IDRPP in the Media

Motivational speaker Jessica Cox will visit Utah State University on Monday as part of the university's Aviation Week. The event is also sponsored by the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice.

Last summer, the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal put out a call for submissions on a special issue highlighting the DD Network. The resulting issue offers a revealing look into the network’s critical impact on society.

Approximately 98% of infants born in the U.S. receive hearing screenings within one month of birth. It is the first step in ensuring that those with hearing differences have the best chance at success in building strong communication skills and supporting...

For individuals and families, navigating the complex world of disability systems and services can feel overwhelming, confusing, or impossible to access. This Blue Plate Research event helps break it down.

The Time To Act ECHO: Substance Abuse Network has engaged service providers in 25 Utah counties. Its work is one more step in holding critical conversations around substance abuse disorder, in areas that need it the most.

First, the program’s funding was abruptly pulled, then partially restored. It was put on hold during a government shutdown. During the shutdown, some VISTA members chose to keep working without pay.

An analysis of Elsevier Research’s 2024 statistics revealed eight faculty members of USU's College of Education and Human Services ranked in the top 2% of global researchers. One of them is IDRPP's Karl White.

“A lot of individuals with dementia and caregivers aren’t getting adequate support,” says IDRPP researcher Heather Kelley. A new initiative aims to change that.

A local AmeriCorps program that was unexpectedly terminated in April has now been reinstated and is back to work helping non-profit organizations serve their communities.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Good Things Utah) — A startling 1 in 4 Utahns have a disability. The Institute of Disability Research, Practice, and Policy (IDRPP) has 53 years of experience in disability; it was the first disability research center in the Mountain...

Matthew Wappett said, “There are a lot of assumptions about what people with disabilities can and cannot do. But being creative and expressing ourselves in an aspect of being human.”

Logan City had purchased a lift, but wasn't able to install it due to the design of the pool edge. The Utah Assistive Technology Program (UATP) at Utah State University designed a modification and helped us install the ADA lift for the 50 Meter Pool.

A nearly $750,000 Field Initiated Projects grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research will fund a randomized, controlled trial study on customized employment.

"Disability is not a political issue; it is a universal human experience," writes IDRPP Executive Director Matthew Wappett in this guest editorial of the Deseret News. "At some point in our lives, whether through genetics, accident, illness or aging, disa...

With the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ 2026 fiscal report proposing the elimination of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs nationwide, USU's Institute for Disability faces the potential elimination of $650,000 in federal fund...

SALT LAKE CITY — A major disability research and training center at Utah State University is at risk of losing its core funding, leaving its future uncertain.

Utah’s only university-based disability research center is at risk of losing federal funding — a loss that could have a domino effect on the rest of its budget.

NIBLEY - A disability doesn’t keep 11-year-old Porter Mann from proudly crossing the finish line in area races. The Heritage Elementary School student is just at the beginning of his career as a distant runner. He cut his teeth on distant running at the W...

For more than 25 years, the Public & School Partnership AmeriCorps VISTA program helped non-profit organizations in Logan and throughout Utah increase their capacity to serve their communities. The program abruptly ended April 25, when its federal grant w...

From the article: "This entire branch was eliminated in the April 1 cutbacks at CDC that slashed about 2,400 employees." IDRPP's Dr. Karl White, who founded our National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management, explains what this could mean for famil...

Researchers from the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice recently found that 80 percent of adults with disabilities nationwide reported having at least one of 11 chronic health conditions. Many of them could be categorized as preventable,...

A new article in the Early Childhood Education Journal challenges whether developmental milestones—such as the expected age for a typically developing child to drink from a cup or climb stairs—are universal across cultures. Ankita Bhattashali, PhD, from

While this technical assistance center is relatively new, it has exciting resources and support under development and planning. These include audience-specific content, micro-credentials on accessibility topics, a searchable clearinghouse regarding the ac...

The Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice is now an Aira Access Partner. Thanks to a pilot program funded by IDRPP, anyone on the Utah State University campus can open the Aira app on their phone and connect, free of charge, with a professi...

LOGAN - WebAIM, which stands for “Web Accessibility in Mind,” is a non-profit organization based at Utah State University dedicated to expanding the potential of the web for people with disabilities. This year WebAIM is celebrating 25 years of improving w...

Listeners, there’s a new Department of Justice rule related to the accessibility of digital materials, apps, and websites for state and local educational agencies. Our special guest today is Cynthia Curry is here to help ease that stress and explain the n...

LOGAN - It wasn’t quite 50 years ago that Karl White began his work as a researcher and Division Director at IDRPP. Later, on a sabbatical in Washington, D.C. in 1984, his work led to the establishment of the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Man...

LOGAN - The National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction — or NCADEMI — is known as “n-cademy.” Its mission is to ensure that students with disabilities nationwide can access and engage with technology at the same time, and wi...

“When you look at resilience and mental health, the number one factor in whether someone is able to rebound and manage the stresses in their lives is whether they have healthy relationships,” said Matthew Wappett, IDRPP executive director and one of the t...

