Deanna Dee Taylor

We are so lucky to have obtained a ticket to see Robin Wall Kimmerer. Just minutes after we got them, there was a waiting list. Whew!

Accessibility is more than a ramp…

"In her first six months as assistant secretary of OSERS, Wright-Gallo has focused on improving outcomes and raising expectations for the nation’s 7.6 million infants, toddlers and students served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act."

Special education leader aims to raise expectations for students After an 18-month wait for Senate confirmation — and a stint driving Teslas in Las Vegas — Glenna Wright-Gallo is prioritizing improved outcomes for students with disabilities.

2023 Division on Career Development and Transition Conference-Reno, NV. Utah made a great showing and received high praises!

Register to attend by clicking or scanning
bit.ly/TUTuesdays

I'm excited to speak at 2023 Utah Rural Schools Conference https://2023utahruralschoolsconfere.sched.com/event/57dea7a4832d244730f1e309127d4525

2023 Utah Rural Schools Conference: Padlets for Postsecondary Transition 2..... View more about this event at 2023 Utah Rural Schools Conference

John McNaught of Im Determined divers the day 2 keynote at Utah’s Institute on PostSecondary Transition.

International Speaker Amy Gravino (https://www.facebook.com/minikitkatgirl?mibextid=LQQJ4d) is the keynote speaker at this years Utah’s Institute on PostSecondary Transition.

Congratulations to former Utah State Board of Education Special Education Director!

From Middle School Student Volunteer to Assistant Secretary: Meet OSERS Assistant Secretary Glenna Wright-Gallo | Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Blog From Middle School Student Volunteer to Assistant Secretary: Meet OSERS Assistant Secretary Glenna Wright-Gallo By Kristen Kushiyama, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services The U.S. Department of Education welcomed Glenna Wright-Gallo as the assistant secretary for the Office of Spe...

'RIP Judith Heumann.
"Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives — job opportunities or barrier-free buildings, for example," she said. "It is not a tragedy to me that I'm living in a wheelchair."
Heumann was a major American civil rights hero who remained little known until a flurry of attention in the last three years of her life. It started with the publication of her autobiography, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, co-authored with Kristen Joiner and released in February 2020, in the weeks just before the pandemic.
The celebration of Heumann took off shortly after with the release of the documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. Filmmakers James LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham found forgotten film of a summer camp in upstate New York for children with disabilities and used it to smartly explore issues of identity.'

Activist Judy Heumann led a reimagining of what it means to be disabled Heumann was instrumental in pushing to expand the civil rights of Americans with disabilities and continued to advocate for disability rights around the globe. She died on Saturday at age 75.

“Teachers watch over our human capital-and therefore our future.”

“As of July 14, 2022, at least 1,306 active and retired K-12 educators and personnel have died of COVID-19. Of those, 449 were active teachers.”

Educators We’ve Lost to the Coronavirus In this memorial, we remember some of the dedicated educators lost to their communities and to the field.

📢 We have two Transition conferences this summer!

Transition Institute is a Two-Day District Transition Team Event Supporting Planning and Capacity Building to Improve College and Career Readiness for Students with Disabilities.
June 13 & 14 in Provo
More information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/yf473ptb

Transition Summer Conference is a one-day event for teachers, parents, agency/health providers, and community organizations filled with robust content, engaging speakers and lively discussions on student experiences and pre-employment transition services.
June 14 in Provo
More information and registration: https://tinyurl.com/2ejkxm4c

Today, May 19, is Mental Health Day. Take care of yourself, today and every day.
https://www.mentalhealthishealth.us/

Home - Mental Health Is Health We all get mad and annoyed sometimes. It’s natural. But when those emotions happen way too often, they can be distracting, stressful, and we need to manage them before things get worse.

‘Ageism, defined as discrimination against the older adult, is very real in the lives of many, if not most, American women.’

Ageism is Real! Pat Taub is a family therapist, writer and activist and life-long feminist. She hopes that WOW will start a conversation among other older women who are fed up with the ageism and sexism in our culture and are looking for cohorts to affirm their value as an older woman.

‘….the thinking is that "Utah's fall surge will look something like the fall 2019 to winter 2020 surge," he said.…LeFevre encouraged Utahns "to maintain their immunity by getting vaccinated and keeping up to date on boosters. The vaccine and boosters have proven to be exceptionally effective and safe. The public knows how to mask and social distance now.’
Well, they say Utahns know how, but are they actually doing it? Not so much from my observations.

Are 100 million new COVID cases coming to the United States this fall? The Biden administration's warning that the United States could be hit by 100 million COVID-19 infections this fall is getting some backing by the Utah Department of Health.

“In a workforce that tops 6 million people, that percentage suggests hundreds of thousands of people who serve the nation’s K-12 students have suffered long-lasting symptoms after contracting COVID. “

1 in 5 Educators Say They've Experienced Long COVID Many educators say they've experienced painful, debilitating symptoms months after contracting COVID. Some may have to quit their jobs.

Start this summer by rejuvenating your learning and networking! This is a fabulous IN-PERSON conference! There is also a virtual option. Don't miss it!

Registration is now open for !
This is event is open to educators interested in building relationships to foster inclusive practices.

National and local speakers will be leading various session strands; including:
• Inclusive Practices for Personalized, Competency Based Learning
• Family Engagement and Community Partners
• Protective Factors and Social/Emotional Learning
• Continuous School Improvement

Virtual option is available. 💻

More info: https://cvent.me/anBXPq

“And it's all a result of a group of dads at the Brisbane Independent School in Pullenvale getting together with the principal and using science and engineering knowledge to prevent SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — spreading through classrooms.”

