Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice

01/16/2026

The Assistive Technology Solutions ECHO is a statewide learning network that builds knowledge, collaboration, and problem-solving capacity among professionals and community members supporting individuals with disabilities in Utah.

Join us over Zoom for our next session on February 3rd, centered around Advocacy for Assistive Technology!

Registration and Future Topics: https://idrpp.usu.edu/project-echo/assistive-tech-solutions-echo

01/16/2026

Rachel Byers shares hopes for Health Outcomes for people with disabilities. Rachel Byers is a Project Coordinator here at the IDRPP. Rachel conduced research on an education program for SNAP recipients.

01/14/2026

Our latest blog post is a guest blog by Kirsten Barraclough. Kirsten discusses the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and its importance.

Read the full blog on our website: https://idrpp.usu.edu/blog/why-the-idea-is-important

In the blog, Kirsten states "Simply put, Special Education is important because of the benefits (academic and otherwise) can last a lifetime."

01/13/2026

01/12/2026

Rachel Byers is a Project Coordinator here at the IDRPP. Rachel is very passionate about health care access and outcomes for people with disabilities. Rachel explains how disability research shows differences in chronic health condition depending on age and race. These differences are important to consider when making funding decisions.

01/10/2026

Disability Advocacy is coming up this month! Don't miss the Legislative Advocacy Training. It will be on January 26th from 12:30 to 3pm in the South Conference Center of the North Capitol Building in Salt Lake. A map is available on the registration page.

Brought to you by Utah Developmental Disabilities Council, the USILC Utah Statewide Independent Living Council, and the Institute for Disability Research Policy & Practice.

Register here:https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/4qvfjzn/lp/284298f9-58f9-4206-b827-516a1d15b84a

01/09/2026

The registration deadline for mindfulness is coming up! Thank you to Dominic Bohne for sharing his experience with Joana's classes.

Joana Franco is the Instructional Designer and Facilitator for the mindfulness courses offered by the IDRPP.

If you are wanting to add mindfulness to your life, please consider signing up for the classes.

Register here: https://mindfulness.learn.usu.edu/

01/08/2026

The most recent episode of the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal (DDNJ) Author Insights Podcast is out!

The guest for Episode 19 is Talley Wells, the Executive Director of the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities . Wells was interviewed by our very own Executive Director, Matthew Wappett.

Check out the podcast on the DDNJ Author Insights Podcast Page: https://ddnjauthorinsights.podbean.com/

Or you can find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.

01/08/2026

01/07/2026

Mindfulness is an important skill, especially in this noisy world that we live in. JoLynne Lyon, Public Relations Specialist at the IDRPP, shares her experience with the mindfulness courses offered here at Utah State.

Joana Franco is the facilitator for these courses. Find out more and register at https://mindfulness.learn.usu.edu/

01/07/2026

Did you catch our latest Early ECHO session?
Kirsten Aalberg talked all things MOTOR! From movement to sitting, we gained some great insights today.
Thank You Kirsten!
🔗 To watch Early ECHO sessions, click the link: https://buff.ly/n7DyLJY