Center on Disability Studies

10/02/2026

Center on Disability Studies was featured in the August 1, 2026 event as an exhibitor. To learn more check out https://go.hawaii.edu/RK6.

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The CDS team attended the Generations Aging in Place on Saturday, August 1, 2026 as an exhibitor. This was an opportunity, as a free day to learn, ask questions, and connect — with older adults, people with disabilities, and the families who care for them in the Ala Moana Hotel, Carnation Room. The event opened with U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda and lead into:
✔️ Aging and disability services in Hawaiʻi
✔️ Dementia and developmental disabilities
✔️ Medicare and Medicaid benefits
✔️ Health through connection
✔️ Emergency preparedness

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Fall 2026 eNewsletter
Center on Disability Studies, College of Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa, & Association of University Centers on Disabilities



ID: Three people smiling at an exhibitors table. CDS logo.

09/30/2026

Interested in participating in the Wellness Programs tailored to the Disability Community? Register by login into https://go.hawaii.edu/RK6.

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The Wellness Matters Program was developed to offer opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their family members to spend quality time together enjoying physical activity and activities related to wellness. This includes:
✔️ Inclusive First Aid/CPR/AED;
✔️ Swim Safe: ASD;
✔️ Wellness Matters.

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Fall 2026 eNewsletter
Center on Disability Studies, College of Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa, & Association of University Centers on Disabilities



ID: Two people swimming in the pool. Fall 2026: Wellness Matters Program Classes. CDS logo.

09/25/2026

Submit a proposal for the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability's 'Call for Presentations' at !! The deadline is November 5, 2026.

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Center on Disability Studies proudly presents the '42nd Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability' - The Premier Global Gathering on Disability. The conference will be hosted in the Fourth Week of March 2027. Featured strands include this year:

✔️ All Teach, All Learn: ECHO for Disability and Neurodiversity

✔️ Building Strong Beginnings: Early Childhood and Early Intervention

✔️ Centering ‘Ohana: Strengthening Families, Communities, and Systems

✔️ Disability Studies in Education

✔️ Movement as a Right: Adapted Physical Activity, Health Equity, and Community Well-being

✔️ Translating High-Quality Evidence-Based Autism Practices into Service Systems

UWB SES, Tyson Marsh, The Yellow Door, Chico State Kinesiology,

ID: 42nd Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability. Main Conference - The Fourth Week of March 2027. Call for Presentations. Due: November 5, 2026. Pac Rim logo. Strand #1 All Teach, All Learn: ECHO for Disability and Neurodiversity. Strand #2 Building Strong Beginnings: Early Childhood and Early Intervention. #3 Centering ‘Ohana: Strengthening Families, Communities, and Systems. #4 Disability Studies in Education. #5 Movement as a Right: Adapted Physical Activity, Health Equity, and Community Well-being. #6 Translating High-Quality Evidence-Based Autism Practices into Service Systems.

09/23/2026

Interested in the "2026 Conference Preview and Conference Survey Report" check on the article in https://go.hawaii.edu/RK6.

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The 41st Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability took place in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi from May 27 to May 29, 2026. This year's conference theme was "Unbreakable Threads: Communities of Resilience and Continuity."

The following graphs have been combined by:
✔️ 2026 Conference Preview - includes 320 expected participants who were included. The preview can be found at https://go.hawaii.edu/RPR.
✔️ 2026 Conference Survey Report - includes 210 participants who responded. They make up 58% of the 359 attendees. The survey can be found at https://go.hawaii.edu/RPS.

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Fall 2026 eNewsletter
Center on Disability Studies, College of Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa, & Association of University Centers on Disabilities



ID: 320 Attendees Convening at Pac Rim. Pac Rim logo. INFOGRAPHIC: 2026 Conference Preview & Conference Survey Report.

09/21/2026

Learn more about Robert Yokoyama in 'Finding My Way' at https://go.hawaii.edu/RK6.

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I have been working for the Center on Disability Studies since July 2025. I realize how important is to make social connections with other people who have disabilities, so I approach my job as a facilitator with pride....

I Can't Walk, But I Can Move You
By Robert Yokoyama, 2026

I can't walk, but I can move you.
I can move with my paintings of the ocean in her many moods.
I can move you with a sumptuous meal I made of roast chicken and potatoes.
I can move you with a melody I composed on the piano.
I can move you with my ability to say hello in five languages.
I can keep you warm with a sweater I knit with my two hands.
I can't walk, but I can move you.
Let me show you how.

