Webinar Archive

This page has archived webinars from the HealthMeet® project and other sources.

Archived Webinars

Introduction to HealthMeet®: An introduction to HealthMeet® and its goals.

Approaches to Training Healthcare Providers on Working with Patients with Disabilities - This webinar was co-sponsored by AUCD's Health and Disability Special Interest Group (SIG) and the Alliance for Disability in Health Care Education. Presenters in this webinar share their approaches to "making the case" for, designing, and implementing training for healthcare providers on working with patients with disabilities.

Weight Loss for Individuals with Disabilities - Expert guest speakers Richard and Muriel Saunders from the University of Kansas speak on effective weight loss plans in overweight adults with disabilities. This webinar will go into detail about methods, results and lessons learned in creating an effective weight loss program.  These research-based programs have been proven to have great success in helping people with disabilities to keep the weight off and decrease obesity-prone health disparities.  Richard and Muriel discuss barriers to eating healthy and strategies to increase consciousness of making healthier long-term eating decisions and how to track that progress.

UIC’s HealthMatters™ Curricula - The HealthMatters™ Program from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) offers various health-related trainings and curricula to help self-advocates, caregivers, families, and health care providers promote health, prevent disease, and foster community engagement of people with disabilities. Different programs are tailored for various audiences including people with disabilities, caregivers, families, and health care providers. Beth Marks, RN, PhD and Jasmina Sisirak, PhD, MPH from the Department of Disability and Human Development at UIC share information regarding the various trainings that are associated with the HealthMatters™ Program. One of the trainings will be utilized by The Arc’s five HealthMeet® pilot sites to develop and implement a health promotion program in their communities.

Prevent, Understand, and Live with Diabetes - Nurse Practitioner, Leone Murphy, from The Arc of New Jersey, presents information on one of The Arc of New Jersey's health promotion projects, Prevent, Understand, and Live with Diabetes.   Leone has presented seminars on this topic for self advocates, staff and caregivers.  She has helped to develop a Diabetes workbook and DVD -- written for self-advocates and caregivers -- that addresses the areas of prevention, diagnosis, symptoms, diet and treatment for individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. These materials were developed with funding from the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. 

To receive a free copy of the diabetes booklet and a DVD (in English and Spanish) from The Arc of NJ, please contact Helen Rivera at: hrivera@arcnj.org or 732-246-2525, ext. 35.

Revenue Generating Portfolio – HealthMeet® Pilot Sites - The Arc’s Research & Innovations department has developed a Revenue Generating Portfolio for HealthMeet™ pilot sites.  Attempting to obtain additional funds will help each Chapter to sustain the quality and quantity of HealthMeet®-related activities in the future.  The RevGen Portfolio will serve as a manual for writing grants to obtain additional funding for the HealthMeet™ project.  The document will provide advice and concrete steps for assembling a portfolio of grant application materials. Your own portfolio can then be easily customized for particular funding opportunities, and can be distributed widely to foundations, corporations, and government entities. 

Arc San Fran Health Advocacy Program - Jennifer Dresen and Wendy Ginther, Co-Directors at the Center for Health & Wellness at The Arc San Francisco discuss their Health Advocacy program and techniques used to help improve the overall health and wellness of many of their clients.  Learn more about health needs of aging persons with ID and the unique challenges they face to maintain their health.  Jennifer and Wendy are also joined by a team of Self Advocates who express their thoughts regarding health issues that have affected them and what has helped to make those experiences more comfortable.  They inform us of the challenges and complications that obstruct them from maintaining a healthier lifestyle.  Help learn more about how to help break down the barriers that stand in the way of having all individuals with disabilities receive better health care and become better advocates for healthier living.

Women’s Health Issues Over a Lifespan - Dr. Suzanne Smeltzer RN, EdD, FAAN, a Professor and Director for the Center for Nursing Research at Villanova University’s College of Nursing, speaks about the health issues affecting women with disabilities throughout their lifespan. She touches on the more common age-related issues, such as osteoporosis, which is highly prevalent in woman with disabilities due to factors such as by immobility, use of antiepileptics, lower bone mineral density and bone loss. She also discusses the regular health screenings that all woman need to maintain throughout their lives and the importance behind these necessary screenings, including breast health/check-ups, pap smears and gynecology visits.

