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Transition Leadership Program Alum Profile: Lola Piscopo

UMass Boston Transition Leadership Program Alumna

How have the lessons you learned in the UMass Boston Transition Leadership program impacted your work as a professional?

For me, it was important to learn and understand how much of the transition specialist job is focused on networking, collaboration, listening, and problem-solving. We were able to practice these skills in our courses, by visiting colleges and Mass Hire Career Centers and forming our interagency teams. Now, I feel more confident reaching out to folks to collaborate because I have already begun to establish those relationships.

Another really important thing was learning how to research and where to look for resources about transition when I need them. I've learned from the professors in this program and other cohort members that there are so many amazing, applicable research-based resources out there that have already been created, studied, and highly vetted by professionals in the community—I just didn't know where to look for them! Now, I'm excited that I get to share them with my colleagues, families, and students to support their success.

If a prospective student said they were considering our program, what advice would you give them?

If you are passionate about helping your students, families, or school with transition then this program will be perfect for you! The resources are cutting edge, and the course content will be totally relevant to your daily work as a transition-focused educator. Faculty are experts in their field and don’t just know about theory, but they also practice what they teach. They collaborate with experts in the field of transition from all over the country and world…including the Institute for Community Inclusion, Zarrow Center on Transition, Division on Career Development and Transition, and more.

For people just starting out with transition, it might feel overwhelming, but the program will give you access to a wealth of information and resources to get you started. Make sure that you keep and organize them along the way. You may not need or understand the value of something right now, but you absolutely will go back to it in the future! And if you have been doing transition for a long time (like me) I can’t think of a better way to develop your skills and make valuable connections with folks in the community.

Take advantage of opportunities to network with people, dive deep into your personal areas of interest, and assess your own practice to set new goals that will make you a better transition specialist. It’s a lot of work no matter what, but it’s well worth the energy that you put forth, both short term and long term!

Learn more and connect with Lola on LinkedIn!

Apply for the UMass Boston Transition Leadership Program.

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Transition Leadership Program Alum Profile: Christy Burbidge

UMass Boston Transition Leadership Program Alumna

What first attracted you to the Transition Leadership Program and to UMass Boston?

The courses are thorough and directly applicable to my job as a for my job as a school adjustment counselor and hopeful future Transition Specialist.

 What were some of the most important lessons from the courses?

The areas for school-based improvement, especially the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education needs assessment from the Transition Topics course, really helped inform my practicum work. The Person-Centered Planning course gave me a lot of useful tools to help my work with individuals with intensive disabilities. All of the courses emphasized the importance of developing and maintaining an interagency team.

Why did you choose this program over other similar programs?

I’d heard about — and was blown away by — the quality of the mentor component. My mentor still keeps in touch with mentees from years ago, and I plan to be one of them. Without my asking, my mentor connected with me other innovators in the field.

Learn more and connect with Christy on LinkedIn!

Apply for the UMass Boston Transition Leadership Program

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Transition Leadership Program Alum Profile: Kerry Watson

2021 UMass Boston Transition Leadership Program Alumna

Why did you want to get a Transition Leadership certificate initially?

The goal of my studies was to enhance post-school transition services in Australia through the promotion of self-determination for individuals with intellectual disability.

What first attracted you to UMass Boston?  Why did you choose the UMass Boston Transition Leadership program over other similar programs?

I was aware of the Institute for Community Inclusion’s (ICI) progressive disability inclusion initiatives, and the ICI sits within UMass Boston’s School for Global Inclusion and Social Development. I have always been passionate about the link between inclusive education and community inclusion outcomes for adults with disability, so when I found the Transition Leadership program for youth with disability leaving school, I knew it was for me.

Since I live in Australia, I attended remotely and learned so much about best practice in transition and leading systems change. I now have the opportunity to apply this in the current context of disability reform in Australia.

How has getting this certification helped your career?

Soon after completing the program, I assumed the position of Senior Manager for Inclusion Projects at Council for Intellectual Disability in New South Wales, Australia. I advanced issues — such as supported decision-making and inclusive employment and education — through projects, systemic advocacy, and sharing leadership with people with lived experience of intellectual disability to make change.

I recently took a new position as Assistant Director of Ecosystem Reform at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIS). The goal is to advance the sustainability of the NDIS through policy adjustments that ensure disability supports are available for people with disability throughout their lifetime, both within the NDIS and by accessing inclusive mainstream services and systems.

Learn more and connect with Kerry on LinkedIn!

Apply for the UMass Boston Transition Leadership program

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ICI Research Highlights Importance of Real-Time Support for Employment Consultants

New research from the Institute for Community Inclusion analyzed how data-enabled feedback and micro-lessons embedded in the workflow can be an important part of organizational management and quality improvement for employment consultants.

In an article published in the academic journal Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, researchers detailed how they made a tool called ES-Coach (Employment Support Coach) available to employment consultants so they could visualize their implementation of supported and customized employment, reflect, set goals, and take action. The ICI staffers worked with 11 managers and 56 employment consultants from nine organizations over six months, asking them daily questions about their work activities and providing micro-lessons on best practices through videos, tips, data, and articles.

“It’s very helpful to discuss things and through that process, identifying things that we didn't think we were doing well that we didn't realize we were doing as well,” a manager told researchers.

The researchers found this helped assign hard numbers to goals and service delivery, making it easier for managers to quantify the relationship between staff time investments and outcomes and helping lead to improvements in organizational staffing and management. Results from the study didn’t show an observable change in employment consultant behaviors or outcomes, but researchers said both managers and employment providers found value in using data-enabled feedback to support planning and continuous quality improvement.

One manager told researchers, “It’s hard to quantify in this field what we’re doing, and to have this data to back it up is just fantastic!”

According to the researchers, this study extends a limited body of research on both the implementation of supported and customized employment, and the importance of investing in real-time implementation support rather than relying solely on training.

“Changes to our investments in training and implementation support are needed. Formal training is important, but it is not enough,” the researchers wrote. “These investments need to be reflected in provider qualifications and in state capacity building investments.”

This also has implications for funding, as rate structures need to account for the time invested in data-enabled coaching as a complement to training. The researchers said this will require state funding agencies and management information system vendors to work together to assist in document the implementation of supported and customized employment while reducing the administrative burden on programs.

