SD Statewide Independent Living Council - SILC

03/30/2026

Reminder: Nominations are open for the 2026 Governor’s Awards!

Help us recognize individuals, employers, and organizations making a meaningful impact in the lives of people with disabilities.

Award categories include:
1. Outstanding Individual with a Disability
2. Outstanding Employee with a Disability
3. Outstanding Employer of the Year (Small Private, Large Private, Public/Educational)
4. Outstanding Transition Services
5. Distinguished Service

Know someone deserving of recognition? We’d love to see them nominated! If you’ve nominated someone in the past who wasn’t selected, please consider submitting their nomination again.

Download nomination materials:
https://bhssc.link/2026-Memo
https://bhssc.link/2026-NomForm

Please help spread the word and celebrate those making a difference in our communities!

03/27/2026

SD DROP - 1st Annual Fundraiser - supporting summer camps for youth who are Deaf/hard of hearing 🏌️‍♂️⛳ Registration - can be found at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7vHm_iZ7ms8BwMnAEOh2yrEPdsESyzAdqei57K2Hsiq0DRQ/viewform
For more info contact Lance Sigdestad at lsigdestad@sddrop.org

03/25/2026

ILC is conducting their Harley Davidson Raffle - Tickets are $20 each, only 20,000 tickets will be sold. For more information, call 605.362.3550 or visit www.ilcchoices.org

03/23/2026

April Morning Blend Training!

Clear job descriptions strengthen workplace accessibility and protect leadership decisions.

Join us for the next Morning Blend, hosted in partnership with South Dakota Department of Human Services (DHS), Employment Disability Resources (EDR), and Workplace Disability Network (WDN).

Essential Functions, Real Accommodations: A Strategy for Compliance

Strong job descriptions help employers:

• Clarify essential job duties
• Support effective accommodations
• Maintain consistent performance standards

When expectations are clear, accommodation conversations become more productive and workplace stability improves.

Date: April 16, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM CT / 8:00 AM MT
Location: Virtual

This session is designed for:

• HR professionals
• Supervisors
• Business owners



Image: Logo graphic for “The Morning Blend” by Employment Disability Services. The design features a coffee cup with a spoon and a circular emblem divided into four sections representing different disabilities: a brain symbol, a wheelchair user icon, an ear symbol, and an eye symbol. Decorative geometric borders appear above and below the logo, and the text “Employment Disability Services” appears underneath.

03/20/2026

South Dakota SHRM State Council
April 29 - May 1, 2026
Chamberlain, SD

https://sodak.shrm.org/events/2026/04/2026-state-conferenc

Whether you are a small business owner seeking guidance from human resources, a human resource professional seeking opportunities to network & share best practices, or a student seeking mentorship, we encourage you to contact us for assistance.

03/20/2026

https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/?ref=subscribers-newsletter

The town halls, discussions and community gatherings are intended to increase civic engagement and help people be informed.

03/18/2026

🌟 Lighting the Way Autism Conference 2026 🌟

Join us for the Lighting the Way Autism Conference, a powerful 2-day event focused on learning, connection, and growth.

📅 June 4–5, 2026
👥 For advocates, educators, and professionals
🎤 Featuring keynote speakers Jesse Horn and David S. Geslak

This conference is a place to learn new ideas, share experiences, and connect with others who care about supporting individuals with autism.

📝 Registration opens February 15
👉 augie.edu/lighting-way

South Dakota Parent Connection will again offer scholarships for parents who would like assistance with the conference cost.

Graduate credit and CEU hours will be available.

03/16/2026

We need YOUR help gathering nominations for the 2026 Governor’s Awards!

Click to download the nomination materials:
https://bhssc.link/2026-Memo
https://bhssc.link/2026-NomForm

The five award categories are:
1. Outstanding Individual with a Disability
2. Outstanding Employee with a Disability
3. Outstanding Employer of the Year (3 categories)
a.) Small Private Employer; Non-Governmental (Less than 50 employees)
b.) Large Private Employer; Non-Governmental (More than 50 employees)
c.) Public; government (local, county, state or federal); or educational (school district, university, technical college)
4. Outstanding Transition Services
5. Distinguished Service

Please help share this information and encourage others to make nominations of those deserving recognition!

If you submitted nominations in previous years and the nominee(s) was not selected, please consider re-nominating them.

03/16/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckWX1DxdiCA

Our first session will focus on South Dakota’s 2026 Service Animal Legislation, SB 81 and SB 82. Tony Russell, one of the authors of the legislation, joined ...

03/13/2026

Way to Go Spearfish Peaks Powerlifters

BROOKINGS — All 9 members of the Spearfish Peaks squad earned medals at the State Special Olympics Powerlifting meet that ended Saturday.

03/03/2026

03/03/2026

Registration for our 2026 “GPS for Life” High School Camp is now open! If you are a student who is deaf or hard of hearing and age 14 through high school graduation, we would love for you to join us at Lake Poinsett Camp in Arlington, South Dakota, from Sunday, June 14 through Thursday, June 18.

During this fun and meaningful week, students will learn about different careers, explore job interests, build important life skills, and take part in STEM and other hands-on activities. There will be guest speakers, a field trip, and plenty of time to make new friends from across the state. Transportation help is available.

You can register by clicking this link: https://forms.gle/hZubiWcZBmDQ2QAW8
or by scanning the QR code on the flyer. If you have any questions, please contact one of our staff members or your South Dakota Services for the Deaf consultant.