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To Build Our Impact, We Need Your Support For over 50 years, ICI has empowered and collaborated with people with disabilities to ensure their full engagement in workplaces, schools, health care…

Accessibility Statement

We are committed to making this site accessible to all our users. We adhere to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Accessibility includes many…

Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct

Our Pledge In the interest of fostering an open and welcoming environment, we as contributors and maintainers pledge to making participation in our project and our community a harassment-free…

Directions

To keep our staff and others healthy and safe, the Institute for Community Inclusion is following social distancing protocols issued by UMass Boston and state officials. Our physical office is…

The Institute for Community Inclusion is based at the University of Massachusetts Boston with additional offices at Boston Children's Hospital. Institute for Community Inclusion/UCEDD UMass Boston 10…

History

The origins of ICI came with the launch of the Developmental Evaluation Clinic (DEC) at Boston Children’s Hospital. The clinic opened its doors in 1967 with a mission of serving children with…

About

Mission and Vision

Mission As practitioners, researchers, teachers and advocates, we support systems change and partner with children and adults with disabilities, their families, and communities to advocate for…

Participant Release Form

Please Sign Our Release Form Institute for Community Inclusion/UCEDD UMass Boston 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, Massachusetts 02125 Voice: 617.287.4300 Fax: 617.287.4352 TTY: 617.287.4350 Email: ici@umb…

Privacy Policy

Institute for Community Inclusion Terms of Service and Privacy Policy PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE ("Terms of Use" or "Terms") CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS SITE. By using and/or…

Staff Directory

Staff listing and contact details

What We Mean When We Talk About Inclusion

Resource Guide Inclusion means that all people, regardless of their abilities, disabilities, or health care needs, have the right to: Be respected and appreciated as valuable members of their…

Community Life

ICI’s work in the Community Life focus area emphasizes the key outcome of community life engagement (CLE) for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). By community life…

Education

The ICI’s Education and Transition Team works with professionals, students, and families in Massachusetts and nationwide on college and career development for adolescents and young adults with…

Employment

ICI focuses on employment through a wide variety of initiatives, all with a singular focus: full inclusion of people with disabilities into the mainstream workforce. ICI addresses employment through…

Health Care

Our current work continues what has become our major health care emphasis: training health care professionals, families, and self-advocates in the field of neurodevelopmental disabilities. In addition…

Areas of Emphasis

Open Job Positions at ICI

ICI is hiring for several open positions. Please share these opportunities with anyone who may be interested. Join a great workplace that supports and advances UMass Boston’s values of diversity and…

Employment and Apprenticeship Specialist I

The Employment & Apprenticeship Specialist I for the Institute of Community Inclusion (ICI) will provide services necessary to assist individuals with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining…

Senior Technical Assistance & Policy Associate

The Senior Technical Assistance and Policy Associate will provide technical assistance in the form of consultation, coaching, and training at the provider, state, and national level. Technical…

LEND Fellowship Opportunity Available for Self-Advocates

Are you a person with an intellectual and/or developmental disability who would like to learn about how services and supports are provided, research cultural issues, policy and more? The LEND Program…

ICI Researcher Testified about Subminimum Wage

On November 15th, ICI senior researcher John Butterworth provided testimony on data regarding subminimum wages at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights public briefing on the civil rights impact of…

ICI Staffers Present at Conference

Maria Paiewonsky, Clare Papay, Rebecca Lazo, Meg Grigal, and Debra Hart from the Think College National Coordinating Center and Transition Leadership Program presented six sessions last month in…

ICI Announces New Director

Cindy Thomas (MS, CRC) has been selected to serve as the director of the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI). Ms. Thomas has been an integral part of the ICI for over 30 years, significantly…

CES ACRE Supplement Now Available

Offered through Direct Course, the College of Employment Services (CES) curriculum can help your staff advance their careers as employment professionals. Now they can access even more intensive career…

ICI Staffer Joins MassCUE Champions

Lori Cooney, program coordinator and universal instructional design specialist at ICI and 2012 MassCUE Pathfinder recipient, has been invited to join the inaugural cohort of MassCUE Champions. MassCUE…

