Meher Banajee Named ASHA Fellow

The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) has named Dr. Meher Banajee as an ASHA Fellow. Dr. Banajee is the director of the School of Allied Health Professions’ Speech-Language Pathology program and is also a faculty member of the LEND program at HDC.

HDC Scholars Receiving Allied Health Honors

HDC is proud to see scholars from its interdisciplinary training programs receiving awards from the School of Allied Health Professions at the close of the 2021-2022 academic year as they completed their respective programs on May 19. The scholars represented are:

HDC Spotlight: Michael Curry

Remembering Julie Beckett

HDC joins its colleagues across the United States in mourning the loss of Julie Beckett on Friday, May 13. Julie Beckett was a trailblazer in the days before ADA because she advocated for at-home care of her daughter Katie. Read the Administration for Community Living’s statement on the passing of Julie Beckett here.

New Deaf Education Newsletter

There is a new issue of the Louisiana Deaf Education Newsletter available. Click the link below to learn about new events and training opportunities.

Louisiana LEND application deadline extended to May 16

Strong leadership influences change in systems like Healthcare, Education, and Public Policy. To become a better informed professional, you need interdisciplinary skills and community-based learning. To transform society as we know it, you must be an effective advocate and leader.

Apply to Louisiana LEND now to acquire these skills! Deadline to apply has been extended to May 16, 2022! Click the button below that best describes you.

Click here to apply for the Louisiana LEND 2022-23 cohort

Not sure if this program is right for you? Click here to complete an interest form.

Please know that LEND is a stipend program that financially compensates you for your time and participation. Registration and travel to the national AUCD conference in Washington, D.C. is also covered when participating in the program.

In Memory of Mark Martin

HDC is sad to share the news that Mark Steven Martin passed away on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Mark devoted his entire career to serving individuals with disabilities.  He was committed to helping people with disabilities gain education, employment and the tools needed to reach their goals. For the final several years of his career, Mark served as Director of Louisiana Rehabilitation Services. The original notice can be found here.

Organize Your Finances and Disability Expenses

April is Financial Literacy Month and ABLEnow offers many helpful online resources to help you keep track of your personal finances. For example, ABLEnow offers an Expense Tracker to help you organize your Qualified Disability Expenses. With the Expense Tracker, you can:

• add details such as dates, providers, and expense categories
• upload receipts
• enter expenses paid with cash
• review expense totals

You can even download your Expense Tracker as a spreadsheet to print or save it for personal use.

FCC Affordable Connectivity Program

The Federal Communications Commission offers an Affordable Connectivity Program to help ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare, and more. Discounts are up to $30 per household per month. Eligible households can purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from a participating provider if they contribute between $10 and $50 toward the purchase price.

Family Training Webinars from California Deafblind Services

Interested in online Training Webinars for Families? California Deafblind Services is hosting a series of online Family Training Webinars including topics such as Transition Planning Using a Person-Centered Process, Virtual Stories: Sharing the Story of Your Child and Family with Educators, and Active Learning: Principles and How to Encourage  Active Learning for Your Child. Please see the attached flyers in English and Spanish for more details and to register: