The Institute on Disabilities, along with Black Girls with Green Thumbs, Liberty Resources, Inc, and the Kansas University Center on Disabilities, has just received a grant from the William Penn Foundation! Green Access Philly will reimagine what accessible green space can look like across Philadelphia. Through community voices and collaboration, this project will build a more inclusive and sustainable future for all. We are excited to get to work with our partners on this project!
/news/awarded-grants-may-2026
Jen Taylor Eaton, assistant director of Research and Evaluation at the IOD, just earned a PhD in Educational Psychology from the College of Education and Human Development!
Taylor Eaton's dissertation examines how parents’ literacy beliefs shape their support for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and shows that when parents presume competence and have higher expectations for their child’s future literacy skills, they are more likely to use meaningful, evidence-based strategies that support reading and vocabulary development.
Congratulations, Jen! We're so proud of your accomplishments!
🎉 May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month 🎉
Join one or all of our free Lunch and Learn AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) series, each Wednesday in May at noon, and celebrate with us!
📅 May 13: The Right to (NOT) Remain Silent: AAC in the Court and Legal System
📅 May 20: From Eye-Gaze to IEPs – Your Questions Answered!
📅 May 27: Healthy Consent and Boundaries for AAC Users: Dice Activity and More!
✔️ Sign up today! Follow the link in our bio. https://disabilities.temple.edu/aac-webinar-series-national-speech-language-hearing-month
Photo: Person taps on screen displaying their AAC app.
"Advocacy begins with listening." This powerful message from Aidan Campagnolio, a trainee at the Institute on Disabilities and a doctoral student in Temple University’s school psychology program at Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), highlights how his work is about more than assessments or academics. It is all about advocacy, connection, and making sure that every student and person with a disability has a voice. From research to impact, his work reminds us about the value of listening. Read more about Aidan's work at the link in our bio.
Stacy Phillips, a project coordinator at the IOD, attended the Arc of PA Advocacy Day at the State Capitol in Harrisburg on Tuesday, May 5th. Self-advocates, family members, professionals, and legislators came together in the Capitol Rotunda to speak out for stronger support and increased funding for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After powerful remarks, advocates met directly with lawmakers to push for meaningful action. Thanks for your work, Stacy!
REMINDER: MAY 11 Workshop
Talking About Sexuality: a free virtual workshop on Zoom for parents, guardians, caregivers, and family members of youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Date and Time
Monday, May 11, 2026 from 6 pm to 8 pm ET
Register at: https://temple.zoom.us/meeting/register/lTSA5Wa7TnSLoZJN6zR9wQ
or https://buff.ly/jfm0DP6
Talking about sexuality with your young and grown loved ones with disabilities can be difficult. As parents, guardians, and family members, we often worry whether talking about it gives permission and whether they can be safe from harm when they are in relationships. This workshop will help you become more comfortable and prepared for these conversations.
Topics include: - What is Sexual Health? - Barriers to Communicating - Human Sexual Development - Tips for Talking
Format:
This virtual training will be interactive with small and large group discussions. We aim to provide a safer space to learn together how to best support our loved ones with disabilities.
Accessibility:
Automatic closed captioning and image descriptions will be provided. Please contact [email protected] to share additional access needs. We will do our best to accommodate them.
About the Host and Workshop Contents
This workshop is hosted and facilitated by the Healthy Sexuality Project at the Institute on Disabilities. This workshop is written and designed by Elevatus Training, LLC.
Heated Accessibility: Intro to Sex, Disability, and Assistive Technology
Date: Thursday, May 21 on Zoom
Time: 12 pm - 1:30 pm ET
Audience: Open to all who care about accessibility and sexuality
Facilitated by: the Healthy Sexuality Project, Institute on Disabilities
Topics include: - Sex and Disability Foundations - Intro to Assistive Devices for Pleasure and Sexual Health
Free Registration: https://disabilities.temple.edu/programs-services/health-equity/healthy-sexuality
Automatic closed captioning and image descriptions will be provided.
Questions or additional access needs? Please email [email protected].
Photo via the Disabled And Here project, /disabledandhere - photo by Tojo Andrianarivo and make-up by Lana Shapiro.
Mom: the quiet strength behind every milestone, the constant source of encouragement and the first person to believe it was all possible. It was especially meaningful to see our undergraduate speaker, Chloe Smelser, celebrate this graduation moment with her family cheering from the audience 🎓❤️
Our senior Leadership & Career Studies students graduated yesterday afternoon at the College of Education and Human Development's graduation ceremony! Congratulations to Shawn, Elias, Deja, and Paul: we can't wait to see what you will do!
College is for everyone, and today, on Inclusive Postsecondary Education Day, our Leadership & Career Studies program celebrated their student graduates, their peer mentors, and staff members at Hank's Cafe. All L&CS graduates received pins commemorating their work, and all graduates received sweatshirts from the program. Congratulations, graduates! We are so proud of you, and excited to watch you walk the stage next week!
One of the IOD’s flagship programs, Competence and Confidence: Partners in Policymaking (C2P2), graduated its 2025 class last fall. Graduates, who were all self-advocates or parents of children with disabilities, shared insights on the program, celebrated their achievements, and encouraged others to consider applying.
Watch the full video on our website (through the link in our bio), and keep an eye out for when we open up C2P2 applications in the fall!
#leadership #disabilityadvocate @templecehd
On Wednesday, April 15, Governor Josh Shapiro signed three executive orders to strengthen the rights and protections of Pennsylvanians with disabilities. Our own Mary Kay Cunningham, assistant director of technical assistance and our UCEDD representative on the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, joined him along with self-advocates, disability allies, and organizations such as the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, The Arc of Pennsylvania, and others across the state. The three executive orders reaffirm the Commonwealth’s disability nondiscrimination policy, establish new data privacy protections for people with disabilities, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism, reauthorize the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, and create a new Governor’s advisory commission focused solely on people with disabilities.
Thank you for representing the IOD at this important event, Mary Kay. The IOD is looking forward to seeing these important steps put into action!
