Center on Disability and Community Inclusion and UCEDD

Main Content

The Center on Disability and Community Inclusion (CDCI), at The University of Vermont, in collaboration and coordination with individuals with developmental disabilities, their families and communities, will promote opportunities for valued life outcomes for individuals with disabilities of all ages in all facets of community life.

Mission statement, "To improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families through research, training, and community services"The University of Vermont combines faculty-student relationships most commonly found in a small liberal arts college with the resources of a major research institution. The university is home to 9,867 undergraduates, 1,384 graduate students, 453 medical students and 1,303 full- and part-time faculty.

There are currently 67 UCEDDs, with at least one in every state and US territory. Each UCEDD is affiliated with a major research university and serves as a resource for all people in the areas of education, research, and service relative to the needs of people with developmental disabilities.

Since 1963, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDD) have been working to accomplish a shared vision that foresees a nation in which all Americans, including Americans with disabilities, participate fully in their communities. Independence, productivity, and community inclusion are key components of this vision.

Sixty-seven UCEDDs in every state and territory are located in a university setting. Centers are in a unique position to facilitate the flow of disability-related information between community and university. Centers work with people with disabilities, members of their families, state and local government agencies, and community providers in projects that provide training, technical assistance, service, research, and information sharing, with a focus on building the capacity of communities to sustain all their citizens.

Centers have played key roles in every major disability initiative over the past four decades. Many issues, such as early intervention, health care, community-based services, inclusive and meaningful education, transition from school to work, employment, housing, assistive technology, and transportation have been directly benefited by the services, research, and training provided by UCEDDs.

The 2009 AUCD Conference Event is centered around the network members and the disability community gathering together to address the opportunities and challenges presented by current changes in the economic, political, social, and environmental climate.

With a growing membership of UCEDDs, LENDs, and IDDRCs along with international affiliates, AUCD is a network of interdisciplinary centers advancing policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities and has become a key disability community organization.

This annual meeting offers you a chance to interact with policymakers, researchers, administrators, families, students, and advocates across these types of organizations and across disciplines.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.