Welcome to the website of the Institute on Disability and Human Development (IDHD) in the Department of Disability and Human Development (DHD), University of Illinois at Chicago. It is designed to give you updated information on our activities and resources. Read more

News from IDHD

IDHD's 2011 Annual Report is now avaible online. It can be vewed as a pdf or in accessible Microsoft Word format.

Professor Tamar Heller and Assistant Professor Sarah Parker Harris have recently published a book, "Disability across the Life Course," that explores topics central to the lives of people with disabilities across the life course. It is part of The SAGE Reference Series on Disability, edited by Gary Albrecht. In this book, the life course approach assumes that, beginning prenatally, events occurring early in life affect later periods in one's life. It recognizes that development does not necessarily proceed in neat stages and that impairments interact with social determinants (e.g., culture and socioeconomic status) and environmental aspects (e.g., services and supports) across the life course, resulting in differing outcomes for people. The disability studies approach adds to a life course perspective by bringing in the concepts of disability identity, societal attitudes, the lived experience of people with disabilities and the social and political contexts affecting their lives. In addition to providing an overall theoretical and historical background, this book addresses disability across the life course through delineation of various age phases from pre-natal periods to death. Cross-cutting issues highlighted are: family; health; policy, legislation, and service; and self-determination and participation. Order the book here.

Katie Arnold, IDHD Community Education Director, participated as a panelist in a plenary session entitled "The Journey Continues: Where We're Going" at the 2011 AUCD Conference. You can find a recording (with captions) here.

Professor and Director of the Center on Capacity Building for Minorities with Disabilities Research Fabricio Balcazar was recently featured in a UIC News article on a new two-year project on youth with disabilities and entrepreneurship. Read the article here.

Associate Professor and Director of the Program on Disability Art, Culture, and Humanities Carrie Sandahl was recently interviewed on the Disability Beat radio program. She discussed her film project, Code of the Freaks a documentary exploring the portrayal of disability in mainstream film as well as viewers reactions. You can listen to the podcast here (on the 10.5.11 program). (Transcipt).

Congratulations to John Kramer, PhD program alum, who has been chosen for a Switzer fellowship for his research concerning siblings' roles in helping their brothers and sisters with developmental disabilities obtain employment!

The Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois has released a series of Helpful Hints for people with disabilities regarding employment, EITC/IDAs, self-entrepreneurship, financial education/literacy, home ownership, tax benefits and trusts. Visit our external links page to access these.

AUCD has released a research brief, entitled Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy the first issue in the "Research to Practice in Self-Determination" series. Click here to see the report.

UIC news highlights the anniversary of the ADA and features the DBTAC Great Lakes ADA enter and the Disability Resource Center. Read more here.

Monthly Group Parent Training Sessions provided by The Autism Clinic & TAP
Training Center Institute on Disability and Human Development. Read more here.

We are excited to introduce a new edition of Health Matters: The Exercise and Nutrition Health Education Curriculum for People with Developmental Disabilities (Marks, Sisirak, & Heller, 2010). The new version is published by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc. and can be ordered by visiting this link.

*For a 10% discount, please enter the code IDHD at checkout.*

Oral Histories of Self Advocates with Developmental Disabilities Added to UC Berkeley Library

The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley is pleased to announce the addition of a new collection of oral histories of leaders in the self-advocacy movement.To access the collection of leaders in the self-advocacy movement click here. 

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