Shows
DDNJ Author InsightsEp. 19 Talley Wells - Disability Network Highlight: Disability CouncilsIn another special episode about the Developmental Disabilities Network, Matt interviews Talley Wells about his experience with a state disability council. Along with UCEDDs, and Protection & Advocacy agencies, each state has a disability council. Talley shares his impressive history in the disability field and how the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) supports people with disabilities across the state. A full transcript is available in English and Spanish.
NCCDD: https://nccdd.org/
OlmsteadRights.org: https://www.olmsteadrights.org/
Bio: Talley Wells is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD). NCCDD is a forty-person Council appo...
2025-12-2156 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 18 Derek Nord and Randall Owen - University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
In this special episode, Matt interviews Derek Nord and Randall Owen about something they all have in common - their jobs as Directors of University Centers on Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs). They discuss how they ended up working within this system, the valuable services and research they and their centers provide to their communities, and what is unique about the UCEDD system. DDNJ was created to highlight the work done in UCEDDs and other disability network programs. View the full transcript in English or Spanish.
"There are 68 UCEDDs-at least one in every US state and territory-that f...
2025-09-291h 30DDNJ Author InsightsEp. 17 Disability Education in Medical SchoolsIn this episode we hear from three of the authors (Hannah, Sahana, and Shelly) about their article titled "Disability Education in Medical Schools: A Paradigm Shift for Inclusive Care" published in the Fall 2024 issue of the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal. Full transcripts of this episode are available here in English and in Spanish.
Dr. Hannah Ship is an Internal Medicine Resident Physician at UCLA, with a dual degree (M.D./M.P.H.) from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Passionate about health equity, she advocates for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities and designed a medical...
2025-08-2750 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 16 - Megan Best, Amanda Johnston, Sarah Demissie - Civic Engagement and Youth with DisabilitiesIn this episode, Matt talks to Megan Best, Amanda Johnston, Sarah Demissie, coauthors on the article, "Conducting a Pilot Evaluation of a Civic-Engagement Program for Youth with Disabilities" which was published in the fall 2024 issue of DDNJ. The researchers behind this article discuss why it is important for individuals with disabilities to be engaged in self-advocacy, what policies impact people with disabilities, and implications for research. A full transcript of the podcast interview is available in English and Spanish.
Megan is a fourth-year doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on empowering self-advocacy...
2025-06-171h 13DDNJ Author InsightsEp. 15 Barriers to Health Care Among Adults with Disabilities with Mary Beth Bruder and Tara LutzIn this episode, Matt interviews Drs. Mary Beth Bruder and Tara Lutz from the University of Connecticut Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UConn UCEDD); Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities program (UConn LEND) about their article, "Barriers to Health Care Among Adults with Disabilities in Connecticut" in the Fall 2024 issue of the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal.
The conversation was insightful and covered many timely issues about health disparities for people with disabilities, physical barriers that make accessing healthcare harder for people who use wheelchairs, walkers, or have other mobility limitations, and other challenges in accessing...
2025-05-0755 min
Assistive Technology Update - A fast-paced weekly update for AT professionals and enthusiastsATU711 - NCADEMI with Cynthia CurryYour weekly dose of information that keeps you up to date on the latest developments in the field of technology designed to assist people with disabilities and special needs. Special Guest: Cynthia Curry - Director of the National Center on Accessible Digital Education Materials and Instruction (NCADEMI) - Institute for Disability Research, Policy and Practice (IDRPP) - Utah State University Website: ncademi.org Email: info@ncademi.org Find your local AT Act Provider: www.eastersealstech.com/states —————————— If you have an AT question, leave us a voice mail at: 317-721-7124 or email tech@eastersealscrossroads.org Check out our web site: http://www.eastersea...
2025-01-1027 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 14 Addressing Ableism in Mental Healthcare for Patients with IDD - Micah Peace UrquillaIn this episode, we hear from Micah Peace Urquilla (they/them) about the Person Experiences Interview Survey (PEIS), a tool developed to engage patients with IDD in their own care. We talked about how the mental healthcare system has more barriers and is more difficult to navigate and receive quality care for people with disabilities. We also discussed how the PEIS aims to engage patients with IDD in their care to ensure it more person-centered. You can read Micah's article in DDNJ here.
