Institute for Community Inclusion

New at ICI

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

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

December 21st, 2021

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). Guardianship takes away a person’s legal right…

New GATOR Triad Study in January 2022

New GATOR Triad Study in January 2022

December 20th, 2021

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 York State (SANYS), will be launching a new…

MiMeet Mini-Grantee: Mirai Work

MiMeet Mini-Grantee: Mirai Work

December 7th, 2021

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 organization’s mission, which is “to realize a…

December 3 is International Persons with Disabilities Day

December 3 is International Persons with Disabilities Day

December 2nd, 2021

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 with disabilities around the world. This year’s…

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

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

December 1st, 2021

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 integrated employment as the primary goal for…

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

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

December 1st, 2021

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 organizations, advocacy groups, youth with…

Meet Mini-Grantee: Kids Bouquet

Meet Mini-Grantee: Kids Bouquet

December 1st, 2021

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 and abilities to participate in sports and…

Meet Mini-Grantee: Collable

Meet Mini-Grantee: Collable

November 29th, 2021

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 for students with diverse disabilities to learn…

Think College’s Cate Weir receives distinguished inclusive education award

Think College’s Cate Weir receives distinguished inclusive education award

November 22nd, 2021

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 the federal level or across state lines, in terms…

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

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

October 22nd, 2021

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 of translating and disseminating research and best…

October is Disability Employment Month!

October is Disability Employment Month!

October 19th, 2021

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 with disabilities into the mainstream workforce…

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

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

October 14th, 2021

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 Disabilities Services (NASDDDS). Experts and advocates from…

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

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

October 6th, 2021

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 that results in inclusive, career-oriented…

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

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

September 30th, 2021

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 legal in many states for employers to pay people with…

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

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

September 28th, 2021

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 Transformational Rehabilitation Leader Training…

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

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

August 18th, 2021

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 transitioning to competitive integrated employment. Get…

SELN kicks off membership year 16!

SELN kicks off membership year 16!

August 18th, 2021

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 of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities…

New Article in Journal of Rehabilitation

New Article in Journal of Rehabilitation

August 18th, 2021

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 Institutions of Higher Education Enrolling Students with…

Inclusion Illuminated: The IT’S EMPLOYMENT Approach

Inclusion Illuminated: The IT’S EMPLOYMENT Approach

August 10th, 2021

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 array of project materials to support and supplement…

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

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

August 4th, 2021

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 career awareness, self-concept, and social-emotional…