2018 – 2023 CCIDS Goals and Objectives Year Two (2019–2020)
Prepared for the Community Advisory Committee, October 21, 2019
Goal 1: Interdisciplinary Education
1.1 Continue to offer undergraduate and graduate programs in Disability Studies and related areas.
1.2 Continue to provide interdisciplinary Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) graduate study for NH-ME LEND.
1.3 Provide continuing education programs in the areas of early intervention, education, health, child care and employment (NH-ME LEND Conference; may substitute employment conference co-sponsorship for World Usability Day in Year 2).
Goal 2: Community Education, Technical Assistance, and Consultation
2.1 Provide training and technical assistance on inclusive practices for early care and education professionals.
2.2 Provide training to early care and education technical assistance professionals through mentoring, coaching, consultation and peer-to-peer networks.
2.3 Provide technical assistance to families and schools on inclusive practices for students with disabilities.
2.4 Provide training for youth with disabilities and parents on supported decision-making and effective transition planning.
2.5 Provide staff training on inclusive practice at Maine Career Centers to increase access to employment for people with disabilities.
2.6 Develop training materials to educate health care providers about the needs of adults with chronic health conditions.
2.7 Improve the quality of life for senior citizens with disabilities and family caregivers through the use of family-centered planning.
2.8 Improve support for students with disabilities in post-secondary education.
2.9 Provide opportunities for college students to consider careers working with individuals with developmental disabilities.
2.10 Identify resources to increase self-employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
2.11 Serve on committees whose activities are relevant to persons with developmental disabilities.
Goal 3: Research, Evaluation and Policy Analysis
3.1 Collect and analyze data to maintain and improve the quality of early care and education practice at Educare Central Maine.
3.2 Using the nationwide database of Educare schools, research outcomes for children with disabilities.
3.3 Study the use of isolation and physical restraint in schools and psychiatric settings. Study how often children with disabilities are suspended or expelled from public preschool programs.
3.4 Develop strategies to promote healthy “aging in place” for persons with disabilities across the lifespan.
3.5 Conduct research in augmented reality for persons who are blind or visually impaired. (In augmented reality, a person has an interactive experience of his or her real-world environment with computer-generated sensory information.)
3.6 Evaluate how well housing alternatives enhance community inclusion, employment, and quality of life of adults with developmental disabilities.
3.7 Study how well a project by the DD Council and Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics improves the transition of youth with disabilities to adult health care.
3.8 Analyze policy proposals on restraint and seclusion, critical incidents, employment, housing, and other issues important for people with disabilities.
3.9 Conduct other research relevant to people with developmental disabilities.
Goal 4: Creating and Sharing Important Information About the Needs of People with Disabilities
4.1 Share news about the work of CCIDS and the UCEDD network statewide and nationally.
4.2 Share information about competitive integrated employment and community inclusion of persons with developmental disabilities.
4.3 Communicate with advocates and potential advocates about important public policy issues.
4.4 Produce accessible materials that are sensitive to and respectful of differences in culture, language and literacy level.
4.5 Educate legislators, policymakers and Maine’s congressional delegation about the DD Act of 2000 to improve their understanding of disability issues and disability-related policy.