NADD: Linking Up for Greatness

 

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Join professionals, practitioners, researchers, advocates, and people with lived experience from across the country at the NADD Annual Conference—the premier event dedicated to advancing services and supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and co-occurring mental health needs. Through inspiring keynote speakers, practical educational sessions, and valuable networking opportunities, discover the latest research, innovative practices, and collaborative strategies shaping the future of whole-person, community-based care. Early Bird Discount Ends July 1 REGISTER NOW SCHEDULE & SESSION INFO Hear directly from members of the Link Center Steering Committee as they share powerful lived experiences navigating community services, overcoming barriers, and driving person-centered systems change for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health needs. The Link Center, led by NASDDDS, in partnership with NASMHPD, NASHIA and NADD has released a new national publication: Cross System Strategies to Support Children with Complex Behavioral Health Conditions. The report highlights real-world examples of how states are strengthening systems of care and presents a practical framework designed to support replication and scaling. It offers actionable policy and program strategies that can inform cross-system efforts serving children with complex behavioral needs. Download the publication HERE LEARN MORE NADD will be launching a 6-part webinar series on this topic. Stay tuned for additional details and registration information... UPCOMING SHARED LEARNING GROUPS Slow Down, Listen, and Respond with Humanity: Suicide Prevention Support Strategies for People with Co-Occurring Conditions When navigating complex, co-occurring conditions, people can often feel trapped and see no way out, placing them at a higher risk for suicide. While every experience is unique, the most powerful intervention often begins when we slow down, listen deeply, and respond with intention. Join this upcoming Shared Learning Group as we discuss critical warning signs and risk factors, while sharing actionable strategies and resources to provide ongoing support and restore a sense of hope. There are four sessions July 29-30, 2026 on the same topic for different target audiences. Please register for the session most relevant to you, or whichever best fits into your schedule. REGISTER JMHRID SPOTLIGHT NADD membership includes unlimited access to The Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities (JMHRID); international, peer-reviewed research featuring cutting-edge studies, innovative practices, and global perspectives focused on advancing mental health supports for individuals with intellectual and related neurodevelopmental disabilities. RECENT PUBLICATIONS Many individuals with neurogenetic conditions associated with intellectual disabilities experience psychosocial challenges, but the extent to which intervention studies address those challenges is unknown. This scoping review examined the breadth and depth of research about nonpharmacological interventions that included measures of psychosocial outcomes for neurogenetic conditions. Learn more by reading the JMHRID open-access article, A Scoping Review of Nonpharmacological Interventions Reporting Psychosocial Outcomes in Neurogenetic Conditions The functional dependence of older adults with intellectual disabilities can significantly affect both their own quality of life and that of their caregivers. This study examined caregivers in Southern Brazil and found that higher levels of functional dependence were associated with increased caregiver stress and lower quality of life. Greater independence in mobility was also unexpectedly linked to higher stress, highlighting the complex and sometimes counterintuitive challenges of caregiving. Learn more by reading this  NADD member-only article, Is the Functional Dependence of Older Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Southern Brazil Associated with Their Informal caregivers’ Perception of Quality of Life and Stress? READ MORE MORE TO EXPLORE LEARN MORE With the support of our members, partners and volunteers, NADD is able to provide a network for continued advancement of research and quality supports for people experiencing intellectual/developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions. To become a member of this network and community, join us via the link below. JOIN NOW Not a NADD Member? Become one today, starting at just $99 per year. FOLLOW NADD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Author's Toolbox: Lex and Susan Haas, An AAC Writing Team

 

The SC Writers Association (SCWA) holds a program every month called the Author's Toolbox. For July, Lexi and Susan Haas are joining North Carolina. They are a writing team from Charlotte. Lex is nonverbal due to cerebral palsy, and she writes using an alternative augmentative communication (AAC) device. 

Event:  The North Carolina-based writing team of Lexi and Susan Haas join us to talk about the advantages and pitfalls of having a co-writer. As a team they are close as they are mother and daughter. This night will be especially insightful as Lexi because of cerebral palsy is nonverbal. Yet her sense of humor with the flair of storytelling shines through their books. Susan started out as a medical writer. She embraced writing with Lexi to help Lexi achieve independence. We will explore their origins as a team. We will also find out how disability frames their stories from the outline to the final draft. How they have used storytelling as a tool for advocacy. (information from SCWA website)

About the Authors: Susan and Lexi Haas are a mother and daughter writing team focusing on disability education and advocacy. They are the authors of The Year of the Buttered Cat (a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection) and Fooled. Lexi has a rare and severe form of cerebral palsy. While she could not walk or talk, she was reading by ten months old, had an impressive memory, a keen sense of humor, and an invincible spirit. Recognizing her young daughter’s gift for words, Susan began writing with Lexi to help foster independence and develop communication but soon learned that Lexi’s fresh perspective needed to be shared with others. In addition to writing together, Susan and Lexi also enjoy presenting to schools and organizations around the world, helping others learn about disability from a first-person narrative. (information from SCWA website) 

The event is virtual and will be held online July 23rd at 7pm.   It is $25 to attend as a non-member.  Register for this is event. 

