Robert ’86 and Kathryn Taishoff

How do you inspire people to open their hearts and provide the support to raise the hefty sum of $2.5 million? Just ask retired U.S. Navy Capt. Robert “Rob” P. Taishoff ’86 who sees opportunities where others see obstacles, and who is determined to change the way the world views intellectual disability. With the recent Taishoff Family Foundation gift of $2.5 million to inclusive higher education at ���ϲ�����, Taishoff is challenging others to see the world the way he does and match his family’s pledge.

“I’ve seen the confidence that these young men and women with intellectual disabilities develop when given educational opportunities, and it’s mind-blowing,” says Taishoff. “If we give them the chance to pursue their interests and prepare them for careers, just like we do with every student at ���ϲ�����, they will thrive, excel, succeed and surprise us.”

Taishoff continues to marvel at the successes of the students who attend InclusiveU and the accomplishments of the , named for his father in 2009 with a $1.1 million grant from Taishoff. The center and InclusiveU have become national models for the inclusion and education of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. At that time, Taishoff was a University Trustee; he served as a voting trustee from 2009 to 2021 and is now a life trustee. Taishoff has been involved in many University initiatives, but it was inclusive education and the work going on at the (CDI) in the School of Education that captured his whole heart.

Taishoff’s daughter, Jackie, was born with Down syndrome in 2001, and he experienced firsthand the promise and the heartbreak felt by the families of young people often marginalized by society. “Jackie is very social and friendly, and frequently surprises us with what she’s capable of doing,” says Taishoff. He’d love to see her attend InclusiveU but as a resident of Maryland, her benefits associated with her disability won’t cross state lines. The portability of benefits is one of those systemic policy issues that CDI’s staff is working to change, helping students overcome barriers to pursue an education and career.

According to Sara Hart Weir, a national expert in disability policy and former president of the National Down Syndrome Society, Taishoff is the kind of visionary who “sees endless opportunities not just for Jackie, but for all people with disabilities. Rob wants them to have the kinds of opportunities every other American has, from education to health care, from financial services to careers.” Weir says individuals with Down syndrome are an “untapped workforce who, with access to programs like InclusiveU, can skill up, enter the workforce and become taxpayers.” She says InclusiveU is the “best of the best” in providing these kinds of opportunities.

Strengthening Programming

The Taishoff Family Foundation has contributed several million dollars over the years to strengthen CDI, the Taishoff Center and InclusiveU, providing resources for programmatic growth. “They’ve achieved all their goals in the last five-year plan and that set the stage for the next five-year plan,” says Taishoff, who hopes his new gift will be leveraged to bring in new donor support. The next five-year plan seeks to grow enrollment by 25% and offer new experiences for students with intellectual disability.

“We’re never satisfied with what we’re doing,” says Beth Myers, the Lawrence B. Taishoff Associate Professor of Inclusive Education, executive director of the Taishoff Center and assistant director of CDI. “We may be the largest program of our kind in the nation, but there are always more opportunities to pursue. For example, I dream of first providing our students with a two-week study abroad in Italy with the goal of a full semester of study abroad in any location where any other ���ϲ����� student can go. Am I dreaming huge dreams? Yes. Is it possible? Yes!” But, Myers acknowledges, it takes more resources and staffing to achieve those dreams.

Myers credits her “amazing team and an incredible staff at InclusiveU who would do anything for these students” to deliver on dreams. She has watched the program at InclusiveU grow from 14 students in three majors to 100 students in 45 majors taking more than 300 courses across the University. “We have allies in every department across campus, top down and bottom up support,” says Myers. “It’s a culture grounded in the University’s 60-plus year history in disability advocacy. People really value the work we do in inclusion.”

“I am continuously inspired by Rob Taishoff’s generosity and, now, his strategic challenge to others to help advance ���ϲ�����’s leadership in the disability community,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Rob persists in challenging all of us to think of innovative and creative solutions and to collaborate across units and colleges to ensure equitable opportunities for all our students and to be a standard-bearer for academic institutions nationwide.”

Through those opportunities, Taishoff sees how students become one with the University community. “Our intellectually disabled students are woven into the fabric of the University, from the classroom to living arrangements, from social activities to career preparation,” says Taishoff.

Going Beyond

CDI’s strategic plan for growth goes beyond assisting the growth of the Taishoff Center and enrollment in InclusiveU. It would enhance access to higher education among students in the ���ϲ����� City School district (nationally, less than 2% of high school students with intellectual disability go to college). It would invest in innovative technical assistance for disabled students and establish an Inclusive Higher Education Technical Assistance Center to help other colleges and universities. It would support research, fellowships and teaching to advance the field. It would provide more resources for career advising and career placement (only 17% of adults with intellectual disabilities are employed nationally). The newly established Robert and Kathryn Taishoff Fund would support many of these initiatives and scholarship support for students.

In addition to the new fund, the latest Taishoff gift continues support through the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education Endowed Fund. Part of the $1.5 billion , Taishoff’s gift builds on and the legacy of the School of Education. Rob Taishoff’s father Lawrence and grandfather Sol philanthropically supported education, journalism and health research. Taishoff says his father was “exceptionally close” to granddaughter Jackie, perhaps because he had witnessed a cousin with Down syndrome sent to an institution and shielded away from society and opportunity.

Taishoff says his own military experience also reinforced the family’s commitment to opening the doors of opportunity. He spent more than two decades in active duty in the Navy and managed Navy and Marine Corps attorneys and civilians representing service members. “No matter what background or walk of life someone was from, whether enlisted or an officer, we were all pulling for the same goals, trying to fulfill a mission,” Taishoff says. “I saw people who were given opportunities in the military that they would not have had otherwise, and I saw them thrive and excel.”

The Taishoff Family Foundation’s legacy aligns with that of the School of Education, which is recognized as an international leader in the deinstitutionalization and school inclusion movements. The school is home to the first disability studies program in the country and the first joint degree program in law and disability studies, and it helped ���ϲ����� become the first research university to launch an integrated elementary and special education teacher education program.

“It’s time to build on history once again,” says Taishoff. “I hope others will join me in creating new futures for countless young people who deserve a chance to contribute in ways that will amaze us.”

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���ϲ����� is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors closes the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

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Orange isn’t just our color. It’s our promise to leave the world better than we found it. Forever Orange: The Campaign for ���ϲ����� is poised to do just that. Fueled by more than 150 years of fearless firsts, together we can enhance academic excellence, transform the student experience and expand unique opportunities for learning and growth. Forever Orange endeavors to raise $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, inspire 125,000 individual donors to participate in the campaign, and actively engage one in five alumni in the life of the University. Now is the time to show the world what Orange can do. Visit����to learn more.

From an early age, Mark Radel ’28 always demonstrated compassion for his peers. As a precocious 9-year-old, Mark would rush onto the basketball court (accompanied by the coaches) whenever someone got hurt to check in and offer a helping hand.

Luke Radel ’26 says empathy is his brother’s superpower. “Mark is overflowing with empathy, and he has a great ability to know if somebody is having a bad day, and what he can do to help them through it,” Luke says, with a proud smile—and that trait will serve Mark well as he strives for a career in sports and exercise science as an athletic trainer.

Mark’s career ambition is being supported by , an initiative from the�� that sets a high standard among inclusive higher education programs, making higher education more accessible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through individualized and inclusive coursework, student-centered planning, internships, and social and extracurricular activities.

“I want to help people. I’m loving learning about the body, and how what we eat helps make us strong, and when I graduate, I want to work with my football team, the Buffalo Bills, as a trainer,” says Mark, a sports and exercise science major at the University who was born with Down syndrome.

When Luke (left) attended ���ϲ����� and study both political science and broadcast and digital journalism, Mark decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

An Unbreakable Bond

Mark’s benevolent spirit helped Luke during his darkest days. While visiting colleges with his family in Boston, Massachusetts, Luke, an aspiring broadcast journalist, was out to dinner when he discovered his voice had left him. Realizing there was a potential health problem, Luke checked into Massachusetts General Hospital for observation.

Within a few hours, the doctors gave Luke their diagnosis: Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma. With his head spinning, Luke began undergoing chemotherapy sessions twice a month for six months, oftentimes for five or more hours per visit. What got him through those trying times?

“Mark was by my side, and his compassion was so helpful. Plus, he gives the best hugs. Whenever I was having a bad day, those hugs were just amazing and turned my day around,” says Luke, whose cancer is in remission. “Mark’s had his fair share of health struggles, and in that moment, I realized what Mark overcomes every day just to keep going, all the work he does to go to school and live his life. If he’s taking on that daunting situation every single day, I can take care of my chemotherapy.”

When Luke decided to attend ���ϲ����� and study both political science in the and broadcast and digital journalism in the , Mark decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps, applying to and being granted admission into InclusiveU’s highly competitive program.

Their unbreakable bond was further strengthened as roommates on campus. Luke helps Mark with his homework and with prepping his meals, and configured Mark’s Google Maps app on his phone with the relevant directions needed for Mark to traverse campus on a daily basis.

Luke and Mark Radel during their shared class in the Falk College. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

“Mark is Mr. Independent on campus. He doesn’t want to rely on someone else to help him get across campus. He’s done an amazing job of navigating everything it takes to be a student,” Luke says. “I’m really grateful to be at an institution like ���ϲ����� that is always striving to ensure everybody has access to the opportunities they need to succeed and feel welcome in these spaces.”

Life-Changing Opportunities

From the moment Mark came into his life, Luke has embraced advocating on behalf of his brother, fighting to ensure he was given access to every possible opportunity. It’s part of the Radel family’s genetic makeup. Their father, Patrick, was an attorney who helped people with mental and developmental disabilities be included in their elementary and high school’s educational programs, and their mother, Mary, created a support group, , that raises awareness and educates and connects parents of children born with Down syndrome to resources.

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, which, Luke says, is the perfect time for members of the University to learn how people with Down syndrome are valuable contributors to the University community.

“People with Down syndrome are more alike than they are different from us. Mark needs to be in environments that will push him outside of his comfort zone and push the limits of what a person with Down syndrome can accomplish,” Luke says. “You’ll be helping Mark by interacting with him, but you’re also helping yourself gain a better understanding of how people with Down syndrome see and interact with the world around them.

Inspired to become a broadcast journalist from his efforts advocating on Mark’s behalf, Luke has amassed an impressive portfolio as a broadcast journalist, recently covering both the Republican and Democratic national conventions and serving as a in Utica, New York.

Luke hopes to use his dual degrees to continue telling impactful stories that make a difference, including his brother’s inspirational journey to ���ϲ�����.

When Mark got his acceptance letter into InclusiveU I cried tears of joy. I was so excited for him, and I have loved being able to share in the ���ϲ����� journey with Mark, Luke says.

“I always wanted to go to college, and being here with my brother has been amazing. This experience has changed my life,” Mark says.

Sports as a Unifying Force

A lifelong fan of playing sports, Mark Radel enjoys participating in the Special Olympics Unified Sports club basketball team on campus. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)

The table tennis area in the lounge of Luke’s off-campus apartment complex is getting quite the workout on a Tuesday morning before they both have class in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. Good-natured comments fly back and forth whenever a point is scored. Their friendly matches, typically a best two-out-of-three affair, offer insights into their dynamic.