Thanks Bill

Farewell to Outgoing Dean Bill Kiernan! Dr. William E. Kiernan recently celebrated his retirement from his role as dean of the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development, the UMass Boston…

ICI Staffer Presents on Progressive Employment and Career Pathways

ICI staff member Kelly Haines and Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation’s Janet Drudik presented at the Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professionals Association 2019 National Issues Forum…

ICI Learning Game Featured at National ED Games Expo

ICI Learning Game Featured at National ED Games Expo The 7th annual ED Games Expo, held in Washington, D.C. on January 9, featured a range of educational games and learning technologies for children…

New Data Note Examines Gap Between Desire for Work and Community Jobs

A new Data Note looks at the discrepancy between how many people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) want jobs, versus how many are working in their communities. The Data Note…

Transition Leadership Program Accepting New Students

National Transition Leadership Program Accepting New Students SGISD’s transition leadership program bridges the gap between special education and adult disability services. It trains educators and…

ICI Researchers Publish Guideposts for Community Life Engagement Supports

ICI staffers Dr. Jennifer Sulewski, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Oliver Lyons, and Allison Cohen Hall recently published an article titled Guideposts for High-Quality Community Life Engagement Supports…

Down Syndrome Program Coordinator Receives Impact Award

Boston Children’s Hospital Foundation held its first annual Special Events Award Reception, “A Night of the Stars.” At the ceremony ICI’s Angela Lombardo, Down Syndrome Program coordinator and LEND…

Three New Think College Publications

Think College has released three new publications. Their new Fast Fact, Peer Supports: Focusing on the Experiences of College Students with Intellectual Disability, summarizes findings from a…

ICI Awarded Innovative Rehabilitation Training Grant on Employer Engagement Part 2

ICI’s Center for Assistive Technology Act Data Assistance (CATADA) launched a new series of briefs highlighting innovative or high impact activities conducted by state AT programs. Second in a…

ICI Awarded Innovative Rehabilitation Training Grant on Employer Engagement

The Institute for Community Inclusion was recently awarded the Program on Innovative Rehabilitation Training on Employer Engagement Innovative Rehabilitation Training Program (PIRTEE), a…

ICI Researcher Co-Authors Journal Article

Ngai Kwan has recently co-authored a journal article with Glacia Ethridge, Angel Dowden and Michael Brooks from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (a HBCU), and Debra Harley…

New College of Employment Services Course Focuses on Path from School to Adulthood

The ICI partners with the University of Minnesota and Elsevier Publishing to produce the DirectCourse College of Employment Services, or CES. This suite of online courses allows disability support…

New Website Highlights COVID-19 Resources

The ICI has released a series of publications on providing day and employment services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include offering services remotely, effective use of technology, dealing…

Supports Planning Bringing Employment First to Scale Brief

Check out this ThinkWork brief to learn about addressing a job seeker’s support needs to increase job retention and career advancement.

Statement

The disability community is multi-dimensional and complex. People with disabilities and their experiences are diverse, therefore numerous approaches are necessary to address the multiple forms of…

New Brief Summarizes Assistive Technology Programs Across the U.S.

A new AT Data Brief examines the usage and impact of assistive technology programs in the U.S. and its territories. Written by ICI staffers John Shepard and Daria Domin, the brief highlights data…

Welcome to New Gopen & Crocker Fellows

We would like to introduce you to the new Barbara Wilenski Gopen and Allen C. Crocker Family Fellows! Adriana Mallozzi, the Gopen Fellow, born with cerebral palsy (CP) has always been an…

The State Employment Leadership Network Turns 15!

Over the past 14 years, the State Employment Leadership Network (SELN) has consistently reinforced the core message that employment efforts are about creating opportunity for every individual in…

ICI Data Drives Recent Civil Rights Commission Report on Subminimum Wage

On Sep. 17, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued a report on subminimum wage for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). While reliance on subminimum wage has decreased in…

ICI Staffers Publish Two Articles in IDD

ICI staffers had two articles published in a recent edition of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. This volume focused on employment for transition-age youth with IDD. “It’s Not Just About a…

New Grant about Guardianship Alternatives

The Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston has been awarded a 5-year $1.49 million-dollar grant from the Administration for Community Living. The Center on Youth…

New Resources Promoting College-Based Transition Services

In collaboration with MAICEI partners, as well as some out-of-state special education administrators doing similar work, Maria Paiewonsky and Ty Hanson have worked to create three new briefs, three…

Think College Receives $10M Grant on Inclusive Higher Education

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education has awarded ICI’s Think College a five-year, $10 million cooperative agreement through the Transition and Postsecondary Programs for…

ICI Staffer Named October 2020 Innovation Award Winner

Congratulations to ICI’s Allison Cohen Hall! Allison was named the October 2020 Innovation Award Winner by Charting the LifeCourse Nexus located at the University of Missouri Kansas City. Allison…

New DataNote Examines Pre-Employment Transition Services

This DataNote looks at how many students with intellectual disabilities who applied for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services received pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) and their…

Testing Promising VR Innovations: Special Journal Issue Explores the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) Project Demonstration

A special issue of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation highlights the innovative work of researchers at the ICI and Mathematica Policy Institute on the Substantial Gainful Activity Project (SGA…

The U.S. — Japan Business Leadership Institute on Youth Disability Employment — Webinar Series

This year, the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston (ICI) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ) will present a 5-part webinar series featuring U.S…

Apply today for State Technical Assistance for Alternatives to Guardianship for Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

The Center for Youth Voice/Youth Choice (CYVYC) National Resource Center at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) announces an opportunity for states to apply to participate in a Community of…

ICI’s College of Employment Services and Supplement Curriculum Recertified by the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE)

The College of Employment Services (CES), on-line curriculum and instructor led supplement was one again approved for certification by the Association of Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE). The College…

Meet the Players: Bios for Upcoming Webinar on Employment

The ICI is pleased to offer the U.S. — Japan Business Leadership Institute on Youth Disability Employment Webinar Series! The first webinar, How Do We Access Employment? Japanese and American College…

Join the ICI this Month at #APSE2021

Numerous ICI staffers are scheduled to present during the 2021 APSE Virtual Conference. The conference, titled “Lighting the Path Forward for Employment First,” will run from June 14–18. Monday, June…

Congratulations to Boston Children’s Hospital and Dr. Jason Fogler, the new LEND program Training Director

Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Director, David Helm, PhD, is proud to announce the LEND program at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at Boston…

Juneteenth: A Brief History of the Freedom Celebration

What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth commemorates the day that enslaved people in Texas learned that slavery was outlawed. On June 19, 1865, the Union Army general, Gordon Granger, announced General Order…

Help Us Pilot a Scale of Community Life Engagement

Does your organization provide day services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities? We need your help testing our new Guidepost Fidelity Scale (GFS)! Our aim with the…

ICI partners on two US Department of Labor awards to expand inclusive apprenticeship opportunities

The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) will partner with Jobs for the Future and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to modernize and diversify registered…

Professors share perspectives on inclusive college learning experiences for students with intellectual disability

How can instructors provide inclusive college learning experiences to all students? As more students with intellectual disability (ID) enroll in college, instructors are learning about how to create…

30 years of Community Inclusion for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Opportunities, Strengths, & Challenges

How have advocacy efforts and policy changes in the last 30 years impacted people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our communities? “People with disabilities deserve to live in the…

Rural Youth Apprenticeship Development Project knowledge translation specialists published article in Rehab Ink

“It is important to explore the intersectionality between disability, race, age, economic context, and geographic context as we work toward a more equitable workforce landscape for youth with…

The latest ThinkWork StateData Blue Book is here! What’s happening in your state?

What does the data say about employment and economic self-sufficiency for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in your state? Since 1988, the ICI has collected data from state…

Inclusion Illuminated: The IT’S EMPLOYMENT Approach

ICI IT’S EMPLOYMENT staff work with a highly engaged technical expert panel featuring a cross-section of experts in VR and services for individuals with ID, including self-advocates, to develop an…

Get the Facts: Managing resources to help youth with disabilities transition from school to employment

Employment First Massachusetts Partnership for Transition to Employment (MPTE) has released a series of fact sheets for family members and support providers of youth with disabilities who are…

New Article in Journal of Rehabilitation

ICI researchers involved in Think College’s RRTC on VR Practices and Youth recently published an article in the Journal of Rehabilitation titled, “Case Studies of Effective Partnerships between…

SELN kicks off membership year 16!

July 2021 signals the start of the State Employment Leadership Network (SELN) membership year 16! Founded in 2006, this collaborative effort is jointly managed by the ICI and the National Association…

Do you teach 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade? Help your students develop career awareness with Future Quest Island-Explorations

Your students are learning and growing in an ever-changing world. Join the Institute for Community Inclusion’s (ICI) research program for elementary school teachers to help your students develop…

Become a nationally Certified Rehabilitation Leader with our Transformational Rehabilitation Leader Training!

In partnership with the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) and the University of Wisconsin-Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI), the ICI is proud to announce the…

US Government Accountability Office highlights ICI research in report on competitive integrated employment

Competitive integrated employment (CIE) is employment that pays employees at or above minimum wage and is performed in integrated settings, among people with and without disabilities. It is still…

Inclusion Illuminated: The Transformational Rehabilitation Leadership Training (TRLT): A dynamic approach to consumer-responsive VR services

The Transformational Rehabilitation Leadership Training (TRLT) is a training program for current and aspiring leaders in vocational rehabilitation (VR). The goal of the TRLT is leadership enhancement…

SELN reflects on the past 18 months at virtual policy meeting with member states

Last week, ICI’s State Employment Leadership Network (SELN) hosted their virtual annual policy meeting with 24 member states and the National Association of State Directors of Developmental…

October is Disability Employment Month!

Employment is more than just work. For many people with and without disabilities, employment is about dignity, respect, independence, and inclusion. The ICI advocates for the full inclusion of people…

Think College awarded US Dept. of Education grant to increase access to and visibility of inclusive post-secondary education programs nationwide

Congratulations to ICI’s Think College and partners for accepting a $5.9 million three-year award from the US Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education to expand their remarkable work…

Think College’s Cate Weir receives distinguished inclusive education award

Congratulations to Think College program director, Cate Weir! Cate has received the George Jesien National Leadership Award, which honors dedicated individuals “who reflect significant work either at…

Meet Mini-Grantee: Collable

Collable is a non-profit organization based in Tokyo, Japan. Collable plans and hosts inclusive design workshops and promotes inclusive design in their work. In 2020, Collable started a study program…

Inclusion Illuminated: Employment First Missouri- Expanding community employment efforts for people with disabilities in Missouri

Employment First Missouri believes that everyone has the right to earn a living wage in a job of their choosing, based on their unique talents, gifts, skills, and interests. Employment First promotes…

Inclusion Illuminated: Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE) — A Community Employment Collaboration

The Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE) is a new, 5-year collaborative youth transition project between the ICI, Lawrence Public Schools, Massachusetts state agencies, community…

Meet Mini-Grantee: Kids Bouquet

Kids Bouquet is a general incorporated association that specializes in flower bouquets and arrangements for sporting events in Tokyo. Kids Bouquet also provides opportunities for children of all ages…

December 3 is International Persons with Disabilities Day

In 1992, the United Nations declared December 3 International Day of Disabled Persons to raise awareness of the rights, well-being, and political, social, cultural, and economic struggles of persons…

MiMeet Mini-Grantee: Mirai Work

Founded in 2020, Mirai Work is a small business located in Hiroshima, Japan that specializes in programming for individuals with disabilities. The Japanese word “mirai” means future and embodies the…

New GATOR Triad Study in January 2022

Next month, staff from the Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer of Rights (GATOR) project, in partnership with Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS) and the Self Advocacy Association of New…

Inclusive Transportation Planning: ICI staff attend Community Transportation Association of America Conference

This year’s annual Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) Conference in Richmond, VA featured speakers and sessions about innovative technology, workforce development, communication…

ICI and Executive Office of Elder Affairs partner to offer community-based home care training online

The Institute for Community Inclusion has been working with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs to expand the workforce of community-based home care workers in Massachusetts. This year, we launched…

New Briefs, Video, & Resources about Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer-of-Rights

ICI’s Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer-of-Rights (GATOR) project has published four new resources on alternatives to guardianship for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD…

Inclusion Illuminated: The Transition Leadership Program

The ICI’s Transition Leadership Program (TLP) prepares current and prospective special educators, guidance counselors, school social workers, rehabilitation counselors, and other professionals to help…

ICI launches new inclusive civic engagement fellowship program for emerging leaders in Africa

With funding from the US Department of State, the Institute for Community Inclusion (CI) at UMass Boston is partnering with Humanity & Inclusion to announce a new professional program for the next…

This February, Celebrate and Learn about Black History in Boston

We are kicking of the month by exploring Black History in Boston. Take some time this month to learn about The William Monroe Trotter Institute for the Study of Black Culture at UMass Boston…

Boston Children’s Hospital Down Syndrome Program

The Down Syndrome Program at Boston Children’s Hospital offers specialized services for children with Down syndrome and their families. The original home of the Institute for Community Inclusion, the…

Center for Assistive Technology Act Data Assistance

The Center for Assistive Technology Act Data Assistance (CATADA) provides technical assistance and supports to state Assistive Technology (AT) programs. AT is any item, piece of equipment, or system…

Community Life Engagement

Community life engagement refers to all the ways that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities access and participate in their communities outside of employment. Activities can include…

Employment First Florida

In 2011, ICI entered into a partnership with the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council to develop an Employment First Initiative in Florida. In 2016, the Employment First Florida Act was passed…

Employment First Missouri

Employment First Missouri provides training and technical assistance to service providers and staff to make Missouri’s Employment First vision a reality, advancing community employment for individuals…

Employment First Massachusetts

EmploymentFirstMA supports the implementation of Employment First strategies and policies in Massachusetts. Employment First is a framework for systems change used across the nation. This framework…

ExploreVR

ExploreVR gives vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies easy and convenient access to a range of VR research, related data, and tools for planning, evaluation, and decision-making. Users can watch…

Future Quest Island

Future Quest Island-Explorations (FQI-E) is an online accessible college & career readiness curriculum that uses gaming strategies to motivate and support improved self-concept, social and emotional…

Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer-of-Rights (GATOR)

Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer-of-Rights (GATOR) is a 4-year project funded in 2019 by the Institute on Education Science at the US Department of Education. GATOR aims to explore the…

Boston LEND

The LEND Program at Boston Children’s Hospital is an interdisciplinary training program that supports health professionals to work with patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our…

Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI)

NERCVE

The Northeast Resource Center for Vision Education (NERCVE) is committed to improving education for people with blindness and low vision. We offer in-person and online training in three main areas…

Projects

SELN

The State Employment Leadership Network (SELN) brings together state intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) agencies for sharing, educating, and providing guidance on practices and policies…

Statedata

StateData.info offers publications and data related to employment and disability. It builds off of decades of research conducted at ICI about the work of state intellectual and developmental…

Think College!

Think College is a national initiative dedicated to developing, expanding, and improving inclusive higher education options for people with intellectual disability. With a commitment to equity and…

Think Work

ThinkWork! is the hub for an array of projects related to employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Examples include the Rehabilitation Research & Training Center…

Online Learning Acceptable Use Policy

Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston Refunds are issued up to 7 days from the day of purchase. All materials included in this course(s) are the property of the Institute for Community…

Services

From expert consultation and technical assistance to online training for employment professionals, our services help agency leaders and disability staff to excel and thrive in their work.

Dr. Amy Szarkowski (MA LEND/UMass Boston UCEDD) leads publication in Pediatrics on Pragmatics in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

Much attention is given to language development in children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Yet the social use of language can remain challenging, even amongst DHH children who are developing…