9 AM to 3 PM

USU Salt Lake Center

920 W Levoy Dr., Taylorsville, UT

Join us for a day of interactive workshops focused on mental wellness, self-advocacy, and practical skills to support well-being for self-advocates,

direct support professionals (DSPs), and disability service providers.

What to expect:

• Skill-building workshops and activities
• Mental health and wellness strategies
• Self-advocacy training
• Community resources and connections
• Lunch provided

This event is FREE. Register for the workshop.

39th National NRCP Virtual Conference

February 19-21, 2027

Online

Early Bird registration available until December 31, 2026

Join us from anywhere and connect with like-minded professionals nationwide! We are looking forward to another successful conference in February 2027, with inspiring presentations, engaging discussions, and energizing keynotes to celebrate the essential work of our nation's paraeducators, interveners, and related service providers.

Registration is open now! Early bird discounts are available through to the end of 2026, and group discounts are available for teams of three or more. We hope you will join us!

Register for the National NRCP Virtual Conference

WebAIM Web Accessibility in Mind Conference

September 15-16, 2027

12:15 pm–5pm, US Eastern Time

Online

The Web Accessibility in Mind Conference is presented by WebAIM, in partnership with Pope Tech. This virtual conference will provide participants with content that will help them mature their practice in digital accessibility. Our goals include:

• Providing a diverse range of perspectives from a diverse group of speakers.
• Sharing solutions to accessibility challenges.
• Giving advice and guidance that helps our participants actively contribute to providing more accessible digital spaces.
• Bringing together a cross section of public and private sector technology professionals from organizations large and small.

Environmental and Sensory Modifications in Healthcare Settings for Patients with Disabilities: Lessons from the Adaptive Medicine Sunflower Pilot

Accessibility & Health Webinar

August 31, 2026

12:00 - 1:00 on Zoom

Presented by Dr. Whitney Deal

Register for the Accessibility and Health Webinar.

Utah Assistive Technology Program Mobile Repair Van Visits Rural Utah!

The Utah Assistive Technology Program regularly holds travel days across the state of Utah to provide minor repairs, maintenance to wheelchairs, and to loan assistive technology from UATP's AT Library. Do you need UATP's services? Click the button below.

Counties Served: Beaver, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Washington, Wayne.

WebAIM Screen Reader Survey

The deadline for the WebAIM Screen Reader Survey is coming up! All screen reader users, even those who use screen readers only for evaluation and testing, are invited to participate.

LINKS FROM THE FIELD

'Extreme Motus' All-terrain Wheelchair Now Available to Rent at Zion National Park

(News4Utah - abc4.com)

Visit Utah Offers an Accessible Utah Guide to Recreation

(Visit Utah)

Cities Use Robots to Support Federal Disabilities Planning

(Government Technology)

For a look at past IDRPP trainings, visit our YouTube channel.

From our Friends

Rocky Mountain HIDTA 2026 Youth Prevention Institute

September 15-16, 2026

The University of Utah Douglass Ballroom

University Guest House

110 Fort Douglas Blvd, Salt Lake City, UT 84113

A FREE "Science of Relationships" training for professionals dedicated to building protective factors in their communities is hosted by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, in partnership with ADAPT, the Overdose Response Strategy, the Utah Department of Public Safety, the University of Utah Department of Public Safety and HEART Extension, the Utah National Guard, the Center for Behavioral Health Integration, and the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative.

Register for the Rocky Mountain Youth Prevention Institute.

How to Create Audio Descriptions for Accessible YouTube Videos

This Popetech article on audio description gives great tips on how to utilize YouTube's tools to create accessible videos with audio description.

Resources for Digital Accessibility

NCADEMI Accessibility Fundamentals Course

Attention, educators! IDRPP's NCADEMI has developed an Accessibility Fundamentals Course with short learning modules to get you started making accessible digital instructional content. Sign up today!

WebAIM Word and PowerPoint Guide Updated

WebAIM's Word and PowerPoint Accessibility Evaluation Guide was recently updated. This guide combines automated Accessibility Assistant checks with a series of manual checks to help you evaluate and repair common accessibility issues in Word and PowerPoint.

NEWS FROM AROUND IDRPP

This month, IDRPP gathered in the Natural History Museum of Utah for IDRPP's All Staff Meeting. The capitol city location was a reminder that we have physical locations in Salt Lake, the Uintah Basin, and Castle Country--and many of our projects extend statewide, nationwide and beyond. It was good to see so many faces in one place!