Brisbane school avoids COVID outbreak after dads band together, armed with smoke machine A small primary school in Brisbane's west has done what many others have been unable to achieve during COVID-19's Omicron wave in Queensland: remain outbreak-free.

"St. Joseph’s, home to the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support, plans to open its first residence hall specifically for students on the spectrum. With a capacity of up to 17 student residents and one student adviser, Saint Albert’s Hall off Lapsley Lane on the Lower Merion side of campus will undergo up to $250,000 in renovations this summer. A large three-story house, it used to be a women’s residence but most recently was used for COVID-19 housing."

College To Open Residence Hall For Students With Autism In an effort to ease the transition to college, a university will be among the first in the country to offer a residence hall designed specifically for students on the autism spectrum.

The CDC has updated its list of medical conditions that puts individuals at increased risk of becoming very ill.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html
(There are links to each type of disability from the link above.)

This is the section about people with disabilities:

People with some types of disabilities may be more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 because of underlying medical conditions, living in congregate settings, or systemic health and social inequities, including:

People with any type of disability that makes it more difficult to do certain activities or interact with the world around them, including people who need help with self-care or daily activities
People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
People with cerebral palsy
People with birth defects
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities
People with learning disabilities
People with spinal cord injuries
People with Down syndrome
Get more information:

People with Disabilities | COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/humandevelopment/covid-19/index.html

COVID-19 Information and Resources for People with Disabilities COVID-19 is challenging to explain, live through, and communicate about. These resources are intended to inform Direct Service Providers, caregivers, parents, and people with developmental and behavioral disorders on accommodations, modifications, and assistance related to COVID-19 preparation and r...

Please share in your networks. If you can, consider donating to this memorial scholarship fund to help provide students with disabilities the opportunity to attend college.

Naté Dearden Naté Dearden was a Utah State University (USU) alumnus and a strong advocate for students with disabilities, particularly regarding transition from high school to post high school programs. In honor of her memory, Naté’s family and friends seek to support students with disabilities in higher edu...

Welcome to my page, where I write about my interests in all aspects of life, especially social justice (e.g., education, disabilities, equality), and other community experiences.

I have always considered those students, friends and loved ones with autism to be gifted. I have learned so much and am enriched by their presence in my life.

....long COVID can be a disability under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557 if it substantially limits one or more major life activities.9 These laws and their related rules define a person with a disability as an individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual (“actual disability”); a person with a record of such an impairment (“record of”); or a person who is regarded as having such an impairment (“regarded as”).
A person with long COVID has a disability if the person’s condition or any of its symptoms is a “physical or mental” impairment that “substantially limits” one or more major life activities.

Guidance on “Long COVID” as a Disability Under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557 Although many people with COVID-19 get better within weeks, some people continue to experience symptoms that can last months after first being infected.

I will never get tired of seeing this video and hearing Megan's message.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOwDfnoek6E

"DON'T LIMIT ME!"- Powerful message from Megan with Down Syndrome All we can say is WOW!! You HAVE TO WATCH Megan Bomgaars, a Denver youth with Down Syndrome whose forceful message of "DON'T LIMIT ME!" is a rallying cry for...

'“We can’t lose this moment — this chance for a reset in education — by going back to the same pre-pandemic strategies that did not address inequities for Latino, Black and Native students, students from low-income backgrounds, students from rural communities, students with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness and English learners,” Cardona said in the speech outlining his vision for the nation’s education system.'

Education Secretary Calls For Increased Funding For IDEA U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is pushing for more funding to meet the needs of students with disabilities and to support special education teachers.

'In order to reach and teach students effectively, teachers must forge a human connection with them. Today’s younger generations simply will not move forward in their education and career journey without that connection. This is a non-negotiable; it’s just who they are. The vast majority of teachers truly want to forge that meaningful connection with students. In fact, for many it was the driving force behind their decision to enter the profession. But, understaffed and overworked as they are, many simply have no time to show students that they see, hear, and care about them. Survival mode—where many teachers have lived for the past two years—doesn’t allow much room for relationship building.

This creates a vicious cycle.'

Why Education Is About To Reach A Crisis Of Epic Proportions Almost half of teachers are thinking about leaving their jobs. Where does that leave America?

The Utah Disabilities Council's Take Your Legislator to Work is now up and running. If you are a person with a disability and would like to participate, please check it out!
This program is designed to "....raise awareness that adults with disabilities can participate in gainful employment and have a meaningful job in the community. This offers a chance to showcase how the skills and talents of people with disabilities contribute to Utah’s economic success. We want everyone to see the valuable contributions of individuals with disabilities to Utah’s workforce.

We want Legislators to know that individualized, integrated community employment is a high priority, and that individuals, including those with the most significant disabilities, can be employed with appropriate supports."

Take Your Legislator to Work | Utah Developmental Disabilities Council Take Your Legislator to Work This program has been updated for virtual visits, including guidance for advocacy through written communication and virtual visits. Enroll now! This program is an invitation to Utah Lawmakers to visit constituents on the job showcasing the employability of workers with d...

Congratulations to Glenna Gallo, former Director of Special Education Services at the Utah State Board of Education. Glenna has been nominated for the position of Assistant Secretary for special Education and Rehabilitative Services for the U.S. Dept. of Education!

Congratulations to Glenna Gallo, our Assistant Superintendent of Special Education Services, for her nomination to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services for the U.S. Department of Education. Congratulations, Glenna!

"Glenna is a phenomenal leader and advocate for students with disabilities and their families, and though this is an enormous loss for Washington state, I know she is the best person to be leading this work at the federal level." -Supt. Reykdal

Read more about Glenna's nomination: https://medium.com/waospi/ospi-special-education-leader-glenna-gallo-nominated-for-federal-special-education-position-f295480e2490