Future research will also need to dig more into high-value activities and develop strategies for better embedding data-based feedback and coaching into organizations.

The researchers said that although the recommendations may take time to implement, employment programs can take steps now to improve the implementation of best practices by setting goals like what participants in the pilot identified. This include getting to know job seekers through observation and activities; finding jobs through networking, informational interviews, business tours, and job negotiation; facilitating natural support; and streamlining administrative tasks.

According to the research, the next step is to scale up adoption of ES-Coach or similar data-enabled feedback interventions among service delivery systems for continuous quality improvement.

“This pilot highlighted the importance of data-enabled feedback in the workflow as a tool for supporting employment consultants implementing supported and customized employment,” the researchers wrote.

Authors of the journal article include John Butterworth, Alberto Migliore, Oliver Lyons, Jill Eastman, Britni Miles, Paul Foos, and Agnieszka Zalewska, as well as Danielle C. Mahoehney of the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota.

To learn more about this research, check out the full journal article on the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities website or visit https://www.es-coach.org/.

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March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. This month, guest blogger Emma Barker reflects on her experiences in the following blog post.

The following blog post was written by guest author Emma Barker. Emma is a queer jeweler from the Cleveland, Ohio area with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She spends her free time with friends, cats, and bad TV.

Emma Barker

Time to practice our best “beggars can’t be choosers” shrugs of somber concession as we celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month this March. Awareness is a nice idea, but it’s the lowest rung on the ladder: a necessary step, but by no means the pinnacle of inclusion.

How can “awareness” be something we hope for if it’s the bare minimum? Firstly, awareness isn’t easy. Everyone has their own struggles, and it’s difficult to add possible struggles of others into the jumble of things to worry about. Awareness is a goal also because it’s a step above where a lot of people with disabilities find themselves at —the ground level, tolerance.

As a somewhat politically aware, openly queer preteen, the idea of tolerance was taught as the be-all and end-all for the LGBTQIA+ community (at least it was at my Ohio elementary school in the 90s). I remember making posters calling for tolerance and arguing with other (only mildly aware) kids that what we needed was tolerance. It feels absurd. It hits the same nerve of nonsense that “awareness” hits now.

According to the CDC, “[A]bout one in six children in the US have one or more developmental disabilities or other developmental delays.” The sheer number of people with developmental disabilities makes a lack of awareness nearly impossible. Most people know that developmental disabilities exist. There’s awareness, and it’s often quickly followed by a desire to care but with a lack of understanding about where to start. At worst, it’s followed by apathy.

Beyond awareness, we need understanding. It’s nearly impossible for the average person to know every barrier people with different kinds of disabilities face; the list is long and varied. I don’t expect someone to know how steep of a ramp is safe, for example, I’m just hoping for the understanding that I might require accommodations. And here I find myself, asking for a small improvement but never the ideal improvement. I’m left near the top of an ableist ladder metaphor, one step away from the goal. It’s ingrained in many of us to appeal for the scraps, for fear we ask for a whole dinner roll and get nothing.

Understanding someone has barriers to access doesn’t necessarily mean much without empathy. Understanding and caring is what any disenfranchised group member (or human in general, for that matter) deserves. Caring about what someone needs and a desire to include them is what would truly make a difference for those with developmental disabilities. 

It’s important to note that empathy can be misconstrued as pity, and that is the last thing we need. I believe pity comes from one of two places, neither of which is a place malice. The first is caring without empathy or understanding. It makes someone feel sad but requires no introspection or effort. The second is a bit more selfish, with a sadness that’s brought on by fear. The proverbial “there but for the grace of God go I” comes to mind.

Disability, especially physical disability, can often be associated with a catastrophic life event (accident) or from the natural (but feared) process of aging. I think this fear causes discomfort that eventually leads to pitying statements said to the person with a developmental disability. I’ve had my share of pity from strangers. I have to remind myself that it can be caring but ignores the golden rule (and empathy). Most of these statements would not occur if a person thought about whether they’d like someone speaking to them that way. Pity often feels patronizing, and no one likes to be spoken to that way.

It doesn’t mean you can’t speak to someone with developmental disabilities about their disability or something related to their disability. Disability is not taboo when it’s confronted with empathy. For example, at a cat café in Tremont, Ohio, there’s a sign about watching where you step, but instead of saying “watch your step” the sign said, “Watch your feet and wheels.” This made me feel included, but an even more important aspect of inclusion was their portable ramp that they happily took out for me. They turned their empathy and understanding into action to help me have the same access as those who are able to use steps.

On the other hand, if the person apologized for my state of being disabled or praised me for my state of being disabled, I wouldn’t like that. I had a particularly persistent stranger come up to me admiring the fact that I was out of the house, and even went so far as to say, “Look at you, sitting up all straight.” I like admiration as much as the next person, but verbal pats on the head feel empty and humiliating. Empathy, conversely, makes me feel seen and understood. Empathy drives a desire for inclusion.

It's not easy, but it’s important to use awareness to lead to inclusion with empathy and understanding. Don’t pity those with barriers to accessibility; work to make those barriers less of an issue. I’m inviting you to do what you can in your daily life, with your friends and family, at your school, in your workplace, and/or in your community. If everyone did that, life would be a whole lot easier, and it does start with awareness.

Learn more about Developmental Disabilities this month and all throughout the year:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–Developmental Disabilities

Administration for Community Living: The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000

National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities–Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Sins Invalid: 10 Principles of Disability Justice

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Crocker Fellow Explores How Disability Impacts Sibling Relationships

A new zine from 2021 Allen C. Crocker Family Fellowship recipient Jess Mendes explores the experiences of adult siblings of individuals with physical, intellectual, behavioral and/or developmental disabilities, bringing together perspectives and providing resources for people living at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities.

To create Same-Same But Different, Mendes asked individuals to use personal essays and visual multimedia to unpack how disabling attitudes, environments, and systems impact their sibling relationships.

In addition to being a physical zine, Same-Same But Different is also a digital flipbook, and an accessible PDF version is also available. The title of the zine comes from an article published in Impact by Alison Whyte, executive director of the Disabilities Council in Washington, D.C., where she acknowledges that 90% of research on siblings affected by disabilities is white, relatively middle class, and female.