A full transcript is available here.
Micah Peace Urquilla is an Autistic, multiply...
2024-10-2357 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 13 Joan Beasley and Luke Kalb - MHIDD Special IssueOur Winter 2023-2024 special issue was dedicated to the wellbeing and mental health aspects of persons with IDD. We were interested in all facets of this topic, with a particular focus on engagement with people with IDD, integrated wellbeing and mental health assessment and treatment approaches, inclusive research, and positive mental health. We were lucky to have Drs. Joan Beasley and Luke Kalb serve as the guest editors for this issue. Matt interviewed them about this topic and how the issue came together. A full transcript is available here.
You can read Joan and Luke's editorial and...
2024-08-0556 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 12 - Reimagining Disability, a Call to Action - with Julia Pappageorge & Paritosh JoshiIn this episode Matt interviews Julia and Paritosh about their recent article entitled "Reimagining Disability, a Call to Action" Published in the 2023 open issue of DDNJ. In this article and in the podcast, they discuss why professionals across various fields should move towards the social model of disability, rather than the medical model. This conversation provides more insight into why they see a need for this shift, a discussion of systemic barriers for people with disabilities, and how this shift in perspective could improve the work we do and the impact for attitudes towards disability. A full transcript is...
2024-07-101h 14DDNJ Author InsightsEp. 11 Richard Chapman and Jessica Schuttler - Self-Determination and Mental HealthIn this episode, Matt Wappett interviews Drs. Richard Chapman and Jessica Schuttler about their recent article, Applying the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction to the Psychotherapeutic Context for People with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities. They talk about how this model was and can be used in clinical practice and the importance of self-determination, as well as the motivations behind their work. A full transcript is available here in English and in Spanish.
Links mention in this episode include:
selfdetermination.ku.edu
tinyurl.com\SDMPower
Richard Chapman is the associate director for disability l...
2024-04-1044 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 10 Shari Cooper - Loving My Skin: A Self-Advocate’s Perspective from Dayton, OhioIn this episode, we hear from Shari Cooper self-advocate and author of Loving My Skin: A Self-Advocate’s Perspective from Dayton, Ohio. Shari has worked in the disability field a very long time, tells us how she became involved in self-advocacy, and how she thinks it could be valuable for others to become involved. You can listen to this episode here or check out a transcript in English or Spanish.
Shari is a strong advocate for everyone who lives with a disability, and her resume proves it. In her position as Public Relations Assistant for Goodwill Easter Seal...
2024-02-1432 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 9 Tawara Goode: Advancing Diversity, Equity, and InclusionIn this episode, Matt interviewed Tawara Goode about the article she coauthored in the special issue of DDNJ focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This article was entitled, "Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Developmental Disabilities: The Essential Role of Leadership for Cultural and Linguistic Competence" We learned what lead Tawara to do this work, more information about the project featured in the article, and about her motivation to do this work. A full transcript of this episode is available here in English and in Spanish.
Tawara Goode is an associate professor in the Department o...
2023-10-0253 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 8 Ida Winters and Elizabeth Morgan - Paths to EquityIn this episode, we hear from two of the authors of the article titled, "Paths to Equity: Parents in partnership with UCEDDs fostering Black family advocacy for children on the autism spectrum" which was published in the 2023 special issue on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We were so thrilled to discuss this important work with Ida and Dr. Morgan and also learn more about them as people and why they are invested in what they do. A full transcript of this interview is available here in English and here in Spanish.
Ida Winters is the mother of 3 wonderful...
2023-07-2758 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 7 Nathan Rabang and Vanessa Hiratsuka - Disability Decolonized
In this episode, Dr. Matt Wappett interviews Nathan Rabang and Vanessa Hiratsuka about their recent article in the Developmental Disabilities network journal special issue on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Their article was entitled Disability Decolonized: Indigenous Peoples Enacting Self-determination and can be found here. A quote from their article that gets at the core of our conversation is, "To reach a full decolonization of IDD health care and fully embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles, individuals in these [Indigenous] communities need to be viewed as experts in their journey of resilience." Full transcripts of this podcast interview are available...
