Who We Are
Partners for Inclusive Communities (Partners) is part of the University of Arkansas. Administratively, we are located within the College of Education and Health Professions. We are an off-campus outreach program. Our office is located in Little Rock.
Our core funding is provided by a grant from the Administration on Community Living. This grant establishes Partners as the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCEDD) for Arkansas. It supports activities focused on building the capacity of Arkansans to create more inclusive communities.
We also receive funding from other grants and contracts to carry out a wide variety of projects. The common thread of our projects is disability, access and inclusion. We pursue opportunities that move us toward our vision.
Our Vision
Inclusion of people with disabilities in community life.
Definition of Inclusion: When everyone is valued and involved in society and community living.
Our Beliefs
- Disability is a natural part of the human experience.
- Disability should not take away a person’s right to fully participate in all aspects of society.
We all have a right to:
- Be treated with respect
- Have control and choice over our own lives
- Live where and with whom we choose
- Develop friendships and relationships
- Live free of violence and other forms of abuse
- Pursue gainful employment
- Receive support to strengthen families
- Receive quality education in inclusive settings
- Participate in and contribute to our communities
- Pursue our own dreams
These beliefs guide our daily work.
Read more about our beliefs:
- Language and Disability
- More coming soon
Our Scope
Our core funding is focused on inclusion and equity for people with developmental disabilities. However, our mission and other projects have a broad focus and address the barriers that impact all people with disabilities.
Geographically, our primary focus is the state of Arkansas. Some of our projects have a broader focus and reach. We have stakeholders across the US and in other countries.
What We Do
Our activities fall into four core function areas:
- Interdisciplinary training: We provide pre-service preparation and continuing education to graduate students pursuing careers in health-related professions. These graduate programs include audiology, family advocacy, genetic counseling, health administration, public health, nutrition, pediatric psychology, child psychiatry, developmental-behavioral pediatrics, applied behavior analysis, occupational therapy, physical therapy, pediatric or clinical psychology, social work, special education, speech-language pathology, and self-advocacy.
- Community services: We provide quality services, training, and technical assistance to people with disabilities, family members, professionals, and others. A list of the training we provide is available on the Training Page (coming soon). We also engage in demonstration and model activities with the goal of identifying promising practices.
- Research: We research effective ways to improve access and inclusion in communities and organizations. This research informs our practice and projects. We also provide research and evaluation services to social service organizations. Our faculty and staff have expertise in grant writing, program development, and research methods.
- Information Dissemination: We develop and share current information about disability, access and inclusion. This information is shared through our websites, social media, videos, and electronic and print media.
Annual Reports
Brochures
What is a UCEDD?
UCEDD stands for University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. There is at least one UCEDDs in all 50 states and all 5 territories. UCEDDs work to collaborate with others to reduce barriers to inclusion for people with developmental disabilities.
UCEDDs have many partners but all UCEDDs collaborate with the state council on developmental disabilities and the state protection and advocacy agency. In Arkansas these are the Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disability and Disability Rights Arkansas.
UCEDDs are supported by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). You can learn more about AUCD and UCEDDS by watching the videos below or visiting the AUCD website.
- AUCD: Growing Leaders, Driving Change (Transcript with Audio Description)
- AUCD: Growing Leaders, Driving Change (Transcript Only)
- AUCD: Growing Leaders, Driving Change (YouTube)