C ommunity Connections A PUBLICATION OF THE CENTER FOR DISABILITIES | DECEMBER 2020 A University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service USD Center for Disabilities Aids Voter Participation for American Indians with Disabilities in South Dakota e Center for Disabilities at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine partnered with Disability Rights South Dakota and the South Dakota Developmental Disabilities Council to increase the ability of people with disabilities to exercise their voting rights, particularly those residing on tribal lands. Led by the Center for Disabilities’ Oyate’ Circle, this non- partisan initiative was to inform and educate people with disabilities about the process of participating in the voting process, including voter registration, lists of candidates and issues on the ballot and where/how to vote. Additional emphasis was placed on addressing particular challenges for tribal members with
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CommunityConnections
A PUBLICATION OF THE CENTER FOR DISABILITIES | DECEMBER 2020A University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service
USD Center for Disabilities Aids Voter Participation for American Indians with Disabilities in South Dakota
The Center for Disabilities at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine partnered with Disability Rights South Dakota and the South
Dakota Developmental Disabilities Council to increase the ability of people with disabilities to exercise their voting rights, particularly those residing
on tribal lands. Led by the Center for Disabilities’ Oyate’ Circle, this non-
partisan initiative was to inform and educate people with disabilities about the process of participating in the voting
process, including voter registration, lists of candidates and issues on the ballot and where/how to vote.
Additional emphasis was placed on addressing particular challenges for tribal members with
Community 2 Connections
December 2020
A Publication of the Center for Disabilities at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of
Medicine Department of Pediatrics.
ADMINISTRATIONEric Kurtz, Ph.D.Executive Director
EDITORIAL STAFFKendra Gottsleben, B.A.
Editor
Eric DalseideLayout and Design
CONTRIBUTING WRITERSMarni Johnson Martin, Au.D.
Lenora Heckel, B.A.
The Center for Disabilities at the USD Sanford School of Medicine is South
Dakota’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education,
Research and Service (UCEDD). As the South Dakota UCEDD, The Center for Disabilities
works with others to create opportunities that enhance the lives of people with disabilities and their families through training, services,
information, research, and community education. The Center for Disabilities
delivers activities across the lifespan from a community-based, family-centered and
culturally-competent perspective.
Center for Disabilities1400 West 22nd Street, Sioux Falls, SD 571051-800-658-3080 (Voice/TTY) • 605-357-1439
The University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities is supported by a grant from the Administration on Intellectual
and Developmental Disabilities, Administration for Community Living of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Grant Number:
90-DD-0704-02-00.
This newsletter is available in alternate format upon request by contacting the Center for Disabilities.
CommunityConnections
disabilities in rural, remote and reservation communities. Activities included information dissemination, citizen engagement, community events and community partnerships.
“Tribal members with disabilities face many obstacles, including access to voting. Their voices deserve to be heard,” said Jim Warne, Oglala Lakota tribal member and director of community engagement at the Center for Disabilities. “This project is focused on our elders and tribal members with disabilities, including families.”
The initiative served to create ongoing awareness, opportunity and access for all tribal members, especially those with disabilities, to understand the importance their voice and vote can make in the 2020 election and beyond.
Voter Participation (continued)
Gunnar Olson, a second-year student in the USD Department of Occupational Therapy doctorate program and a current USD Center for Disabilities LEND trainee, has been selected to serve as an intern for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
During his internship, Gunnar will develop resources for AOTA members and supporting evidence-based practice in different areas of pediatric occupational therapy practice. He says he is looking forward to the opportunity because it will help him build his clinical reasoning, advocacy, leadership and communication skills. Gunnar aspires to become a leader within the field of occupational therapy. This internship will assist him in achieving such a goal even before graduating.
LEND Trainee Selected for Internship with National Association
National Core Indicators (NCI) In Person Surveys Are Going Remote
Each of our worlds has changed fairly considerably since 2020 started. The COVID-19 virus has significantly impacted how we live, interact, communicate and support one another.
People who tend to be marginalized by society – people of color, senior citizens, people who struggle with mental illness, children and adults with disabilities and others – and depend on assistance from others to survive day to day are at increased risk of not being seen or heard. By gathering input directly from people with disabilities and their families, we can measure the quality and continuity of supports and services provided and use the data as a roadmap – where we have been, where we are now and where we are headed.
