Institute For Disability at Utah State University

Checking On Utah: Wellbeing Survey Launches in More Than 55 Utah Communities Residents across Utah have the opportunity this spring to weigh in on how life is going in their own communities through the Utah Wellbeing Project.

Utah State Today covers a new wellbeing survey across communities in Utah. Our very own researchers here at the IDRPP helped make the new survey.

www.usu.edu/today/story/...

Program for Utahns with disabilities loses its license following deaths of 3 clients left in van • Utah News Dispatch State regulators have revoked a company’s license to provide day treatment after the deaths of three Utahns with disabilities.

Read the full article on the Utah News Dispatch website: weba.im/program-lose...

@utahnewsdispatch.com

Voices: I’ve seen the Disability Law Center change lives. Utah must preserve its independence. “People with disabilities deserve advocates who can fight for them, support them and ensure that their rights and dignity are protected,” writes Matthew Wappett in an op-ed.

"I have witnessed firsthand the indispensable work the DLC performs every day." Matthew Wappett, Executive Director of the IDRPP, writes about the importance of the Disability Law Center in Utah.

Read the full article on The Salt Lake Tribune website: www.sltrib.com/opinion/comm...

Libby Oseguera, Executive Director of the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council. Episode 20 Christine Pisani and Libby Oseguera: DD Councils in Idaho and Utah. Now Available!

Episode 20 of the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal is out!

Listen to the whole episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the DDNJ Author Insights Podcast page: ddnjauthorinsights.podbean.com

People with disabilities gathered at the Utah State Capitol building. Utah News Dispatch. Utahns with Disabilities Don't Need More Enemies.

Photo of a homeless tent made from a tarp. From Utah News Dispatch: "Institutionalizing our most vulnerable neighbors will not solve homelessness — it will hide it, at a staggering cost to taxpayers and human dignity. We can choose a better path: invest in housing, expand proven services, and build a system rooted in compassion and evidence.

"As far as we’re aware, the Cicero Institute has not spent hours visiting mental health facilities across Utah, speaking with countless individuals with serious mental illness, including those experiencing homelessness, or documenting and reporting instances of abuse and neglect of Utahns with mental illness. The DLC has, as have P&As across the nation.”

The DLC was the subject of a critical commentary by Cicero Institute representatives in the publication by the Utah News Dispatch @utahnewsdispatch.com.

Read the full article on the Utah News Dispatch website: utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/02/20/u...

We Want Your Ideas! Help Make Research Consent Forms Easier to Understand. Join a Focus Group at the University of Minnesota. We are from the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the University of Minnesota. We're inviting adults with IDD to join a 60 minutes focus group, look at a consent form and tell us what you think about it. Adults 18 or older with intellectual developmental disabilities can join. Contact James Housworth, PhD if you are interested at house119@umn.edu. Participants will receive a $50 gift card for participation.

The Institute on Community Integration is working on focus groups that will inform their work on making research participation more accessible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Contact James at house119@umn.edu

Participants will receive a $50 gift certificate.

Greg Green was a participant in Disability Advocacy. Greg shares what brought him out to Disability Advocacy Day and his concerns about things like funding and transportation. What did you get out o... Greg Green was a participant in Disability Advocacy. Greg shares what brought him out to Disability Advocacy Day and his concerns about things like funding and transportation. What did you get out.....

I was interviewed on Disability Advocacy Day at the Utah State Capitol last month, and @idrpp.bsky.social published part of the interview on Facebook, so I'm sharing it here.

www.facebook.com/usu.institut...

Thanks for sharing Greg, and thank you for letting us interview you!

Disability Law Center says it’s doing its job, but a lawmaker calls it ‘anti-family’ • Utah News Dispatch A Utah lawmaker says it’s time to reevaluate a nonprofit’s longtime status as a designated watchdog organization for those with disabilities.

From the article:
"A state lawmaker says it’s time to reevaluate a Utah nonprofit’s longtime status as a designated watchdog for those with disabilities, to the dismay of many supporters and clients." @utahnewsdispatch.com

utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/02/06/d...

Trump Wanted To Cut Disability Programs. Congress Just Said No After months of uncertainty, federal lawmakers approved a spending package that rejects Trump administration efforts to alter IDEA and do away with some disability programs.

An article from Disability Scoop was posted earlier this morning. "Trump Wanted To Cut Disability Programs. Congress Just Said No.

@disabilityscoop.bsky.social

www.disabilityscoop.com/2026/02/05/t...

Disability Advocacy Day Raises the Voices of Utahns With Disabilities A day-long event at the Utah State Capitol brought together people with disabilities, their families, disability-related agencies and legislators in a powerful reminder that Utah policies affect lives...

One week ago today was Disability Advocacy Day! Held at the Utah State Capitol, it was a day where people with disabilities, family members, and legislators came together and empower people to speak out and have a voice.

Check out the full blog on our website: idrpp.usu.edu/blog/2026/di...

Disability Advocacy Day Raises the Voices of Utahns With Disabilities A day-long event at the Utah State Capitol brought together people with disabilities, their families, disability-related agencies and legislators in a powerful reminder that Utah policies affect lives...

Disability Advocacy Day Raises the Voices of Utahns With Disabilities. Read the full blog on our website: idrpp.usu.edu/blog/2026/di...

#Disability #DisabilityRights #DisabilityAdvocacy

Facing potential cuts to vital programs, Utahns rally for ‘Disability Advocacy Day’ at the Capitol • Utah News Dispatch As Utah looks to reduce it's budget, advocates argue that cutting program funding would disrupt care for thousands of disabled Utahns

On Monday, January 26th, many Utahns gathered at the capitol for Disability Advocacy Day. Utah News Dispatch covers the story.