Mendes said the idea of creating the zine came from a place of survival and watching her brother’s life almost come to a complete stop when he turned 22 and “aged out” of educational programs supported by the school system during the COVID-19 pandemic. As she called different organizations to figure out what to do and failed to get any answers, Mendes found herself wishing for something she could connect with as a visually oriented person.

“I’m proud of myself for having an idea and executing it,” Mendes said. “But beyond that, I hope this genuinely serves as a reference point so more families, creatives, storytellers, more people understand that they’re not alone. They can also use their creativity to share resources and not feel lost.”

To secure contributors’ participation, Mendes had a list of ideas and themes that she wanted to explore, such as financial planning, religion and faith, or sex, and she let contributors pick the topic that resonated most with them.

Initially, Mendes envisioned a more photo-based project, but because the pandemic made it riskier to be in close physical contact with people, she pivoted toward multimedia instead.

“And in turn, that was more rewarding, because it allowed everyone more time to be reflective of what they wanted to say and how they wanted to represent their family,” Mendes said.

It was also important to Mendes that the zine’s closing pages include resources for caregivers, advocates, and small businesses to offer community guidance and help everyone understand that as challenging as circumstances can be, they are not alone.

“For family members, I hope we find community and not feel so isolated,” Mendes said. “And for anyone else, I hope they ask themselves, how can I contribute to making my environment more inclusive so that it eases everyone’s participation in the world.”

Since the zine was published, it has been featured on several platforms, including zine festivals nationwide. Mendes presented it during Boston Design Week at the nonprofit where she works, the Institute for Human Centered Design. She also presented Same-Same But Different in August 2023 at the Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Conference, which brings together arts and culture administrators to discuss how to make their spaces more accessible and inclusive to the public.

And whether it’s been shared with a family member, a friend, or these more institutional settings, Mendes said the feedback she’s received has been really positive.

“If I’m being completely honest, it’s surreal, because it’s been two-and-a-half years of trying to weave multiple parts into a final project that I feel confident standing by visually and storytelling-wise,” Mendes said.

Looking to the future, Mendes said she would love the opportunity to take her work from print to video, such as through a documentary, or realize her original vision of a photo book, in the style of photographers Deana Lawson and Diane Arbus.

“I’ll be extremely grateful if Same-Same But Different keeps evolving,” Mendes said. “Ultimately, I will have to turn to my brother as the muse to guide the next steps.”

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Press Release: University of Massachusetts Boston Institute for Community Inclusion Awarded $4.5 Million Center on Scaling Up Progressive Employment

Quinn Barbour, Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist Manager, Institute for Community Inclusion

Phone: 617-287-4309

Email: Quinn.Barbour@umb.edu

Website: www.communityinclusion.org

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: February 15, 2024

Boston, MA — The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Boston, in collaboration with Mathematica and the Disability Policy Consortium, has been awarded a $4.5 million grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research to build the evidence base for the Progressive Employment model through its new ExploreVR Center on Scaling Up Progressive Employment.

Progressive employment is a flexible and creative employment approach that uses work-based learning strategies to meet the needs of businesses and job seekers with barriers to employment, with the goal of improving competitive integrated employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

The ExploreVR Center on Scaling Up Progressive Employment aims to increase awareness and build capacity for Progressive Employment model implementation in new areas through research, knowledge translation, training, technical assistance, and dissemination. The Center will build on more than 10 years of research and development work with public employment agencies across nine states.

In addition to Mathematica and the Disability Policy Consortium, the ICI will partner with these public employment agencies that have played crucial roles in helping build the evidence base for Progressive Employment. These agencies include the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Blind Services Division, Maine Bureau of Employment Services, Maine Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation, Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation, New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation, New Jersey Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Oregon Commission for the Blind, and Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.   

Kelly Haines, the Center’s Director shared, “We are so excited for this opportunity to build upon the past decade of research and development work as we look to both scale up and scale out the Progressive Employment model to new systems and communities.”

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About ExploreVR

ExploreVR is the ICI’s national hub for vocational rehabilitation agencies and researchers. It features ICI projects related to vocational rehabilitation research, data, and tools for planning, evaluation, and decision-making, including the Center on Scaling Up Progressive Employment. The ExploreVR Center on Scaling Up Progressive Employment is funded by grant #90DPEM0008, the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), Administration for Community Living (ACL), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Washington, D.C. 20201.

About the Institute for Community Inclusion

The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) based at the University of Massachusetts Boston and Boston Children's Hospital. ICI supports the rights of children and adults with disabilities to participate in all aspects of society. As practitioners, researchers, and teachers, we form partnerships with individuals, families, community organizations, and service agencies. Together, we advocate for personal choice, self-determination, and social and economic justice.

About UMass Boston

The University of Massachusetts Boston is deeply rooted in the city's history yet poised to address the challenges of the future. Recognized for innovative research, metropolitan Boston’s public university offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston’s colleges and graduate schools serve 16,000 students while engaging local and global constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service. To learn more, visit www.umb.edu. 

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Reflecting on ICI’s Global Impact and our Exciting Initiatives Ahead

As we welcome 2024 and embark on expanding ICI’s international work, we would like to take a moment to reflect on and celebrate the significant impact our staff have made on improving the lives of individuals with disabilities globally throughout 2023. This blog highlights not only past achievements but also provides a glimpse into exciting new initiatives and partnerships in 2024. 

Reflections from 2023

Spring 2023

Empowering Voices: Women Leading Together in Solidarity and Storytelling

With funding support from the US Embassy Tokyo, the Women Leading Together: Solidarity in Storytelling Story Jam engaged 10 women from Japan and the United States in a 9-week program to explore experiences of marginalization and built community through digital storytelling. The program featured renown North American and Japanese experts in women’s rights, diversity and intersectionality, and LGBTQ+ activism as guest speakers. Story Jam culminated in the screening of participants’ 4-minute advocacy story videos at the final event on April 20 (US) / April 21 (Japan), 2023, with opening remarks by Grace Choi, Public Diplomacy Officer of the US Embassy Tokyo.

Read the blog to learn more about the program and the participants.

Watch and listen to Story Jam participants’ stories!

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Dr. Laura Bozeman: Leading Global Vision Studies and Rehabilitation Expert

Dr. Laura Bozeman, Professor and Director of the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) Vision Studies graduate program, recently participated in the oMERO project, which aims to establish professional standards for visual disabilities rehabilitators in the European Union. At the project’s final event in Genoa, Italy, Dr. Bozeman shared insights from global training initiatives, highlighting the importance of customizing professional development to individual and cultural needs.

