About Us

Mission

The Center for Opportunities and Outcomes for People with Disabilities confronts the challenges facing special education today and broadens the scope of research at Teachers College. The Center is committed to producing knowledge and professional expertise that will enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities.

Priorities: Three broad priorities are reflected in the activities of the Center:

• Empowerment: Research and demonstration efforts to enhance the capacity and opportunities for independent decision making and self-determination.
  
  
• Prevention: Research and demonstration efforts to prevent negative outcomes often associated with disability, including reducing vulnerability to victimization and abuse.
  
  
• Diversity: Research and demonstration efforts to address disability-related issues of culturally and ethnically diverse groups, including women and minorities.

The Center for Opportunities and Outcomes promotes the dynamic, interdisciplinary confluence of expertise available at Teachers College. The goal is to improve the quality of resources and services available to people with disabilities throughout their lives in a variety of community settings. The Center also encourages national and international partnerships aimed at increasing the power of disability-relevant research to produce groundbreaking knowledge (see Center Projects).