Read the full article on the Utah News Dispatch website: shorturl.at/bSu3e

How to speak Utah State Legislature as session set to begin Tuesday Over the next 45 days, the Utah State Legislature will meet and consider hundreds of bills that will impact your life in one way or another.

www.fox13now.com/news/politic...

Here is a helpful resource for the Utah legislative session.

Thanks for sharing!

A child is assisted by a walker. Why the IDEA is Important. Guest Blog by Kirsten Barraclough.

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: idrpp.usu.edu/blog/why-the...

#Disability #DisabilityEducation #Education

"In my mind, we really worked hard at the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities to be bipartisan. Yeah, we really find friends on both sides of the aisle." Episode 19 of the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal (DDNJ) Author Insights Podcast. Talley Wells, Executive Director of the NCCDD.

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

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

#Medicaid #Advocacy #Disability

Trump administration cuts sent a Cache Valley service program into turmoil. Its future remains uncertain. The funding was cut, partially restored, then put on hold. Now the future of AmeriCorps is the air lawmakers in Washington debate dollars.

Check out the latest updates on the Public & School Partnership - Northern Utah AmeriCorps VISTA program in this article from The Salt Lake Tribune : www.sltrib.com/news/2025/12...

Ed Department Recalls Staffers Who Handle Complaints From Students With Disabilities The U.S. Department of Education is bringing back hundreds of staffers to tackle a backlog of civil rights cases — including disability discrimination complaints — after trying for months to fire them...

Ed Department Recalls Staffers Who Handle Complaints From Students With Disabilities.

Read the full article on their website! www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/12/11/e...

#DisabilityNews #Education #DepartmentOfEducation

On November 29th we marked the 50th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Check out the statement the Association of University Centers on Disabilities made on the anniversary of the IDEA: www.aucd.org/news/50th-an...

Flyer for Disability Advocacy Day. Join us for Disability Advocacy Day 2026! You will hear the latest updates on Utah's 2026 Legislative Session and have the opportunity to participate in advocacy training. January 26, 2026 at the Utah State Capitol. Who should attend? People with disabilities, family members, allies, and disability professionals. Schedule as follows: 12:30 PM Legislative Training with Utah Developmental Disabilities Council. 3 PM March Around the Capitol. 3:30 to 5 PM Voices for Change Rally. 4:30 to 6 PM Annual LCPD Reception.

🚨Save the date!🚨 Disability Advocacy Day will be on January 26th 2026! Trainings, a march around the capitol, a rally, and so much more! Join us!

Wondering if you should attend? The people that should attend are people with disabilities, family members, allies, and disability professionals!

TRECI Opens Research, Evaluation and Continuous Improvement Services Not all data is good data or useful data. That is why the IDRPP now has a team dedicated to evaluation and other research-related services. JoLynne Lyon & Alyson Ward

Check out our latest blog on the the Tailored Research, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement (TRECI) program here at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice:
idrpp.usu.edu/blog/2025/tr...

30 Years Without A Real Raise: Early Intervention Pay Crisis Early intervention providers in one state haven't seen a substantive raise in three decades — and vulnerable young children are losing out.

Read the full article on the Disability Scoop website: www.disabilityscoop.com/2025/11/13/3...

Initiative Aims to Build Community Network for Dementia Support Across Utah USU has partnered with the Utah State Board of Education in URAPT, the Utah Registered Apprenticeship Program for Teachers that gives education majors the opportunity to work full-time in a classroom ...

Read the full blog on the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at USU website: cehs.usu.edu/news/2025/de...

Frame running has given Quinn freedom and her family hope | Cerebral Palsy Alliance Mum, Alicia first heard about frame running from a friend. They had no idea then that this sport was going to transform their family’s lives.

Check out this awesome story on frame running from the Cerebral Palsy Alliance!

cerebralpalsy.org.au/news-stories...

Tressa Johnston, Ph.D and Cari Gongora

We appreciate all our staff members who work so hard to make the Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program thrive!

Read the full blog on our website:https://idrpp.usu.edu/blog/2025/cache-county-home-visiting-program-celebrates-award-winning-year

IDRPP's Elizabeth Rivera Honored for Advocacy In one year, Elizabeth Rivera has visited multiple families, offered bilingual story hours, and opted to help numerous people in her free time. She was honored at the Utah Home Visiting Summit last mo...

We are so grateful to have Elizabeth on our team!

idrpp.usu.edu/blog/2025/ID...

New Advisory Board Adds Disability POV to Research “It seems like an obvious move, but from my understanding, it's not a common practice.” Research has long been performed on and around disability topics, often without asking for perspectives from peo...

Kelie Hess spoke about the Partners in Disability Research Advisory Board on one of our recent blogs.

Read the full blog on our website: idrpp.usu.edu/blog/2025/ne...

Research Catalyst Grant Fuels Study of “Compassion Compass” to Support Emotional Wellbeing Following Dementia Diagnosis Heather Kelley, Ph.D. and researcher at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy, and Practice (IDRPP), was recently awarded a Research Catalyst grant from the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Re...

Congratulations to our very own Heather Kelley! Thanks to the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at USU for highlighting this story! Read the full story on their website: cehs.usu.edu/news/2025/co...

Researched and Practiced Advice to Preschool Teachers and Families "Learning about one family may not give us all the information about the family's background. Like, just because I'm an Indian and you'll meet me as an Indian, you may not have the understanding of wh...

Ankita Bhattashali talks about the importance of cultural humility. Read more about Ankita's research on our website: idrpp.usu.edu/blog/2025/re...

Leave a comment and let us know why you think cultural humility is important!

#CulturalHumility #EducationSpecialist #teachers