Barriers to Physical Activity in Individuals with ID - Dr. James Rimmer, Director of the Lakeshore Foundation/University of Alabama at Birmingham Research Collaborative speaks on the different barriers and improvements in physical activity in individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD). He has been developing and overseeing physical activity programs for people with disabilities for over thirty years.  Many studies have found that being overweight is highly prevalent in adults with IDD.  He explores factors that play a role in reduced physical activity and discuss lifestyle choices and organizational change to improve the health of people with IDD. 

Integration of Individuals with Disabilities into Local Public Health Programs - Sarah Yates and Jennifer Li speak about NACCHO’s programs designed to help promote the integration of individuals with disabilities into local public health programs and activities.  These programs include a learning community with two modules – one focusing on obesity prevention and physical activity promotion, while the other encompasses emergency planning and preparedness for individuals with disabilities.   They share lessons learned from health departments that have implemented these health programs in their own communities and demonstrate how they can be utilized within your own organization/family/etc.  NACCHO’s toolbox, which has over 80 tools pertaining to health and disability, is also showcased as a great online resource for free training materials, reports, fact sheets, and more. 

Marketing and Communicating HealthMeet® Successfully - Congratulations! You’re taking HealthMeet to the streets in your community! How can The Arc help you ensure that your event is publicized and promoted successfully? Join us for a broad discussion of marketing and communications strategies with Kristen McKiernan and Shelly DeButts from The Arc’s national office. As our Communications Director, Kristen provides feedback on strategies for engaging local media and advice for those who are not accustomed to dealing with journalists. As our Marketing Manager, Shelly outlines some best practices for developing a marketing plan suited to your individual community and the structure of your HealthMeet program along with brainstorming ideas for specific tactics to help you reach your goals. She offers advice on creating public facing promotional materials, working with vendors to produce materials and coming up with creative ways to use various communication channels to reach the public and potential HealthMeet participants. Listen in to map out some strategies and tactics that you can use to boost attendance, generate favorable media coverage and let your community know the good work you are engaged in.

Fragile X Associated Disorders: More than a Syndrome - This webinar discusses the spectrum of disorders associated with the FMR1 gene mutation: Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), Fragile X Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (FXPOI), and Fragile X Tremor Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS). FXS is the leading known cause of autism and the most prevalent inheritable cause of intellectual disabilities. FXPOI affects 15-20% of women who have the premutation allele of the FMR1 gene and involves clinical features including irregular menses, reduced fertility and premature menopause. Also within the premutation range, the neurodegenerative condition known as FXTAS can occur in 46% of males and 17% of women. This webinar will provide a basic understanding of the FMR1 gene mutation, prevalence and clinical features of FX Associated Disorders. A discussion of the varied clinical presentations, associated health conditions and the most recent research on treatments is also included.

Learning Objectives: The participant will be able to...

  1.  Identify the three known disorders associated with Fragile X
  2.  Discuss the inheritance pattern and family involvement associated with Fragile X
  3.  Recognize the varied clinical presentations of the full mutation, premutation and intermediate allele of the FMR1 gene
  4.  Recognize management options
  5.  Discuss recent research regarding drug development and genetics
  6.  Identify national resources.

Oral Health, Disease, and Prevention - Dennis McTigue DDS, MS, a professor of Pediatric Dentistry at Ohio State University’s College of Dentistry, speaks about the causes of dental diseases and the preventative methods/techniques to take that will help to reduce this epidemic.  Poor oral hygiene is prevalent in a vast amount of individuals with I/DD due to various factors; however dental decay and disease can be avoided with the knowledge of good oral hygiene practices.  Dennis focuses on the more common oral health issues facing people with disabilities and routine tricks about how to motivate individuals to maintain good oral health. Dennis also provides resources and supports for ways to seek out necessary treatments in your community.

