Disability Pride in Erie and Washington
Guy Caruso, the Institute on Disabilities' Western Coordinator, shared information about Institute on Disabilities (IOD) programs and resources at Pennsylvania Disability Pride events in Erie (July 8th) and Washington (July 14th). Both events were very successful. Thank you for your work, Guy!
Guy Caruso with Disability Pride attendee
Updates from the IOD
New Advisory Commission on People With Disabilities
On July 8, Governor Shapiro announced 28 new appointments to the newly established Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities. Congratulations to all appointees, as well as to Western Pennsylvanian Josie Badger (pictured here) on her appointment as Executive Director! We look forward to the impact of the Advisory Commission across the Commonwealth.
IM4Q Conference Successful
On July 21st and 22nd, the IOD facilitated the Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) Annual Statewide Training virtually, with over 150 people in attendance. Topics covered included presentations on social capital, the value of recreation and leisure for people with disabilities, and much more. Thank you to all who attended or volunteered their time to make the training successful!
Family Fun Day at Tustin Playground
Stacy Phillips, IOD Project Coordinator, represented the IOD at the Philadelphia Interagency Coordinating Council's (PICC) Family Fun Day, providing useful resources for families. The event also offered organized activities, snacks, prizes and giveaways, snack bags, and pizza.
Conference Research Presentations
In early July, two staff members from the IOD's Research and Evaluation team, Eva Weiss and Jen Taylor Eaton, presented a wide variety of findings from their team at the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities' (AAIDD) 2026 conference in Chicago.
CSNA Research Complete
The IOD Research and Evaluation team has completed the 2022 - 2025 Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA). The team engaged directly with Pennsylvanians with disabilities, families, employers, and providers to learn about employment services. Findings and recommendations inform Office of Vocational (OVR) services and the PA State Plan, and may inform IOD work as well.
Upcoming IOD Events and Opportunities
D&D Game Night
Join us for Dungeons and Dragons at the TechOWL Community Space on Wednesday, August 5, from 5:30 - 7:30 pm! Pizza will be provided, and the Community Space is located at 1392 Cecil B. Moore Avenue. RSVP for D&D
Adaptive Video Game Night
Join us at the TechOWL Community Space for an Adaptive Video Game Night from 4 - 6 pm on Monday, August 10. Try out the XBOX adaptive control, PlayStation® accessibility controller, Nintendo® Switch, and AdaptaPlay controller with our games! You can RSVP for Adaptive Video Game Night