Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

The Autism Society of Maine (ASM) provides education and resources to support the valued lives of individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. Please visit their April is Autism Awareness Month Web page to learn more about local, national and international events to be held in observance of Autism Awareness Month. ASM also offers suggestions and […]

In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of children and adults with autism so they may lead full and meaningful lives. Citing estimates that more than 80% of adults with autism are unemployed, the theme of this […]

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS), Maine’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities; and Speaking Up for Us of Maine (SUFU), Maine’s Self-Advocacy Network; have collaborated on a publication, Planning Accessible Meetings and Conferences: A Suggested Checklist and Guide (PDF). The checklist is an accessible PDF and is […]

Applications for the 2015-2016 Statewide Inclusion Credential cohort are now being accepted through September 1, 2015. In partnership with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services, the Maine Inclusion Credential has been developed by Maine Roads to Quality and the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and […]

The Maine Head Start Directors’ Association and the Maine Head Start State Collaboration Office have published their 2014 Annual Report on Head Start and Early Head Start in Maine. For 50 years, Head Start has provided services to support the healthy development of Maine’s most vulnerable children and their families. The model, developed in 1965 […]

The National Collaborative on Faith and Disability has announced its 2015 webinar series to be held one Monday per month, January through June: Honoring Spiritual Needs​ and Gifts: From Inertia to Collaborative Action by Providers and Congregations. The Collaborative supports people with disabilities, their families, and those who support them by providing national and international […]

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS) and the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council have published a research report, Accessing Healthcare: The Experience of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Maine, that reveals promising positive trends, as well as areas of concern, in healthcare access for children and adults with autism […]

University of Maine Community Fellows and Trainees in the New Hampshire Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program Partnership recently joined their University of New Hampshire colleagues for an Interdisciplinary Leadership Intensive. Fellows, Trainees and LEND faculty members engaged in one-on-one discussions about students’ leadership goals. ​The LEND program provide​s​ graduate level training​ […]

In a bipartisan vote, Congress passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014, easing the financial burden for individuals with disabilities by creating tax-exempt, state-based accounts that can be used to save for disability-related expenses. In a news release, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) lauded the passage of the […]

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (CCIDS) is hosting a free informational webinar for early childhood system partners on the new Maine Inclusion Credential on Friday, January 9, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST. CCIDS is developing and field-testing the Inclusion Credential as a collaborative partner in the […]