2023-04-1958 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp.6 Jacy Farkas and Lydia Ocasio-Stoutenburg, Special Issue on Diversity, Equity, and InclusionFor this episode of the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal (DDNJ) Author Insights podcast, we are bringing our listeners something a little different. We've had the immense privilege to have Jacy Farkas and Dr. Lydia Ocasio-Stoutenburg work with us as guest editors on the upcoming special issue of the DDNJ, focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Be sure to watch for the publication of this issue soon, and take a listen to this episode to learn about how Lydia and Jacy became involved in the disability field and how they bring their values into their work.
Full transcripts...
2022-11-1146 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 5 Tabitha Pacheco and Bob Morgan ” Collaboration between Secondary Special Education Teachers and Community Rehabilitation Service Providers: A Focus Group Analysis”In this episode, we talked to Tabitha and Bob about their recent article in DDNJ titled, " Collaboration between Secondary Special Education Teachers and Community Rehabilitation Service Providers: A Focus Group Analysis" - a full transcript of this podcast is available in English and in Spanish.
Bob Morgan is a Professor in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation at Utah State University. He is the Head of the Masters Program Committee and the Severe Disabilities Licensure Program. Bob worked in classrooms for elementary and secondary-aged students as a School Psychologist and Behavior Specialist for 12 years. His research...
2022-09-2747 min
Develop AbilitiesAmerican's with Disabilities Act: Part 3 ProfessionalsInformation Specialist, Eric Stoker, interviewed Representative Cheryl Acton from the Utah State Legislature, Hillary Hase from Utah State University’s IDRPP, Mirca Divercian from Camp Kostopulos and Andy Curry from Roads to Independence. They talked about what they were doing when the ADA was passed, how the ADA has impacted the work they are doing and so much more.
2022-08-311h 13DDNJ Author InsightsEp. 4 Dr. Sarah Behrens Family Perspectives on Developmental Monitoring
We interviewed Dr. Sarah Behrens about her recent article in the DDNJ Family Perspectives on Developmental Monitoring: A Qualitative Study Dr. Behrens is a recent University of Kansas Medical Center graduate in Therapeutic Science with a research emphasis on early identification practices for young children and their families. She has a master's in social work and is a former LEND trainee. Serving families and children with autism spectrum disorder, Sarah was the project coordinator for the autism diagnostic initiative with the Kansas State Department of Education TASN project and KU Medical Center's diagnostic clinic for 10 years. Currently, Sarah is a...
2022-07-2739 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 3 Dr. Parthenia Dinora and Molly Dellinger-Wray, The Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP) ProgramIn this episode we interviewed Dr. Parthenia "Parthy" Dinora and Molly Dellinger-Wray to learn about the Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP) program which is an abuse prevention intervention for people with intellectual disabilities. Parthy and Molly were co-authors on an article about this program and you can find the article about this program in the most recent issue of the Development Disabilities Network Journal here. We wanted to ask them about some of the key take-aways of their research, why such a program is necessary, and some of the stories behind the scenes of the research process...
2022-03-1045 minDDNJ Author InsightsEp. 2 Dr. Samantha Ross and Bridgette Schram ”Promoting Inclusion of Adults with Disabilities in Local Fitness Programs: A Needs Assessment”This episode is an interview with Dr. Samantha Ross and her coauthor, Bridgette Schram, about their article entitled "Promoting Inclusion of Adults with Disabilities in Local Fitness Programs: A Needs Assessment." This article can be found in the most recent issue of DDNJ, Volume Two, Issue One. So, by way of introduction, Dr. Samantha Ross is an assistant professor in the Physical Education Teacher Education program within the College of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences at West Virginia University. Dr. Ross completed her doctoral training at Oregon State University, where she also received a Master of Public Health and...
2022-02-0747 minDDNJ Author InsightsEpisode 1 Interview with Dr. Heather Church and Dr. Jackie McGinley
Welcome to the inaugural episode of the DDNJ Author insights podcast. We are excited to welcome you to this new series of interviews with authors published in the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal, adding another level of accessibility and insight to the world of disability research.
In this episode, Dr. Matthew Wappett, Editor in Chief of the DDNJ and Executive Director of the Institute for Disability Research, Practice, and Policy at Utah State University, interviews Drs. Church and McGinley about their recently published article "Advance Care Planning Within Individualized Care Plans: A Component of Emergency Preparedness" - check out their full ar...
2021-12-1435 min