“It’s fun to play sports and I like learning new things while I am playing,” Mark says. “And I like to beat Luke. We always have fun when we play.”

“Oh yeah, this is always fun whenever we play [table tennis]. Mark loves watching and playing sports because it’s exciting and fun for him, and it’s a great way to stay active and also be part of a team and a community. Mark just loves being around people,” Luke adds.

Outside of their sibling showdowns in table tennis, Mark also participates in the Special Olympics Unified Sports club basketball team on campus, practicing every Sunday in the Women’s Building.

Surrounded by friends, Mark takes great pride in his basketball abilities. “It’s fun to shoot, dribble the ball and then pass it to my teammates, but what I’m really good at is shooting and scoring,” Mark says with a smile—but more than his performance, he enjoys the camaraderie and friendships that form with his peers.

“It’s the best. We cheer each other on, cheer for big shots and we all want everyone to play well and have fun,” Mark says. “I play better when my teammates are cheering me on, yelling ‘Mark, Mark, Mark!’ It makes me happy and motivates me.”

Brothers Mark (left) and Luke Radel share an unbreakable bond, one that has only strengthened during their time at ���ϲ�����.

An avid fan of the ���ϲ����� football team, Luke and Mark eagerly await each home game. Mark can often be found yelling and cheering on the team while wearing his No. 6 ���ϲ����� jersey, originally purchased to honor former starting quarterback Garrett Shrader ’23, but this year, the jersey is a nod to current starting quarterback Kyle McCord ’25.

From his seats in the 300 section inside the JMA Wireless Dome, fans flock to Mark’s infectious attitude, exchanging fist bumps and high-fives every time ���ϲ����� comes up with a big play.

“It’s really cool and it makes me feel great to know I’m making new friends while we’re cheering on ���ϲ�����,” Mark says.

“Mark has such a big smile on his face when he’s interacting with our fans, and it makes me so happy to see his joy,” Luke adds.

InclusiveU Director Brianna Shults and student Matthew Falanga discuss the life-changing opportunities InclusiveU affords its students, how InclusiveU has made a profound impact, how InclusiveU has become the standard-bearer for how colleges run an inclusive higher education program and how the benefits extend to the greater campus community.

The White House. Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The New York State Capitol building in Albany.

Matthew Falanga

These are just some of the places an enthusiastic delegation from ���ϲ�����’s InclusiveU program have traveled over the years, meeting with policymakers, politicians and higher education leaders to push for change to make higher education more accessible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For more than a decade, InclusiveU, an initiative from the��, has set the standard by which all other inclusive higher education programs are judged. Its model encompasses individualized and inclusive coursework, student-centered planning, internships, and social and extracurricular activities.

“I always wanted to go to college, and when I heard about ���ϲ����� and its InclusiveU program, I knew that was where I wanted to go to achieve my dreams,” says Matthew Falanga ’26, who was born with Down syndrome and is majoring in communications at ���ϲ�����. “The best part of coming to ���ϲ����� is making new friends and being involved on campus. It makes me feel very happy.”

Over the last 10 years, InclusiveU has experienced exponential growth and is now the largest program of its kind in the country. This year, 102 students are pursuing their academic dreams on campus, including 44 students who, like Falanga, live in residence halls.

Check out featuring Falanga and InclusiveU Director Brianna Shults G’20. A transcript [PDF] is also available.

Recruiting Advocates, Reducing Stigmas

Over the years, InclusiveU Director Brianna Shults G’20 has led countless trips to bring current InclusiveU students and recent graduates to meet with elected officials. These trips serve to recruit new advocates, increase support and awareness of the program, and reduce the stigmas that still exist surrounding students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The opportunities InclusiveU affords aren’t readily available for many students like Falanga. According to , only 2% of school-age students with intellectual disability are likely to attend college after high school, and of the 472 colleges and universities in New York state, only 24 have inclusive postsecondary education programs.

Brianna Shults

“There was this cliff that many students with developmental and intellectual disabilities would drop off once they graduated high school. Some would find work or a program that filled time in their day, while some would do volunteer activities. Some just stayed home. By being able to take that next step in their development alongside their peers, continuing their educations while gaining skills to launch their careers, InclusiveU has given students the opportunity to define who they are and what they want to be. They get to have the same experiences their peers were afforded,” Shults says.

Now, thanks to a $200,000 grant from the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, the School of Education’s ��will provide technical assistance to schools and colleges in Western and Central New York to create and enhance inclusive college programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This is in addition to the technical assistance InclusiveU has already provided to colleges and universities in Arizona, Florida, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee when representatives from those institutions visited campus in 2023. InclusiveU students led campus tours while sharing how their higher education experiences had changed their lives.

“There are not enough inclusive programs like ours and our field is very collaborative. We want all students with intellectual or developmental disabilities who want to go to college to have an opportunity that fits their needs,” Shults says. “The demand versus available opportunity and the capacity of these programs is something that needs support. We are thankful for the Golisano Foundation’s help to build out this program and provide the type of support and knowledge that other programs [at other institutions] are looking for.”

Celebrating People With Disabilities

For many adolescent students with developmental disabilities, the pursuit of higher education is filled with roadblocks and can be a daunting task for both aspiring students and their families. But thanks to InclusiveU, students of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities are empowered to come to campus and experience college life in a fully inclusive setting, learning the necessary skills to thrive in the classroom and find a job after graduation.

These experiences prove to be life-changing for students like Falanga, who over the summer interned with , where he worked on a project promoting voting rights for people with disabilities, and also represented InclusiveU as an inclusive higher education advocate at a Disability Pride Event in the White House.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Falanga, who had a specific message for the government officials he met during his visit.

“Just because I was born with a disability, I want to celebrate my disability. I also want to help other people with disabilities feel better about themselves. Be proud of who you are. It is important for people with disabilities to learn about these programs [like InclusiveU] and know that they can go to college and start their new life,” says Falanga, who hopes to use his degree to land a job where he can help create more legislation that opens doors for people with disabilities.

Representing InclusiveU at a Disability Pride Event in the White House over the summer were (from left to right): Karly Grifasi, assistant director of operations and communications, Jennifer Quinn, internship and employment coordinator, Matthew Falanga and Shafreya Wilkins.

Opening Doors for All

���ϲ����� has a proud 154-year history of opening its doors to all students who are interested in receiving a college degree, regardless of their background or upbringing.

InclusiveU, which was founded in 2001 as a dual enrollment program with the ���ϲ����� City School District, has provided the necessary skills for students to both thrive in the classroom and find a job after graduation. By incorporating InclusiveU students in classes with the general ���ϲ����� student body, Shults says the entire campus community benefits.

“It helps make all ���ϲ����� students better friends, better classmates, better coworkers and better community members,” Shults says. “Having this experience and interaction with InclusiveU students helps our whole campus think inclusively. It helps our administration think differently and more inclusively. We’re able to adjust the way students access their classes or how they interact with faculty to make sure those experiences are inclusive for all.”

Equipped for Lifelong Success

The initiative’s work is evolving. InclusiveU students now participate in the University’s First Year Seminar course, and in May, InclusiveU is launching the first inclusive ���ϲ����� Abroad experience to Italy, with a goal of expanding opportunities for its students to study abroad.

Once they earn ���ϲ����� degrees, many InclusiveU students successfully find paid, competitive jobs, due in part to the strong relationships InclusiveU develops with its partners, both on campus and in the Central New York community. It’s also a result of the yearlong internships InclusiveU students participate in as part of their three years of academic education.

Matthew Falanga (left) and Shafreya Wilkins during a visit to Washington, D.C.

But there’s more work to be done when it comes to support and funding for InclusiveU, including thinking beyond the students’ time on campus.

“We want to ensure that students can lead the lives that they want to live afterwards, and that goes for employment, community involvement and living situations. We have advocated for ending subminimum wage and closing sheltered workshops. The Higher Education Opportunity Act hasn’t been reauthorized since 2008,” Shults says. “These are all really important things to help individuals with disabilities lead productive and meaningful lives beyond higher education.”

For now, Falanga is focusing on fine-tuning his public speaking skills, continuing to make new friends on campus and finding ways to get and stay involved with the University he loves so much.

“���ϲ����� makes me feel very happy and proud. InclusiveU has helped me to make new friends, take great classes and explore my career choices. This has changed my life,” Falanga says.

, only 2% of school-age students with intellectual disability are likely to attend college after high school. Moreover, of the 472 colleges and universities in New York state, only 24 have inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs.

With more than 435 students with intellectual disability enrolled in these programs and an average of 18 students in each program, the Golisano Foundation recognizes the opportunity for CDI—along with the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education, which supports InclusiveU, ���ϲ�����’s inclusive higher education program—to expand on its current technical assistance model to increase and enhance the availability and inclusivity of programs across Western and Central New York.

Led by a new technical assistance director, in the first year CDI will pilot technical assistance in a few select colleges and universities, with a focus on creating or enhancing accessibility, promoting inclusivity and providing support services to empower students with intellectual disability in academic and social success.

“With InclusiveU, ���ϲ����� has a nationally recognized model. Serving more than 100 students, this program aims to fully integrate students into all aspects of campus life including academics, internships, social experiences and residential living,” says , professor and director of CDI. “We are grateful to the Golisano Foundation for this generous grant, which will help us build on our expertise in disability related research and inclusive education, practice and advocacy to remove barriers that exclude people with disabilities from campus life in New York.”

“The Taishoff Center’s approach to inclusive higher education—including utilization of existing campus resources—has fundamentally shifted the way in which schools and universities serve and support students with intellectual disability,” says , Lawrence B. Taishoff Associate Professor of Inclusive Education and executive director of the Taishoff Center. “With this experience, CDI and the Taishoff Center are uniquely positioned to provide technical assistance to support the development and expansion of inclusive college programs.”

“Along with the trustees of the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, I am thrilled to be able to support the development and expansion of IPSE programs and supportive services,” says , director of the Golisano Foundation. “The trustees and I commend ���ϲ�����’s recognition of the potential throughout New York State, and we look forward to watching CDI and the Taishoff Center build a community of practice and work toward setting a national example and standard for inclusion in the higher education community.”

Among services planned for the project’s first year, CDI and the Taishoff Center will:

• Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment at pilot colleges and universities;
• Increase access to inclusive postsecondary education and participation in the general college curriculum for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities;
• Support improved academic, social, independent living, employment and self-advocacy outcomes;
• Disseminate research and best practices on inclusive postsecondary education;
• Distribute materials to support program development, evaluation and strategic planning; and
• Coordinate data collection with shared outcomes for IPSE programs.

Faculty members Beth Myers (left) and Don Carr. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Seven student-designed products, services and technologies meant to assist people with intellectual and developmental disabilities won recognition and seed funding at the Showcase on April 25.

Fashion design major Shelstie Dastinot showed adaptive clothing having Haitian-inspired designs. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

The showcase is the culmination of the two-semester course taught by , professor and program coordinator for industrial and interaction design in the , and , Lawrence B. Taishoff assistant professor of inclusive education and executive director of the in the .�� They and the students are also supported by co-instructor , founder of entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises adjunct faculty member in the �����Ի� strategic initiatives advisor, .