In recognition of her exceptional international leadership in orientation and mobility (O&M), Dr. Bozeman was honored with the Suterko-Cory Award. This award positions her as global ambassador and role model for O&M specialists worldwide, recognizing her impact in the United States, Pacific Islands, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, and Ireland. The award was presented at the 18th International Mobility Conference held May 22–26, 2023, in Warsaw, Poland.

Explore Dr. Bozeman’s impressive career and accomplishments.  

Dr. Laura Bozeman receiving the Suterko-Cory Award at the 18th International Mobility Conference held May 22–26, 2023, in Warsaw, Poland.

Summer 2023

David Hoff on the Employment First Movement at the 2nd World Supported Employment Conference

Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) Program Director David Hoff presented at the 2nd World Conference on Supported Employment in June 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The conference gathered people from across the world working to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Hoff co-presented with Julie Christensen, the Executive Director of the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) on “The Employment First Movement: Where It Came From, Where It’s At, and Where It’s Going.” Employment First is a US national movement focusing on policies and practices that prioritize employment in the general workforce.

Fall 2023

TOMODACHI Story Jam: Empowering Cross-Cultural Youth Advocacy

TOMODACHI Story Jam, a digital storytelling and youth leadership program, brought together 10 Japanese and American youth with disabilities to share their experiences of overcoming challenges. Story Jam is part of the TOMODACHI Initiative—a collaboration between the US-Japan Council and the US Embassy Tokyo—implemented by ICI in partnership with StoryCenter Canada. Story Jam encourages cross-cultural exchange and empowers youth for positive advocacy.

In weekly sessions, participants crafted impactful 4-minute advocacy story videos, which were showcased at the final event on November 2 (US) / November 3 (Japan), 2023. Brandy Eber, Public Diplomacy Officer of the US Embassy Tokyo, highlighted the power of storytelling to bring together diverse perspectives in her remarks at the event.

Learn more about the TOMODACHI Story Jam program and our participants!

Watch and listen to Story Jam participants’ stories!

Screenshot of a Zoom window showcasing TOMODACHI Story Jam storytellers during the Final Event on November 2 (US) / November 3 (Japan), 2023.

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Advancing International Research: Dr. Amy Szarkowski’s Grant Application for Family-Centered Early Intervention in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

Congratulations to Dr. Amy Szarkowski, Research Fellow and Training Director of ICI’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program, for her international efforts in supporting young children who are D/deaf and hard of hearing. Alongside Sheila Moodie (Western University in Canada) and Evelien Dirks (Dutch Foundation for the Deaf Child in the Netherlands), Dr. Szarkowski submitted a grant application to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, seeking funding for an international collaboration known as “Advance International Research in Family-Centered Early Intervention for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AIR FCEI-DHH).”

Learn more about Family-Centered Early Intervention in this article coauthored by Dirks and Szarkowski.

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Dr. Kerim Munir: Recognized Globally for his Impact in Mental Health and Developmental Disability

Dr. Kerim Munir, the Director of Psychiatry at ICI’s LEND Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, was honored with the International Service Award from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). The award was presented at AUCD’s annual national conference held November 5–8, 2023, in Washington, DC. The award acknowledges Dr. Munir for his outstanding achievements and global influence in mental health, intellectual and developmental disability, and autism.

Learn more about Dr. Munir’s impressive career and accomplishments!

Dr. Kerim Munir (right) receiving his award with Dr. David Helm (left) at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) 2023 national conference

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ICI Hosts Delegation from Japan Open University

Dr. Maria Paiewonsky, Program Director and Professional Development Coordinator for College-Based Transition Services, welcomed a delegation from the Open University of Japan, including Mr. Toshiya Naito (Administrator), Ms. Yoko Hirose (Professor), Mr. Keisuke Adachi (Contents Production Manager), and Mr. Shingo Nozawa (Student Affairs), on November 14–15, 2023. The purpose of their visit was to gain insights into best practices for the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in higher education as they work toward the development of relevant courses.

During their visit, the delegation toured Massasoit Community College and Mass College of Art and Design. They also engaged with staff and students from ThinkCollege and the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI) Program at UMass Boston.

Looking Ahead to 2024

ICI Partners with the International Disability Alliance and the African Disability Forum on International Fellowship Program

ICI, in collaboration with the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and the African Disability Forum (ADF), proudly launches the third round of the Professional Program on Inclusive Civic Engagement, funded by the US Department of State for fiscal year 2023. We are thrilled to welcome 10 new East African Fellows from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia. They will travel to the US in May 2024 to participate in an intensive, 5-week Fellowship, fostering the exchange and implementation of best practices for inclusive civic engagement globally.

ADF, representing Disabled Persons’ Organizations in Africa, enhances this partnership, strengthening the consortium with ICI, Humanity & Inclusion, and the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) network members.

Learn more about the Professional Fellows Program and partnerships!

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Professional Fellows Program (PFP) Alumni Panel Featured at Upcoming African American Conference on Disabilities in Arizona

On February 15, a panel of PFP alumni will present on challenges, opportunities, and the role of international exchange in advancing disability rights across Africa. The panelists will discuss the experiences of disability in their home countries, examine the African Disability Protocol, and assess the impact of cross-cultural exchange on disability rights. Together, the panel will explore the challenges and opportunities in advancing disability rights in Africa, highlighting the crucial role of international cooperation in fostering inclusivity.

Learn more about the 2024 African American Conference on Disabilities.

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Dr. Amy Szarkowski to Deliver Keynote at 2024 Family-Centered Early Intervention International Congress

ICI’s Dr. Amy Szarkowski is a key member of the International Advisory Committee for Family-Centered Early Intervention (FCEI) International. Renowned for offering advanced interdisciplinary training, Dr. Szarkowski will deliver the keynote address at the 6th Annual 2024 FCEI International Conference in Bad Ischl, Austria on May 15–17. The event focuses on advancing positive outcomes for children who are D/deaf or hard of hearing.

Learn more about FCEI International and the upcoming event!

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Sign up for the ICI Newsletter to learn more about our international work as well as the work we do locally and across the US.

