CRS project focuses on emergency preparedness for families of CSHCN

Children’s Rehabilitation Service is currently working on a quality improvement project to better prepare families of children with special health care needs for emergencies. CRS discovered a need for better emergency preparedness among families of children with disabilities as part of last year’s comprehensive needs assessment survey, said CRS Maternal and Child Health Coordinator Lolita McLean. “We were really surprised

VR counselors go back to basics at ‘Boot Camp’

For the third time in five years, VRS got back to basics with a special training course for new counselors. Approximately two-thirds of all vocational rehabilitation counselors have fewer than 10 years of service to the department, said James Myrick, VRS assistant commissioner. “With such a young counseling staff,” Myrick said, “we’ve devised a special 16-hour training course

Employment training conference awakens the work force (video, photo gallery)

The Covington County Committee on Employment of Persons with Disabilities (CCCEPD) sponsored a one-day employment training conference for area youth May 4 in Andalusia. Each year, the conference connects more than 150 high school students with disabilities from 10 area schools with different and exciting employment opportunities to explore within the community. Former University of

Field offices honor Lamona Lucas’ legacy (photo gallery)

ADRS certainly celebrates Cinco de Mayo in style. From one corner of Alabama to another, ADRS offices paid special tribute to Founding Commissioner Lamona Lucas on May 5. Under Lucas’ leadership, groundbreaking legislation was drafted to unify and house the state’s services for Alabama’s babies, children, teens, and adults with disabilities under one roof. Prior

May 5 event honors founding commissioner (video, photo gallery)

  Founding Commissioner Lamona Lucas, who more than 22 years ago led the drive to establish an independent department for Alabamians with disabilities of all ages, was honored today in Montgomery and in all ADRS offices around the state. Under Lucas’s leadership, groundbreaking legislation was drafted to unify and house the state’s services for Alabama’s babies, children, teens,

‘Transition Day’ readies students with vision impairments for next step (video, photo gallery)

The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS), the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB), and the University of South Alabama (USA) teamed up to host Blind Transition Day, April 29, an event to prepare students with visual impairments for life after high school. Students attending Transition Day learned about the college experience from three panels