Barriers to Health Promotion for Persons with Disabilities - The Arc’s HealthMeet Initiative presents an informative webinar on three of these barriers from top Ph.D. students from APHA’s Disability Section Executive Council. Caroyn Lullo of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Helen Russette of the University of Montana and David Dawley of the University of Arizona bring their expertise to the table – and to you – for “Barriers to Health Promotion for Persons with Disabilities”. This unique session is aimed at putting research to work to solve problems for people with intellectual disabilities. 

In this webinar you will learn more about:

  • Communication barriers and their impact on receiving proper care in rural areas of America along with innovative solutions to help reduce these barriers.
  • Internet-Based Physical Activity Programs and the recent findings from mixed method studies that explore what influences participation from individuals with intellectual disabilities (I/D) and how to successfully design an effective internet-based program to include those with I/D) which produce results.
  • Research findings on the Safe and Accessible Routes to School project and next steps on how to include students with disabilities. Find out what data supports the need for more accessibility and usability of identified routes in communities.

Putting Nutrition on Your Radar - It is very easy to get caught up in modern day diet fads, juice cleanses, etc. and not know what or who to believe anymore. Judith Dodd, MS, RD, LDN is a registered dietician and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh.  She provides an update on current nutrition/diet guidelines to help put nutrition back on your radar.  Judith takes an in-depth look at the facts versus fallacies to divulge what’s true and expose what’s not. Choosing the healthier option in the  grocery store can often times be difficult and mislead too - Judith also provides us with tips on food selection and guidelines to help make grocery shopping healthier and easier.  Resources to healthy eating and nutrition for the future are also supplied.  Learn the facts of how to have a healthy diet without all the hassle!

Practice Without Pressure - Practice Without Pressure (PWP) is an organization built to help individuals with intellectual disabilities learn step-by-step the procedures and common instruments used during routine doctor/dentist visits to help reduce stress and anxiety and make receiving healthcare easier for everyone involved. The founder and CEO, Deborah Jastrebski, is a mother of a child with Down Syndrome who underwent so many procedures/surgeries that going to the doctor became a terrifying experience for both of them. Many appointments resulted in her son having to be sedated or restrained to a papoose board just to get through it. Deb created PWP as an alternative to help her family and others in similar situations work through the angst of regular check-ups. PWP is a Delaware non-profit that empowers individuals with the confidence and tools necessary to overcome their fears and receive the medical, dental and personal care they need within a non-threatening environment. Please join in to hear Deb tell more about this one of a kind organization and the concepts and techniques involved that make it so successful.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: What You Need to Know - The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) is a charity non-profit organization in their twenty-fourth year of operations. NOFAS is the leading voice on issues of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and is committed to both prevention of FASD and creating a society that supports individuals living with the disorders. The presenter, Kathleen Mitchell, has been with NOFAS since the inception of the organization, and is a parent of an adult daughter with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). She provides an overview about FASD through the lifespan and addresses both FASD prevention and treatment. Ms. Mitchell reviews NOFAS prevention campaigns, including the clearinghouse, school and youth FASD prevention programs and birth mother initiatives. She describes four interventions for individuals with FASD currently being researched (with CDC support). She also reviews resources and support for individuals and their families and investigate ways in which Arc Chapters, the NOFAS Affiliate Network, the Friends of NOFAS and FASD family support groups can network and partner to create local systems of care for individuals with FASD.

Improving Outcomes and Quality of Life for Adults with Autism - There are many quality indicators that can impact the lives of adults on the autism spectrum.  Recent studies have outlined the lack of appropriate outcomes for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) once they leave their educational entitlement and enter adult services, particularly several years out.  This webinar reviews the literature on current outcomes for adults with ASD and what the factors are that contribute to good quality of life.  Our speakers, Leslie Long and Dave Kearon, review several domains that help impact individuals overall daily lifestyles including employment, housing and residential support, post-secondary education and community life.