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ICI’s Jean Winsor Receives 2024 AAIDD Public Policy Award

We are honored to announce that Jean Winsor, ICI Senior Research Associate and Project Manager, has received the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Public Policy Award for her outstanding contributions to the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

After beginning her career over 25 years ago as a direct support professional, Jean emerged as a distinguished researcher, policy expert, and advocate for employment policy and systems change.

Among Jean’s many accomplishments, she co-developed the Higher Performing States Framework, an evidence-based model first published in 2007. This model has provided a foundation for employment policy and strategy in over 35 states and is used to guide the work of the State Employment Leadership Network (SELN), ICI’s membership supported state IDD agency community of practice committed to improving employment outcomes.

Jean has directed projects in several states, including supporting the 10-year Florida EmployMe First Initiative, restructuring of funding for employment supports in Iowa, and analysis of employment services and policy in Arizona, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Iowa. She also provides technical assistance and policy analysis to SELN states.

Currently, Jean is the Principal Investigator on three ICI research projects: 1) Access to Integrated Employment, ICI’s longitudinal data project on employment and day services for people with IDD; 2) The Impact of State Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Agency Employment Contracting Methods and Service Payment Rates on Employment for Individuals with IDD, a field-initiated research project on funding for employment services; and 3) Florida’s Arts to Competitive Integrated Employment (ArtCIE) model demonstration project evaluation, a Rehabilitation Services Administration Disability Innovation Fund project.

Jean has a strong investment in supporting the voices of people with lived experience with disability. For many years, she has mentored and supervised co-researchers with IDD to participate research, training, and writing related to employment. She creatively and persistently ensures people with IDD have an informed and meaningful role in research and policy.

Jean will join 10 other renowned policymakers and scholars at the 148th AAIDD Annual Meeting to receive her award in Louisville, Kentucky this June. Congratulations, Jean!

Read the full press release from AAIDD about Dr. Winsor’s award.

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The Institute for Community Inclusion Mourns the Loss of Valued Staff Member Debra Hart

Debra Hart smiling at a podium in front of a “Think Higher. Think College.” background.

With great sadness, we share with you the news that Debra Hart passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, December 12.

Throughout her career, Debra was passionate about the full inclusion of people with disabilities in their community. She led the development of postsecondary education options for students with intellectual disability (ID) when many others could not envision such an approach. She was a relentless advocate for inclusion; she firmly believed that, given the right opportunities and supports, anyone who wanted to go to college could succeed. Debra's legacy includes much more than the many postsecondary education opportunities for students with ID that have developed across this country. Her legacy is also apparent in the striking number of leaders who have emerged in the field, and, most importantly, in the people who have had new opportunities because of the work she championed.

"I've had the honor of working alongside Debra at the ICI beginning with her early work in the area of transition. Debra was committed to seeing that young people with ID had the services and supports for a meaningful adult life. Her transition work evolved as she saw inclusive postsecondary education as a pathway to employment, social and emotional development, and independent living for young people with ID. Her impact both in Massachusetts and nationally are unparalleled. She was always dedicated to this work, even when others in the disability field did not share her passion or see her vision. The progress that has been made in this field is a testament to her work, as is the team she helped to develop at ICI and the many relationships and partnerships she developed along the way," said Cindy Thomas, director of the ICI.

Debra began working at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) in 1989, where she led ICI's Education and Transition team. Over the course of her career, Debra's work addressed a range of disability issues from inclusive recreation, technology and innovation, and transition and postsecondary education. In the early 2000s, Debra spearheaded the inception of the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment (MAICEI) program. Debra was influential in the creation of Think College, a national center that provides resources, technical assistance, and training related to college options for students with ID. Her visionary leadership transformed the educational landscape by providing inclusive opportunities for students with ID to access higher education.

Debra's leadership helped lay the foundation for one of the most significant benchmarks of progress in the field of inclusive postsecondary education: the establishment of program accreditation standards. Over the past decade, she collaborated with other national leaders to draft accreditation standards, create an accreditation process, and most recently, to establish the first and only accrediting agency for postsecondary education programs for students with ID. Debra was passionate about this work and knew the long-term implications of accreditation would set quality standards for the next generation of college students with ID.

Debra was also very proud of the work of Think College Policy Advocates, a program offering training to teams of college students with ID and college program staff on disability policy and advocacy. Supporting these individuals to use their voice to speak about important policy issues with their representatives in Washington DC was meaningful to Debra. She spoke about this experience often with colleagues across the country.

"Debra was at the center of the Think College team, and her passion and vision for our mission never wavered. She had a gift for bringing folks together and she led the way in making progress in the field of inclusive postsecondary education. For those of us who were lucky enough to call her a friend—and there are many—she gave us each many other gifts: her fierce loyalty, her love for travel and good food, her true compassion and concern for our lives and our families, including (or maybe, especially) our dogs. She had a tender heart, and you were lucky when she shared it with you," said Meg Grigal, her long-time friend and co-director at Think College.

The ICI extends our sincerest sympathies and condolences to Debra's family, friends, her colleagues across the country, and ICI staff. We mourn the loss of a leader, a colleague, and a friend.

[communityinclusion]

UMass Boston LEND Director of Psychiatry Dr. Kerim Munir awarded the AUCD International Service Award

LEND Director Emeritus Dr. David Helm and Social Worker/ LEND & UCEDD Alumna Beverley Gilligan nominated Dr. Kerim Munir for the AUCD International Service Award. The following blog post is part of David and Beverley’s nomination letter to the AUCD Awards Committee.

We are proud to announce that Dr. Kerim M. Munir has been awarded the AUCD International Service Award! Dr. Munir is Director of Psychiatry at the ICI’s LEND program (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Munir has made a huge impact on international perceptions and understanding of people with mental health concerns, autism, and related disabilities. His leadership and work both with international professional organizations, for instance the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), has been instrumental in changing perspectives across the world.

In 1999, there was an earthquake in Turkey following which Dr. Munir traveled to Turkey to provide psychiatric services under UNICEF. In 2000, he presented on the Psychosocial Schools Project Marmara Earthquake UNICEF Recovery Program for Children to an international audience. Since that time, he has made close to 100 international presentations, often supporting and partnering with his international fellows or former mentees.

His understanding and research into comorbidity and social determinants of developmental

psychopathology has led to his leadership roles in a number of international associations and has been the foundation for his multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) research and training grants.

