In this episode, host Peggy Kingsbury sits down with Janet Shouse, the program coordinator for the IDD toolkit at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in Nashville. They dive deep into the center's mission, the challenges faced by families with disabled members, and the valuable resources available through the IDD toolkit and other initiatives.

Highlights:

Overview of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center's four pillars, including the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center and the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.

Janet's personal journey from journalism to the disability community, inspired by her son's diagnosis and her family's experiences.

Discussions on the immense stress and constant challenges faced by families caring for disabled loved ones, and the importance of support systems and planning for the future.

Insights into the IDD toolkit, a comprehensive resource designed to help healthcare providers better serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Exploration of the Tennessee Disability Scorecard and the state's performance in areas like family caregiving support, access to care, housing, education, and mental health access.

Emphasis on the vital role of grants, government support, and private organizations in providing resources and services for individuals with disabilities and their families.

#DisabilityAdvocacy #VanderbiltKennedyCenter #IDDToolkit #IntellectualDisabilities #DevelopmentalDisabilities #FamilyCaregiving #HealthcareAccess #TennesseeDiabilityScorecard #MentalHealthSupport #GovernmentGrants #NonprofitResources

Follow Janet:

www.iddtoolkit.org

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Email: PeggyKingsbury59@gmail.com

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About Blue Lift and Peggy Kingsbury:

Peggy grew up in GA and attended the University of Georgia. With an undergraduate and a masters degree in Criminal Justice Peggy is keenly interested in how politics and public safety intersect. Peggy is also an entrepreneur, small business owner, and lover of the outdoors. Peggy became focused on politics in Tennessee when the supermajority legislature began making headlines for silencing voices, enacting laws targeting underrepresented people and refusing to listen to their constituents.

Join Peggy for BlueLift as she interviews influencers and candidates in Tennessee politics with a focus on Williamson County and middle Tennessee.

Find out more and follow along at www.blueliftpodcast.com

Produced by Jim McCarthy and ItsYourShow.co