Outreach and Impact of the Center
“The Center on Health, Aging, and Disability provides exciting opportunities for our campus to continue its historic leadership in promoting health, personal empowerment, and self-sufficiency for all people, including those with disabilities.”
— Timothy J. Nugent, Founder and Director Emeritus, Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services
Changes to the Center
Our current system for supporting our demographically changing population is not sustainable. Changes will need to occur in the delivery of services. Community centers will need to adapt their programs for at-risk children and adolescents. Changes in community living options and public transportation will need to accommodate our aging population. There will be a need to focus greater attention on prevention, healthy lifestyle interventions, rehabilitation, housing options, recreation and leisure activities, environmental supports for independence and personal empowerment, and enabling public policies.
We are
fortunate to have a unique arrangement at the University of Illinois, where a renowned service unit, the Division of
Disability Resources and Educational Services, is housed within an academic college. This partnership provides enormous
opportunities to integrate research and teaching with practice. Outreach activities such as distance learning and non-degree short courses will be developed to engage and inform the public and public policy agencies on critical societal issues related to health, aging, and disability. For example, the International Disability Sport Outreach Program was established by the College of Applied Health Sciences to support social change in countries where the opportunities for persons with disabilities have not previously existed. By encouraging participation in sports, transformational changes are possible not only for athletes but all individuals with disabilities.
The Center on Health, Aging and Disability serves as a catalyst around which discoveries can be made, critical societal issues are addressed, and exemplary educational and outreach opportunities are provided.