Globalby Renata Ticha, Ph.D.
At the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) we promote the inclusion of children, youth, and adults with disabilities, and those receiving educational support, through research, training, and information dissemination.
Children, youth, and adults with disabilities across the globe face many similar challenges as they progress through their academic, social, and vocational lifecourse trajectories. In developed countries there are policies and systems of services in place to provide support for people with disabilities and their families that enable a better quality of life. While these systems are not without their shortcomings, they typically facilitate better school, living, and employment environments for those with disabilities compared to countries with limited infrastructure of services in many Eastern European, South Asian, and African countries. These countries, however, tend to surpass western industrialized countries in having a more cohesive family and community background in which children, youth, and adults with disabilities receive their upbringing and care.
At ICI, we have built many partnerships around the globe with universities as well as with governmental and non-governmental organizations to both learn from and share information about effective practices implemented in environments in which people with disabilities study, live, and work across the lifespan. This work at ICI is driven by the Global Disability Rights and Inclusion program and the Global Resource Center for Inclusive Education, co-directed by Drs. Renata Ticha and Brian Abery. These programs include five topics of focus that include capacity building, cross-cultural collaboration, community development and employment, disability rights, and global inclusive education.
ICI staff who are part of the global area engage in projects funded by the U.S. Department of State, including U.S. Embassies, UNICEF, and government agencies of various countries. Our work covers Europe, South East Asia, and many countries in Africa.
ICI’s most recent international funded work includes two projects with Japan focused on the transition of youth with disabilities to employment and using assistive service robotics to support adults with disabilities in social inclusion and employment, both funded by the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. A second project is focused on economic empowerment of people with disabilities in Kenya, funded by the U.S. Department of State.
Projects like these lead not only to improved processes and experiences for many people with disabilities and their families, but also to lasting relationships with university and local agency staff. At ICI, we have greatly benefited from our international collaborations, gained many new colleagues and friends as well as perspectives that inspire our work in Minnesota and around the U.S.
Renata Ticha is Co-director, Global Resource Center for Inclusive Education, and Senior Research Associate, Institute on Community Integration