Center for Leadership in Disability

Join GaLEND in an Audiology Continuing Education event!

One out of 4 children who seek hearing health care has a developmental disability. Moreover, often children have not received a formal diagnosis at the time of their hearing evaluation. As a result, audiologists are uniquely positioned to assist in early identification of developmental disabilities through universal screening efforts. This presentation will focus on reviewing best-practice processes and tools for screening development.

Please visit https://bit.ly/GaLENDcourses to learn more and register for the course.

It's Georgia State Day! At the Center for Leadership in Disability, we are committed to strengthening systems, supporting families, and building inclusive communities across Georgia.

Your gift helps expand training and professional development, advance research, and increase access to resources across our communities.

Give today and be a part of the impact. https://donate.gsu.edu/s/give?dsgt=020110



Visual Description: The photo shows a large diverse group of people standing outdoors posing for a photo.

The Georgia Child Health Conference invites you to Family Day at Stone Mountain Park! Bring the whole family for a day of fun, food, and activities for all on June 14 from 10 AM to 2 PM. Complimentary park passes will be provided to the first 300 attendees. We hope to see you there!

Registration is required for this event. Register Today: https://tinyurl.com/47tfdu4j

April is Autism Acceptance Month, a time to move beyond awareness and toward understanding and inclusion.

At the Center for Leadership in Disability, we aim to elevate awareness and honor lived experiences through initiatives like our annual Autism Conference and Expo (ACE) of Georgia. This year’s conference will take place on May 1 at Georgia State University and will center on the theme, Georgia Grown: From Research to Reality.

Join us, along with community partners, self-advocates, and families, to connect, share, and “grow” solutions to the challenges facing individuals with autism, their families, and their communities of support.

Let’s continue learning, listening, and building communities that embrace neurodiversity and support individuals and families in meaningful ways—not just this month, but every day.

Register Today: https://tinyurl.com/mv537t6c

Check out this webinar being led by CLD faculty member, Brian Barger!

Join us for the first of four Speaker Series Events from the Council on Research and Evaluation (CORE). Brian Barger, PhD, will be speaking on how autism screening tools’ diagnostic accuracy can be underestimated when based solely on initial cross-sectional data on Friday, April 24, from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET.

Register at www.aucd.org/events

Center for Leadership in Disability
Georgia State University

ID: Flyer for the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Council on Research and Evaluation (CORE) Speaker Series titled “Advancing Disability Research.” The event is scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM ET. Featured speaker is Brian Barger, PhD, of Georgia State University. A headshot of Dr. Barger appears on the left. The flyer notes he will discuss how autism screening tools’ diagnostic accuracy may be underestimated when based only on initial cross-sectional data. A QR code and the link “aucd.org/events” are provided for registration.

Julie!

Julie Eshleman, a Georgia LEND Fellow, explains in that the proposed AI Civil Rights Act of 2025 would set guardrails around how AI is used. It would require bias checks, make sure people can ask for a human review, and allow individuals to take legal action if they are harmed.

But these rules alone are not enough.

To make digital tools fair for everyone, we also need to include disabled people in designing AI, make sure insurance and Medicaid cover AI powered assistive tech, and improve internet access for all communities.

Civil rights in the 21st century must include the right to an unbiased, accessible digital world, Julie writes.

📣 Get involved by asking how AI is used in decisions that affect you, pushing for transparency, and supporting policies that promote true inclusion.

Read full blog post: https://bit.ly/4djhp30

Center for Leadership in Disability
The People of Georgia LEND



ID: Split graphic with a blue left panel and a portrait on the right. The left panel reads “AUCD Policy Talk” and includes a quote: “The very features that make AI powered assistive technologies beneficial, its ability to personalize and adapt, are also the sources of its greatest risks.” — Julie Eshleman. The bottom text reads “Safe and Fair AI.” The right side shows Julie Eshelman, a professionally dressed person with long hair featuring pink highlights, wearing glasses and a dark blazer against a neutral indoor background.

In recognition of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, the Center for Leadership in Disability reaffirms its commitment to ensuring inclusion, access, and opportunity for individuals with developmental disabilities. This month reminds us to center and celebrate individuals with developmental disabilities and their families as key partners in our work.

Visual Description: A selection of 5 photos from CLD events over the years.

Image 1: Two people enjoying music, one playing the guitar and the other who appears to be signing along.

Image 2: A child in a wheelchair pictured with five firefighters in front of a firetruck.

Image 3: Two Leadership Academy participants admiring an exhibit at the Civil Rights Museum.

Image 4: Darien Todd, CLD team member, with a family speaking with a State Representative in front of the Georgia Capitol.

Image 5: A family, two adults and three children, pose to take a family photo.

We are a team of researchers at working in the Georgia LEND Program at GSU, and we want to learn about how college students with autism access accommodations. Please see the attached flier to find more information, and if you're interested here is our Qualtrics:
https://gsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eVBnpsEziBRgYD4?Q_CHL=qr

Visual Description: The graphic on the flier is a cartoon of three people with different skin tones reading books.

Check out this article from the new issue of Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities’ Making a Difference Magazine. The article features information about COMPASS,our Generative AI Project to support the community to navigate disability supports and services.

Using AI to Expand Access and Independence for People with Disabilities - Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities is the state's leader in advancing public policy on behalf of persons with developmental disabilities.

Congratulations to Brooke Baumgardner and Mariana Ortiz-Padilla for their recent appointments to the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities! Brooke is a current GaLEND trainee and Project SETA alumni, and Mariana is a GaLEND alumni and past staff member of CLD. Their experiences and voices will be wonderful additions to the council. We are so proud of the ways they continue to lead and advocate for our community.

Link:

Four New Members Join Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities - Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities is the state's leader in advancing public policy on behalf of persons with developmental disabilities.

The 2026 Association of University Centers on Disabilities AUCD) Leadership Academy will be held in Atlanta on June 7-12, 2026. There is a webinar coming up on Thursday, January 29, 2026 from 4:00-5:30 pm (Eastern) to learn more about the Leadership Academy and to hear from academy alumni about their experience. Register for the webinar here: https://www.aucd.org/event/2026-aucd-leadership-academy-informational-webinar

The Application for the 2026 Academy is available until Monday, March 2, 2026 at 5pm.

Please send questions about the 2026 AUCD Leadership Academy to [email protected] .

Image Description: The 2025 AUCD Leadership Academy cohort in front of a AUCD backdrop.