Now, more than ever, the continuity of services for people with disabilities is imperative. Over the next six months, the Center for Disabilities’ NCI team will work with Community Support Providers across South Dakota to conduct 400 “in person” surveys to measure participant and family satisfaction of services, including questions that focus specifically on effects of the pandemic.
One significant and positive change to the Adult In Person survey is that, this year, we are going remote. The majority of
all “in person” surveys will be conducted by utilizing HIPAA-compliant Zoom meetings in order to maintain the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone involved.
We acknowledge there may be some participants who do not have access to the technology, internet or support necessary for answering surveyor questions through remote means. The option to meet face-to-face is still viable but will be utilized as a last resort and only when safety protocols can still be met. For example, if the weather is conducive to sitting outside and communication is not hindered while wearing masks or social distancing, in-person interviews may be possible.
If you are contacted by your family member’s case manager asking permission for them to participate in this year’s in-person survey, please consider giving consent, as data collected this year will be particularly important to evaluate and drive decisions that may impact future services.
The evolution of services within South Dakota is driven by participant and family response. The information received from participants and their families through completion of the NCI surveys help ensure all participants are seen and their voices are heard, loud and clear.
For more information about National Core Indicators, please click here.
For South Dakota-specific NCI questions, please contact
SD LEND trainees participated in an LGBTQ+ panel on October 22, 2020. Trainees heard perspectives from LGBTQ+ individuals who were medical providers, community members and former LEND trainees. Trainees asked questions related to working with patients who identify as LGBTQ+ and learned about topics such as gender and sex.
Blake Warner, a second-year SD LEND Leadership Trainee, facilitated the panel discussion and had the following to say about the experience: “We included a LGBTQ+ panel for LEND trainees because it’s a section of our education not sufficiently addressed in our individual programs. LEND does such a great job of teaching us to be the best clinicians we can be and including diverse perspectives in our education is an important step in our development.”
As the training director of the SD LEND Program, Marni Johnson Martin, Au.D., frequently reminds trainees of the importance of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable in order to grow and change as a person and professional, particularly in areas related to culture and diversity. Feedback received from trainees has been extremely positive.
“I really like all the panels we’ve had but this was probably my favorite so far. I really enjoyed hearing everyone’s stories and perspectives and I’m glad I got to listen as they shared their knowledge. Being aware of how we talk to create a safe space for the people we work with and just in
LGBTQ+ Panellife in general was a great reminder for me.”
“This was a great atmosphere to learn in. I felt very safe to ask any questions. Everyone on the panel was incredibly insightful and it pushed me to reflect on how I can be a better advocate all the way around.”
“This panel was extremely insightful and pushed me out of my typical comfort zone. I really enjoyed this and learned a lot from this experience.”
For a LGBTQ+ panelist perspective click here.
Blake Warner, B.S., is a third-year Ph.D. student in the clinical psychology program at the University of South Dakota and a second-year SD LEND Leadership trainee. As part of the LGBTQ+ community, Blake has been passionate about advocacy for years, being a self-proclaimed “social justice warrior.” He works with numerous causes in the psychology program and community, advocating for the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups.
For the most current and up-to-date trainings and events, please view the Center’s Upcoming Events web page. You can also stay up-to-date through Facebook and Twitter.
Concentration in Deaf-Blindness and High IntensityThrough a collaboration with the National Center on Deaf-Blindness, the University of South Dakota, and our very own South Dakota Deaf-Blind Project, are pleased to announce our second semester of courses in the Concentration in Deaf-Blindness &
High-Intensity Support Needs series! We are offering Course 1: An Introduction to Deaf-Blindness and Course 3: Deaf-Blindness: Assessment and Instructional Planning.
This is an opportunity for our fantastic South Dakota teachers and related service providers to be part of a national cohort of professionals. If you work with a student with combined hearing and vision losses and/or high-intensity support needs, An
Introduction to Deaf-Blindness will provide you an incredible foundation of knowledge and strategies for this population of students. If you have already completed deaf-blind training modules with us, you may be ready to jump into Course 3 which has
new content specifically aligned with CEC competencies for educators.