Dr. Munir has received continuous funding from NIH since 2001, supporting more than 90 international graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to come to Boston for research training in child mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and research ethics. They return to their home countries often for leadership positions and careers in health and research. For example, Dr. Ozgur Oner, one of the first fellows, is now Professor and Head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Bahcesehir University, Faculty of Medicine, and continues to be involved in lecturing, mentoring, and research.

From 2010–2019, Dr. Munir hosted the ‘Research Methods in Ethics & Health Science (RMHS)’ Summer Institute at Koc University in Turkey, where over 300 international fellows and scholars attended, giving them an opportunity to discuss and present their work. In June 2023, Dr. Munir, with the assistance of Professor Daniel Wikler of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, resumed a modified version of this program for 30 participants in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, continuing the goal of generating and sustaining global mental health and bioethics researchers in high and low- and middle-income countries.

Dr. Munir is also currently a co-Investigator on a Fogarty/NIH RO1 grant ‘Optimizing prevention approaches for children reintegrating from orphanages in Azerbaijan’ with Pl Leyla lsmayliova, University of Chicago, for the grant period 2019–2024. The Site Director in Azerbaijan is Narmin Guliyeva, MD an Associate Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, who was an international fellow in Dr. Munir’s program studying in Boston in 2016.

Thus, for over 20 years Dr. Munir has played a key role in training physicians and psychologists from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and throughout Central Asia.

As noted above, there have been over 90 fellows who have come to this country to study with Dr. Munir and while they reside in Boston for 3–6 months many of these fellows would also join LEND program activities as their schedules permitted. The impact back in their home countries has been enormous and continues to develop. The impact these scholars imparted onto our other long-term LEND fellows was also enlightening.

The list of accomplishments goes on and on, but all indicate Dr. Munir’s international influence in the world of disabilities has been and continues to be substantial.

[communityinclusion]

UMass Boston Hosts the 2023 Tribal and Indigenous Health Summit

Tribal and Indigenous Leaders, Health Advocates, and Regional, State, and Local Representatives from across New England Gathered for the Inaugural Summit

On September 28, 2023, theInstitute for Community Inclusion (ICI) joined the Tribal and Indigenous Health Summit, led by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Elizabeth Solomon, Elder of Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag, opened the Summit with a Tribal land acknowledgement, and welcomed attendees to her territory. Tribal Chair Brian Weeden of the Mashpee Wampanaog Tribe led the group in prayer. UMass Boston is on the traditional land of Massachusett people.

Throughout the day, Tribal and Indigenous leaders and others talked about mental health, the COVID-19 response, public health data, and substance abuse prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction in Tribal and Indigenous communities.

Chairwoman Cheryl Andrew-Maltais of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head addressed the audience in her Keynote speech:

“Miraculously, through our strength, courage, and resiliency, we’re here today to make positive changes in our Tribal communities’ health…By working together, we can build a better healthcare system for our people. By listening to us and our traditional cultural knowledge and incorporating our traditional medicinal practices, we can develop effective means to have better healthcare outcomes for our peoples.”

Cheryl Andrew-Maltais of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head speaks at a podium with a banner that says, “Welcome. Massachusetts Tribal and Indigenous Health Summit 2023 Department of Public Health”

Several staff and faculty from ICI and the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) attended the Summit to learn about the rich history and strengths, challenges, and health threats facing Tribal and Indigenous communities across the nation. SGISD’s new Director Dr. Tiffany Donaldson expressed gratitude for sharing this space of learning with Tribal leaders:

“I learned so much through our work with Tribal leaders about cultural history and commitment to raising awareness about Native Health inequities and barriers to access. We will continue to partner with Tribal leaders and Indigenous communities to learn about what worked in the COVID pandemic and to promote health and wellness in areas of interest to Native people.”

Dr. Tiffany Donaldson looking to her side and smiling while talking to another attendee.

ICI and SGISD staff also learned about colonialism’s devastating impact on Native health. ICI Senior Research Fellow Dr. Susan Foley was honored to hear from tribal leaders, elders, Native doctoral students, Native researchers, Native mental health providers, Indian Urban Health, Indian Health Services, and Tribal and Indigenous People Serving Organizations. She shared about her learnings and ongoing commitment to advocacy:

“We heard calls for action unequivocally pointing to existing threats to tribal community well-being. As researchers in disability services, we will strongly advocate for more Native disability research capacity and support for Native researchers. We will continue to partner with Dr. Cedric Woods at the Institute for New England Native American Studies on the Native Equity in Employment and Recovery Project, with deep respect and friendship.”

Dr. Cedric Woods is the Director of UMass Boston’s Institute for New England Native American Studies (INENAS) and served on the planning committee for the Summit.

ICI Senior Research Associate Dr. Allison Taylor echoed these sentiments:

“It was a gift to experience the Campus Center Ballroom as a Native space and to be invited as a guest into that space, as we looked out on the land and waters of the Massachusett people. I was struck by the many examples of Native ingenuity, perseverance, and resilience to foster community health and well-being, within a context of ongoing erasure, inequity, and injustice.”

Allison Taylor, on left wearing a black mask, black dress, and colorful scarf, talks with Ella Blackowl, also from SGISD.

Two UMass Medical School PhD students who are Mashpee Wampanoag tribal members wrapped up the Summit with a brief tribal history and discussion of the impact of historical trauma. They also talked about how and why they decided to pursue Tribal health professions and what that will mean to the Tribal and Indigenous communities they represent.

Quinn Barbour, ICI’s Senior Marketing and Communications Manager, took photographs to commemorate this inaugural event.

James Beard Award-winning Chef Sherry Pocknett catered the event with Indigenous cuisine from her Wampanoag culture. Pocknett’s restaurant the Sly Fox Den Too is in Charlestown, Rhode Island.

On right, SGISD and INENAS’ Cedric Woods shakes hands with Dr. Robert Goldstein, Commissioner of the MA Department of Public Health.

Four Indigenous drummers, one holding a toddler, drum and sing as traditional dancers performed.

Indigenous dancers performed at the beginning of the event.

Staffers responsible for the event posed together for a group photo.

Information from this article was also obtained from Crystal Valencia's piece, "Chancellor, State Health Officials, Tribal Leaders Gather for Tribal and Indigenous Health Summit."

