Center on Disability
and Development
at Texas A&M University
Michael R. Benz, Ph.D.,
Director
Center on Disability and
Development
Amy Sharp, Ph.D., Associate
Director
Center on Disability and
Development
Mission and Goals of the CDD
• Mission
• Promote inclusive communities and better lives for people
with disabilities and their families through education,
research, service, and outreach
• Goals
• Improve education services and outcomes
• Enhance community quality of life
Center on Disability and Development
History of the Center
• Established and funded in 2005 as University Center
for Excellence in Disabilities
• Part of a National Network of 67 similar Centers in
medical schools and major universities
• Approved in 2007 by Board of Regents to operate as the
Center for Disability and Development (CDD)
• Texas AgriLife Extension Service is a key TAMUS
organizational partner
Center on Disability and Development
Prevalence of Disability
• School-age population
• National (2008) = 7.1 million (9%)
• Texas (2008) = 517, 534 (9%)
• General adult population
• National (2010) = 33.4 million (15%)
• Texas (2010) = 2.6 million (14%)
• Factors affecting prevalence
• Baby Boomers
• Returning veterans
• Changes in definition
Center on Disability and Development
Pre-service
Preparation
and
Continuing
Education
Program
Highlights
Center on Disability and Development
• Training for master and
doctoral students
• Annual conferences
• Texas Transition Conference
• Southwest Conference on
Disability
• Texas Youth Leadership
Forum
• Continuing education
• Person-Centered Practices
Institute
• PATHS: Postsecondary access
and Training in Human
Services
Research
Project
Highlights
• Language development
and literacy
• Project WORLD (Words of Oral
Language and Literacy Development)
• Early Reading Intervention
• Promoting Adolescents’
Comprehension of Text
• Education outcomes
• Autism
• Bullying
• Transition
• Disaster recovery and
quality of life
• Project REDD (Research and
Education in Disaster and Disability)
•
Center on Disability and Development
Mobile Tips Tips for First Responders
Community
Services
Service
Highlights
• Autism Assessment and
Intervention Clinic*
• Texas AgrAbility Project
• Disability Training
Network
• Brazos Valley Center for
Independent Living
Center on Disability and Development
Outreach
Programs
Highlights
• Aggie Ability Awareness
• Aggie Guide Dogs and
Service Dogs
• Camp LIFE
• Family Support Network
Center on Disability and Development
Information
Dissemination
• CTSP (Career and Technical
Highlights
• Directory of Community
Resources in Texas link
Center on Disability and Development
Education Special Populations)
Training and Resource
Center link
Summary of CDD Structure
• 24 discrete multi-year projects address CDD goals
across education, research, service, and outreach
• 13 CDD faculty/staff members and 13 Affiliated
faculty members
• 3 doctoral fellows
• 28 graduate students from 6 disciplines
• Ave. 15,500 individuals served annually by CDD
projects
Center on Disability and Development
External Funds Leveraged
by the CDD
CDD
Fiscal Year
Core Grant Funds
Annual External Funds
Leveraged
Ratio of External
Funds to Core Funds
FY07
$500,000
$2,690,155
$5.38
FY08
$490,000
$2,711,893
$5.53
FY09
$520,000
$4,073,329
$7.38
FY10
$528,000
$4,460,770
$8.45
FY11
$535,000
$4,169,000
$7.79
Center on Disability and Development
Aggie Ability Awareness
• Attitudes and Perceptions | A look at how mainstream culture
• History of Disability | Evolution of disability over history.
• Disability Types and Definitions | The strengths and challenges
• Legal Issues | A lesson on disability law: ADA & IDEA
• Fact | Learn the myths and facts surrounding the ADA.
• Etiquette & Respect | People 1st
• Accommodations | A discussion of Universal Design
• Discrimination | Institutional discrimination
• Panel of Experience | Ask questions and listen
Center on Disability and Development
Aggie Ability Awareness
• A new tradition in disability consciousness for the
Texas A&M Community
• Aggie Ability Awareness (AAA) is a voluntary and
interactive 3-hour seminar designed to increase
knowledge, awareness, and respect for people with
disabilities among students, faculty, and staff at
Texas A&M University.
• AAA seeks to promote positive, equitable, accepting
attitudes towards people with disabilities.
• Aggieability.tamu.edu
Center on Disability and Development
Contact Information
Center on Disability and Development
• Cdd @ tamu.edu
• 979-845-4612
• Cdd.tamu.edu
Amy Sharp
• sharp @ tamu.edu
Center on Disability and Development