Past Projects
ADA Indiana
ADA Indiana, conducted in partnership with the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, provided statewide resources to promote the Americans with Disabilities Act's implementation in Indiana. The grant made it possible to support voluntary compliance with the ADA and build the capacity of local communities and organizations, as well as to educate people with disabilities and their families about their rights under the civil rights law.
Alliance for Transportation
Funding from the Council was instrumental in providing statewide education and training on mobility management, health equity, and upstream systems change, advancing the Indiana Mobility Management Network, and updating the Indianapolis Complete Streets ordinance.
Back Home in Indiana Alliance
The Back Home in Indiana Alliance worked with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) to increase opportunities for people with disabilities to live in integrated, affordable, and accessible housing. This is evidenced by the allocation of new public and private funds for home modifications, the creation of subsidized rental units in tax credit housing developments for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the preference for access to Housing Choice Vouchers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those with physical disabilities living in institutions (group homes, nursing facilities) and more.
Employment First: Work to Include Coalition
The Council supported thousands of Hoosier Employment First advocates including people with disabilities, families, employers, and professionals to learn how to access and ensure competitive integrated employment. A particular achievement was the Employment First Summit, a hybrid program which included presentations from Lt. Governor Crouch and the Coalition on Workforce Diversity on Indiana’s employment initiatives, as well as panels of state leaders and self-advocates.
Indiana Disability History Project
In collaboration with the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community's Center for Health Equity, the Council helped raise awareness of the experiences and contributions of Hoosiers with disabilities from the past century by maintaining a digital archive of stories, photographs, video interviews, and biographies of advocates. The grant made it possible to produce comprehensive films on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on disability communities and the intersection of disability and race, which highlighted perspectives of Black disabled community members on barriers to employment and financial resources, racial bias in health care, and low expectations for students of color.
Oral Health Literacy
The Council supported the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community's Center for Health Equity in producing disability-focused modules and trainings for families, caregivers, and dental care providers of Hoosiers with disabilities, dental workforce in Indiana, and developed collaborative relationships with several organizations including Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indiana University Fort Wayne Dental Education Program, Indiana Dental Association, Indiana Oral Health Coalition, MHS Indiana, and Delta Dental Foundation.
Partners in Policymaking
More than six hundred Hoosiers have graduated from the Indiana Partners in Policymaking Academy since it began in 1991. Partners in Policymaking was a national leadership training program for adults with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities. The program taught leadership skills and techniques to develop positive partnerships with elected officials, school personnel, and other individuals who make policy decisions about services and supports that are offered by state and local agencies and schools.
The Council is proud of our Indiana Partner in Policymaking graduates. Graduates are actively involved in Council projects and initiatives. Graduates are also advocating for better services and supports for themselves, their families and others in their communities, are serving on state and local boards and committees, being appointed to Mayor’s and Governor’s Commissions, leading advocacy groups, working for Independent Living Centers, founding local and statewide organizations, promoting better school and government policies and much more.
Sexual Health Literacy for Women with ID/DD
The Council partnered with the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community's Center for Health Equity to research, develop, and complete online and in-person sexual health trainings for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Curriculum focused on sexual health literacy and sexual self-advocacy skills, with attention to the characteristics of healthy relationships and the concept of consent. Instructors employed PowerPoint slides, group activities such as role play and discussion, video presentations, and an interactive workbook to accommodate diverse learning styles.