In this Issue:

TASH News ◆ Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center News ◆ Policy News ◆ Community News
◆ Employment Opportunities ◆ Upcoming Events ◆ Thank You to Our Donors

Message from the Vice President

Mark your calendars for the 2024 TASH Conference, Celebrate Together: Let the Good Times Roll, to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, December 5–7^th. To learn more about the annual conference, please visit: tash.org/2024TASH. Please consider submitting a research proposal, general proposal, or both to share your work related to the mission of TASH.

Over the past seven years, I have served on the TASH Research and Publications Committee and, more recently, as Co-chair alongside Dr. Fred Spooner. This Committee oversees the Research Colloquium at the TASH Conference, which offers multiple researchers an opportunity to showcase their work around a central topic of interest to the TASH community. Topics from recent colloquia have included evidence-based practices, advances in mixed-methods research, and educational placement data. If you’re interested in organizing a session for the Research Colloquium, you can learn more and submit a proposal at the Research Colloquium Call for Proposals page.

If you’ve attended the annual conference over the past few years, you likely have noticed the inspiring work being done by the TASH Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN), which is composed of early career scholars who have a shared interest in research topics germane to the mission and values of TASH. In the coming months, the ECRN will solicit nominations for the Early Career Researcher Award that recognizes the notable contributions of an early career researcher whose research has focused on the inclusion of people with significant support needs in schools or the community. To find out more about the ECRN, consider joining their Facebook page.

I look forward to keeping abreast of the innovative scholarly work within the TASH community focused on advancing equity, opportunity, and inclusion for those with the most significant support needs.

With appreciation,

Virginia Walker

TASH News

One Month Left to Submit Your Proposal!

There is only one month left to submit your presentation proposal for the 2024 TASH Conference! The submission deadline is Friday, May 31, 2024. We strongly encourage proposals that reflect TASH’s values for the full inclusion of individuals with significant disabilities in all aspects of life. All proposals will undergo a de-identified peer review; results will be shared in July.

This year’s Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 5 – 7. This year’s conference theme is Celebrate Together: Let the Good Times Roll!

To access the proposal application forms, visit our Conference website. Scroll down to the “Call for Proposals” section to access information about the General format, Research format or Research Colloquium.

Conference Call for Proposal Reviewers

The 2024 Conference Call for Proposals (CFPs) closes in one month. We are looking for volunteers to join this year’s team of proposal reviewers. The collective expertise of our reviewers helps us maintain the highest quality conference with programming that reflects TASH’s values of equity, opportunity and inclusion for individuals with disabilities in all aspects of life.

If you are available to serve, please complete the reviewer form by Friday, May 24, 2024. The review process will take place Monday, June 17 – Friday, July 5, 2024, and results will be shared with the presentation’s point of contact by late July.

NOTE: This opportunity is only available to current TASH members. If your membership has recently lapsed, we are happy to guide you through the renewal process.

TASH’s eighth annual Outstanding Leadership in Disability Law Symposium and Award Celebration will be held this year on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at the American University Washington College of Law, Washington, DC.

Meet our Distinguished Honoree:
Steven J. Schwartz, JD

Steven J. Schwartz, JD is currently the Legal Director of the Center for Public Representation, after founding the Center in 1976 and then serving as its Executive Director for 38 years. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1971, he represented thousands of people with disabilities over the past fifty years. He has testified before Congress on numerous occasions, successfully resolved a number of damage cases for institutionalized individuals with disabilities, and litigated dozens of class action cases that challenge the unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities in psychiatric hospitals, developmental disability institutions, nursing facilities, and juvenile justice settings. He has provided training and technical assistance to disability rights programs in more than 40 states, authored a number of law review articles, and served on the faculty of the Harvard and Western New England Law Schools.

Symposium Panels

Additionally, the themes for the three panels at our Symposium will be:

• The Future of Deinstitutionalization Litigation
• Preserving Institutionalization History via Memorials, Museums, and Education
• Advancing Competitive Integrated Employment Through Innovation

Registration and sponsorship opportunities will be available soon.