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Fall 2026 eNewsletter
Center on Disability Studies, College of Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa, & Association of University Centers on Disabilities



ID: Person smiling with a disability using a walker. Finding My Way - Journey of Robert Yokoyama. CDS logo.

09/20/2026

Read "I Am More Than You See" by Sierra Whiteside at https://go.hawaii.edu/RK6.

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I Am More Than You See
By: Sierra Whiteside

I have a disability, yes, that's true.
But all it means is I may take a different path than you.
Twists and turns, a pace that’s mine.
But the destination? Just as grand, just as fine.

I am strong.
I am me.
I am powerful.
I love my life.
I stand not just for myself.

But for EVERY voice that struggles to be heard,
For every soul dismissed, overlooked, or unseen.
I rise for those who have been told “YOU CAN'T”
And transform it into “WE WILL”
SEE US, the people not the disabilities....

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Fall 2026 eNewsletter
Center on Disability Studies, College of Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa, & Association of University Centers on Disabilities



ID: Person smiling at the Hawaii State Capitol. DD Council logo. “I Am More Than You See”.

09/18/2026

Students at Enchanted Lake Elementary School-Kailua,HI spent part of their summer turning a blank wall into a colorful mural that celebrates the natural beauty, history and sense of place of Kailua. Read more at https://go.hawaii.edu/RK6.

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The project was a collaboration between students participating in the school’s 2026 Summer Enrichment Program and Ulu Aʻe Transitions team members: Sheanae Tam and Niki Fisiiahi-Thomayer from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Beau Uehara from ALU LIKE, Inc.

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Fall 2026 eNewsletter
Center on Disability Studies, College of Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa, & Association of University Centers on Disabilities

Growing Pono Schools

PHOTO: Reading from left to right, the mural includes native plants - the palapalai fern, and native fish. The awa fish references the place name of Oneawa - literally translating to milkfish sand, as Oneawa was famous for their great quantities of ʻōʻio and awa fish. The kolea flying across a rainbow background represented Enchanted Lake Elementary’s school mascot. Water at the center of the mural represents the literal translation of the name Kailua (two seas), as Kawainui and Kaʻelepulu Fishponds flow into the bay, while the upper right section honors the Apuakea-nui rains and Mālanai winds. Enchanted Lake Elementary Students Create Mural of Kailua. Growing Pono and Ulu Aʻe Transitions logos. PHOTO: From Left to Right: Kamila, Alex and Alana’s, first day painting the mural. PHOTO: UAT Educator/Artist leads a pilina building circle activity with Enchanted Lake Elementary Summer Enrichment students. PHOTO: Summer Enrichment students take lead in painting the first layer of the mural. PHOTO: Enchanted Lake Elementary Students Create Mural of Kailua. Growing Pono & Ulu Aʻe Transitions, Center on Disability Studies. Read the article at https://go.hawaii.edu/RK6.

09/17/2026

09/17/2026

Registration for the AUCD 2026 Conference is OPEN!

Join us in Washington, D.C., November 8–11, for Impact Through Innovation and Partnership. Connect with more than 1,000 researchers, policymakers, practitioners, advocates, community leaders, and students from across the disability field. Whether this is your first AUCD Conference or you’re a longtime attendee, the conference offers opportunities to learn, share ideas, build connections, and strengthen partnerships.

Washington, D.C. • November 8–11, 2026

Register today: https://www.aucd.org/conference/registration



ID: AUCD 2026 Annual Conference banner above three attendees standing beside a large poster board with charts, with a “Register Today!” callout and QR code at the bottom.

09/15/2026

UH Expands Efforts to Address Hawaiʻi’s Growing Need for Autism Diagnosis, Services by Dr. Meghan Miller at University of Hawaii at Manoa!! Read the re-post at https://go.hawaii.edu/RK6.

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“Hawaiʻi faces a severe shortage of mental health specialists qualified to diagnose and support individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, often resulting in long wait times for evaluations and delays in accessing critical services. To help address this growing need, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has appointed internationally recognized clinical psychologist and autism researcher Meghan Miller to lead its Center on Disability Studies (CDS)...."

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Fall 2026 eNewsletter
Center on Disability Studies, College of Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa, & Association of University Centers on Disabilities



ID: UH NEWS: Expands Efforts to Address Hawaiʻi’s Growing Need for Autism Diagnosis, Services. UH System logo. Two people playing with a child