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LASARD Parent Behavior Webinar

The LASARD Project is posting resources and short videos/webinars to their LASARD Facebook page to support parents who are now “teaching” at home.

Their latest mini-webinar reached 1.6k views. LASARD coordinator, Julie Riley, developed it to help familes understand how they can help their child feel supported and understood during these difficult times. She also shares several low-tech communication supports that can be created at home. Here’s the direct link to the post. https://www.facebook.com/LASARD.Project/posts/2737608002954394

ELC Re-opening Date

The ELC re-opening date is expected to follow the LSU Health Sciences Center (HSC) calendar. However, at this time, we cannot project a specific date because there are no hard dates or plans for a definitive re-opening of the HSC. We will keep you informed of any updates via email and this website. In the meantime, please visit the ELC Resources webpage (https://www.hdc.lsuhsc.edu/earlylearningcenter/resources.aspx) for free websites with activities to complete at home with your infant, toddler or preschooler.

April Dunn

On March 28, 2020 Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a press release announcing the passing of 33-year old April Dunn who succumbed to complications from COVID-19. April was a dedicated staff member who served in the Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs and a tireless advocate for people with disabilities.

Photos of April can be found here, along with a Public Service Announcement April filmed with the Governor in 2018, which can be found here. April’s memorial service will be on Friday, July 31, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 3912 Gus Young Ave., Baton Rouge, La.  

LaDDC Suspends Meetings and Activities

Yesterday the Executive Committee met and decided to suspend all Council meetings and in-person activities until further notice.  Due to the ever changing status of the situation there is not a definitive end date to this suspension.  A decision to resume in-person activities will be made based on guidance and direction of CDC and the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force. 

Specifically, the Council will not hold its April Council meeting nor standing Committee meetings in April (i.e., Act 378 Committee, Education and Employment Committee, Self-determination and Community Inclusion Committee).  Additionally, all Ad Hoc Committee meetings are suspended until further notice, including Executive Director Search Committee, FY21 Planning Ad Hoc Committee, Membership Committee, and the Grievance Ad Hoc Committee. 

If you would like to share the message of the Council status here is the link to the Council’s LaDDC News – Council Suspends Meetings and In-Person Activities: https://laddc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LaDDC_News-Council_Suspension_of_Meetings_and_Activities.pdf

Beckwith/Wiedemann Syndrome Awareness Month

Come learn about Beckwith Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS). The event will be held at 2716 Indiana Avenue, Kenner, Louisiana, on Sunday, April 5, 2020. The event is free and open to the public, but you should email kolivaphotographyllc@gmail.com to reserve a seat and table for gumbo and jambalaya.

OAAS Home- and Community-based Services Settings Transition Plan

The Louisiana Statewide Transition Plan (STP) for Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) is out for public comment until March 16th. 

The Louisiana Department of Health submitted this transition plan to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services {CMS) to explain how the state will bring its HCBS waivers into compliance with their new regulations that define the settings in which it is permissible for states to pay for Medicaid HCBS. The purpose of these regulations is to ensure that individuals receive Medicaid HCBS in settings that are integrated into and support full access to the greater community. The Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS) has developed this transition plan for the purpose of ensuring that HCBS settings within the Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) and Community Choices Waivers (CCW) meet the requirements of the rule and to allow the public an opportunity to provide input on the transition.

For more information, see the Louisiana Department of Health article on the Statewide Transition Plan.

Governor’s Tour at Clara’s Little Lambs

One of the stops on the Governor’s statewide tour will be at Clara’s Little Lambs at Federal City, a Community Childcare Partner with the Human Development Center.  The Governor’s statewide tour will bring local business leaders, early education advocates, and families together to make their voices heard about the importance of early childhood education.

Louisiana Department of Education Survey for Parents of Children with Disabilities

The Louisiana Department of Education is conducting a survey to better understand the types of assistance families of students with disabilities need to support the educational experience of their child/children. Share your input by 2/14/20.

If you are a parent of a school age child attending public school in the state of Louisiana, please take 5 minutes to complete the following survey.

Please be sure to hit the submit button at the end.Also, please share with other families as appropriate.

30 Years of the ADA

HDC joins the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This landmark civil rights legislation impacts the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities and protects against discrimination and ensures and improves access to opportunities afforded to all. 

“The ADA cemented in federal law the civil rights of Americans living with disabilities. These expectations have served as a new foundation of inclusion for more than a generation. We hope you’ll join us in sharing your stories and celebrating three decades of its success during 2020.” said John Tschida, Acting Executive Director of AUCD.

For more information on ADA, see the official press release from AUCD.

Critical Access Studies: Public Talk and Q&A at Tulane

Aimi Hamraie, PhD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Health, and Society, and American Studies, Vanderbilt University

Most research and writing about accessibility seeks to convince the unconvinced of the value of inclusion. The field of Critical Access Studies goes deeper, however, to question the “how” and “why” of accessibility. In this talk, Aimi Hamraie, PhD, will situate Critical Access Studies within the broader history of accessibility, showing how inclusive design focused on disability as an issue separate from race, gender, and class, and how frameworks such as intersectionality and disability justice have come to better inform what counts as disability.

For more information about this event, please e-mail kcleary@tulane.edu.

This event is fragrance-free. Please do not wear perfumes or essential oils so that chemically injured members of our community can attend.