AUCD 2026: Call for Proposals — Deadline Extended to July 26

 

November 8-11 | Washington, D.C. AUCD 2026 Annual Conference: Call for Proposals Extended Present your research and findings to drive impact through innovation and partnership. The deadline to submit proposals for the AUCD 2026 Annual Conference has been extended to July 26, 2026. Join disability leaders from across the country in Washington, D.C., November 8–11, 2026, for Impact Through Innovation and Partnership. AUCD invites submissions highlighting research, innovative programs, community partnerships, and policy initiatives that advance meaningful change for people with disabilities and their families. Use #AUCD2026 to join the conversation and share your conference plans with the community. Submit Proposal Don’t miss this opportunity to highlight your work and connect with other disability leaders in the field. https://www.aucd.org/conference/proposals-2026 AUCD 2026: Impact Through Innovation and Partnership

The 2026 AUCD Conference brings together disability community leaders, researchers, and partners, to share new ideas, learn from one another, and work together to make a REAL difference in the disability communities. The focus is on innovation and building strong partnerships to improve services, research, and support for people with disabilities, their families, and the community. www.aucd.org/conference

AUCD | 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1000 | Silver Spring, MD 20910

Wheelchair User --> U.S. Senator?

 

June 16, 2026 - View in browser

PRODUCTS Bowhead Nano Travel Chair: Reviewed Bowhead’s new ultraportable Nano has the potential to change the way many wheelchair users travel, much like the company’s line of high-end handcycles changed adaptive outdoor recreation. Weighing under 10lbs and quickly folding to fit in your lap, the Nano is compact enough to serve as a lightweight shower chair or an airplane aisle chair. Arielle Rausin, a T11 paraplegic and manual wheelchair user, recently tested the Nano. Click the headline for her full review and watch an Instagram short of her testing it. A Safe, Effective Resuable Catheter System What if you took a handful of the best features from premium catheters and put them into a catheter that came with a small, portable base that allowed you to easily clean, disinfect and reuse the catheter? That’s the idea behind Aurie, a reusable intermittent catheter system that is looking to disrupt and improve the way users get and use intermittent catheters. Earlier this year, Aurie became the first reusable catheter system to receive FDA approval and we talked with the system’s designer to see what users can expect. POLITICS Meet the Wheelchair User Fighting for Iowa's Open Senate Seat On June 2, Josh Turek, a manual wheelchair user with Spina Bifida and Paralympic gold medalist, won the Democratic primary for Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat. The upcoming Senate race is one of the most high-profile races in the country, with many analysts forecasting that Turek has a real chance to contest the Senate seat in what has been a Republican stronghold. Read more about how Turek is leaning into his disability to connect with working-class voters in Ian Ruder’s recent Q&A with the Senate hopeful. ADVOCACY How Wheelchair Users' Repair Stories Moved a Congresswoman to Act Next week, at the 2026 Roll on Capitol Hill, over 100 wheelchair users from around America will meet virtually with their elected representatives to advocate for policies critical to the disability community. One of those policies is a bill to eliminate the need for prior authorization for wheelchair repairs for all Medicare Advantage recipients. Ian Ruder writes how the bill might never have seen the light of day if not for the efforts of members of SCIboston. DAY IN THE LIFE Jarom Hlebasko, GIS Manager and Wheelchair Cushion Company Co-Owner Jarom Hlebasko already had a job he loved and a family that kept him plenty busy, but that didn’t stop him from adding another major responsibility. When the company that made the wheelchair cushion he depended on went out of business, he bought the company. Hlebasko, a C5 quadriplegic, shares what a typical (busy) day in his life looks like. PRO TIPS Roll Out and Garden Summer officially arrives this week, and what better way is there to enjoy it than spending some hours rolling around your garden soaking up the sun? If you haven’t planted your summer veggies yet or you’re not sure how to plantmaxx as a wheelchair user, Paula Larson’s 2018 feature has you covered.

New Mobility publishes member content for United Spinal Association, whose mission is to empower wheelchair users to achieve their highest quality of life. Join here.