About Us
The OHSU University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities is an organization that supports people with disabilities throughout Oregon.
The UCEDD is one of 67 Centers across the country all dedicated to the same cause, and all are part of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. The OHSU UCEDD was one of the first UCEDDs created, and celebrates a 50-year history in Oregon.
Our purpose
The OHSU UCEDD's purpose is to promote the health and quality of life for Oregonians with disabilities and their families across the lifespan. We accomplish this through leadership and collaboration with local, state, and national partners, serving as a resource for excellence in education, research and evaluation, community outreach, service and information sharing.
DEI Statement
As a team of researchers, health and healthcare professionals, disability advocates and educators we value the diversity of the human experience and intersecting identities. We believe that all communities have knowledge and experiences which contribute to our understanding of health, quality of life, and health care for all people. We also do our work recognizing that people with disabilities face many barriers to health and meaningful participation in community. Read the full DEI Statement here.
Goals and objectives
Federally funded through the Administration for Community Living, our center provides administrative, programmatic, and research support for the OHSU Institute on Development and Disability. In addition, we promote and enhance the overall mission and activities of our national organization, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.
Our four core functions
We provide training to medical students and professionals, high school students, and everyone in between. Some of our featured programs include Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) and the UCEDD Summer Internship Program.
We partner with research expertise at OHSU to further knowledge gain of complex communication needs and speech disorders, health and health care disparities, reproductive health, and more. We also conduct the annual National Core Indicators Adult In-Person Survey and evaluation efforts to the state of Oregon through quality assurance projects.
We provide programs, resources and training to the community through a variety of efforts to enhance mental health, health promotion, sexual health, disability awareness, and more. We engage with partners and organizations at local, state and national levels in this work.
We partner with our advisory council and networks to advocate and educate through product dissemination. We strive to share accessible information that is culturally and linguistically appropriate and meets the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families.
DD Network collaboration example
The UCEDD, in partnership with our DD Network including the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities and Disability Rights Oregon celebrated the 30th birthday of the ADA in 2020 by producing video interviews with Oregon legislators, self-advocates, and the renowned Liz Weintraub from “Tuesdays with Liz.” Then we held an ADA Roundtable on voting rights including presentations and discussion.
Watch all the videos:
