ICI Receives 5-Year Grant for Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service

ICI is one of 17 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) to receive a new 5-year award from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living (ACL).

Each UCEDD is part of a national network of academic centers focused on addressing issues, finding solutions, and advancing research related to the needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families. UCEDDs like the ICI are university-affiliated and serve as liaisons between academia and the community.

With these funds from ACL, the ICI will continue to partner with people with disabilities and their families to conduct research, and provide training, technical assistance, and service related to education, employment, health care, and community life. We will focus on:

· enhancing disability inclusion in our communities

· building the capacity of communities to sustain all their citizens

· supporting systems change

· advocating for personal choice, self-determination, and social and economic justice

The ICI and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Medical School are the two UCEDDs in Massachusetts. The ICI was established as a UCEDD in 1968. This year, the ICI celebrates our 55th year as a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities !