Research Assistant Grace CooperGrace Cooper, Research Assistant at the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, College of Education and Human Development has been named an Emerging Leader by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD).Every year, AUCD recognizes young professionals from across the country as Emerging Leaders. Each standout young leader shares all AUCD members' commitment to civil rights and social justice for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.Grace joins others included on the AUCD Emerging Leaders Map. According...
Sandra McNallySandra McNally, assistant director of assistive technology programs at the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, has been named the chair of Philadelphia Corporation for Aging's Advisory Council.Through her work, McNally also oversees other funded statewide assistive technology activities, including Pennsylvania's Telecommunication Device Distribution Program (TDDP) and iCanConnectPA, the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program in Pennsylvania.In 2018, Sandi became chair of the national Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program...
The Institute has been awarded a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging to create training modules for people planning on becoming Person-Centered Counselors for older Pennsylvanians.The multi-part training will offer a wide range of effective person-centered counseling guides. In addition, each module will encourage discussions which will help Pennsylvanians, families, and interdisciplinary teams develop effective support strategies using both systems-based services and community resources.A Person-Centered Counselor is integral to assuring that the needs and...
DIY floor wheelchair recipientIt's the job of TechOWL, the Institute's Assistive Technology (AT) program, to provide Pennsylvanians with the AT devices they need and to offer support as they learn to use them at work, at home and in their community.Most of these devices are developed and distributed by a wide variety of outside manufacturers.So, what happens when something that is mass-produced just won't work? TechOWL's CreATe Together program creates it.Tom Diagostino, TechOWL's Outreach and Training Coordinator began using his own 3-D printer at home to create small, but...
Sally Gould-Taylor, PhD has been named Executive Director of the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, College of Education and Human Development, effective January 1, 2021, after serving as Interim Executive Director since March 2020. She has also been appointed as a faculty member in the College of Education and Human Development as Research Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning.During the past 10 months, Dr. Gould-Taylor worked closely with the Dean and Deputy Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University to...
Pennsylvania Advocacy and Resources and Autism and Intellectual Disability (PAR) has collected data from eight states, including Pennsylvania, which show that while people with Intellectual Disability or Autism (ID/A) are about as likely to contract COVID-19, these individuals are significantly more likely to die from a COVID-19 infection than are members of the general public. The Institute on Disabilities was instrumental in completing the study in Pennsylvania.Some of the most important conclusions from the information gathered for the report is: providers are doing well...