WASHINGTON – The Center for Community Inclusion at the University of Maine will receive $382,888 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant supports a range of research, training, and education aimed at helping Maine better meet the needs of people with disabilities.

“Now in its 10th year, the University’s Center for Community Inclusion is helping translate the exciting advancements identified nationwide in meeting the needs of people with disabilities into policies that can work in Maine,” said U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins in a joint statement announcing the grant. “This funding provides the annual support the center needs to help educators, policy-makers, and providers meet the critical needs of these citizens.”

The DHHS grant is funded through the Developmental Disabilities Act as part of the University Centers for Educational Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Education, Research and Service program. The funding will support core funding and administrative needs at the university, ranging from improved application of research to formulation of policy solutions.

The center assists the disabled throughout their lives, from early education to the elderly, in four major areas: interdisciplinary education in the area of disabilities studies; research and evaluation of public policy; staff development and technical assistance to encourage innovation and “best practices” in the field; and dissemination of information to scholars, providers and lawmakers.