Welcome
We hope you find our website informative, inspiring and illustrative of our long-standing commitment to improving health and quality of life for Oregonians with disabilities, and their families, across the lifespan.
We listen to our community and encourage you to contact us with any comments, questions or concerns you might have related to the UCEDD or people experiencing disabilities in our state.
and Melanie Fried-Oken, Ph.D., C.C.C./Sp. (left)
Who we are
University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities are organizations, located at universities across the nation, that focus on improving the lives of people with disabilities and their families. Through education, service, research and outreach activities, they work to be instrumental in changing policy, providing training, and educating the public about disability issues.
The OHSU UCEDD was one of the first UCEDDs created, and celebrates a nearly 50-year history in Oregon. We are instrumental in developing and leading disability research and outreach efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families across the State of Oregon.
What's happening - current news
20 year anniversary of the Olmstead Decision
We celebrate the anniversary with the release of a policy brief. Learn more about this landmark Supreme Court decision which has had an important impact on community integration for people with disabilities.
That's a wrap for UCEDD Summer Interns
The UCEDD Summer Interns finished their placements this week. This summer we had seven interns working on a variety of projects in assistive technology, public health, health policy and advocacy, campus accessibility, diversity and inclusion, psychology, and research. We are so thankful for their contributions and wish them the best in their future endeavors.
Recent quarterly newsletters:
Summer Internship Program featured in OHSU Week Podcast:
National network newsletters featuring our center:
Connect with us
Four Wheeling Through Life
Jan Staehely - UCEDD Staff, Communication Consultant and Blogger, writes about her life in her blog Four Wheeling Through Life. "I have a disability called Cerebral Palsy. Since all four of my limbs, plus my speech is affected by the disability, doctors say that I am severely disabled. However, if you ask me, I will tell you that there are people living with more complex disabilities than me."
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Events and announcements
Taking Charge of My Health Care Workshops
Portland (Sept. 30): information flyer | register here
Bend (Oct. 10): information flyer | register here
Medford (Oct. 22): information flyer | register here
This free workshop is for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and the those who support them. The workshop provides attendees with I/DD the knowledge, skills and resources to learn how to advocate for their health care and how to maintain and/or improve their overall health. It also provides care providers and support staff with tools and resources to encourage and support the people they serve with I/DD to advocate for their overall health and health care. During the workshop we will be piloting the Toolkit’s Leader's Guide in order to get feedback from the community to improve it.
Webinar recording available
Taking Charge of My Health Care Toolkit
Access the webinar recording here
Learn about a newly released, free resource called “Taking Charge of My Health Care Toolkit”. The toolkit aims to increase the skills of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to manage and advocate for their health and health care through general health education, skill building exercises, and sharing of resources. It was developed by the Oregon Self Advocacy Coalition’s Health Care Committee, a non-profit comprised of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities; the Oregon Office on Disability and Health; and the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.
Transition to Adulthood Town Hall - event recording available
The event covered topics related to the transition of adolescents and emerging adults.
This event was presented in partnership with:
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