OHSU UCEDD Community Partners Council (CPC)

03/15/2026

Reminder: Apply for the 2026-2027 Community Engagement Grant program by Sunday, May 31, 2026!

Grants of up to $2000 will be awarded to Oregon-based community organizations for projects or programs that serve people with disabilities and their families. Learn more & apply here: https://www.ohsu.edu/university-center-excellence-development-disability/community-engagement-grant-program



[ID: Three adults wearing gloves stand outdoors under a shelter smiling and laughing together as they work on a project at the Resilient Seed Healing Farm.]

03/10/2026

Check out this upcoming training series for self-advocates, hosted by Oregon Self Advocacy Coalition and Oregon Department of Human Services:

Oregon Self Advocacy Coalition (OSAC) is partnering with ODHS Office of Developmental Disabilities Services on a training series.
Together, we are leading a 5-week online training with self advocates across Oregon. The training is about the Self-Advocate Guide to I/DD Services. It is for self-advocates and the people who support them.

Each session is one hour long. Self-advocate trainers will walk through the guide with staff from OSAC and ODDS.

Each week, we will talk about one chapter:
• Advocating for yourself – March 19, 2026, 3–4 PM
• Introduction to Oregon I/DD services – March 26, 2026, 3–4 PM
• Oregon Needs Assessment (ONA) – April 2, 2026, 3–4 PM
• Individual Support Plan (ISP) meetings – April 9, 2026, 3–4 PM
• Your rights and disagreements in I/DD services – April 16, 2026, 3–4 PM

Register for this training using this link: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/Lr-FMX_mTa-DLg3gFHg1sg #/registration

03/06/2026

In honor of , the OHSU Institute on Development and Disability is pleased to share that Dr. Jeff Brosco will present on the topic of “ , Policy, and the Limits of Evidence” at Pediatric Grand Rounds on Wednesday, March 18, 12:00 - 12:50 p.m. This will be a useful and thought-provoking session regardless of whether one is directly involved in autism care.

Attend virtually or watch the video recording later: https://www.ohsu.edu/doernbecher/pediatric-grand-rounds



About the speaker: Dr. Brosco is Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Special Advisor to the Director, University of Miami Mailman Center for Child Development. He also serves as the Director of Population Health Ethics within the Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy, University of Miamin Miller School of Medicine. He formerly served as the Director of the Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs at the Health and Human Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

[ID: Dr. Jeff Brosco has close-cropped brown hair and light skin and is wearing a suit with a dark jacket, striped shirt, and a tie featuring multicolored handprints.]

Image credit: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

03/05/2026

Self Advocate video of DJ Lamar. , OSAC - Oregon Self Advocacy Coalition, OCDD - Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities. DJ Lamar discusses his...

03/05/2026

March is , and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities has launched a year-long “We’re Here: Then, Now, Always” campaign.

✍Share your “Always” story with us in the comments!

[ID: A "We're Here. Then, Now, Always" poster featuring a photo of disability rights activists abandoning wheelchairs and mobility aids to crawl up the U.S. Capitol steps on March 12, 1990.]

03/04/2026

Learn about Supporting S*xuality Education for Users in our upcoming webinar!

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

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

Auto-captioning will be available. 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.]

Continuing education opportunities that are upcoming live events or recorded webinars as part of a current series.

03/03/2026

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month!

Oregon's theme “Nothing About Us Without Us” underscores the importance of active and meaningful participation by people with IDD and their families in all spaces where decisions are made. This makes it possible for people with disabilities to live, work, play and learn the way they choose in their communities.

📣𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵📣 Introducing Oregon's 2026 DD awareness poster & theme: “𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗨𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗨𝘀.” Join us! —We're kicking off our yearlong campaign with a virtual session tomorrow March 3rd and an in-person celebration in Salem on March 10. Get all the details here: https://www.ocdd.org/dd-awareness/

Share how you show up for yourself, or others have a chance to win a $50 gift card! Join us for our virtual kickoff tomorrow, March 3rd, 12-1 PM and learn how to use our toolkit to tell your story: https://bit.ly/Oregon-DD-Awareness



Join us for all our March events:

Virtual Kick Off Event:
Tues, March 3, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Join us for a reading of the 2026 Developmental Disability Awareness Month Proclamation by OCDD Chair Kelly McCauley and a sneak peek at the 2026 poster.
Get access our campaign toolkit and shareable templates to add your own brand and photos!

