May 7: The Internationally Recognized Institute of Community Integration

The UMN Institute of Community Integration is celebrating 40 years! Dr. Amy Hewitt led participants through the Institute’s mission to ensure that children, youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are included in and able to contribute to their schools, workplaces, and communities, and how we all benefit from community inclusion.

Presented by: Dr. Amy Hewitt, Director of The Institute of Community Integration and Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

Key Takeaways

The Role of the Institute on Community Integration (ICI)

  • Mission and Scope: Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the ICI focus centers on research, training, and outreach to improve inclusion for people with IDD throughout their entire lives—from "birth to death".
  • State and Federal Connection: The ICI is Minnesota's "state university center on excellence in Developmental Disabilities," part of a national network with centers in every US state and territory.
  • Philosophy: The institute operates under the principle "nothing about us without us," emphasizing that people with disabilities should be central to all decisions and policies affecting their lives.

Historical Progress and Current Successes

  • Deinstitutionalization: In 1967, nearly 200,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities lived in large state-run institutions. Today, that number has dropped to roughly 15,000 nationwide.
  • Minnesota's Status: Minnesota no longer has state-run institutions specifically for people with IDD.
  • Community Living: Over a million people with IDD now receive support to live in their own homes, with family, or in community-based settings.

Critical Challenges and Future Threats

  • Workforce Crisis: There is a severe shortage of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) due to low wages and high turnover, meaning the staff supporting individuals in their daily lives are often leaving the field.
  • Incomplete Inclusion: Despite progress, an estimated 75% of people with IDD do not receive formal services from their state or communities. Many individuals are still ending up in inappropriate settings like jails or emergency departments because community supports are insufficient.
  • Systemic and Social Barriers:
    • Ableism: This remains a major driver preventing true inclusion by assigning value to people based on "normalcy" or perceived productivity.
    • Language: Dr. Hewitt highlights a troubling resurgence of the "R-word," noting that it remains deeply harmful to individuals with IDD despite efforts to eliminate its use.

Key Takeaways for the Community

  • Community-Led Success: Research indicates that community organizations (like faith groups or social clubs) often achieve better inclusion outcomes than formal disability service providers when they are explicitly asked to help.
  • Call to Action:
    • Invite People In: Actively invite individuals with disabilities to participate in local clubs, volunteer groups, or community events.  Challenge Offensive Language: Hold people accountable for using derogatory words.
    • Value-Driven Policy: Advocate for policy based on actual life outcomes—like finding a job or building a friendship—rather than just bureaucratic compliance.