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AUCD Community Inclusion

AUCD’s Community Inclusion Team supports the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) Network in partnership with the Administration for Community Living.

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AUCD Maternal and Child Health Engagement

AUCD’s Maternal and Child Health Engagement supports the Autism CARES Programs, including LEND and DBP Programs.

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AUCD Public Health

AUCD’s Public Health Team works to create health promotion and public health efforts that include people with disabilities.

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AUCD Emerging Leaders Community

AUCD Emerging Leaders are a part of a community that includes trainees, early career professionals, self-advocates, and family members from AUCD member Centers and Programs.

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Project

Addressing Health Disparities: Individuals who are BIPOC + IDD and Use AAC or ASL

Center:

MA-Institute for Community Inclusion/Boston Children's Hospital, UCEDD/LEND

Fiscal Year:

2026

Contact Information:

Esther Kamau
[email protected]
781-492-7123

Project Description:

We will engage in research to understand—with the aim of addressing—health disparities among individuals with disabilities who are multiply marginalized: Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) who use augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) or American Sign Language (ASL), or BIPOC-IDD-AAC/ASL. We will engage a) individuals with lived experience (BIPOC-IDD-AAC/ASL); b) families of those with lived experience; and c) health care professionals who support this population, using a science- and justice-based model for understanding multiple spheres of influence on health outcomes, the Health Equity Framework (Peterson et al., 2021).

Keyword(s):

Health Equity, Social Determinants of Health, Health Equity

Core Function(s):

Performing Research or Evaluation

Area of Emphasis

Health-Related Activities

Target Audience:

Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Legislators/Policy Makers

Unserved or Under-served Populations:

Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Reservation

Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:

National