Current Events and Happenings at DDI
DDI Welcomes Author Jennifer Greening October 2009
The Developmental Disabilities Institute will be hosting an evening with educator and author Jennifer Greening on December 3, 2009 on the campus of Wayne State University. Ms. Greening is a parent of a child with disabilities and an educator who
advocates for inclusive educational opportunities for students with disabilities. She has documented her journey in her book entitled Opening Doors, Opening Lives: Creating Awareness of Advocacy, Inclusion, and Education for Our Children with Special Needs. DDI's S.A.F.E Project to Address Emergency Preparedness October 2009
The Developmental Disabilities Institute has been awarded an implementation grant to address issues 
surrounding emergency preparedness for families with members with disabilities. The S.A.F.E. Project (Supporting All Families in Emergencies), funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, will provide training opportunities to emergency management personnel and persons with disabilities in Wayne County that address emergency preparedness and how to formulate emergency plans in the event of a natural disaster or widespread emergency situation.
The ultimate goal of the project is to raise awareness and provide information regarding the need for increased emergency preparedness for individuals and families of persons with disabilities. Another goal of S.A.F.E. is to inform emergency personnel and first responders in Wayne County about the special needs of persons with disabilities in the event of an emergency situation.
For more information regarding the S.A.F.E. Project, please contact the Project Director, Elizabeth Janks, at e.janks@wayne.edu or 313-577-6368.
Michigan Alliance for Families Looking to Fill Multiple Positions September 2009
The Michigan Alliance for Families is looking for parent mentors in Flint, Port Huron, Northern Lower Michigan, Lansing, Jackson, Detroit, Pontiac, and Macomb County. Michigan Alliance, Michigan’s Parent Training Information Center, provides information, training and mentoring to parents of students utilizing special education services in the state of Michigan.
Michigan Alliance is also looking for parent consultants in the Information and Referral office in Ann Arbor and Detroit.
Both job descriptions are linked below:
Regional Parent Mentor Position Information & Referal Parent Consultants
Please send resumes with cover letter to Sherri Boyd at: sherri@arcmi.org or via mail to The Arc Michigan 1325 S Washington Avenue Lansing, MI 48910. Deadline is October 9th, 2009.
SEAM Project to Improve Special Education Outcomes for Detroit Children August 2009
DDI's new prjoect, Supporting Educational Achievement for Minorities (SEAM), is funded by a grant from the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) and coordinated by Julia Hernandez, DDI Research Assistant. The 3 year project will support a minimum of 20 minority families of children with disabilities - age 3-26 years - in successfully navigating the special education system. The project will focus on families residing in Southwest Detroit. For more information regarding the SEAM project, please click on the link below for an official press release ro contact DDI at juliaphernandez@wayne.edu .
New Federal Website on Disability Services and Resources July 2009
The U.S. Department of Labor this week launched Disability.gov, a redesigned federal Web site that connects the more than 50 million Americans with disabilities to thousands of trusted resources on disability-related issues, programs and services. Formerly known as DisabilityInfo.gov, the site has been completely redesigned and updated with new social media tools, such as a blog and a Twitter feed, to encourage feedback and interaction among visitors. Disability.gov is not just for Americans with disabilities, but also for parents of children with disabilities, employers, workforce and human resource professionals, veterans, educators, caregivers and many others.
New Report on Michigan's Strategic Plan for Health Promotion for people with Disabilities Released June 2009
A report entitled Health Promotion for People with Disabilities: Michigan Strategic Plan 2008-2011 has just been released from the Michigan Department of Community Health and the Michigan Public Health Insitute. To obtain free copies of the report, please visit DDI's Publications and Reports page by following the link below. It is located under the Health heading halfway down the page.
DDI Staff Conducting Study on Michigan Transportation Voucher for Persons with Disabilities June 2009
An online survey is being conducted to examine persons' with disabilities experience with the Michigan Transportation Voucher program. The project, which is funded by Easter Seals of Michigan, will help to obtain a picture of the effectiveness of the Voucher program and how it has impacted transportation for adults with disabilities around the state of Michigan.
Please click on the link below to access and compete the questionnaire:
Michigan Group Promotes National Service Opportunities for Individuals With Disabilities June 2009
The Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC), along with other state and local disability and service agencies and advocates, works to make national and community service opportunities available to persons with disabilities in Michigan. Getting information regarding programs and service opportunities into the right hands is a vital step in the process. Please click on the link below to view a flyer regarding service opportunities and how to contact the MCSC to discuss more chances to get involved with programs such as Americorps and City Year.
Benefits of Inclusion in National Service
Dr. Uma Tuli to Visit DDI, Speak to Families May 2009
The Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI) is proud to welcome Dr. Uma Tuli, who will speak to families and DDI/WSU staff on June 4th, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the offices of DDI. Dr. Tuli has a Doctorate in English Literature from the University of Delhi and a Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Manchester. She is the founder of Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust, which provides rehabilitation services to children with disabilities utilizing a holistic approach in an integrated learning environment. Her pioneering concept created an inclusive school where at least half of the students have disabilities. Dr. Tuli has presented several papers at National and International Conferences; she was on the team that drafted the 1995 Persons with Disability Act in India. She has authored “The Spirit Triumphs” and “Seen, but not Heard”. She is a recognized leader in India tirelessly advocating for barrier free environments so that people with disabilities may have equal access to communities and education.
Dr. Tuli will be speaking at DDI on June 4th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please contact Artan Hughes at (313) 577-2654 or artan229@yahoo.com if you have any questions or wish to attend this event.
Pictures from Dr. Tuli's visit are below:
DDI to Host Empowerment Education Project Train-the-Trainer May 14th April 2009
The Empowerment Education: Consumer-Driven training for Michigan Direct Support Professionals training project will be hosting its third Train-the-Trainer event on May 14, 2009 at the offices of DDI. the day is designed to train those interested in becoming Empowerment Education trainers as to the ins and outs of facilitating Empowerment Education training modules for Direct Support Professionals throughout the state of Michigan. The Empowerment Education project has been providing free training to Michigan's Direct Care Workforce since 1997 and continues to make an impact on the knowledge and skillset of those who care for individuals with disabilities. For more information regarding the training day, please visit the website below to download or print the trainer application and informational flyer. Space is very limited so act now!
Empowerment Education Train-the-Trainer Website
New Americorps Recruitment Video features DD Council's Andre Robinson April 2009
Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council chair and National Service Inclusion Project collaborater, Andre Robinson, was recently fetured in a video advertisement launched by Americorps. The video shows several Americorps members speaking about their experiences in Americorps and how it impacted their lives. Andre served in Americorps over the last year as part of the National Services Inclusion Projects fellowship which he worked on with DDI's Michael Bray. The video can be viewed by clicking the link below:
DDI to Host Parenting Workshops in May
April 2009
The Developmental Disabilities Institute will be hosting a series of parenting workshops in the month of May. These workshops cover a variety of topics from locating community resources to recycling. Please click the link below to learn more about registering for these fun and informative workshops or call Artan at DDI at (313) 577-6909.
Parenting Workshop Flyer and Registration
Autism Conference to be Held in Dearborn June 30th, 2009
The Virtual Center for Excellence, along with the Detroit-Wayne County Community Mental Health Agency, The Wayne State University School of Medicine, and the Wayne County Community College District, will be hosting a conference June 30, 2009 entitled "Autism Across the Lifespan: Emerging Practices" with keynote speaker Dr. David Laman. Please click on the link below for conference details and registration information.
AAIDD Michigan Chapter to Host Annual Conference in Dearborn March 2009
The Michigan Chapter of the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) will be hosting their annual conference from March 25th - 26th in Dearborn, Michigan. Please click on the link below for the Conference Registration Brochure and more information regarding the event.
2009 AAIDD Michigan Conference Brochure
Career Development Workshops to be Held in Detroit Area March 2009
Career Development workshops for students with disabilities will be held March 26, April 2, and April 14 on the campueses of Oakland Community College, Wayne State University, and University of Michigan, Dearborn, respectively. The workshops, brought to you by DiverseAbility, LLC, will focus on helping students with disabilities become more aware of the employment and service opportunities that are available to them. Please click on the link below for details and how to register to attend:
For past stories and/or announcements, please visit the Archives Section:
Current Events and Happenings Archive