Utah Disability Today

Interagency Training Grants Announced

The IDRPP’s Interagency Outreach and Training Initiative (IOTI) recently announced the projects it will fund for the next project period, from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028. Each of the projects listed will receive $50,000 per year over the three-year funding period.

Priorities for this funding cycle were to address knowledge and skill gaps and provide training to direct care staff, people with disabilities, their families, and volunteers supporting people with disabilities. See what was funded and learn more about IOTI.

Latest DDNJ Author Insights Podcast: Barriers to Health Care Among Adults With Disabilities

On the latest episode of the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal (DDNJ) Author Insights Podcast, Dr. Mathew Wappett sat down with Mary Beth Bruder and Tara Lutz, who conducted a self-select survey of adults with disabilities in Connecticut.

"Many of them felt that their provider... and office staff did not necessarily understand disability as a normal piece of the lifespan that we all have," Bruder said. "[They] did not communicate very openly, directly to the patient, or suggested in their communications that they did not understand the disability and their everyday life.” 

You can listen to this and other DDNJ podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the DDNJ Author Insights Podcast page.

Utah Family Struggles For Timely Access To Materials

Thank you, Becker family, for sharing your experiences with our National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials and Instruction (NCADEMI) program. Accessible learning materials are so important!

Students like Drake truly want to learn. “We are selling them short and selling ourselves short,” his father Andy said, “... if we're not giving them the opportunities to excel and to be contributing members of our cities, our states, our world.”

Watch excerpts from the interview on our YouTube channel.

UATP Gadget Galaxy

Are you ready to be a space explorer?

Join us for a free and family-friendly space experience for all! We will have expo booths featuring innovative assistive technology, fun space missions, art projects and science demonstrations.

The event will be on Saturday, July 19th from 10:30am to 2:30pm. You can come and go as you please.

Register for this exciting event. Learn more on UATP's website.

These 10-minute guided meditations are offered freely and those interested can sign up here. The dates and times can be found through the sign up link.

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

NEWS FROM AROUND IDRPP

Up to 3's early intervention program offers a book club for families of very young children who want to encourage communication. How did this get started, and what does a book club look like when it's conducted online with families of very young children? Find out on our YouTube channel, and see how virtual services help Up to 3 reach families in an innovative way.