AUCD: Growing Leaders, Driving Change (YouTube)
At home. At work. At school.
MAN 1: “This is how I want to live my life.”
WOMAN 1: “This is what I want for my child.”
WOMAN 2: “This is how I want other people to see me.”
Like everyone, people with disabilities want the right to go to school, get a good job, make their own choices and contribute to the community.
But throughout our history, expectations have been low. Obstacles have been thrown in the way. And opportunities taken away. To make sure that doesn’t happen, we need lots of tools. Good laws. Well-trained teachers and clinicians. Service providers. Solid research. Innovative services.
That’s why Congress created a network of centers that focus on disability issues. The Centers do their work under many different names, and together they form the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, or AUCD. AUCD members build the bridges between the community and universities making sure great ideas and new information are shared between people with disabilities, their families and friends, lawmakers, doctors, teachers, and more, around the country and around the world.
It all started in 1962. President John F. Kennedy assembled a panel of experts to make recommendations on what the federal government could do for people with intellectual disabilities. People like his sister, Rosemary. The President urged Congress to pass a law to create 19 university-based centers focusing focused on intellectual disability. By harnessing the resources and ingenuity of the entire country and giving voice to people with disabilities, their needs could be addressed.
KENNEDY: “The time has come for a great new national effort. New medical, scientific, and social tools and insights are now available. I am hopeful that beginning today, this country will move in this field so vital to the welfare of our citizens.
Today, the AUCD network spans 125 Centers and Programs nationwide, with at least one in every U.S. state and territory. AUCD members are people with disabilities and family members who lead the disability community. We are teachers and faculty members who educate future professionals to serve people with disabilities. We are students, therapists, and doctors who provide exceptional clinical and community-based services when families need it most. AUCD members are researchers, who find the next scientific breakthrough that will change lives. We are advocates, advancing policies and supporting communities to meet individual needs.
AUCD members make up a network. By working as a network, AUCD members learn from each other, share knowledge and expertise, and help and empower people with disabilities across the country.
Want to learn more? Find the AUCD member in your state or territory and receive the latest disability news and policy updates from AUCD at www.aucd.org .
Follow us on social media at @AUCDnetwork on Facebook and @AUCDnews on Twitter.
Produced by Rooted in Rights. A project of Disability Rights Washington.