The interdisciplinary course and the open-call design competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students from across the University, including students studying in the program, and it is sponsored by ���ϲ����� Libraries. “It’s a unique program,” says Carr. “To my knowledge, Intelligence ++ is the only integrated design and innovation incubator in which students from a program such as InclusiveU work as part of a team to develop a wide range of product ideas.”

As part of the course, students learn about steps taken at the University to help address accessibility and neurodiversity across campus. Myers says the fact that students come from a range of majors and programs helps widen the understanding of access, disability and inclusion needs and abilities.

Policy studies major Ryan Brouchard emphasizes the planned journey for his team’s innovation, AdaptEd, created with computer science student Adya Parida. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

“We’re thinking about disability, accessibility and disability language and content, as well as the possibilities [for] disability and neurodiversity. We’re designing not for disabled people, but with disabled people, so it’s really meaningful,” says Myers.

Shelstie Dastinot ’24, a fashion design major in VPA, says her perspective on disability is formed by personal experience. “I realized that we all separate ourselves from the disabled community, but we can all become disabled at any point. We are all temporarily able, is what I like to say.”

Ryan Brouchoud ’25, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, says the class taught him how to think in practical and functional ways about disability needs. “I’m learning about the best way to go about making products and programs that are accessible to all but that are also feasible to create. I’m interested in creating something that fixes problems that need addressing.”

Xiaochao Yu ’25, an interior design major in VPA, spoke to both disabled and non-disabled individuals as he worked on his project, and found the groups had similar concerns regarding public study spaces. “They expressed that the environment was distracting both visually and acoustically. I decided to create a product that would provide the privacy students were looking for.”

His project, Portable Sensory Enclosure, uses low-budget structural elements and materials to create temporary, movable barriers that offer more privacy and acoustic and visual improvements for use in public study areas.

The other winning projects were:

Four members of the team of UpliftU present how their website makes reporting incidents of bias and accessibility barriers easier, with a built-in feedback and assessment system. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Uplift U,�� a website that allows reporting on barriers to accessibility, such as the lack of an access ramp at a building, and issues and incidents related to diversity and inclusion, such as a bias situation.

It was created by InclusiveU students Tanner Knox Belge ’27 an undeclared major; Devin Braun ’27, a food studies major; Sean Bleaking ’24, a food studies major and Arturo Tomas Cruz Avellan ’27, an undeclared major; along with Jasmine Rood, ’27, a design studies major in VPA, Caitlin Kennedy Espiritu ’25, a public communications major in the Newhouse School of Public Communications, and Megan Gajewski ’27, a fashion design major in VPA.

Cuse Up, an app to help InclusiveU students more easily discover social groups and campus activities, created by students Tojyea Matally ’27, a communication design major and Faith Mahoney ’26, an industrial and interaction design major, both studying in VPA.

Shelstie, a line of sustainable, adaptive clothing featuring bright colors and Haitian-inspired looks, designed by Dastinot.

AdaptEd, an educational tech platform that uses AI-powered software to support varied learning styles, created by Brouchoud and Adya Parida ’25, a computer science major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Echo Classroom, a platform that provides resources to aid in lesson interpretation, developed by Alexandra Gustave ’24 and Charlotte Chu ’26, fashion design majors in VPA.

VocaLink, a concept by graduate data science students Dhruv Shah and Sampada Regmi, offers computer-based vocational training. (Photo by Angela Ryan)

VocaLink, a computer-based vocational training and interactive learning tool, developed by graduate students Dhruv Shah ’25 and Sampada Regmi ’24, who are both students in the applied data science program at the School of Information Studies.

Judges were Matthew Van Ryn, a ���ϲ����� attorney; Hanah Ehrenreich, a development associate at Jowonio School who also advises entrepreneurs; Brianna Howard ’20, G’21, founder of Faithful Works virtual assistant and grant writing services;�� and Gianfranco Zaccai ’70, H’09, co-founder and chief designer of Continuum Innovation, who helped establish the program through a gift to ���ϲ����� Libraries from the .

Team members, faculty and judges gathered to celebrate the innovations presented at the 2024 Intelligence++ Showcase. (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

The event will highlight undergraduate and graduate student teams from across campus who have created concepts for products, services and technologies that can assist intellectually disabled people and their families. A distinguished panel of experts will award a total of $2,500 for the best showcase ideas.

Students present their designed products, services or technologies that can assist intellectually disabled people and their families at the 2023 Intelligence++ Showcase competition. (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

Students wishing to present should e-mail , professor of industrial and interaction design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and program coordinator, at dwcarr@syr.edu before April 15 to secure a spot and to receive showcase instructions.

The event is sponsored by , a collaboration among , a program of the at the , VPA School of Design�����Ի� . The event is open to students across campus, and all are welcome to attend the showcase.

Launched in 2020 through a generous donation by Gianfranco Zaccai ’70, H’09 and the , Intelligence++ is an innovative, interdisciplinary initiative focused on inclusive entrepreneurship, design and community. The initiative is available to both undergraduate and graduate students from all academic disciplines, including students with intellectual disabilities. A key element of the initiative is a two-semester course (DES 400/600) that encourages students to work in teams to imagine and create products, devices, digital platforms and services for persons with disabilities, culminating in the spring showcase.

Intelligence++ centers around three main concepts:

• Aspects of Design—once a specific need or opportunity is identified, student teams are supported by a group of experts to help develop a working prototype of their design. By taking a build-to-learn approach, students gain real-time feedback while continually evolving their design.
• Understandings of Disability—including accessibility, disability rights and advocacy, disability history, language, disability culture, models of disability and inclusion.
• Entrepreneurship—students learn to develop a commercialization roadmap that moves through problem solving, solution building, testing, iteration, lean business model development, team formation, finding advisors and strategic partners, developing a funding strategy and pitching for investment.

DES 400/600 is taught by Professor Carr, with support from , Lawrence B. Taishoff Associate Professor of Inclusive Education in the School of Education and executive director of the Taishoff Center. , founder of and strategic initiatives advisor with the Libraries,��provides entrepreneurial support to teams.

In addition to the course and the annual showcase, students can seek funding to commercialize their ideas through . Students from any school or college can apply for this funding, and they do not need to take DES 400/600 to apply. However, priority is given students working with research and commercialization programs such as the Blackstone LaunchPad, , , , , , Intelligence++, NSF I-Corps, �����Ի� .

Intelligence++ Ventures funding supports specifically defined projects with clearly identified timeframes and outcomes that move a research project or venture toward proof of concept and commercialization. Funds assist tangible needs through four innovation phases: discovery, testing, building and launching to market.

On Thursday, April 4, family, friends and supporters of the program will in downtown ���ϲ����� to celebrate the program, the largest and most inclusive program of its kind in the nation. Among the scheduled speakers at the anniversary gala are ���ϲ����� Chancellor and President ; State Sen. Rachel May (D-48); Captain , JAGC, USN (Ret.), benefactor of the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education; and , Lawrence B. Taishoff Associate Professor of Inclusive Education and executive director of the Taishoff Center in the School of Education.

Andrew Benbenek at ���ϲ����� Welcome 2017

Founded in 2014, InclusiveU offers real opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in every aspect of ���ϲ����� campus life. Students take , on and off campus—and as far away as —join in , and in Albany, New York and Washington, D.C. Currently, the program hosts more than 100 students with intellectual or developmental disabilities from across the country.

InclusiveU and the Taishoff Center are both part of the School of Education’s . Together, CDI programs and initiatives demonstrate SOE’s global leadership and in disability and inclusion.

Sharing anniversaries with InclusiveU in 2024 are SOE’s first-in-the-nation program (1994) and “” (1984), a summer study abroad program that invites students to immerse themselves in Italy’s inclusive schooling.

“It’s hard to believe that we have reached our 10th year of serving students at ���ϲ����� through InclusiveU,” says Myers. “The milestones of our program—students in campus residence halls, InclusiveU Remembrance Scholars and Unsung Heroes, and full participation in all that our campus has to offer—remind us of the ways our program continues to make a profound impact in our community.”

Chloe Payne, left and a friend attend a game in the JMA Dome

Inclusion initiatives, such as dual enrollment with the ���ϲ����� City School District and partnership with a community agency, predated the establishment of InclusiveU in 2014 but did not provide a fully integrated campus experience. Receipt of a federal grant got the program off the ground, and it started with 14 students. “We started our internship program, and a few years later were able to have students live in residence halls and really build out pieces of the program,” says InclusiveU Director Brianna Shults.

Since its establishment, more than 320 students have accessed nearly 300 classes based on interest across most of the University’s colleges and schools. The last year of the four-year program is focused on internships and employment, building skills and connecting theory they learned at in the classroom and applying it to their resumes. Beyond the necessary skills, the program helps to instill confidence in students as they prepare for careers beyond college. Students receive a certificate upon completion of the program.

In addition to classes, students are fully immersed in the social life of the University. While students have a mentor to help with class needs and facilitation, social interaction happens organically through peers. “Socially, the Peer-2-Peer program is the piece that many students access,” says Shults. InclusiveU and matriculated students connect for whatever events are on campus. A lot of this is natural support.” Students attend Orange After Dark activities, speakers, athletic events and holiday events such as Diwali. “This happens through natural peer support that every other student can access on campus,” Shults says.

Bobby Pangborn, center, celebrates his graduation with his parents

And this interaction is good not just for the InclusiveU students, says Shults. “Having our students around makes their peers better friends, better employees down the road, better neighbors,” Shults days. “It makes them better people all around because our students are here and they are all working together.”

Andrew Benbenek ’21 enrolled in InclusiveU after graduating from Bishop Grimes High School in East ���ϲ�����. He was the first InclusiveU student to access classes in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and was the second InclusiveU student named as a Remembrance Scholar, one of the University’s highest student honors. He was involved in lots of activities on campus including OttoTHON and Camp Kesem.

“���ϲ����� was where I had wanted to be since I was a kid,” Benbenek says. Peers helped him to get involved. He joined Z-89 and Citrus TV, which he says “is a big part of how I got to where I am. Once I joined, felt like this could be a career for me.” He also did a full-year internship in the Newhouse Sports Media Center with Professor Olivia Stomski.

Benbenek now works for Galaxy Communications as a board operator for SU games. “InclusiveU gave me the knowledge I needed to be successful and helped me discover what I really wanted to do,” he says.

Chloe Payne ’22, studied human development and family science and now works at Little Luke’s Daycare and Preschool in DeWitt. During her time at ���ϲ�����, Payne immersed herself in her classes and campus life, including becoming a member of a belly dancing troupe. InclusiveU was the best thing I have ever done,” she says.

Bobby Pangborn ’20, graduated from Nottingham High School in ���ϲ����� and studied drama through InclusiveU. He has brought his skills to many local productions through the years for both the Redhouse and Front Row Players and will play Sir Robin in a local production of “Spamalot” in late June. He also participates in Special Olympics, where he has won several medals downhill in skiing events.

Pangborn interned at the Whitman School of Management during his time with InclusiveU, and now works there full-time as an assistant In the mailroom, Pangborn does the jobs that people don’t see but that are critical to the smooth function of the school’s operations. He completes copy jobs, sorts and distributes mail, distributes student paychecks, sends package notifications and makes sure that supplies are stocked, organized and labeled. He is also a mentor for student employees.

“As an alumni, Bobby has been active in participating in various conference panels and employment events to share his experience while he was on campus and how that helped to shape what he is doing now that he has graduated,” says Shults.

When InclusiveU first started, there were about 30 post-secondary programs across the country—now there are little more than 300. And while that number seems large, it’s still pretty small, Shults says. “There are a lot of students who want to access education beyond high school. We are seen as a model, trying to support other programs at other schools starting to do what we are doing. It’s important that students have a choice and are able to pick the program that is best for them,” she says.

“There is such a rich history of disability work here at ���ϲ�����,” says Shults. “The fact that InclusiveU is here and is seen as a leader is really important in being able to push this work forward and in being thoughtful and innovative with what we are doing. … This is the first generation of students with disabilities to go to college and have this opportunity, and having this program here in ���ϲ����� is a really big deal.”

Among those attending the Dec. 5 preview performance in New York City were, from left, ���ϲ����� Stage Artistic Director Bob Hupp; Alumnus and Producer Ben Holtzman ’13; Alumnus and Producer Sammy Lopez ’13; Professor Christine Ashby; Lawrence B. Taishoff Associate Professor of Inclusive Education Beth Myers and Chancellor Kent Syverud.

���ϲ�����’s Broadway Series is hosted by the alumni engagement and annual giving team based out of New York City’s Lubin House. The evening began with a lively dinner and panel discussion at renowned NYC eatery Sardi’s. Panelists included Holtzman and Lopez, along with Bob Hupp, artistic director at ���ϲ����� Stage, and Beth Myers, Lawrence B. Taishoff Associate Professor of Inclusive Education and executive director of the Taishoff Center on Inclusive Education in the School of Education. Christine Ashby G’01, G’07, G’08, professor of inclusive special education and disability studies in the School of Education, moderated an important discussion about how “How to Dance in Ohio” made its way to Broadway, and how ���ϲ����� is paving the way for inclusivity.

“Autistic people can be in college. Autistic people can be on Broadway. ���ϲ����� should be really proud of the work that’s happened over the last 70 years at our university to make that possible,” said Myers, referencing the work of the Taishoff Center and the Center for Disability and Inclusion. ���ϲ�����’s work in disability awareness and inclusion is groundbreaking in the field of higher education.

The set of “How to Dance in Ohio.”

“How to Dance in Ohio,” based on the award-winning HBO documentary, explores the need to connect and the courage it takes to step out into the world. At a group counseling center in Columbus, Ohio, seven autistic young adults prepare for a spring formal dance—a challenge that breaks open their routines and sets off hilarious and heartbreaking encounters with love, stress, excitement and independence. “How to Dance in Ohio” is a story about people standing on the cusp of the next phase of their lives, facing their hopes and fears, ready to take a very big first step … and dance.

“That’s why we knew this show needed to exist. It’s because it hasn’t existed before,” said Lopez, referencing that the roles of the seven autistic young adults are played by actors who identify as autistic. The production offers many accommodations for the audience to fully experience the musical, from light-canceling sunglasses to special headphones with self-adjustable volume. This production and ���ϲ����� offer opportunities to experience Broadway and life in general to those who were previously excluded. Everyone feels welcome.

“How to Dance in Ohio” debuted at ���ϲ����� Stage in 2022 but was forced to close early due to COVID-19. The show opens Sunday at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway.

“The Intelligence++ Ventures initiative is a concept to assist student research initiatives emerging from the Intelligence++ program or other campus innovation programs. The initiative helps move student research, scholarly or creative projects from ideation to proof of concept and commercialization,” says David Seaman, dean of the libraries and university librarian. “Students can come from any school or college and need not take DES 400/600 to apply. In fact, students with an idea for the intellectual disability community could apply for this initiative in addition to funds the libraries administers, like the Orange Innovation Fund or the Student Innovation Fund.”

The program will be administered through ���ϲ����� Libraries, in collaboration with the University’s existing research and commercialization programs such as the , the , , , the , the at ���ϲ�����, , , (NYSTAR designated Center for Advanced Technology), and the .�� Applicants can also come through research classes, labs or independent study programs across campus.

Applicants must identify specific tangible needs related to the development of a product, service, technology or creative work in the discovery, testing, building and/or launching of their initiative. Applications can be submitted through orangeinnovation@syr.edu.

“I am pleased to continue to support this important program and enhance it through the creation of Intelligence++ Ventures, a new competitive program for student innovators to help commercialize products, services and technologies that will help people with intellectual disabilities,” says Zaccai. “This initiative can accelerate the transfer of inclusive design research to the marketplace. It will help students create innovations that can be used by early customers, get real world feedback on product design, and introduce products to the people who will benefit from their ingenuity.”

Zaccai envisions the initiative attracting even more students from across academic disciplines who are interested in pursuing design and development focused on breaking down barriers to accessibility. “From AI to digital and other emerging technologies, this field is poised for rapid growth,” says Zaccai. “Participating students can become part of the leading edge.”

Believed to be the first fully integrated inclusive program offered at a research university, successful graduates receive New York State initial teacher certification in both Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) and Students with Disabilities (Grades 1-6).

In 1998, two professors decided to take the school’s inclusive teacher preparation curriculum a step further. Paula Kluth and Diana Straut designed together and then team taught a general education preparation course in combination with a special education course.

The idea behind these combined classes was so that teachers-in-training could learn how to adapt—or differentiate—general education content for students with disabilities, thus supporting all students in the general classroom and training novice teachers to facilitate inclusion.

So successful has been this shared class and team teaching model that it continues to this day, now led in most semesters by Professor (EED 336: Social Studies Curriculum and Methods) and Professor (SPE 324: Differentiation for Inclusive Education). Reflecting on a quarter century of the shared class model, Theoharis and Myers explain how it works and what its advantages are.

Professor George Theoharis (standing, left) and Professor Beth Myers continue the School of Education’s inclusive tradition of combining and team teaching a social studies teaching preparation course with a special education preparation course.

Myers: Students sign up for both of our classes together in a block with other classes and a field experience. Typically, they come to my class in the morning, then to George’s class in the afternoon, except the times when we co-teach both classes at the same time. Both classes share readings, assignments, midterms, lesson planning and field experiences. Across the semester, students do four weeks of intensive university classroom study two to three times a week before going into the field. Then they come back to campus for presentations and more lesson planning work. After that, they go into the field again.

Theoharis: Going back to the ’90s, the original thought behind this team-teaching model for teacher preparation was that, if the School of Education was going to be a leader in inclusive education with a dual certification—so that graduates are equipped to teach both general and special education—then our students ought to experience inclusion in action. Within this block, students get to learn special education strategies and tie that into the social studies content area. All the while, they experience two professors modeling collaboration and co-teaching, something our graduates will have to do in their schools.

Myers: If I’m teaching inclusive practices, then I need content to show the students how you differentiate it for students with disabilities. Our students look at the social studies content and learn to make it relevant for all learners—how to make it accessible and how to modify it. Ultimately, I’m teaching how to differentiate content for any subject and for all aspects of a classroom or even of a school. That even means how to ensure lunch, recess and extracurricular activities are accessible for all students and their families. Social studies is a great content fit for us because it is in that curriculum that we learn about diversity, including disability, and how to consider a wide range of cultures.

Theoharis: My background isn’t in special education, but co-teaching with Beth has forced me to be more special education fluent, which is of course something we want our students to be.

Myers: And I feel the same way about social studies, learning from George how to teach that content and good pedagogical practices. We are learning from each other.

Theoharis: I think our courses have gotten better and better over the years because we do them together. Beth and I meet and discuss about what we have done—along with our doctoral students who help us in the classroom—and if we did something by accident that really worked, we’ll discuss that and decide whether to keep doing it.

Myers: It’s all pretty meta! We’re teaching about co-teaching by co-teaching. It’s important for students to see collaboration in practice and then to take it with them into the classroom.

Theoharis (left) and Myers

Theoharis: This model is something pretty special about the School of Education. We led the nation in dual certification and other colleges followed suit. But I don’t know of many teacher preparation programs that co-teach a general education and inclusive education methods class, and not just for one class sessions or for a couple of student cohorts.

Our co-teaching embeds general education content and inclusive education content for an entire semester, and we have maintained this commitment for 25 years. It reinforces the core values of the school—our commitment to inclusive education and the idea that general and special education do not have to be separated. Thanks to our program, students feel like they have lived through inclusion. They see that it’s possible.

, an initiative of the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education in the , offers a full four-year college experience for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For the first time this fall, InclusiveU students were invited to participate in FYS 101—a significant step toward full campus inclusion.

“Students in the InclusiveU program contribute significantly to the fabric of our campus community, and they bring invaluable perspectives to the conversations that are at the heart of FYS 101,” says , associate provost for strategic initiatives in the Office of Academic Affairs, who oversees the First Year Seminar program. “Integrating our 27 first-year InclusiveU students into FYS 101 this fall just made sense—it is the right thing to do, and every single student present in these classrooms is benefiting from their presence.”

Leaders from FYS and InclusiveU assembled before the fall semester began to build mutual understanding of the InclusiveU program and the unique needs of its students. (Photo by Jimmy Luckman, associate director, FYS)

Since FYS 101 encourages learning, conversation and introspection on topics relevant to all incoming students at ���ϲ�����, incorporating InclusiveU students required no modifications to the curriculum.

“This is a class about diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), so it’s just another identity we were able to add to the classroom conversations,” says Shannon Hitchcock Schantz G’21, director of FYS and a current lead instructor for the course. “Students are doing activities about their own identity and their transition to ���ϲ�����, and we’ve seen full participation from the InclusiveU students, sharing about their disabilities and their perspective on life.”

Brianna Shults, director of InclusiveU, says she sought out this partnership to broaden the participation of InclusiveU students in campuswide initiatives and offerings.

“These are students who want the opportunity to go to college and to be fully immersed in the culture, community and educational experience here at ���ϲ�����,” Shults says. “We know that all students need an introduction to the University, which is why FYS exists. To include our students in things that are already being done here usually just takes a few extra steps in education and preparation, and I think the FYS 101 team has done a phenomenal job of incorporating InclusiveU students into their classrooms and fully enveloping them into the curriculum.”

The partnership officially kicked off in August, when InclusiveU staff attended training sessions for all FYS 101 lead instructors and peer leaders to provide education and build mutual understanding. “We wanted our lead instructors and peer leaders to know the InclusiveU program, understand the intentionality behind including those students in FYS 101 and learn ways to further support these students in the classroom,” says Schantz.

First-year InclusiveU student Stavros Ioannidis shared how he has appreciated the opportunity to take FYS, saying, “I like the classmates I have who tolerate different opinions, the teachers who are willing to help me (and others) out and the creativity of the teachers. They expose us to things we may not seek out on our own.”

InclusiveU students benefit not only from the curriculum, but the relationships and networks they’re able to develop with FYS classmates. “This is a class that our students take really seriously, and they’re engaged with, and it’s been great to see that level of commitment,” says Shults. “I think this only builds the network our students have available to them and increases understanding among the larger student population of why InclusiveU is here and the purpose of the program.”

Lead instructor Maithreyee Dubé ’96, ’16, G’17 has enjoyed having an InclusiveU student in her section. “Zach [Kilga] has a great sense of humor, participates in small group discussions, is great at remembering names (and helps me remember when he recognizes the need!) and submits all his work—even anything I clearly state as extra,” Dubé says.

Maithreyee Dubé (kneeling front, toward the right) and her FYS 101 section visited La Casita Cultural Center during their week 4 shared experience, which involves visits and collaborations with various organizations across campus. (Photo courtesy of Maithreyee Dubé)

“As the largest, most inclusive program in the country, we are continually thinking about new ways we can give our students access to things they didn’t have access to before,” Shults says. “This is just an expansion of that. We want InclusiveU students to be able to do and achieve anything they want during their time here on campus.”

SOE’s (CDI) will assist Creative’s implementation of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded, $25 million, five-year All Children Succeeding initiative, which supports Uzbekistan’s mandate to improve teacher and paraprofessional inclusive education training. The consortium will help to revise education materials, update the national curriculum and enhance educational access for all students, including those with disabilities.

Sara Jo Soldovieri with local school students in Uzbekistan

Principal investigators Professor G’01, G’07, G’08 and Professor , executive director of the , will work on the initiative’s inclusive educator preparation. One project will address pre-service training for teachers and paraprofessionals in support of improved inclusive education for all children. Doctoral candidate Sara Jo Soldovieri ’18, G’19 supported the SOE team in the co-creation phase of the grant, meeting with USAID and local partners in Uzbekistan in June 2023.

To this end, CDI will audit disability-related programs, courses and certification requirements; develop inclusive curricula, syllabi and courses; create inclusive practicums and student teacher placements; prepare inclusive higher education faculty who can educate future teachers; and develop toolkits for use in inclusive schools that encompass Universal Design for Learning and assistive technologies.

Additionally, CDI will help develop a structure and process for individualized support plans for students with disabilities, prepare teachers and staff to manage these plans and strategize inclusive teaching and learning materials, including high tech (such as speech recognition and text-to-speech software) and low tech (such as adaptive writing tools and noise canceling headphones) options.

“We are excited to collaborate with Creative and the other partners to improve educational access and outcomes for students with disabilities in Uzbekistan,” says Ashby. “We will focus our efforts on in-service and pre-service teacher preparation to ensure that educators have the knowledge, skills and dispositions to educate ALL children, including students with disabilities who have been historically marginalized. We are grateful to USAID for recognizing the importance of this work.”

, Uzbekistan’s education system has historically followed a teacher-centered, textbook-driven model where all students are expected to learn the same material at the same pace, leaving little room for diverse engagement strategies.

“We are hearing from the people of Uzbekistan that they want more inclusive schools,” says Myers. “We are excited that their government has set a goal that 51% of their schools will be inclusive by 2025, and they are asking for support and collaboration on these efforts. ���ϲ����� has a long history of working on deinstitutionalization and school inclusion, and we’re thrilled to expand that work into new spaces and with new partners.”

Joining Creative and CDI to help Uzbekistan reach its inclusive and equitable education goals are , an Uzbekistani advocacy organization for people with disabilities; , an Uzbekistani civil society and development group; and the , which will provide expertise in learning assessments and English language learning.

Project Inclusive, Multicultural, Multilingual, Effective and Responsive Special Education (IMMERSE) aims to prepare up to 14 doctoral-level special education professors and educational leaders through a multi-university partnership. These students will gain expertise in inclusive, culturally-sustaining, effective educational practices with the goal of improving outcomes for diverse students with disabilities, both in high-needs schools and minority-serving institutions. Together, this doctoral cohort will represent a new collaborative consortium of diverse scholars in the field of inclusive special education.

Christine Ashby, director of the School of Education’s Center on Disability and Inclusion

Project IMMERSE is led by SOE professor G’01, G’07, G’08, director of the . Ashby is joined by co-principal investigators, SOE professor , executive director of the ; SOE professor G’05, G’07; professors Allison Nannemann, Sarah Carlson and Yen Pham of the University of New Mexico; and SOE alumni professors Casey Woodfield G’10, G’16, Michelle Damiani G’05, G’14, G’19 and Brent Elder G’14, G’16 of Rowan University.

“Project IMMERSE is well positioned to address a of both special education faculty in institutions of higher education and highly qualified pre-K-12 special education teachers, especially with expertise to meet the needs of diverse students with disabilities,” Ashby says. “Through our consortium with Rowan University and the University of New Mexico, this cohort-based project will prepare much-needed and highly qualified leaders with specialization in culturally and linguistically responsive inclusive instruction, interventions and services.”

The project addresses a current critical need for special education teachers at a time when there are and more than 100,000 teaching positions filled by underqualified personnel. This shortage means school districts across the country are relying on uncertified teachers to fill classrooms. Of the approximately 109,000 uncertified teachers, around 5,800 are special education teachers.

At the same time, although demand for special education teachers is expected to increase in the next decade, an unprecedented shortage of special education professors nationwide has led to ready to assume special education faculty and leadership positions.

Moreover, research indicates that current educators in special education roles , with only 18% being teachers of color. Similarly, the makeup of special education faculty and doctoral students is overwhelmingly white and female. Yet almost half of students with disabilities are students of color.

“This is a concerning reality demonstrating that students benefit from having teachers who represent their own identities,” says Ashby.

To counter this disparity, Project IMMERSE will feature a multifaceted recruitment and mentoring process guided by experienced faculty across the three partner universities. Students’ shared academic experiences will emphasize culturally responsive and inclusive instructional practices, while also conducting research into high-needs, diverse communities.

“My colleagues and I are thrilled to be part of this multi-university partnership and contribute to diversifying the field of special education leaders,” Woodfield says. “As three SOE alumni, professor Damiani, professor Elder and I consider this partnership to be an example of the generative possibilities that can grow out of sustained collaboration and shared commitments to cultivating intersectional, culturally sustaining, and inclusive experiences across all facets of schooling. We look forward to working alongside Project IMMERSE doctoral scholars.”

Runners-up were the teams of Carolyn Fernandes ’23 and Cassia Soodak ’25; Chase Coleman ’27 (InclusiveU), Domenic Gallo ’23 and Bella Young ’23; and Kate Allyn ’26 (InclusiveU), Jillian Castle ’25 (InclusiveU) and Wyatt Gillespie ’23.

Intelligence++ competition winners took home a combined $10,000 in prize money.

Optimal Assessment, Levy’s and Schreiber’s winning design, is a course planning application that takes instructors through steps that encourage them to think about the different ways they can facilitate learning and assessment, helping them design courses that meet the individual learning styles of students, guided by data.

A collaboration among , the , and , is an interdisciplinary initiative focused on inclusive entrepreneurship, design, and community. The project is available to both undergraduate and graduate students across the University, including students with intellectual disability from , a Taishoff Center program.

The 2023 competition was judged by Erik Geizer, CEO of The Arc New York; Chris Kennedy McKelvy, founder, K Ventures, vice chair, Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation, and former head of partnerships, Oculus VR; and Matthew Van Ryn, founder, law office of Matthew Van Ryn PLLC, and business counselor, New York State Small Business Development Center. Program donor Gianfranco Zaccai ’70, H’09, was on hand to offer teams advice about intelligent, inclusive innovation by design.

Also providing comments were Professor , program coordinator, MFA in design and industrial and interaction design in VPA; , founder, Blackstone LaunchPad; , interim dean, Whitman School; Professor , executive director, Taishoff Center; and , dean, ���ϲ����� Libraries and interim dean, School of Information Studies.

The competition’s showrunner was Ben Ford ’23, a previous Intelligence++ winner and founder of , an all-in-one platform to automate and streamline corporate social responsibility efforts.

Intelligence++ Competition 2023 Inclusive Designs and Teams

DoorWays App
Zhengrong Chai, Yajie Lan ’23, Jonathon Rossi ’23, and Noah Soliman ’26
An AI-powered app that addresses social challenges faced by individuals, particularly neurodivergent students, in large community contexts. It provides personalized recommendations for activities and friends based on the user’s interests and personality.

Wear-it Fidgit Cuff-it
Carolyn Fernandes ’23 and Cassia Soodak ’25
A collection of fidget devices for neurodivergent people working in professional environments, designed to provide stimulation for the hands. The discrete fidgets are attached to a cuff, hidden by fabric matching the sleeve.

Optimal Assessment
Alex Levy ’24 and Sam Schreiber ’25
A course planning application that takes instructors through steps that encourage them to think about the different ways they can facilitate learning and assessment, potentially helping them design courses that meet individual learning styles of students, guided by data.

Sensory Pod
Riley Blumenthal ’23, Wyatt Gillespie ’23, and Jessica Mitchell ’23
A small enclosure which combats the effects of sensory processing disorder. This product aims to serve as a space for children who are overwhelmed, agitated, or upset.

FlipACC
Chase Coleman ’27 (InclusiveU), Domenic Gallo ’23, and Bella Young ’23
A design research project that explores the implementation of emerging technologies into Augmentative and Alternative Communication tools. The research aims to create generalized translation tools for people who rely on nonverbal speech methods to allow for seamless adaptation to verbal conversation.

AdaptED
Ryan Brouchoud ’25 and Adya Parida ’25
AI-powered adaptive learning software to support children with disabilities. This software offers personalized learning experiences based on individual needs and abilities, while incorporating multiple teaching methods to accommodate different learning styles.

Sense
Kate Allyn ’26 (InclusiveU), Jillian Castle ’25 (InclusiveU), and Wyatt Gillespie ’23
Sensory-friendly clothing that promotes comfort and well-being for individuals with Sensory Processing Disorder. The Sense Hoodie is designed with the four primary drivers of SPD discomfort in mind: auditory, tactile, visual, and proprioceptive.

Never Sew Alone
Kate Allyn (InclusiveU), Christina Alicia May, and Vineet Narayan ’25 (InclusiveU)
A non-profit that empowers individuals to create their own vision of art through textiles. Through a series of creative workshops, neurodivergent community members are guided through projects that merge artistic expression with the development of skills such as sewing, embroidery, quilting, and similar crafts.

To learn more about Intelligence++, visit .

King Arthur and the Book of Corbenic

���ϲ����� Libraries’ Sound Beat: Access Audio recently released the audiobook “King Arthur and the Book of Corbenic” written by Christopher Catroppa ’22 on its website . This retelling of the king’s tale portrays Arthur as a young man gazing into his own future toward a quest that will change everything he knows about life and love. The audiobook production was the result of the author’s year-long internship. Catroppa graduated from the .

The audiobook was read by Price Waldman and produced by Brett Barry, Christopher Catroppa and Jim O’Connor. The music score was written by John Vallely with creative consultation by . Doyle, nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, has composed numerous film scores including Henry V, Hamlet and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, to name a few. He was commissioned by Buckingham Palace to compose the Coronation March for Their Majesties, the King and Queen of Consort, to take place on May 6, 2023.

