Trainings

The Disability & Healthy Relationships team, including input from the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council and staff from Utah State University's Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice, work to host the following trainings. They are appropriate for individuals with disabilities, caregivers, and service providers.

Disability & Healthy Relationships ECHO

At a backyard barbeque, a white nonbinary person sits on a low stone table and passes a plate of food to a Black nonbinary person seated in a manual wheelchair with rainbow spokes. The white nonbinary person has a uniquely shapped dark gray rollator decorated with purple acrylic chains nearby. They have layered purple hair with two thin long braids on each side and are wearing a black hat, a green shirt, and a purple patterned skirt. The Black nonbinary person seated in their manual wheelchair has a curly pink fro with loc bangs and is wearing a purple and pink striped crop top, pink shorts, and purple sandals. They have several tattoos on both legs. A golden labrador retriever wearing a pink hankerchief sits at their feet. Behind them, another friend, a multi-ethnic man with curly black hair, holds a drink and chats near a grill.

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There is a general lack of awareness and capacity around supporting healthy relationships and sexuality education for individuals with disabilities. This monthly ECHO training series is primarily for professionals who provide services or support to individuals with disabilities, in any capacity. In it, presenters and participants will share important information, education, and resources about the intersection of disability and healthy relationships, sexuality, consent, and abuse prevention to increase the knowledge and capacity of professionals who work in various fields. Attendees will be better equipped to share accurate information, resources, and support for individuals with disabilities.

2026-2027 Series Schedule

Date	Subject Matter Expert	Session Videos	Handouts
March 12, 2026	Alex Schiwal	Disability & Abuse	Session Summary (PDF) and Slides (PDF)
April 9, 2026	Kye Doran & Alix Herer	Pregnancy and Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities	Session Summary (PDF) and Slides (PDF)
May 14, 2026	Erin Meottel	Abuse: Prevention, Signs, & Reporting	Session Summary (PDF) and Slides (PDF)
June 11, 2026	Alexandria Acor & Raven Burton	Sexuality & Ableism	Session Summary (PDF) and Slides (PDF)
July 9, 2026	Morrigan Hunter	Disability & Sexuality: Addressing Professional Biases	Session Summary (PDF) and Slides (PDF)
September 10, 2026	Nova McGiffert	Consent & Boundaries: Tools for Empowerment	Session Summary (PDF) and Slides (PDF)
October 8, 2026	Lynne Tomasa, Celina Urquidez & Gina Griffiths	Understanding Sexual Violence and Lived Experiences: Research to Practice	Session Summary (PDF) and Slides (PDF)
November 12, 2026	Amanda Rich	Trauma-Informed Care & Leadership in IDD Services
December 10, 2026	Renee Soniat	Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP) Program
January 14, 2027	Damon Bryan	Healthy Relationships are More Than Individual Skills: How Systems Shape Connection for Disabled Individuals
February 11, 2027	TBD	Disability & Sex Trafficking
March 11, 2027	Bora Lee	Beyond Access: Creating Safer Supports for Survivors with Disabilities

TETONS

A man with a disability and an older woman standing together smiling.

TETONS is a comprehensive class mapping a road to relationships, sexuality and self-determination for individuals with disabilities. Utah Parent Center, in partnership with Utah Developmental Disabilities Council, have curated this unique material to meet the needs of self-advocates 13 years of age and up.

TETONS Information

Trainings from Other Organizations

The trainings in this section were created by other organizations that we wanted to highlight and share with you! Some are free, some have a fee, but all are great learning resources for people with disabilities, caregivers, and service providers about having healthy relationships.

A woman sitting on a chair working on a laptop

Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP)
Developed in collaboration between VCU's School of Social Work and the Partnership for People with Disabilities, LEAP provides training on healthy relationships and information about preventing abuse to adults with disabilities. LEAP was developed by a multidisciplinary team that included people with disabilities and their families, along with representatives from domestic violence, child advocacy, social services, health, LGBTQ+ and disability advocacy agencies.

Elevatus
As national leaders in the field of sexuality and intellectual developmental disabilities and autism, we offer evidence and trauma-informed curriculum, online training, in-services, and workshops to help professionals, educators, self-advocates, and parents skillfully and confidently navigate the topic of sexuality.

Online Self-Paced Training: Accessible Education, Planned Parenthood
As leader in preventative health and education, Planned Parenthood offers multiple, free, and self-paced courses about abuse prevention, healthy relationships, consent, appropriate behaviors for individuals with disabilities, caregivers, and professionals.