Author: Kathy Sheppard-Jones
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Coding a Brighter Future. A staff spotlight on Jay Hatcher
There’s an alchemy to coding, a place where art meets science, a perfect fusion of technical know-how and creativity. Jay Hatcher has lived in that space since he was a kid. “I’ve been a software engineer for about 17 years, but I’ve been learning to program computers since I was 10,” Hatcher said. “I’ve always…
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UK expands training to help substance-exposed children
Educators from the University of KY are providing a unique service to address a desperate need- training students to work with babies born substance exposed. The team of educators includes Dr. Jennifer Grisham and Dr. Sarah Hawkins-Lear from UK’s Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE); Dr. Joneen Lowman and Dr. Judith Page from Communication Sciences and…
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People make her happy! A staff spotlight on Richelle Gabbard
Richelle Gabbard calls herself a people person. She considers herself an extravert. She loves to learn about people, and loves to help them solve their problems. And as a part of HDI’s HR team, those are good traits to have. “When I’m around people and I get to talk to people and get to know…
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Quilting a Life of Learning. A staff spotlight on Sally Dannenberg
Sally Dannenberg loves to learn and watch people learn. Maybe that has something to do with why she enjoys working with children so much – after all, for them, every day is an opportunity for new lessons and new adventures. “I’ve always been interested in working with children,” she said. “I enjoy all the things…
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Summer Leadership Experience 2023
What comes next after you graduate high school? When students toss their caps in the air, a whole new world opens up and they’re faced with a number of new choices that could have a profound effect on their future. Choices like that are hard to make. How do you further your education? Do you…
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Turner appointed to Kentucky Employment First Council by Governor Beshear
In 2020, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order to create the Kentucky Employment First Council, which helps people with disabilities find meaningful employment. And now, one of our own will be helping out with that work. Morgan Turner has accepted a position as Vice Chair on that council. “The Kentucky Employment First Council…
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HDI’s Preservice Health Training Stands the Test of Time
Medical knowledge can advance so quickly that it’s a wonder when any tool stands the test of more than a few years. HDI’s Preservice Training Modules were created to help train medical professionals for how to interact with and treat patients with disabilities, and they are still being used decades after they were created. “Based…
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From Hollywood to HDI
Gregory Bow loves using his art to tell stories. For a while, that meant working in Hollywood in the animation industry. Now, it means working at HDI. It might be surprising to learn that animation has a role at HDI “I create video content that acts as supplemental materials for students to take their standardized…
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Hoffman receives prestigious Kevin Burberry Award
Kevin Burberry was a trailblazer. A tireless self-advocate, a gifted academic, and a dedicated leader. Every year, HDI recognizes someone who demonstrates these qualities with the Kevin Burberry Award. This year, HDI is pleased to present it to Nick Hoffmann, who worked with the LEND program. “The biggest thing that impressed me about him was…
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Turner wins Gold!
Though everyone working at HDI is a champion of some sort, one of us has the medals to prove it. Morgan Turner, a program education assistant for HDI, won three games at the Kentucky Special Olympics Summer Games, which were held in Richmond from June 2 to 4. In total, Turner played and won three…