Funding was provided, in part, by the InclusiveU program. The audiobook is . Catroppa is planning to write a follow-up book.

About Sound Beat: Access Audio:

is part of the Special Collections Research Center at ���ϲ����� Libraries. Sound Beat, both the 90-second interstitials and the longer format Sound Beat: Access Audio, provide opportunities to incorporate applied learning for ���ϲ����� students. Sound Beat: Access Audio projects include narrated journals and documentary-style pieces. Student interns help to research and write Sound Beat episode scripts and serve as production assistants for Access Audio. These interns come from a wide range of programs on campus, including through our project partner , which provides support and opportunities for students with cognitive and intellectual disabilities.

Today, Wilson is fulfilling his dreams through the , which, thanks to an initiative from the brings students of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities to campus to experience college life in a fully inclusive setting.

Thomas Wilson ’23

Wilson, a senior studying broadcast and digital journalism in the and political science in the , recently was named one of this year’s recipients of the Unsung Hero Award in honor of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was honored for embodying Dr. King’s legacy through his love and support for the ���ϲ����� community.

Wilson is well-known on campus. He works at the Schine Student Center, and is highly involved with the ���ϲ����� Catholic Center.

A news anchor on Citrus TV, Wilson is also the executive producer and show creator of “Thomas on the Town,” a show where Wilson interviews University community members for the Orange Television Network.

“Some of my peers in our news organization look up to me. That makes me feel very good about myself because that means I’m doing my job right, and I’m very thankful for the opportunity to tell the news to our campus,” says Wilson, who proudly wears his own “Thomas on the Town” socks to go with a tie depicting his likeness.

A leader who inspires colleagues and community members to be better, Wilson stops by to discuss how he fell in love with the news at an early age, why InclusiveU is like his second family, why he’s motivated to prove all those who doubted him wrong and why earning his degree this May will be his proudest accomplishment.

Note: This conversation was edited for brevity and clarity.

Check out episode 132 of the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast featuring Thomas Wilson ’23. A transcript [PDF]��is also available.

Students, faculty and staff from ���ϲ�����’s InclusiveU joined representatives of other schools and colleges across the state to advocate for increased state funding for disability services in higher education on Feb. 8.

In partnership with the University’s ,�� and , —part of the —brought more than 40 representatives to this full-day event. The ���ϲ����� team visited the Senate Chamber as guests of Sen. Rachel May (D-48).

“The trip to Albany was monumental on several levels,” says , Lawrence B. Taishoff Assistant Professor of Inclusive Education, Taishoff Center executive director and head of the . “Not only was it an opportunity to join with colleges and universities from across the state to advocate for much needed funds for disability in higher education, it also gave our students a chance to make the connection between what we do at ���ϲ����� and how this all fits into a larger structure and goal.”

Representatives of InclusiveU pose with State Senator Rachel May (fourth from left).

Lawmakers, led by Assemblymember Harvey Epstein (D-74) and Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-26), introduced a resolution memorializing Feb. 8 as Students with Disabilities Advocacy Day in the State of New York.

Among the budget priorities the students advocated for are $13 million in state funding for , supporting access and inclusion of all New Yorkers with disabilities in higher education and , expanding financial aid options for college students with intellectual disabilities and making aid sources—such as the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)—accessible for these students.

A national conference—chaired by Taishoff Center Director —SOTA convenes colleges, universities, researchers, program staff, parents and self-advocates to discuss the current state of research and effective practices in the field of inclusive postsecondary and higher education.

The is “A Decade of Progress at State of the Art: Exploring the Next Frontier of Inclusive Higher Education.” Speakers include faculty and staff from postsecondary education initiatives across the United States—including many representing ���ϲ����� and the School of Education—as well as parents, advocates, and other experts.

This year’s pre-conference event on Oct. 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Sheraton Hotel ���ϲ����� Ballroom promises to be the largest in the United States. Attendees are invited to learn about post-secondary options from representatives of more than 30 colleges, universities and inclusive organizations. Registration for the Inclusive College Fair is free and open to the public.

In parallel with the SOTA Conference and Inclusive College Fair, the (Oct. 19-20) will bring current and future college students into the conversation to learn useful tools for the transition to college life, expand their skills as student advocates and leaders,and meet peers from across the country. Among its topics, the leadership conference will discuss academic skills, advocacy, wellness and employment.

The keynote address opens the SOTA Conference at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 19. Giving the welcome will be , director of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs. In this role, Williams is responsible for overseeing administration of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and authorizing IDEA grants.

The will be conferred on Oct. 20, starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Sheraton Ballroom. Myers, responsible for the growth of ���ϲ�����’s InclusiveU into the largest inclusive campus in the country, will receive the 2022 National Leadership Award.

Receiving the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award is Madeleine Will, who served as assistant secretary of special education and rehabilitation services in the U.S. Department of Education for six years and was chairperson of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities for four years.

In addition to her public service, Will has advocated for persons with disabilities for several decades, leading national efforts to improve services for children and adults with disabilities and establishing national programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; transition and supported employment programs for youth with disabilities; and postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disabilities.

Sponsors of the 2022 SOTA Conference are the School of Education ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and .

Sometimes these citizens are seeking additional revenue for their cause. Other times, they want to educate and spread awareness.

If you took a survey of the congressional staffers who met recently with a delegation from ���ϲ�����’s InclusiveU program, chances are they would remember the energetic and charismatic Olivia Baist ’22, who recently earned a degree in studio arts from the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Baist is a proud graduate of ���ϲ����� and its InclusiveU program, which thanks to an initiative from the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education brings students of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities to campus to experience college life in a fully inclusive setting.

Baist and two of her InclusiveU colleagues—director Brianna Shults G’20 and Katie Ducett, an inclusive (special) education Ph.D. candidate in the School of Education—spent two days pushing for policy change to make higher education accessible for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities during a whirlwind tour of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

From left to right: Brianna Shults G’20, Olivia Baist ’22 and Katie Ducett

Without fear, Baist would approach anyone she came across on the Hill, introducing herself, extolling the virtues of InclusiveU and telling the representatives her short- and long-term goals: “I want a career, I want a job and I want my own apartment. InclusiveU is helping me start my career and I’m grateful and thankful,” says Baist, who admits she wouldn’t have left home to pursue a college degree were it not for InclusiveU.

Their purpose was clear: to ask these elected officials to serve as a resource, to increase support and awareness of InclusiveU, and to reduce the stigmas that still exist surrounding students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“I made my forever friends at ���ϲ����� and it’s all because of InclusiveU,” Baist says. “I had internships [at the Barnes Center at the Arch and Bird Library] and I’ve really grown. I always wanted to go to college, and this made me more independent.”

Opening Doors for All

���ϲ����� has a proud 152-year history of opening its doors to all students who are interested in receiving a college degree, regardless of their background or upbringing.

But for many adolescent students with developmental disabilities, the pursuit of higher education is filled with roadblocks and can be a daunting task for both aspiring students and their families. Founded in 2001, InclusiveU equips students with the necessary skills to thrive in the classroom and find a job after graduation.

What started as a dual enrollment program with the ���ϲ����� City School District has grown exponentially over the last 21 years. Last year, more than 100 students pursued their academic dreams on campus as part of InclusiveU’s program, including 35 students who lived in residence halls.

The program features individualized and inclusive coursework, student-centered planning, internships and social and extracurricular activities.

Because of strong partnerships that increase accessibility to higher education while making the various academic programs and student life opportunities more accessible through student-oriented, peer-to-peer programming, Shults says InclusiveU has been successful while helping transform so many lives.

“InclusiveU really has a big impact on our campus. We contribute a lot to the campus community, and our students have a profound impact on other students. The roadblocks our students deal with are similar to their counterparts on campus, from figuring out how to afford college to creating a career plan, but we are always looking for ways to give our students access to the resources they need while breaking down the barriers to an education,” Shults says.

Preparing for a Lifetime of Success

According to Shults, before the COVID-19 pandemic, 100% of InclusiveU students were successful in finding paid, competitive jobs once they earned their degree, thanks in part to the relationships InclusiveU develops with its partners, both on campus and in the Central New York community.

Another factor? In conjunction with their three years of academic education, each InclusiveU student participates in a one-year internship that can help guide their careers post-graduation.

“Our students want to do more once they graduate high school. We want these students to have that college experience, to live in a purposeful and meaningful way on campus. Our students graduate with skills they can transfer across disciplines, transferrable skills that set them up for success when they graduate,” Shults says.

Before coming to ���ϲ�����, Ducett was a teacher, and when her year was finished, she often found herself wondering why society was placing limitations on students with developmental disabilities.

A desire to open up access to colleges and universities to all students with developmental disabilities has greatly influenced Ducett’s research, whose upcoming dissertation research will examine the barriers facing inclusive education students, how InclusiveU enhances its students’ social lives, whether students feel included and more.

“We have to fix and change that societal belief so everyone sees that students with intellectual and developmental disabilities can go to college, get a job and have a real career they enjoy, and Olivia is a terrific example of that. InclusiveU has helped a lot of students find their independence while discovering what they can do on their own. They’re able to make the choices for themselves and they have the support they need to succeed,” Ducett says.

Stating Their Case in Washington

Leading up to their trip to Capitol Hill, InclusiveU was one of 10 higher education institutions that applied for and was granted a two-day crash course in policy studies and creating policy changes in inclusive higher education.

As executive director of federal engagement for the Office of Government and Community Relations, Laura Kolton has a wealth of contacts and know-how when it comes to securing meetings with elected officials.

Understanding InclusiveU’s important message, Kolton tapped into her contacts to arrange meetings between the InclusiveU delegation and several offices on the Hill.

“They were talking about the research we’re doing on campus and making the case for additional funding. Olivia really enlightened everyone she met with. Hearing her speak about her own experiences was very beneficial. This is a process, and these meetings were the first steps, but this is all part of the relationship-building needed to effect change,” Kolton says.

When meeting with members of Congress, the InclusiveU team recognized that Baist’s tale is one of many success stories stemming from InclusiveU. Shults made sure to emphasize why it’s important to share these success stories, and why further funding and advocacy are needed to ensure future generations of InclusiveU students have access to the same resources.

“Olivia has an amazing personality and once you meet her, you feel her energy. She didn’t know whether college was for her, and I believe she was the first person with intellectual and developmental disabilities from her area to go away to college. We’re so proud of Olivia, and we’re determined to help as many students as we can,” Shults says.

State Senator John Mannion (center) speaks with InclusiveU students and faculty with the School of Education.

, a program that helps students with intellectual and developmental disabilities attend ���ϲ�����, will receive $100,000 in the 2021-2022 New York State budget. Earlier this month, State Senator John Mannion visited the School of Education’s (CDI), which houses the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education and InclusiveU, and congratulated them on the restoration of funding.

At the visit, School of Education Dean Joanna Masingila; CDI Director and Associate Professor Christine Ashby; and CDI Assistant Director and Lawrence B. Taishoff Professor of Inclusive Education Beth Myers spoke with Senator Mannion about the systemic challenges that people with intellectual disability face throughout their lifetime, from early childhood through adulthood.

