Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute

Federal mandates are coming. New work requirements and eligibility checks will overwhelm an already-stretched system — unless Michigan invests in MDHHS staffing now.

Tell your lawmakers: Fund MDHHS. Protect Medicaid.

It takes less than a minute to send an email: https://protectmicare.org/take-action/

📣 Twodays left to reserve your spot!

Join us in Lansing on June 23 for Breaking Barriers Day: A celebration of Michigan's disability community.

✅Attend the opening reception of the Breaking Barriers Art Exhibit
✅Enjoy interactive resource booths and family-friendly activities
✅Join us for a sensory-friendly baseball game and inclusive ballpark experience

Please note: You must register to reserve a ticket to access the art exhibit and sensory-friendly baseball game. Please register by 11:59 PM on June 12.

Learn more and register to reserve your spot:
https://bit.ly/bbday2026

⚠️ 🦮Seeking participants for a Mobility Research Study! 🚗♿

This is a $50 compensated opportunity to help us test a new assistive aid designed to make getting in and out of vehicles easier for people with mobility disabilities.

This is for you if...
▪️you independently enter/exit a vehicle, but with some difficulty
◾️you enter/exit a vehicle sometimes or always with help from a caregiver or family member

📍Detroit Smart Parking Lab
1701 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit
🗓️ July 10-11, 2026 • 9-5pm
🔗 RSVP: www.bit.ly/4o4bl1K (link also in bio)

Note: $50 compensation for all participants. We welcome people who use mobility devices and can transfer with some ambulatory mobility. People who need some or full assistance must attend with a caregiver or family.

Accessibility: This event is barrier-free, with accessible parking, entrances, seating, and restrooms. Testing will take less than 1-hour. Please share any more access needs in the interest form.

Are you a family caregiver of an adult with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD)? Are you age 40 or older?

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago are looking for family caregivers to help pilot test a survey about what helps adults with IDD and their family members thrive. Participants will complete an online survey, take the same survey again one week later, and provide feedback on the survey experience.

Participants who complete both surveys will receive a $25 gift card.

To learn more or participate, visit: https://uic.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_esuLRfuuV74U1YG

Questions? Contact:
📧 [email protected]
📞 (312) 413-1647

The Direct Care Worker Wage Coalition needs your support.

Direct care workers help people with disabilities, older adults, and others live independently in their communities. Yet many of these essential workers continue to face low wages, making it difficult to recruit and retain the workforce people rely on every day.

Michigan has already committed to raising direct care worker wages to $18.50 per hour. Now lawmakers need to fully fund that commitment in the FY27 state budget.

Take a moment to contact your state legislators and ask them to protect Michigan's direct care workforce.

Take action here: https://ujoin.co/campaigns/4460/actions/public?action_id=6858

Your vote matters, and access matters too. 🗳️ Join us for Ballots Without Barriers Voter’s Training, a free program designed to help people with disabilities, first time voters, families, caregivers, and advocates learn about accessible voting and voting rights.

Sessions will cover how to register, know your rights at the polls, and use accessible voting equipment. Light refreshments will be provided, and attendees will receive a $25 Kroger gift card.

Choose from five dates:
June 23, July 7 & 21, August 4 & August 18, 2026

Time: 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Location: DNEM Troy Office
1709 John R Road, Troy, MI 48083

Register here: https://bit.ly/4ausXOv

10 days left to register for Breaking Barriers Day on Tuesday, June 23.

Please note: You must register to reserve a ticket to access the art exhibit and sensory-friendly baseball game. Please register by 11:59 PM on June 12.

Learn more and sign up to reserve your spot:

https://bit.ly/bbday2026

MSU Pediatrics and Human Development will host its 10th Annual Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Family and Professionals Conference on Thursday, July 23, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing.

This year's theme, Navigating Autism Science & Identity in the (Mis)Information Age, will feature panel discussions focused on navigating misinformation and identity. The conference is open to family members, caregivers, self-advocates, educators, healthcare professionals, behavioral health providers, and anyone who lives with, cares for, or works with children and youth with autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Registration is $10 for individuals and $50 for professionals. Financial assistance is available for those who need it. Parking and lunch will be provided, and CME credits are available. Registration closes July 15, 2026.

Learn more and register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/10th-annual-msu-autism-conference-tickets-1977402445946

[Alt Text] Audience members sit in rows of theater-style seats facing a large presentation screen at a conference or educational event. A presenter stands on stage in front of a projected slide featuring colorful graphics, though both the presenter and screen are intentionally out of focus. The image is viewed from the back of the room, emphasizing the attendees and the atmosphere of a professional conference or seminar.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Bureau of Children's Coordinated Health Policy & Supports (BCCHPS) is recruiting individuals for several opportunities.

Are you a youth or the parent or caregiver of a youth? Do you have lived experience with the public behavioral health system, including CMHs and their providers? Are you a behavioral health service provider in Michigan?

BCCHPS is welcoming input to inform:
-State policy or program changes.
-Best practice to engage with children, families, and providers.
-Guidance for and understanding of service eligibility and access.
How to strengthen partnerships between children, families, and service providers.

Learn More: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=h3D71Xc3rUKWaoku9HIl0ewHdvGv3EdOoemRJpCVUg1URUtLOFYzR1dDVEVWRlJJQ01WTTdDQkROQi4u