Intellectual Disabilities Communication Lab at UIUC

This project includes people with Down syndrome. Great to see the impact of this work in the disability community being recognized!

We are thankful to our many colleagues who have contributed to this project, including our partner lab, Dr. Laura Mattie’s UIUC Development in Neurogenetic Disabilities Lab, Clinical Associate Professor Clarion Mendes, Dr. Heejin Kim, Dr. Mark Hasegawa-Johnson (Lead Investigator), Communications Director Meg Dickinson, and MANY community partners who help make sure people with disabilities and speech differences have the opportunity to contribute to this study.



Forbes

Department of Speech & Hearing Science at Illinois
College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois

Speech Accessibility Project named to Forbes Accessibility 200 list Forbes included the project and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in its Accessibility 200 list. It includes global leaders in communication, mobility, education, software, consumer products, robotics, sports and recreation, travel, the workplace, entertainment and more.

That’s a wrap! The 2025-2026 IDCL worked hard and played hard!
✨They contributed to 3 funded research projects, led 3 of their own, presented to (and with) community partners, helped write scientific papers, hosted a global disability advocate’s visit to campus, volunteered with local disability advocacy organizations, won fellowships and scholarships for their academic excellence and commitment to community service, welcomed a visiting scholar from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile into the IDCL family, and much, much more!

✨This was a special bunch. ✨

🎓Abbie, Liz, and Megan (not pictured) are entering the professional world as SLPs, and Beka (not pictured) will be a professor starting this fall.

👏 Way to go, everyone! Thank you for all you do for the Down syndrome and disability community! 💛💙💛



Department of Speech & Hearing Science at Illinois
College of Applied Health Sciences at Illinois