New Episodes in TASH’s 2024 Webinar Series

There is still time to register for the two May episodes of TASH’s 2024 webinar series:

1. Abby George and Kyra Harvey, “Pulling the Plug on Ableism”, May 9, 2024
2. Haley Clark, “Always A Second Thought: Examining Barriers to Education for Students with Disabilities through Pandemic-Related Changes”, May 23, 2024

Additionally, we have added two new episodes to the series. They are:

1. Dina Casalaspro, “Community Options, Inc. A Business Model for Employment”, September 19, 2024
2. Amy Stapley, “Supporting Careers Goals of Individuals with Multiple Barriers to Employment”, October 24, 2024

You can learn more about these episodes, as well as the rest of the series, and register at the 2024 webinar series webpage. In the meantime, you can catch up on past episodes with Aaron DeVries’s “Power of Inclusion” or Elyse Schirmer’s “Comparing Educational Environments: A Systematic Review of Empirical Findings” here:

Another Successful Disability Policy Seminar!

Michael Brogioli (Executive Director, TASH), Coni Nepomuceno (Arc of Maryland), Senator Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, Maryland), Nicole LeBlanc (DETAC), Kim Musheno (Autism Society of America).

TASH was once again a proud sponsor and attendee of the Disability Policy Seminar. This year there were over 700 attendees at two days of issue training, followed by a day of visits to Capitol Hill. Be sure put the 2025 Disability Policy Seminar save the date on your calendar.

Member Spotlight

“I’m Darrell Mattingly, a web designer and (self) advocate. I have been involved with TASH in one capacity or another since 2007. What attracted me to TASH was the sense of community and belonging and the use of best practices to foster and grow a community where everyone has an equal but unique voice and purpose. When asked why TASH? It’s the inclusive community and opportunity to grow and expand as an individual and as a community which elevates TASH above other groups and organizations. I will conclude with TASH is not an endpoint; it is journey…enjoy the journey and experience the growth, learning, and friendship.”

F. Darrell Mattingly Computer Specialist II Human Development Institute University of Kentucky TASH member since 2008

Learn more about membership and join here. If you would like to be featured in a future member spotlight, you can submit your testimonial here.

Welcome to the New
Colorado TASH Chapter!

After spending the winter gathering together officers and a board, and putting together bylaws, a mission and a web presence, the TASH Board of Directors voted to approve a new Colorado Chapter at the Spring meeting. You can read their mission statement on the Colorado Chapter page at TASH.org. You can find them on the web at www.tashcochapter.org. You can follow them on social media at their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (Twitter) feeds.

Examining How Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Serve Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Higher Education Programs
3:00-4:00 PM Eastern, Tuesday, May 14, 2024

join the Administration on Disabilities (AoD) Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center (DETAC) for our May 2024 National CoP webinar, Examining How Historically Black Colleges and Universities Serve Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Higher Education Programs.

Presenters from Think College, Alabama A&M University, and Arkansas State University will provide a roadmap for developing, maintaining, and expanding post-secondary education (PSE) programs for students with intellectual disabilities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

This webinar will review key elements in three segments:

1. Review national trends in PSE programs for students with intellectual disabilities at HBCUs.
2. Provide an overview of the Southeast Postsecondary Education Alliance (SEPSEA) HBCU Committee.
3. Discuss how the first program in the nation at an HBCU was established, including an overview of program structure, partners involved and employment outcomes for students with intellectual disabilities.

Presenters

	Derrick Wesley Technical Assistance Consultant Think College, Directed Analytics, Inc.
	Sharon Brown, PhD, CRC Associate Professor & Coordinator of Rehab Counseling Concentration, Founder/Director of the Bulldog Learning Independence Fostering Education and Employment Postsecondary Program, Alabama A&M University
	Kristin Johnson, PhD Associate Professor & Executive Director of the Helping Our Wolves Learn (HOWL) RESTORE Hub, Arkansas State University

Engaging Diverse Communities Through Financial Education and Empowerment

April was National Financial Capability Month. The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities and the National Disability Institute funded a three-year initiative called Financial Wellness for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. This panel highlights how this train-the-trainers model provides training to individuals with disabilities and their family members to manage money, reduce debt, and use credit wisely. While we often focus on helping people with disabilities find jobs, this webinar will highlight a model to ensure we also provide a roadmap on the importance of making good financial decisions to further increase independence. Watch the full webinar as a recording here.

