William Kiernan, PhD
Director, University Affiliated Program
Harvard Medical School
Director, Institute for Community Inclusion
Children's Hospital

MRRC Project(s)

90DD0513
Developmental Disabilities Core Grant, University Affiliated Program

The University Affiliated Program and the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) both address the issues of research, training and systemic change in the field of mental retardation and developmental disabilities. The design of the UAP and the RRTC offers a wide range of staff a platform upon which to build research and systemic change projects addressing the increased inclusion of persons with significant disabilities into all major life areas. The recent changes in education reform and the growing interest in skill based standards for assessing the learning of all students has raised considerable interest in the development of alternative assessment strategies for students with special needs. The concern that all students must pass a standardized assessment may lead to limiting the academic performance and/or the achievement of students (lack of high school diplomas for students with special needs). The development of portfolio designs in assessment may begin to allow schools to hold all students to a higher standard while recognizing that one single assessment strategy will not be effective in documenting student achievement. Additionally, there is a growing interest in assuring that students and young adults with disabilities can benefit from the economic prosperity of the country by being able to enter the competitive labor market and receive a living wage with associated benefits. As reported in current research data, more than 70% of persons with disabilities are not in the labor market and thus not able to realize any level of economic independence. The reasons for this lack of involvement in employment are complicated by several factors, including concerns about loss of health care benefits, apprehension about the level of acceptance in the workplace and related discrimination, lack of knowledge about strategies to offer accommodations to individuals in the workplace, and a general lack of awareness in the community about this untapped labor resource.