Please enjoy OARC’s quarterly newsletter, which includes information on upcoming and recent events, news, publications, and community participation opportunities.

This month's meeting will include presentations on Unintended Injury in Autistic Individuals, Financial Planning/ABLE Accounts for People with Disabilities, and an update of the IACC Strategic Plan.

The 2018 IACC Workshop included presentations on Health and Healthcare for Adults, Physical and Mental Health - Epidemiology of Co-occurring Conditions, Epilepsy, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Sleep Issues, and Patient-Provider Interactions.

The PCPID advises the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on programs, services, and support for individuals with intellectual disabilities. This includes advice on expanding employment opportunities, connecting people to services, supporting families and caregivers, strengthening the networks, and protecting rights and preventing abuse. These meetings will be open to the public.

Recordings of keynote talks and selected panel presentations from the INSAR 2018 Annual Meeting, which took place between May 9 – 12 in Rotterdamn, the Netherlands, are now available. Talks by IACC members include the keynote address by Dr. Geraldine Dawson, Paradigm Shifts in Approaches to the Early Detection and Treatment of Autism, and Dr. Julie Lounds Taylor’s presentation on Sex/Gender Differences across Contexts and Reporters.

Ms. Julie Hocker is the new Commissioner of the Administration on Disabilities. She previously served as a senior manager at the Charles Koch Foundation.

In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta recognizes the contributions of Americans with disabilities and the importance of access to employment.

President Donald Trump proclaims October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month and recognizes the achievements of Americans with disabilities in the workforce. He renews his Administration’s commitment to creating employment opportunities. In this proclamation, he outlines his policies to address employment issues and the efforts of the Department of Labor to promote opportunities for disabled Americans through retainment initiatives and accommodation efforts.

According to CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 1 in 4 adults in the US have a disability. This is the first CDC report of the percentage of adults across six disability types: hearing, vision, cognition, mobility, self-care, and independent living. Overall, mobility disability was found to be the most common disability type, followed by cognitive disability. However, cognitive disability was the most common type in young adults.

SPARK (Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge) matches individuals with research studies based on characteristics such as age, diagnosis, medical history, and more. Their aim is to speed up research and advance the understanding of autism.

The Interactive Autism Network (IAN) at the Kennedy Krieger Institute offers ongoing opportunities to participate in research. Participants complete an online survey and will receive notices about local, regional, and national studies.