“The new Center on Disability and Inclusion is uniquely positioned to build these types of collaborative relationships with our representatives,” says Masingila. “With the deep roots of the existing centers, including the Center on Human Policy, we have the resources and expertise to drive important conversations around quality of life.”

Professor Christine Ashby agrees. “Funding and legislation at our local, state and national levels directly impact the lives of the disability community. It could mean the addition of support services. It could mean we can accept more students into InclusiveU or expand our inclusive education program. It could mean an additional school district receives access to trainings from our .”

State Senator John Mannion, School of Education Dean Joanna Masingila; Center on Disability and Inclusion Director and Associate Professor Christine Ashby; and CDI Assistant Director and Lawrence B. Taishoff Professor of Inclusive Education Beth Myers

The visit concluded with a networking session with Mannion and a group of InclusiveU students, where the senator chatted about his lifelong love of the ���ϲ����� Orange and his background in education. Students shared stories of their internship sites on campus, art-work and favorite classes.

“InclusiveU had fourteen students in 2015. This fall we are expecting over one hundred,” says Myers. “We are so grateful for funding from the state, which helps us increase our support services to ensure our students have access to all of the opportunities that campus has to offer during their time at ���ϲ�����.”

Intelligence++ team Attainable Accessibility team members Shravani Jadhav, a graduate student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and InclusiveU student Robert Howes at the LaunchPad at SU Libraries

The elective, open to both undergraduate and graduate students from any school or college at ���ϲ����� including students with intellectual disability from InclusiveU, emphasized interdisciplinary and collaborative innovation. The program and competition prize money were funded through a generous donation from Gianfranco Zaccai ’70 H’09 and the (Intelligence++^TM).�� The Foundation seeks to develop, stimulate, and leverage technological, educational, and organizational innovation to enable and empower individuals with intellectual disability, their families, and their communities to improve quality of life, enhance independence and productivity, lower cost, and benefit society.

Ten interdisciplinary teams of students from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Whitman School of Management, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Newhouse School of Public Communications, the School of Information Studies and the School of Education were selected to present their proposals for products, services or technologies. InclusiveU students provided important input on design, accessibility and user feedback. The teams were:

• Attainable Accessibility, consisting of members Shravani Jadhav, Assul Larancuent, Elizabeth Fatade, and Robert Howes, making accessibility more attainable for power chair users with innovative technology. “Accessibility should promote equity. We believe every person should be able to be in control of their own mobility. Having this control promotes confidence and independence…Attainable Accessibility will bring inclusivity by giving those who aren’t mobile independence through smart technology that utilizes voice control.”
• CENTRE, consisting of members Noah Hollander and Natalie Liu, designed a device that uses sensors to assist students with disabilities by limiting the effects of distractions and helping to regain focus and concentration. “CENTRE provides a wearable device… [that] tracks eye movements through EEG and a Bluetooth enabled app that connects to phones and smart watches to monitor, record, and help resolve distraction with a goal of improving overall lifestyle and wellbeing.”
• Drum Flower, consisting of members James Ruhlman and Noah Johnson, is an interactive sculpture for public spaces that serves as a place for congregation and community bonding. The installation is designed specifically so people with disabilities can also access and engage the community. “The project addresses the marginalization of people with disabilities, specifically with inclusion and connection to their community. Our project’s purpose is to give people a means of communicating and interacting nonverbally with others in a public space.”
• Fundwurx (Bronze prize winner), consisting of member Ben Ford, is multi-service platform that works to accelerate impact driven projects and better connect them with donors, while also providing additional resources and tools. “Fundwurx focuses directly on these core values, using technological tools to create personalized philanthropy at scale.”
• HG Sensory (Silver prize winner), consisting of members Sam Hollander, Grace McDonald, Hannah Woodruff, Kaitlyn Brach, Morgan McMinn and Hannah Frankel, is the world’s first sensory deprivation cocoon, enabling an easier dining experience for individuals with sensory disabilities. “Together, we have the power to enhance the dining experience for thousands of people across the world living with sensory disabilities.”
• inclusiv, consisting of members Emiri Vitoontien, Keyshawn Wims and Gokul Beeda, is an Inclusive learning management system that increases the scope of learning for students with disabilities. “There are seven million students with disabilities in the American education system, and most of them are deprived of a seamless learning experience due to outdated learning management systems. We are building an accessible platform from the ground up with tools and features like electronic braille, voice assistance, and content assistance.”
• MeetCute (Gold prize winner), consisting of members Madison Worden and Natalie Liu, is a dating and friendship app built with principles of universal design accessible to everyone. “MeetCute is a safe and inclusive app for everyone looking to meet compatible people for companionship and dating… compatible with the most common accessibility features such as voice-over, text to speech, and changing color contrast. MeetCute will change dating in an image-obsessed culture and provide genuine people a way to meet in a safe digital environment.”
• SmartSupport, consisting of members Patrick McGrath and Cynthia Garcia, is an interface that allows people with disabilities to stay connected with their support network. “This app is targeted towards students or individuals who are living away from home and their support network for the first time.”
• UrMentor, consisting of members Ricardo Sanchez, Ramya Swaminathan and Maya Gupta, is a mentorship program for InclusiveU students. “The program would partner InclusiveU students with high schoolers from the local area, as well as provide means of communication, goal-oriented activities, and workshops. The goal of the program is to help foster community, to motivate, and to create positive impact on youth with disabilities.”
• Wo-Manly, consisting of members Kelly Davis and Patrick Prioletti, is an on-line platform for women who are both neurotypical and neurodivergent, to build their own spaces and share their strengths in nontraditional spaces. “Wo-manly is an online platform for women to be empowered, empower others and make lifelong friendships… Women can interact each other in a multitude of ways: text conversations, video and voice chats, coworking and hangout spaces, private messaging and in-person meet ups. They can explore communities and start their own, to make life long, supportive friendships.”

“All submissions were winners in the eyes of the jury, and I congratulate each and every team member and their advisors,” said Gianfranco Zaccai. “The Intelligence ++ competition will grow year after year by inspiring diverse sensibilities and talents across the university and positioning ���ϲ����� as a leader in fostering human centered entrepreneurial innovation to augment the capabilities and aspirations of neurodiverse people, their families, and society.”

In “At Home with Warren Kimble,” Warren and his wife and business partner, Lorraine, share their passion for art and their small-town community of Brandon, Vermont. Warren also shares his enthusiasm around memories of cheerleading for ���ϲ�����, including Jim Brown and the Cotton Bowl, and the professor he remembers every time he mixes colors.

“Sound Beat: Access Audio” student producers at Bird Library in 2019. From from left to right: Ian Coe (InclusiveU), Warren Kimble ’57 (VPA), Tyler Youngman ’19 (iSchool) and David Ross (InclusiveU).

The audio documentary was produced by ���ϲ����� Libraries’ “Sound Beat: Access Audio” team. “Sound Beat” is a daily, 90-second radio show highlighting the holdings of the . Belfer is part of the Libraries’ �����Ի� is one of the largest sound archives in the United States.

Each “Sound Beat” episode focuses on one particular recording from the archive and provides a back story detailing its place in recording history. “Sound Beat: Access Audio” features long-form audio projects including audiobooks, interviews, narrated journals and documentary-style storytelling that highlights the experiences of iconic ���ϲ����� community members.

“Sound Beat: Access Audio” projects have included collaboration with students, faculty, staff and administration from partners across campus. Inclusion and the student experience are at the forefront of the “Sound Beat: Access Audio” mission. Through an exciting partnership with the��, students form an integral part of the team in all aspects of production, working with Libraries staff to develop their research, writing and editing skills.

A generous donation by alumnus Gianfranco Zaccai ’70 H’09 (far right, with his family) and the Zaccai Foundation for Augmented Intelligence is making possible a new two-semester program concentrating on inclusive entrepreneurship and design.

An innovative, interdisciplinary program focused on inclusive entrepreneurship and design is being offered for the 2020-21 academic year in a partnership of the (LaunchPad) at ���ϲ����� Libraries, the (InclusiveU) and the through a generous donation by Gianfranco Zaccai ’70 H’09 and the (Intelligence++). The program will provide new courses open for fall enrollment and will culminate in a design and entrepreneurship competition with $30,000 in prizes.

The inclusive entrepreneurship and design course, DES 400-600, is taught by Don Carr, professor in VPA’s School of Design, with support from Beth Myers, assistant professor of inclusive education in the School of Education and executive director of the Taishoff Center, and Linda Dickerson-Hartsock, adjunct faculty member in the Whitman School and executive director of the LaunchPad.

With an emphasis on interdisciplinary and collaborative innovation, the two-semester program is available as an elective to both undergraduate and graduate students from any school or college at ���ϲ�����, including students with intellectual disability from InclusiveU. It will be taught in the LaunchPad at Bird Library.

“The Libraries is a central hub for the campus community, providing the environment to utilize research and create new information,” says David Seaman, dean of ���ϲ����� Libraries and University librarian. “Hosting this program at the LaunchPad will not only infuse innovative thinking but will provide the tools and resources to bring great ideas to fruition and market.”

This flagship program is made possible through the support of the Zaccai Foundation for Augmented Intelligence, founded by Gianfranco Zaccai. The Zaccai Foundation seeks to develop, stimulate and leverage technological, educational and organizational innovation to enable and empower individuals with intellectual disability, their families and their communities to improve quality of life, enhance independence and productivity, lower cost and benefit society.

Zaccai, a renowned global innovator and designer, will serve as a mentor for the course. He was co-founder of Continuum, now , a global innovation by design consultancy with offices in Boston, Milan, Seoul and Shanghai.

Zaccai is a champion of holistic and interdisciplinary innovation research, design and development. His vision has resulted in many highly successful category-defining products, including the Reebok Pump, P&G’s Swiffer and the Omnipod Insulin Delivery System. For more than 35 years, Continuum has been recognized for outstanding innovation and design for projects spanning medical devices to consumer products.

Zaccai is former chair of the Design Management Institute and past president of the Aspen Conference. He holds degrees in industrial design from ���ϲ����� and architecture from the Boston Architectural College. Zaccai also previously served on the VPA Council and was conferred an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts in Industrial and Interaction Design by ���ϲ�����.

His wife, Carmencita Bua, was formerly head of operations at Continuum and is now CEO of Tenuta Donna Gilda a Meleto Social Farm, an organization that provides neurodivergent college students an abroad experience that enhances their educational opportunities, communications skills, curiosity and harmony among nature and family members with support from a therapeutic team of experts. The organization also offers a Gap Year Program for high school students who need extra time before approaching college life.

She is a graduate of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna Law School of Pisa, Italy.

The ���ϲ����� program is especially important to the couple, as parents of a Whitman School student, Guglielmo Meriggi ’22, as well as parents of a young adult with an intellectual disability. “I am confident that this program will be revolutionary in stimulating brilliant students, educators, and researchers to deeply explore and meaningfully innovate a better future,” Zaccai says.

“We have an opportunity to blend in-context research, people-centered design, and the strengths and skills of diverse people and disciplines in a way that can change the world for the better for people of all abilities and talents,” he says. “That’s why we’re so excited to partner with ���ϲ�����—we see the potential that a cross-disciplinary, multi-dimensional, innovative approach can bring to our society, and we want to propel young people to be at the forefront of developing real-world solutions.”