The Public and School Partnership is now led by Program Director Roseline Hill. She comes to Utah State University via South Africa, where she gained more than 20 years’ experience in nonprofit work in human rights and rights for women.

Starting Sept. 25, Utah State University’s Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice will offer free professional development sessions focused on early autism identification.

The Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice offers two mindfulness courses for anyone who wishes to improve their life balance and reduce anxiety. The signup deadline is Sept. 8.

LOGAN - Because Utah lags behind all other states in the early identification of autism, Utah State University's Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice will offer a new ECHO professional development project focused on autism.

Laughter actually may be the best medicine as a chortle, chuckle, guffaw, giggle, howl, roar or hoot is better for your health than you know. Featuring IDRPP Executive Director Matthew Wappett. Watch the videos!

For years, advocacy groups have tried to alert state officials that Utah was funneling people with disabilities into segregated settings. In March 2021, federal investigators began examining the state’s program. This article quotes IDRPP Executive Directo...

A new center coming to Utah State University this fall will provide accessible digital materials to students with disabilities. The facility will address the "longstanding and historical issues" around access to educational materials for students with dis...

Families that have received services say they are grateful for the help with their little ones. But Utah providers struggle to provide quality services on funding that has remained stagnant since 2017.  

Starting this fall, a new Utah State University program will help education agencies across the nation improve the accessibility of school materials like textbooks, lectures, and websites.

Utah State University’s long-term commitment to digital accessibility for individuals with disabilities is at the heart of this week’s announcement that in October USU will open a $7.2 million center focused on providing accessible materials to students w...

Courtney and Dillan Schweinler of Utah County are remembering the early days of their son Theo’s life. He was born three months early. The brain bleeds started soon after that, and the family’s journey with early intervention began in the hospital.

The new program called the National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials and Instruction, or N-Academy, will be conducted at USU's Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice.

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal is celebrating its inclusion in the Directory of Open Access Journals, a globally recognized service that maintains a list of peer-reviewed open access journals. The journal’s inclusion in DOAJ underscores a comm...

Dr. Audrey Juhasz, researcher at the Institute for Disability Research Policy and Practice at Utah State University, discusses findings from their disability data analysis research.

Yesterday was Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and I cannot think of a better guest to have on the show today than Jared Smith. Jared is the director of WebAIM or Web Accessibility in Mind.

LOGAN - WebAIM (web accessibility in mind) is part of Utah State University’s Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice. ... And for the sixth year the WebAIM Million report, released this month, details accessibility to the world’s top 1 mill...

The latest WebAIM Million report is out — and so are some key facts about web accessibility, in higher education and out in the wild.

One hour isn’t enough to experience what life is like in a wheelchair, said Heiner. “The purpose for this wheelchair exercise is to make you aware of the barriers that people in wheelchairs face so that you can do something about them."

Brian Phillips and Tim Riesen of USU have a $5.4 million contract to create a website that will help youth with disabilities transition from school to careers.

In this episode, host Jeff Skibitsky and esteemed guest Dr. Matthew Wappett discuss reimagining the future of education to be more inclusive for individuals with disabilities. With a focus on autism, they critically discuss the current challenges and poss...

A new effort from Utah State University to deal with substance abuse begins this week with the first of 12 free monthly Zoom sessions.

Specialists from the Institute for Disability have received nearly $500,000 from Utah’s Department of Workforce Services to bolster customized employment for people severely impacted by disability in Utah.

Since 2014, federal policy has focused on competitive, integrated employment for people with intellectual disabilities. New research shows that after nearly a decade, there is a lot of room for improvement.

Utah State University’s Institute for Disability, Research, Policy & Practice (IDRPP) has launched its 5th ECHO training project.

The goal of USU’s Utah Assistive Technology Program is to put assistive technology into the hands of people who need it. Student journalist Anna Johnson recently featured this work.

The Seeking Mental Health Services as an Adult with a Disability exhibition is now on display at the Lyndsley Wilkerson Gallery in the Sorenson Center for Clinical Excellence at Utah State University.

The free "Time to Act ECHO: Mental Health Across the Lifespan" is a statewide training initiative intended to build capacity and confidence among service providers from across disciplines.

Thanks to a digital class, and a web accessibility evaluation tool from its Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice (IDRPP) Utah State University is more accessible to students with disabilities.

Utah State University is more accessible to students with disabilities, thanks to resources from the Institute for Disability. It’s also thanks to the efforts of USU’s Digital Accessibility Services Group, and to people from every corner of every USU camp...

Over the last three years, content from the DDNJ has been downloaded 13,000 times in 70 countries. The journal has included content from people with disabilities from many different backgrounds in alignment with its mission to include people with disabili...

The Institute's Kimberly Hutter was interviewed in this article about the shortage of Braille teachers nationwide--and what IDRPP's Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education is doing to ease it.

The Star Tribune (Minneapolis) reports on a rise in ADA-based lawsuits aimed at company websites. Features an interview with Jared Smith of IDRPP's WebAIM.

