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EnglishWhat is the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the University of Minnesota?
Updated
The Institute on Community Integration (ICI) is a research and outreach institute at the University of Minnesota focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities and their families. Its work spans early childhood, educational policy and practice, community living and employment, and global disability rights and inclusion. ICI serves families, educators, and professionals through research, training, tools, and free online workshops.
What ICI does
ICI's work is organized around several areas, each addressing a distinct part of disability inclusion:
- Early Childhood — including foundational questions such as what autism is.
- Educational Policy & Practice — including questions such as whether inclusion is a civil right for students with disabilities.
- Community Living & Employment — including the role of the direct support professional.
- Global Disability Rights & Inclusion — for example, how Armenia is training teachers in inclusive education.
These areas connect research to practice: the institute studies policy and systems, then translates findings into resources and training that families, educators, and professionals can use.
Resources and training for families and professionals
One example of ICI's practical offerings is Charting the LifeCourse, a framework developed by parents to help the people they love live a good life. It provides tools that help families plan, communicate, and problem-solve about what matters to them, and it can help people explore, plan, and share their vision of a good life with others.
ICI also offers free online workshops on the Charting the LifeCourse framework and tools, open to families, educators, and anyone interested. According to the institute, each workshop offers practical strategies, tools, and real-life examples aimed at centering the voices, goals, and dreams of people with disabilities as they plan for school, life, and decision-making.
Research that reaches public conversation
ICI's research and policy briefs are sometimes featured in local media. For example, Access Press featured a brief by ICI's Emily Unholz-Bowden and Renata Ticha on employing workers with disabilities. The brief argues that as Minnesota reimagines its future workforce, opening doors for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) meets both an economic demand and a commitment to community equity—and that when businesses make their environments and work procedures inclusive, people with disabilities, employers, and the economy all benefit.
Who ICI is for
| If you are… | ICI may be useful for… |
|---|---|
| A family member or person with a disability | Planning tools and workshops such as Charting the LifeCourse |
| An educator | Resources on inclusive education policy and practice |
| A professional or employer | Research and briefs on community living and employment |
| A researcher or advocate | Policy analysis and global disability rights work |
How to use the site
The ICI homepage organizes its content under News and Our Work, with the "Our Work" section linking to each focus area. The site also maintains a news archive. To find workshops or registration details for Charting the LifeCourse, follow the links from the homepage feature on that topic.