Issue 7 | Fall 2023 New Grants Announced The Institute has been awarded four new grants by the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council. The programs represent a variety of issues across the lifespan including unemployment, supported decision making, school-to-prison-pipeline and assistive technology.   The full story about these grants can be found on our website.   Dance Installation a Sold-Out Hit Rhythm Bath, an immersive dance installation by Susan Marshall and Mimi Lien, and produced by the Institute on Disabilities and Studio...

The Institute on Disabilities has recently been awarded new grants from the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council.   More information about the programs and their outcomes will be available on the Institute's website in the coming months.   Inclusive and Equitable Futures: Trauma-Informed Practice in Preschool Supports (TIPPS) Training initiative to address and disrupt the preschool-to-prison pipeline. In partnership with Amy Lynch, PhD of the College of Public Health at Temple University and collaborating with an advisory board, the program will...

On Saturday, September 23, the 2023 cohort of C2P2 — Competence and Confidence: Partners in Policymaking — celebrated the completion of the year-long leadership development program. Pictured are the participants along with Jamie Ray-Leonetti, Associate Director of Policy and Stacy Phillips, Project Coordinator at the Institute, along with special guest Justin Fleming, PA State Representative, House District 105. Rep. Fleming took part in C2P2's virtual legislative visits in June where C2P2 participants presented an overview of what they had learned in the program. He was...

Apply now for our advisory committee: Families Reimagining Inclusive Lives (FRIL) Encourage families of young children with disabilities to focus on options for inclusive living and learning, rather than assuming that a segregated setting is the best or only option. The advisory committee will meet virtually so you can participate from the comfort of your own home! Are you... a parent of a child with a disability between ages birth to 5 years old? an advocate for young children with disabilities? a provider of services for young children with disabilities? a...

On June 16, members of the 2023 cohort of Competence and Confidence, Partners in Policymaking (C2P2) visited the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg. The C2P2 2023 cohort outside Pennsylvania's Capitol in Harrisburg. During the visit, the group practiced advocacy skills by helping to educate state legislators and staff about issues important to people with disabilities and their families. Participants worked in small groups to discuss issues such as: the need for caregiver leave time; the importance of inclusive education in public schools; and ending the...

The Institute's multi-modal installation called File/Life: We Remember Stories of Pennhurst spent the week of July 24, 2023, under the Russell Senate Building rotunda in Washington, DC. File/Life is a community-led exploration of the Pennhurst archives. Seven archivists (all people with disabilities and/or family members) share stories from the archives of long-forgotten residents of Pennhurst through documents, photos and stories. Information about File/Life: We Remember Stories of Pennhurst can be found on the Institute’s website. File/Life was installed in...

Issue 5 | Spring 2023 Note from the Director Sally Gould-Taylor, PhD Executive Director of the Institute on Disabilities Welcome to Spring! Much has happened since our last newsletter. We celebrated our first year in our newly renovated office suite and our work has grown in both breadth and volume, including an exciting new Health Equity initiative. TechOWL’s work has attracted unprecedented media attention including a mention in Philadelphia Magazine’s annual “Best of...” edition. Our leadership team has grown as well, welcoming Katey Burke, PhD as Associate...