News and Notes 494 January 12
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 17, designated as a national day of service, NARIC offers information on how people with disabilities can volunteer to improve their communities; NIDILRR Director Anjali Forber-Pratt was featured in article in the latest issue of New Mobility Magazine; This Just In... features a study examining how content authored by people with dementia can affect attitudes toward the condition; Research in Focus looks at the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and physical health of Latinx families with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD); the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Health and Function of People with Psychiatric Disabilities releases second episode of the Participatory Action Research (PAR) podcast, PAR in Action: Peer Navigators for Health and Wellness of People with Psychiatric Disabilities; Video visual scene display (video VSD) developed by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (RERC on AAC) is featured in article in Penn State News, Videos help students with autism spectrum disorder communicate with peers; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Promoting Healthy Aging for People with Long-Term Physical Disabilities (IDEAL RRTC) hosts webinar, Broadband Internet Access: Implications for the Health of People with Disabilities; the Great Lakes ADA Regional Center hosts webinar, Accessible Technology on Smartphones and Tablets for Users with Hearing, Cognitive, and Mobility Disabilities; the Learning and Working During the Transition to Adulthood Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (Transitions ACR) hosts webinar, Academic Coaching for College Students with Mental Health Conditions by Peer Students - Pilot Results; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Health and Function for People with Physical Disabilities Focused on Neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction (RRTC on Bladder Dysfunction) seeks participants with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction who use indwelling catheters to try a probiotic flush when experiencing urinary symptoms; the US Access Board reopens its public comment period for advisory guidelines on aircraft onboard wheelchairs.
Happy New Year and welcome to the first issue of News and Notes for 2022! As the year gets into full swing, people with and without disabilities may be adding "volunteer more" to their list of resolutions or plans for 2022. In fact, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is observed on the third Monday in January (1/17), is designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. Research we've highlighted in our Research In Focus series showed that people with disabilities are interested in volunteering and have skills and talents that organizations can benefit from, but they may face barriers to finding opportunities. Organizations can make their volunteer experience more inclusive by planning ahead and working with community partners like Centers for Independent Living to engage potential volunteers. The ADA National Network Regional Centers can help organizations understand their responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and address those barriers so everyone can pitch in.