People with disabilities can visit UATP and ask for specific, custom-made devices to help them when the needed devices don’t exist.

UATP has created several tools that will help individuals through their day-to-day lives, with everything from liftware eating utensils and vehicle adaptions.    

Bollywood icons Bobby Deol and Kajol joined a panel discussion on Customized Employment for People with Disabilities at The Gateway School in Mumbai. The discussion delved into the crucial issue of employment opportunities for PWDs and was graced by Bolly...

The Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice’s Service Division is growing, with new projects coming on board and existing ones poised to grow. To manage the changes, IDRPP has brought in two Service Division associate directors.

Alison Layton used to love to go on hikes. But after she was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, it became impossible to keep going for long. “I’d be so exhausted,” says the teen from Kaysville, Utah. “I’d get to the point where I couldn’t do an...

Curtis Phillips is the new service division director at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice at Utah State University. He comes to the job at a busy time.

The Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice kicked off its 50th anniversary celebration with fine art. The Institute featured two artists in Logan’s Gallery Walk, offering a glimpse into different styles, cultures and ways of thinking about c...

In 1972, the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice opened at Utah State University. This year, the Institute celebrates its 50th anniversary and five decades of growth in the disability field.

The Utah State University Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice is celebrating its 50th anniversary this fall. As part of the celebration, IDRPP will feature artists in the Logan Gallery Walk Friday, Sept. 23. Kelie Hess is one of those art...

A study published in the Journal of Inclusive Postsecondary Education offers a list of skills that parents of college students with intellectual disabilities said would help students as they prepare to go to an inclusive college program. The parents surve...

COVID-19 upended the planet. Suddenly everything happened on-screen and in cars. But for those with disabilities, the rush online made some things hard and other things impossible: learning, working, buying food, signing up for a vaccine appointment.

Sue Olsen is the recipient of the Strong Human Services Award from Utah State University’s Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. She is the Services Division Director for the Institute for Disability Research, Policy and Practice (IDR...

Currently the average wage for a disability staff member is $12.75 an hour. With wages so low, it’s not only driving staff to poverty but causing a huge labor shortage in the system.

With wages so low for disability workers, long-term care centers are unable to provide enough care for the disabled. This staffing crisis is leading to overworked caretakers and often neglected clients. Parents with disabled children are speaking out.

Advocates for the disabled in Utah, and disability assistance workers, say a lack of state funding is badly impacting people in need. Specifically, they say that pay for disability workers is so low, long-term care centers can’t find enough people to fil...

Thank you to Kim Beckstead and the Utah Assistive Technology (AT) Act Program (UATP) for this wonderful window into learning to live differently with AT.

The idea of medical mask exemptions became intertwined with the anti-mask movement. But medical conditions can affect mask-wearing, largely for members of the disabled community.

Fox News interviews Ph.D student Erica Ficklin regarding her research on disability and mental health perceptions among Utah natives. Her work began at IDRPP and the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.

Kelie Hess joins in a conversation about disability, visibility and accessibility on Utah Public Radio's Access Utah.

On October 5, the US Attorney’s Office in eastern New York announced agreements to improve accessibility of COVID-19 vaccination websites. IDRPP's WebAIM provided information on accessibility across these entities’ websites.

When it comes to working with visually impaired infants and their parents, perhaps nobody on the planet is as experienced, skillful and knowledgeable as Elizabeth Dennison of IDRPP's SKI-HI Institute.

A program from IDRPP will help train Utah's youth to identify and respond to mental health issues.

IDRPP Executive Director Matthew Wappett, School to Work Coordinator Kelie Hess, and Utah Developmental Disabilities Council member Eric Stoker discuss disability in Utah and why full participation in the community matters.

As of July 1, Utah State University’s Center for Persons With Disabilities will be known as the Institute for Disability Research, Policy and Practice.

The pandemic has brought the added stress of job and income loss for many. But for Isabel Allende, the first and biggest hurdle was acknowledging the need.

Blind Americans are finding that these new registration sites suffer from low-contrast coloring, minimal text options, screen reader incompatibility and supplemental electronic forms that must be filled out.

While Utah ramps up efforts to vaccinate every adult in the state, advocates are increasingly concerned that the websites used for scheduling appointments are less accessible to people who are sight-impaired.

Many COVID vaccination registration and information websites at the federal, state and local levels violate disability rights laws, hindering the ability of blind people to sign up for a potentially lifesaving vaccine.

The class is “Career Exploration 2,” but some days, it could just as well be called “How to Handle Life.”

Today we’ll feature how seniors and people with disabilities are using technology during the pandemic, f rom getting hooked up to the internet for the first time, to building community virtually to the hurdles and expanded opportunities of remote work.

After 20 years at Utah State University’s Center for Persons With Disabilities — most recently as Policy Director — Sachin Pavithran will leave soon for Washington, D.C. to become Executive Director of the U.S. Access Board.

Until recently at Utah State University’s Center for Persons With Disabilities there was a program known as the “Developmental Skills Laboratory.” Drake Rasmussen, the lab’s program coordinator, said its name was changed recently.