Since I was in graduate school I have always harbored and secret desire to start an academic journal. Back in 1999 I pitched a journal idea to the Council for Exceptional Children’s governing board. I met with them in Kansas City and, although I got good feedback, the support never materialized. Several years later I pitched the idea for a journal to Association of University Centers on Disability, but like CEC, they just didn’t see it as a project they wanted to invest in…although there has always been a huge need for a journal focused on the work that we do in UCEDD programs.

Here at Utah State University, I found that the library was very supportive and we had the resources to pull it off. Over the past year we have worked incredibly hard to make the journal a reality and we finally published our inaugural issue this week! The Developmental Disabilities Network Journal is an open-source, accessible peer-reviewed journal that is available to everyone. Check out my introductory essay where I cover the origin, intent, and vision for this new publication: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/ddnj/vol1/iss1/2.