Consumer Advisory Committee
Orientation Curriculum
Instructor’s Manual and Slides
Laura Walker
UMKC Institute for Human Development
University of Missouri UCEDD
This material is funded in part by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities under Contract #HHSP23320110016YC 2 to the Association of University Centers
on Disabilities. The content of this material does not necessarily reflect the views and policies of
the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. No official support or endorsement by the
Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is intended nor should be
inferred.
Suggested citation: Walker, L. (2007, May). Consumer Advisory Committee Orientation
Curriculum. Silver Spring, MD: Association of University Centers on Disabilities.
Consumer Advisory Committee Orientation Curriculum
Instructor’s Manual
Acknowledgements
This orientation curriculum would not have been possible without the financial and
programmatic support of the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
(AIDD). The agency’s commitment to the inclusion of individuals with disabilities and their
family members in the work of the University Centers for Excellence for Developmental
Disabilities (UCEDD) was the genesis for this project. I want to especially thank AIDD staff
Jennifer Johnson and Kathy Cargill-Willis for their hard work on the project.
During my year as the Policy Fellow at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities
(AUCD), my work on this project allowed me to connect with individuals throughout the
UCEDD network. I want to thank George Jesien, the Executive Director of AUCD, for his
suggestions and gracious support on this project.
I would like to give particular acknowledgement to the time, support and expertise of Carl
Calkins (Director, Institute for Human Development at the University of Missouri-Kansas City)
and Harold Kleinert (Director, Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute at the University
of Kentucky). I would also like to individually thank Cathy Haarstad (Consumer & Cultural
Affairs Coordinator, North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities at Minot State
University) whose visuals enhance the concepts in the slides and the Delaware UCEDD Director,
Michael Gamel-McCormick, Tracy Mann, and the members of the CAC for inviting me to share
the Orientation Curriculum with you.
I would also like to thank the following individuals and the members of AUCD’s Council on
Community Advocacy (COCA) who graciously offered insight into their experience serving on a
CAC. Their input made this final product complete:
Clare Collins (ME)
Kendall Corbett (WY)
Fran Goldfarb (CA)
Sharon Hauss (IN)
Michael Gamel-McCormick (DE)
Gina Harris (AL)
Jean Johnson (HI)
Jennifer Jones (AK)
G. Denise Lance (KS)
Tracy Mann (DE)
Raetta McCall (DE)
Elizabeth Nolan (DE)
Gordon Richins (UT)
Sarah Rule (UT)
Norb Ryan (KY)
Bethany Stark (CA)
Meg Steinman (KY)
Mary Schuh (NH)
Mark A. Smith (NE)
Jesse Wechsler (CA)
Linda A. Wallace (CT)
Marion West (NH)
Susan Yuan (VT)
Finally, I want to say a very special thank you to Maggie Nygren, AUCD’s Director of Technical
Assistance. Her willingness to brainstorm and provide feedback throughout the development of
the curriculum made both the work on the project and my year as AUCD’s Policy Fellow an
exceptional learning experience.
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Consumer Advisory Committee Orientation Curriculum
Instructor’s Manual
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Consumer Advisory Committee Orientation Curriculum
Module I: The Basics: UCEDDs and the Consumer Advisory Committee
 The DD Act
 DD Act Programs
 The State DD Network
 The Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC)
Module II: How are UCEDDs Connected?
 Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD)
 Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
 AUCD’s Council on Community Advocacy (COCA)
Module III: Orientation to the UCEDD
 Orientation to the UCEDD
 Core Functions
 Areas of Emphasis
 The 5-Year Plan
 Communication with the CAC
Module IV: The Advocacy Continuum Exercise
 Advocacy Continuum Exercise
Module V: CAC Development Tools
 Organizational tools for the CAC
 Recruitment and Retention Strategies
 Welcoming New CAC Members
Appendices: Resources and Further Reading
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000
Alphabet Soup for Consumer Advisory Committees
The Advocacy Continuum
The Advocacy Continuum Worksheet
Sample By-Laws
Stevens, J. & Ibanez, B. (2004). Beyond Tokenism: Partnering with People with Diverse
Abilities on Consumer Advisory Boards Best Practice Guide, Center for Development
and Disability, University of New Mexico.
G. Caldwell, J, Hauss, S., Richins, G., Stark, B. (2006, March). Consumer advisory
committees: Recommendations for meaningful participation of individuals with
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Consumer Advisory Orientation Curriculum
Instructor’s Manual
disabilities and families. Silver Spring, MD: Association of University Centers on
Disabilities.