Follow DETAC on social media for news and resources:

Policy News

Biden Administration Announces
Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule and
Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services Rule

For over two years, the Biden administration has been working on new rules on nursing home staffing levels and Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). Both of those rules were announced on Monday. The rules were aimed at making more care workers available in nursing home settings and increasing pay and retention for home care workers. “We’re going to expand Medicaid home care services and reduce that 700,000-person backlog,” Biden told family caregivers in a speech in advance of the rules. Read more at the White House Press Release, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Press Release, the Department of Health & Human Services press release, Disability Scoop, CNN, the Washington Post, or other media reports.

Community News

The Ride Ahead Festival Trailer

Samuel Habib is a typical 21-year-old, itching to move out, start a career and find love. But no one tells you how to be an adult, let alone an adult with a disability. Can a community of disability activists help him follow his dreams? The film follows Samuel as he navigates the path to adulthood with a disability, reaching out to disability activists like Judy Heumann, Lydia X. Z. Brown, Maysoon Zayid, Ali Stroker, Keith Jones, Bob Williams, and Andrew Peterson for wisdom. You can watch the trailer on YouTube (audio description version available). Learn more about the film and upcoming screenings at RideAheadFilm.com.

Join the Massachusetts Disability Law Center for their virtual conference Keep Kids in Classrooms to learn about alternatives to exclusionary time out to address behavioral concerns in schools. You will hear from the US Department of Justice, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint, researchers, practitioners and teachers. For the full schedule of presentations, speaker bios and registration, visit the Keep Kids in Classrooms website.

Three New Publications from the
LEAD Center

WIOA Requirements & Resources

April is Financial Literacy Awareness Month! There are many opportunities to integrate financial empowerment in workforce development systems to establish a community-wide culture of inclusiveness. Check out the LEAD Center’s WIOA Requirements & Resources section to find information about Federal regulations that support the provision of economic advancement strategies.

Blending, Braiding, and Sequencing: Strategies for Success

Blending: combining dollars from multiple funding streams to create a single “pot” of commingled dollars. Braiding: using multiple funding streams, separately and at the same time. Sequencing: using multiple funding streams separately and one after another. Learn about these three unique strategies to leverage resources to create and sustain employment opportunities for people with disabilities in the February 2024 LEAD On! newsletter.

Employment Success for People with Disabilities

The Investing in America Agenda has brought $2 trillion in federal investments and created access to good jobs in infrastructure, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing for all of America’s workers, including individuals with disabilities. There are eight “Good Jobs Principles”. These Principles fit well with two pillars of disability employment: competitive integrated employment and universal design. Check out the new LEAD Center Employment Success Stories page for stories that show the principles of a good job in action.

Reinventing Quality 2024
Registration Now Open!

Reinventing Quality is consistently one of the most far-reaching, practical and well-attended events. The Reinventing Quality Conference this year will be held September 15-17, 2024, at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. Learn more and register now at the Reinventing Quality website.

Employment Opportunities

Beyond Vision Seeks a President and CEO

Beyond Vision (West Allis, Wisconsin) seeks a President and CEO to run this 501(c)(3) employing 107 people with the mission to enrich the lives of people who are blind through the dignity of work valued by customers and the community. Learn more and apply here.

Upcoming Events

Thank You to Our Donors!

We would like to thank everyone who donated to TASH in March 2024. We are grateful to all of our supporters who help us achieve equity, opportunity, and inclusion for people with disabilities. Thank you!

TASH advances equity, opportunity and inclusion for people with disabilities, with a focus on those with the most significant support needs, in the areas of education, employment and community living through advocacy, research and practice. More information about TASH can be found at www.tash.org.

TASH
1825 K Street NW, Suite 1250, Washington, D.C. 20006 | (202) 808-8148 | info@tash.org

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