OHSU UCEDD Community Partners Council (CPC)

02/13/2026

We enjoyed yesterday at the Oregon State Capitol with the Oregon Developmental Disabilities Coalition for GO! Day. Our team of staff members, trainees, and a community advisory board member attended nearly a dozen meetings with legislators to educate about policy impacts for disability communities.

02/13/2026

We just published new research in the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal! The article is called "The Effect of a Preclinical Disability Elective on Medical Student Awareness, Attitudes, and Clinical Competency".

Many people who are in medical school do not receive education on disability. We created a new class to change that. Students who took the class gained knowledge of disability, had more positive attitudes toward people with disabilities, and improved their skills as doctors when providing care for this population. More work is needed to include disability education in medical school, but we think the class is a good start and could be a model for other schools. Learn more: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/ddnj/vol5/iss2/7/

Authors on this article include OHSU's Emily Hillmer and OHSU UCEDD's Rhonda Eppelsheimer and Willi Horner-Johnson.

Read the full text of this article here: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1111&context=ddnj

Opportunities for education on disability are sparse in many medical school curricula, leaving students ill-prepared to address the needs of patients with disabilities in their future careers. The purpose of our study was to design and implement a novel elective course on disability for medical stud...

02/12/2026

Attention high school and teachers! Join us for the upcoming webinar: Supporting S*xuality Education for Users.

Wednesday, April 1, 2026
3:30-5:00 p.m. PST on Zoom

Presented by S*x and Disability Educator Evan Sweeney, this free webinar is designed to build educator capacity to deliver inclusive, accessible, and trauma-informed sexuality education for students who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), including nonspeaking and semi-speaking individuals.

Audience: High school and transition teachers, including those who have been trained in the Oregon Friendships and Dating Program (FDP) or S*xuality for All Abilities (SfAA) programs.

Learning objectives include:

- Understand AAC and communication needs
- Adapt sexuality education for AAC users
- Support students with trauma histories

Learn more and register here: https://www.ohsu.edu/university-center-excellence-development-disability/upcoming-and-current-events

Auto-captioning will be available during the webinar. If you have any accommodation requests to attend this webinar, please contact us at least 7 days prior to the event at ucedd@ohsu.edu.

*xEd *xualHealth

[ID: S*x and Disability Educator Evan Sweeney is a 42-year-old disabled male with light skin and short brown hair wearing a gray long-sleeve shirt, forest green pants and navy blue Converse shoes. He sits in a power wheelchair smiling brightly next to his black medium size service dog.]

02/11/2026

La Diferencia entre un Diagnostico Medico y Una Evaluación Educativa ¿Cual es la diferencia?

Miércoles, 25 de Febrero 2026 | 6:30 – 7:30 pm | Costo: Gratis | Virtual

Para familias de niños con diferencias de desarrollo de 1 a 18 años. Esta presentación será conducida en español.

Dawn Macready-Santos, LCSW, trabajadora social clínica de la clínica del autismo, compartirá sobre la diferencia entre el diagnostico medico y el criterio educativo en relación con las diferencias en desarrollo. Veremos cómo resultados de estas evaluaciones pueden afectar a su hijo/a obtener y calificar para servicios.

Aprenderá:

- ¿Que recursos se pueden obtener?
- ¿Que organizaciones pueden ayudarle?
- ¿Como puede pedir por una evaluación?

Inscríbase aquí: https://tinyurl.com/32zwuxk8

Habrá interpretación en idioma inglés disponible.

[ID: Volante en español con la misma información y un código QR en la esquina inferior izquierda que lleva a la página de registro.]

02/11/2026

Spanish webinar: Medical and Educational Evaluations for Developmental Disabilities: What is the Difference?

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Cost: Free | Virtual

This presentation is for families of children with developmental differences ages 1 to 18 and will be conducted in Spanish. English language interpretation will be available.

Dawn Macready-Santos, LCSW, a clinical social worker at the Institute on Development & Disability autism clinic, will discuss the difference between medical diagnostic evaluations and educational evaluations, and service eligibility for children with developmental differences. We will explore how medical and educational evaluations differ, and how they can impact which services your child can qualify for.

You’ll learn:

-What resources are available in each setting (medical and educational)
- Which organizations can help you access services
- How to request an evaluation in a medical or educational setting

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/32zwuxk8

Interpretation in other languages can be requested by contacting contact@oregonfamilytofamily.org by February 18.

[ID: A flyer with this same information and a QR code in the bottom left corner that takes you to the registration page.]

02/10/2026

2026 DD Advocacy Day is this Thursday, February 12, at the Oregon Legislature in Salem!

02/03/2026

GO! Advocacy day at the Oregon Legislature in Salem is next Thursday, February 12th.

Save the Date 📣DD Legislative Advocacy Day — February 12!

Join our GO! Project Advocacy Team on Thursday, February 12th from 10 AM – 2 PM at the Oregon State Library (Room 102 and 103) in Salem for the next GO! Day.

This event is an opportunity to come together, learn how to advocate for and with people with developmental disabilities, and advocate directly with Oregon legislators about what matters most to our community.

Whether you’re a self-advocate, family member, provider, or case manager/service coordinator--your voice matters and makes a difference.

What to Expect at GO! Day:
🤝 Get advocacy training and support
🗣️ Learn how to share your story with lawmakers
📣 Connect with other advocates in Oregon

🔗 Register Now (English & Spanish forms available): https://orddcoalition.org/go-project/

01/26/2026

The 2026-2027 Community Engagement Grant application is now open!

Grants of up to $2000 will be awarded to Oregon-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) community organizations for projects or programs that serve people with disabilities and their families.

Visit the Community Engagement Grant webpage to access the electronic application, a sample application, grant guidelines, and more information: https://www.ohsu.edu/university-center-excellence-development-disability/community-engagement-grant-program

Applications are due by midnight on ​Sunday, May 31, 2026.

[ID: Reflections of silhouettes in the Portland aerial tram window with a partly cloudy sky and the waterfront in the distance.]

01/19/2026

We are building the National Augmentative and Alternative Communication ( ) Peer Support Network!

Together with AAC users, we are working to create a national resource that helps people access AAC and based on their preferences and needs. This project will include building an online hub and directory, developing toolkits and guides, and offering training and technical assistance.

The official launch meeting for the leadership coalition will be on January 27. Learn more:

A screenshot from the February 2025 AAC User Meeting on Zoom.

01/16/2026

Join us in welcoming Summer Thompson, the new Education and Training Coordinator at OSHU UCEDD!

Summer Thompson (she/her) will provide support on the Transition to Adulthood (TAC) Project, the Summer Internship Program (SIP), and Allied Health programming. Thompson has a background in education including teaching, facilitating, and curriculum development. Welcome, Summer!



[ID: Summer Thompson, M.A., Education and Training Coordinator for the UCEDD]

01/15/2026

Upcoming conference for age youth with disabilities (14-21)!

Pathways to Adulthood: A Learning Conference on Transition is for youth with disabilities, their families, and professionals to explore what they need to know to create a roadmap to adult success. It will be hosted by FACT Oregon on January 24, 2026 (virtual on Zoom).

01/15/2026

professionals are invited to take our new 2-part Accessible Mental Health Care training series! These free 1-hour courses are available on-demand. credit available.

Course 1: Improving Mental Health Care for Clients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Course 2: Mental Health Assessment and Treatment for Clients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Get more info and learn how to access the courses here: https://www.ohsu.edu/oregon-office-on-disability-and-health/mental-health-provider-training-program

[ID An advisor wearing a black top goes over notes with a young student in a power chair wearing a red sweatshirt.]

Image credit: UK Human Development Institute