H. Haarstad, C. (2005). Future Think, North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities,
Minot State University.
I. Acknowledgement of the Delaware UCEDD CAC
J. The Council on Community Advocacy (COCA)’s webpage:
http://www.aucd.org/new/template/page.cfm?id=41
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Consumer Advisory Orientation Curriculum
Instructor’s Manual
Introduction to the
Consumer Advisory Committee Orientation Curriculum
Introduction:
This curriculum was developed by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
under a technical assistance contract with the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities (AIDD). The purpose of this curriculum is to provide University Centers for
Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) with resources that will assist in the
orientation of members of their Consumer Advisory Committees (CACs).
Goals:
The following are the goals of this curriculum. After completing all modules of the curriculum,
participants will:
1. Be introduced to the DD Act, the DD Network, and the UCEDD program,
2. Have a better understanding of their role and responsibilities as a UCEDD CAC member, and
3. Gain the tools they need to advise the UCEDD as a UCEDD CAC member.
Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
 Describe the role and functions of the UCEDD in their state
 Describe their role and responsibilities as a CAC member
 Understand the CAC’s part in developing a 5 Year Plan for a UCEDD
 Understand the national context of the UCEDD
Use of acronyms in this manual:
The four most commonly used acronyms in this curriculum are:
 The Developmental Disabilities Act (DD Act)
 The Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD)
 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD)
 Consumer Advisory Committees (CAC)
Additional acronyms appear throughout this curriculum. A full list of acronyms can be found in
the appendix in Alphabet Soup for Consumer Advisory Committees. Module V addresses dealing
with acronyms for individuals new to the CAC.
Use of the word Consumer:
There is much discussion about the use of the word consumer. The term is used in this
curriculum because the DD Act uses the phrase “Consumer Advisory Committee.” We have
chosen to use this term to remain consistent with the law; however, you may choose to substitute
the term when using the curriculum.
Target audience:
This curriculum is intended to be used with potential, new, or existing CAC member as a way to
introduce them to their role in advising the UCEDD. The curriculum is intended to be used with
participants with varying levels of knowledge in the work of a UCEDD or CAC.
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Consumer Advisory Orientation Curriculum
Instructor’s Manual
Organization of curriculum:
The curriculum consists of five modules that cover important topics for CAC members,
including an introduction to the DD Act, the UCEDD program, the concept of the DD Network,
development of the 5-Year Plan, and the role and responsibilities of CAC members.
Each* of the modules has three components:
1. PowerPoint slides
2. An accompanying chapter in the Instructor’s Manual
3. A Criterion Check evaluation tool
*Module V does not have a criterion check as it is intended to be a discussion, rather than an
instruction, module.
Please refer to the Table of Contents to see the list of topics covered in each module.
How to use this curriculum:
The curriculum is meant for use by a CAC leader and/or UCEDD staff/Director.
Instructors are encouraged to determine what topics or modules are needed to address the
training needs of the CAC and to modify them to meet their needs. The flexibility in the
materials exists in an attempt to address the wide variety of UCEDDs and the training needs of
their CAC members.
The five modules are designed to be presented in sequential order; however, instructors may
choose to present some modules independently of others depending on the training need.
The PowerPoint slides are the primary instructional support. The PowerPoint slides were
developed to be accessible to multiple audiences; however, you may need to make
accommodations or adaptations depending on the needs of your participants.
The Instructor’s Manual contains talking points that provide additional information about the
topics covered in the corresponding power point slides. The talking points are organized by slide
number so the instructor can easily follow along with the presentation.
A full orientation (all modules are presented) is estimated to take 1-2 days of training. Each
chapter of the Instructor’s Manual provides an estimated amount of time to cover the material.
Criterion Checks and Evaluations:
Use of the Criterion Check is a way to make sure participants have learned the basic content and
met the learning objectives stated at the beginning of each chapter in the Instructor’s Manual.
The Criterion Check gives both the instructor and participant a chance to go over what might
have been unclear or over-looked. Instructors are encouraged to develop their own
individualized module and instructor evaluations.
Accommodations:
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Consumer Advisory Orientation Curriculum
Instructor’s Manual
Be aware of the individual learning needs of participants before use of the curriculum. Find out
what the accessibility needs are for each participant (format of materials, etc). For optimal
accessibility, this manual is available in Microsoft Word and plain text and the associated slides
are posted in both PowerPoint and a plain text. The plain text versions can be used by screen
readers and Brailing machines, as well as enlarged to 18 pt font for large print.
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