Indigenous Peoples' Day

This year, we observe Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, October 9. Observing Indigenous Peoples' Day is an act of solidarity with Native Peoples. Indigenous Peoples' Day has replaced Columbus Day in many locales. Christopher Columbus exploited and enslaved Taíno Peoples and appropriated their homelands. Observing Columbus Day celebrates colonialism and memorializes the demographic collapse, enslavement, and attempted erasure of Native Peoples in the Americas. 

This October, take some time to learn more about indigenous people and cultures. Here are some additional resources to explore:

Native Reads: Books from Indigenous Communities

Living Nations, Living Worlds: A Map of First Peoples Poetry

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

Indigenous People’s Day: Red Lake Nation News

Praying Towns in Massachusetts: History

Association on American Indian Affairs

National Geographic: Native American imagery is all around us, while the people are often forgotten

New York Times: Lost Lives, Lost Culture: The Forgotten History of Indigenous Boarding Schools

Indian Law Resource Center: Ending Violence against Native Women

Walking in Two Worlds: Supporting the Two Spirit and Native LGBTQ Community

Workforce GPS: Native American Disability Resource Hub

Videos produced by the Native American Disability Law Center

Are you interested in learning more about UMass Boston’s Institute for New England Native American Studies? Contact Director Cedric Woods at Cedric.Woods@umb.edu.

Are you interested in learning more about UMass Boston’s Native American and Indigenous Studies Minor? Contact Director Maria John at maria.john@umb.edu with questions about this academic program.

This blog includes excerpts from the 2021 SGISD blog, New UMass Mural Welcomes Native Students to UMass Boston Campus.

[communityinclusion]

Four New Positions Open at SGISD and ICI

We are hiring! Join a great workplace that supports and advances UMass Boston's values of diversity and equity. The School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) at the UMass Boston College of Education and Human Development is hiring a full-time Assistant Professor and full-time Lecturer. The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) is hiring an Instructional Media Specialist and a Research Data Coordinator.

We’ve included the job descriptions in this message with links to the applications and more information. Please share these positions widely with your networks.

Assistant Professor

SGISD is hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor with expertise in critical race and ethnic studies/decolonial studies. A successful candidate has research and practice experience applying a global and intersectional lens to their work focused on race, ethnic, or decolonial studies and social and economic development for marginalized groups. The Assistant Professor will teach courses in the Global Inclusion curriculum and supervise master's capstone and PhD dissertation projects.

This position is based in Boston, MA and begins September 1, 2024.

We will review applications beginning on October 15, 2023. Learn more and apply!

Lecturer (Rehabilitation/School Counseling)

SGISD is hiring a full-time Lecturer of Rehabilitation/School Counseling in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology. This position requires a doctoral degree from a CACREP-accredited program as well as graduate-level clinical and teaching experience in counselor education. A successful candidate will:

teach courses in the Rehabilitation and School Counseling masters’ programs

teach 4 graduate courses in the Fall and Spring semesters (8 courses per year)

advise graduate students within the Rehabilitation Counseling and School Counseling programs

provide service to the Rehabilitation Counseling and School Counseling programs

This position can be remote, but SGISD will give preference to persons who are willing to teach and engage in service activities in person. We will review applications beginning on October 15, 2023. Learn more and apply!

Instructional Media Specialist

ICI is hiring a full-time instructional media specialist. In this position, you will work with subject matter experts to develop, design, and edit inclusive online lessons and activities. A successful candidate will have creative media design skills and experience producing accessible media content.

This position is based in Boston, MA.

Learn more and apply by October 20!

Research Data Coordinator

ICI is hiring a full-time research data coordinator. In this position, you will coordinate research and evaluation projects that support employment, community life engagement, and inclusive postsecondary education outcomes for people with disabilities. A successful candidate will have working knowledge of statistics, data management, and data analysis.

This position is based in Boston, MA.

Learn more & apply by October 27!

[communityinclusion]

Vision Studies Director Participates in Developing EU Curriculum

Dr. Laura Bozeman, SGISD chair and director of Vision Studies, recently took part in a project to develop professional standards for visual disabilities rehabilitators across the European Union. The oMERO project aims to close skills gaps and create a new curriculum that can be used to train specialists in providing physical, mental, and sensorial rehabilitation services.

During the oMERO final event in Genoa, Italy, Dr. Bozeman presented on takeaways from international training efforts, emphasizing the importance of tailoring professional development to individual needs. “We need to look at the culture and needs and supports that are available in different areas and see how we can help support that, not take it over,” Dr. Bozeman said.

Watch Dr. Bozeman’s presentation on the oMERO project website as well as several other discussions from the final event!

[communityinclusion]

ICI Receives 5-Year Grant for Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service

ICI is one of 17 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) to receive a new 5-year award from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living (ACL).

Each UCEDD is part of a national network of academic centers focused on addressing issues, finding solutions, and advancing research related to the needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families. UCEDDs like the ICI are university-affiliated and serve as liaisons between academia and the community.

With these funds from ACL, the ICI will continue to partner with people with disabilities and their families to conduct research, and provide training, technical assistance, and service related to education, employment, health care, and community life. We will focus on:

enhancing disability inclusion in our communities

building the capacity of communities to sustain all their citizens

supporting systems change

advocating for personal choice, self-determination, and social and economic justice

The ICI and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Medical School are the two UCEDDs in Massachusetts. The ICI was established as a UCEDD in 1968. This year, the ICI celebrates our 55th year as a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities !

[communityinclusion]

ICI Welcomes new Associate Dean for Research, Innovation, and Community Partnership & Director of SGISD, Dr. S. Tiffany Donaldson

As an institute within the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD), we are deeply honored and excited to announce that Dr. S. Tiffany Donaldson will begin her new role in the College of Education and Human Development as Associate Dean for Research, Innovation, and Community Partnerships and Director of the School for SGISD this fall! Dr. Donaldson joins us from UMass Boston, where she served as Professor of Psychology in the Psychology Department and Honors College for the past 26 years.