Main Event—In-Person DD Awareness Celebration:
Tues, March 10, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Lobby Area, Barbara Roberts Human Services Building Salem, OR 📍 500 Summer St. NE, Salem 97301​
Join us in celebrating with special guest speakers, unveiling the 2026 poster, cake and refreshments

Virtual Self-Advocate Panel Discussions (2 Options):
Tues, March 17, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM, or
Tues, March 24, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Discussions will center around "Nothing About Us Without Us," highlighting advocacy and meaningful representation by people with IDD in all spaces where decisions are made, and address barriers.

Virtual Spanish Language Discussion:
Thursday, March 19, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
This session will be facilitated in Spanish. Registration Required.

Get event details & links here: https://www.ocdd.org/dd-awareness/

02/28/2026

Community Partners Council member and disability advocate Joe Basey discusses advocacy, mentorship, and sources of validation and encouragement in his new blog post, "Power of Stars": https://jbasey.wordpress.com/2026/02/25/power-of-stars/

"When things get challenging in my life, I watch disability themed movies. They encourage and valid my work as an advocate."

Edited by Julie Langenberg As far as I can remember, I have always loved watching TV shows and movies. It’s one of the ways I relax after a long day and one of my favorite hobbies. I watched …

02/25/2026

Save the date for these upcoming events hosted by Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities in partnership with Oregon Self Advocacy Coalition and The Arc Oregon!

𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀! 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵!


💻𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗞𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁:
𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟯, 𝟭𝟮:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠 - 𝟭:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠
- Join us for a reading of the 2026 Developmental Disability Awareness Month Proclamation by OCDD Chair Kelly McCauley and a sneak peek at the 2026 poster.
- Get access our campaign toolkit and shareable templates to add your own brand and photos!

⭐️𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁—𝗜𝗻-𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗗 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟭𝟬, 𝟭𝟭:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠 - 𝟭𝟮:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠
- Lobby Area, Barbara Roberts Human Services Building Salem, OR 📍 500 Summer St. NE, Salem 97301​
- Join us in celebrating with special guest speakers, unveiling the 2026 poster, cake and refreshments

💻𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (𝟮 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀):
𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟭𝟳, 𝟭𝟮:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠 - 𝟭:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠, 𝗼̲𝗿̲
𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟰, 𝟱:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠 - 𝟲:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠
- Discussions will center around "Nothing About Us Without Us," highlighting advocacy and meaningful representation by people with IDD in all spaces where decisions are made, and address barriers.

Other events in March and through the year— to be announced. Subscribe to get the latest updates: 📫 https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/tHSYJth/OCDD

Join all events online at: https://bit.ly/Oregon-DD-Awareness

Download & share our flyers:
https://www.ocdd.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DDAM-Save-the-Date-All-Events-Eng.pdf (English)
https://www.ocdd.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DDAM-Save-the-Date-All-Events-Sp.pdf (Spanish)

02/24/2026

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is coming up in March!

Self Advocate video of Linda. , OSAC - Oregon Self Advocacy Coalition, OCDD - Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities. Linda describes her time ...

02/24/2026

📣 TOMORROW February 25th! Free Virtual Seminar for Caregivers of Children with Disabilities

Navigating the world of medical diagnoses, school evaluations, and disability services is overwhelming. And it's even harder when you're not sure which systems apply to your child, or how to get the help they need.

That's why OHSU is offering a free one-hour virtual presentation designed specifically for families of children with developmental disabilities, ages 1 to 18.

Clinical social worker Dawn Macready-Santos will walk you through:

🔹 The difference between a medical diagnosis and a school evaluation — and why it matters
🔹 What resources are available in each setting
🔹 Which organizations can support your family
🔹 How to request an evaluation for your child

🗓 Date: February 25, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
💻 Free & Virtual
🌎 Available in English and Spanish

👉 Register here: tinyurl.com/32zwuxk8

02/23/2026

Learn about how teaching medical students about disability can make a difference in the latest from our research team:

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...