In 1993, Dr. Donaldson received her PhD with Distinction in Psychology from Northeastern University with concentrations in Neuroscience and Psychopharmacology. In her two-and-a-half-decade tenure at UMass Boston, Dr. Donaldson has led initiatives focused on anti-racist practices and developed expertise in three main areas:

1. Securing funding to support Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) research trainees. Dr. Donaldson has led many National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded initiatives that have trained BIPOC and Deaf and hard of hearing scholars who are traditionally underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. She secured funding from the Department of Education and from various foundations to operate a multi-summer, hands-on Science Literacy Camp at low- to no-cost for BIPOC students in Boston Public Schools. She was awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Service for this outreach.

2. Training faculty on anti-racist mentorship practices. Dr. Donaldson has trained over 250 undergraduates and has trained/co-mentored more than 10 graduate students. She received training from the NIH-funded National Research Mentoring Network as a Mentor Trainer in 2016. Since that time, she has hosted mentor training sessions across UMass Boston, the Commonwealth, and for multiple nationwide public and private institutions promoting evidence-based mentoring practices for the social and behavioral and biomedical sciences, emphasizing anti-racist and reflective diversity and equity practices. She was also recently awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching for her commitment and dedication to mentoring students and faculty.

3. Conducting community-engaged participatory research on evidence-based interventions in BIPOC communities. Dr. Donaldson has encouraged a broader view of health career trajectory for BIPOC students at UMass Boston, including public health and community based participatory research in their communities. As the co-director of the Outreach Core of the U54 UMass Boston Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Partnership, Dr. Donaldson has worked in Lawrence, MA and around greater Boston with community- and faith-based organizations to adapt evidenced-based interventions to address inequities in cancer burden. In these settings, she has trained UMass Boston undergraduates in using community-based participatory research principles. She also helped to develop a Science Café format to share science outside of the academy to foster relationships and connections in the community.

As SGISD’s new Director, Dr. Donaldson aspires to learn more through conversations and shared spaces to support the existing work and to encourage further inclusion of marginalized BIPOC communities in this ongoing work. Dr. Donaldson has collaborated with graduate students, faculty, and staff from SGISD on NIH and National Cancer Institute-funded participatory action research in BIPOC communities. Through these partnerships and collaborations, she has learned about research and the global and inclusive work of SGISD programs, the Asian American Studies Program, the Institute for New England Native American Studies, and the ICI.

Dr. Donaldson is impressed with the anti-racist work the SGISD community has begun and the commitment to diversity and inclusion. She is excited to highlight the research, community partnerships, and innovation of SGISD, and partner to extend the work.

Welcome, Dr. S. Tiffany Donaldson!

Learn more about Dr. Donaldson and her work in UMass Boston’s Behavioral Psychopharmacology Neuroscience Lab.

Read Dr. Donaldson’s research publications.

[communityinclusion]

Congratulations to Sheila Fesko, ICI Senior Research Fellow and SGISD Associate Dean and Director!

Congratulations to Sheila Fesko! Dr. Fesko has served in many roles at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), and most recently, as Associate Dean and Director of the School of Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD). This June, Sheila has retired from her position at SGISD and as Senior Research Fellow at the ICI.

Sheila has been an outstanding researcher, advocate, and leader. She began working at ICI in the 1980s in the Development Evaluation Clinic (DEC) at Boston Children’s Hospital and supporting the DEC’s Work Experience and Supported Work programs. She has since led several momentous projects, including the National Service to Employment Program and the National Center on Workforce and Disability. Most recently, Sheila directed the ICI’s online curriculum for employment services professionals, the Direct Course College of Employment Services. She also led the development of the online Personal and Home Care Aide State Training with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs.

As SGISD’s Assistant and then Associate Dean and Director, Sheila played a central role in creating and expanding the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development, supporting the academic programs, the ICI, and the Institute for New England Native American Studies.

ICI Director Cindy Thomas noted Sheila’s many accomplishments and the passion and commitment Sheila has brought to her work, while centering the school’s mission and values.

"For me personally and professionally, it has been a privilege to travel this journey with Sheila.  From our early days working together in the Developmental Evaluation Clinic, to our time together as she moved into her role as Associate Dean, Sheila is someone who has been focused on mission and values.  Her commitment to equity and inclusion was at the core of her work.  Sheila has been an impactful leader, a trusted advisor and equally important, a kind and caring friend.  As she makes this transition, she leaves behind a strong legacy and an organization well positioned for the future.  She will be missed."

Dr. Fesko has also conducted impressive research over the years in areas including employment outcomes for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities, disclosure of HIV status in the workplace, the aging workforce, and universal strategies to support inclusion of all employees in the workplace. She has also traveled internationally, presenting on issues related to disability.

Dr. Fesko’s passion and commitment to her work is admirable. Her long-time ICI colleague and friend David Hoff shared:

“Sheila has an amazing gift for mentoring others…I feel I speak for many when I say I owe a significant amount of my professional success to Sheila’s guidance and support. She has a wonderful, calm, ‘can do’ practical approach to addressing issues and challenges, and doing so in a clear and organized way that is sensitive and responsive to the needs of others. Key to her success has been her wonderful sense of fun, and ability to find humor in almost any situation. As a result, she is not only great company as a colleague and friend, but this has helped in making the work environment one that is enjoyable and collegial. I appreciate all she has done not only for ICI and SGISD, but most importantly, in helping to create a world that is more equitable and inclusive for all.”

In addition to Sheila’s extensive career with ICI, her leadership was instrumental to the launch and development of the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development. Kaitlyn Siner-Cappas has worked closely with Sheila for the past decade in SGISD:

“It has truly been an exciting and rewarding journey working with Sheila to grow the school over the past decade. As Sheila often said, we were building the plane while flying it, but without Sheila’s guidance, expertise, and remarkable sense of calm and humor, there would have been many more bumps. Her dedication and leadership was remarkable, whether it was around student support, critical resources, a willingness to listen and learn from others, or her creative problem-solving skills, which is why Sheila became known for the tagline, ‘We will figure it out’. I also personally owe much of my professional development to Sheila’s mentorship, care, and support, and while she will be very missed, I am grateful to have had such an extensive opportunity to work with her.”

Sheila has dedicated a lifetime to the field of disability. Her work has had a significant impact on the lives of people with disabilities, students, faculty, colleagues, and partners in Massachusetts and beyond. Join us in celebrating her exceptional career at the ICI and SGISD!

Current and past ICI, SGISD, and Boston Children’s Hospital employees and their families joined Sheila Fesko (second row, fourth from the right) at her retirement party.