Concepts developed throughout the course will be presented to a panel of experts in a culminating competition in spring 2021, with $30,000 in seed funding awarded to the most promising ideas for further development.

“By taking an inclusive design approach, we’re able to consider innovative ways to address a wide range of challenges and in doing so unlock the potential of numerous individuals,” Carr says. “Thanks to ADA [the Americans with Disabilities Act] legislation, there exists an awareness to create public spaces, services, transportation and telecommunications that are accessible.��However, the exploration of design ideas that address Intellectual Disability [ID] offers a new set of affordances to move beyond compliance and envision ideas that embrace an ever-wider range of opportunities.”

The program was developed with the support of Quinn King ’20, founder of MedUX and a Rubin Family Innovation Mentor at the LaunchPad. King had a keen interest in working on the project as a student founder with a design company that focuses on user experience and because he has a close family member with an intellectual disability.

“To my knowledge, this is the only program that integrates students from various disciplines with students with intellectual disability into collaborative teams to problem solve design solutions,” says Myers. “Incorporating perspectives from all users and participants will most certainly result in an enhanced and sustainable user-focused experience.”

For more information about the program, contact Don Carr at dwcarr@syr.edu, Beth Myers at bemeyers@syr.edu or Linda Dickerson Hartsock at ldhart01@syr.edu.

Cleo Hamilton

If you ask his friends what makes Cleo Hamilton an outstanding example of Orange spirit, his dedication and determination are two characteristics that stand out. Hamilton is entering his senior year at ���ϲ����� this fall with one of the highest honors a student can receive, being named a Remembrance Scholar, defying odds along the way.

Hamilton is attending ���ϲ����� through University College as an InclusiveU student, a School of Education initiative to enroll students with intellectual and developmental disabilities into a fully inclusive setting at ���ϲ�����. He audits classes with his peers, ranging from Managing the Sport Organization to Religion in Sports, has a part-time job off campus and volunteers for leadership roles with OttoTHON, Relay For Life, Student Association and more. He chose to major in sport management and will earn a certificate through Falk College next year.

After graduating from Nottingham High School in the City of ���ϲ�����, Hamilton began receiving services from Onondaga Community Living (OCL), a community agency that supports people with disabilities to be able to live, learn and work in the community. He had always wanted to go to ���ϲ����� and, through OCL, was able to enroll in InclusiveU in 2016.

Hamilton, outgoing, independent and engaging, immediately participated in leadership opportunities in the program, advocating on Capitol Hill with his classmates, collaborating with the Executive Director Beth Myers on an article in a national journal on inclusive education and receiving the “Person of the Year” Award from OCL. He is active in the community and on social media and is quick to recruit others to volunteer on campus, often tabling at Schine Student Center for various organizations.

Hamilton says he decided to apply to be a Remembrance Scholar because he wanted to help the campus spread more awareness about the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. The scholarships were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the 35 ���ϲ����� study abroad students who perished in the bombing. The sense of community was also a big appeal. “When I was a freshman, my friend Tori invited me to the vigil, where I saw everyone singing songs,” Hamilton says. “I went again last year.”

Cleo Hamilton enjoys athletics and wants to work with a professional team after graduation.

Tori Cedar, his friend and former Peer Trainer through InclusiveU, supported Cleo in his freshman year as he acclimated to college, attending football games and OttoTHON committee meetings together.

“When I got the news that Cleo would become one of the 35 Remembrance Scholars for the 2019-2020 school year, a wave of emotion came over me. A part of me was like ‘well yes of course, Cleo is a rockstar this makes so much sense.’ However, the bigger part of my emotion came over as I started thinking about what this all means,” Cedar says. “At InclusiveU, we all know Cleo is incredible, passionate, dedicated, hard-working, kind, strong, resilient, funny and the most caring man you’ll probably ever meet. But this proves that our students, our faculty, our administration, our society, and our world also see what we see. When Cleo got named as a Remembrance Scholar they saw the man we knew could get this scholarship and deserved the honor of being named a Remembrance Scholar from the beginning.”

At Hillel’s Israel Fest this past April, Hamilton asked for the Remembrance logo to be silk-screened onto a T-shirt, even before next year’s scholars had been selected. This type of deep passion for ���ϲ����� and for service was reflected in Hamilton’s application.

Lawrence Mason Jr., professor of visual communications in the Newhouse School and chair of the Remembrance Scholar Selection Committee, says that selection committee members were impressed by Hamilton’s undeniable school spirit.

“He volunteers for many service-oriented organizations and activities.��Because service to others is a key factor for successful��Remembrance Scholars, Cleo emerged as a strong contender for the award. His level of support from both faculty/staff and outgoing Remembrance Scholars on the selection team was outstanding,” Mason says.

Rick Burton, David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Sport Management in the Falk College, was one of those faculty members who supported Hamilton in his application process.

“Cleo was a great joy to have in my SPM 225 class. We would often talk before class started and he filled me in on campus events and activities. I knew immediately he had dedicated himself to our Orange family,” Burton says.

Hamilton says one of his favorite classes so far was with Professor Burton. “We had to do a class project and presentation. This was one of my first times doing one in front of a class,” Hamilton says. “We chose the Philadelphia Phillies.”

Cleo Hamilton with Otto

Going to games and meeting Head Football Coach Dino Babers inspired him to choose a major in sport management. Hamilton enjoys athletics and wants to work with a professional team after graduation. When asked what his favorite things about ���ϲ����� are, he says going to games, making good friends and Mayfest stand out. He also spends time at Hendricks Chapel, and is an active member of the ���ϲ����� Community Choir.

Hamilton joins his InclusiveU peers in a handful of “firsts” at ���ϲ����� in recent years; the program had its first student to live in a residence hall in 2017, its first out-of-state student in 2018 and its first graduate to be hired at ���ϲ����� that year. As campus awareness about InclusiveU continues to grow, the support does also.

Professor Beth Myers, executive director of the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education and InclusiveU, was not surprised to learn that Hamilton was the first InclusiveU student to receive the prestigious award.

“When you meet Cleo, what stands out is his genuine commitment to the University and to his community,” Myers says. “Cleo’s passion to learn, to grow and to connect with others makes him an outstanding addition to the group.”

Hamilton is in disbelief that his senior year is coming up, but maintains his always positive outlook. When asked what the future holds, he says, “I want to move to New York City and work with athletes at Columbia University.”

“Third Shift” was filmed in the spooky basement of Huntington Hall and is a suspenseful comedy/horror short, with a surprise ending. The project hatched last fall when The Blackstone LaunchPad sponsored an inclusive entrepreneurship workshop with students in the InclusiveU program as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. InclusiveU is an initiative of the , committed to individualized and inclusive higher educational opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The workshop was facilitated by ’19, a VPA industrial and interaction design student and Blackstone LaunchPad Global Media Fellow. A student entrepreneur, deHahn is founder of and interested in inclusive design for people of all abilities. That is also the topic of research for his fifth-year design thesis, also set to debut this month. Born profoundly deaf, he is a unilateral cochlear implant user who proudly shares his personal story at conferences around the nation. He was recently a featured speaker at ���ϲ�����’s Human Library, with the message that a disability shouldn’t stop anyone from defying stigmas and dreaming big.

deHahn says his passion as a designer drives him to make the world a more accessible place: “Having a disability makes you see the world in a different, unique way.”

Whenever he can,��deHahn tries to immerse himself among those with different abilities. “InclusiveU is a wonderful community of creative, intelligent, and caring people,” he says.

The cast and crew of “Third Shift.”

At the fall inclusive entrepreneurship workshop, the students discussed what they were passionate about. The group quickly came to a consensus that a startup film company would be a great way to learn entrepreneurship, and so InclusiveU Productions was launched. Through early spring, InclusiveU students worked with The Blackstone LaunchPad and VPA film students to learn how to create and produce a movie.

InclusiveU students conceived the story, wrote the script, starred in the movie and assisted in all aspects of production planning.

deHahn helped as production designer, while Peter Hartsock ’19, a VPA film student and co-founder of student startup , was the cinematographer and editor. Janie Kahan ’19, a VPA film student who is an advocate for those with disabilities, directed the movie.

Kahan has a special interest in inclusive education, promoting the use of American Sign Language in children’s media while interning for DreamWorks. “Growing up using American Sign Language in my home, deaf culture has become a large influence in my life,” she says. “Using my experience and a new connection with the National Association of the Deaf, I was able to educate the DreamWorks executives on the culture and linguistics and how to properly represent a deaf character in a children’s television show. I plan to advocate for disability representation in my film and TV career.”

“Third Shift” stars InclusiveU students Delvon Waller, Gabriella Iannotti and Ryan Gorke. The film would not have been possible without the InclusiveU student crew, who played key production roles: Delvon Waller, screenwriter; Jon Rushmore, art, production, effects and food services; Anthony Canestrare, music consultant; and Xavier Jefferson, pre-production and planning.

“I was really excited to see what I wrote to come to life,” Waller says. “Through hard work and determination, you can accomplish anything. No matter what people think or tell you!”

Those who were a part of the project are very proud of the final result. “All the actors, behind the scenes folks and students brought their own unique twist to the film,” deHahn notes. “Delvon, the main character, curated a funny and clever screenplay, and it was exciting to see his idea come to life. But more importantly, it was wonderful to be witness to such a passionate collaboration.”

Dee Katovitch

The Fulbright Specialist Program sends U.S. faculty and professionals to serve as expert consultants on curriculum, faculty development, institutional planning and related subjects at academic institutions abroad. As assistant director of the Taishoff Center and coordinator of the Peer-2-Peer Program, Katovich has played a significant role in the development of InclusiveU, which brings students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to ���ϲ����� for a fully inclusive college experience. The program has continued to grow and thrive as more members of the campus community gain awareness and InclusiveU students become further integrated into campus life. Katovich has been working with colleagues at the University of Reykjavik since 2016 and looks forward to joining them on campus to provide technical assistance and share resources.

“I’m not sure who is more excited, me or them!” chuckles Katovitch when asked about her upcoming trip. “It’s a such a great opportunity to learn about inclusion and educational opportunity in other countries.”

Katovich graduated from ���ϲ����� (B.S., School of Education ’90; Certificate of Advanced Study in Disability Studies, ’14) and SUNY Cortland (M.S. in reading ’95) and is currently a doctoral student in the higher education program at SU.��She previously worked for 21 years as a special education teacher in New York State public schools. She has authored two books about the disability community: “The Power to Spring Up: Postsecondary Education Opportunities for Students with Significant Disabilities”��(2009) and��“Beautiful Children,”��about the first school for children with intellectual disability in the United States (2016).

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an��undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic , with a global footprint, and��, ���ϲ����� offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of ���ϲ����� is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit .

Students in ���ϲ�����’s InclusiveU program are among the growing population of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in higher education and the workforce who will benefit from the work of the researchers at this weekend’s conference at ���ϲ�����.

Including a first-time parallel Student Leadership Conference, the event will draw more than 300 participants, providing opportunities for colleges and universities, researchers, program staff, parents and self-advocates to learn about the current state of research and practice in the field and to network with each other. Panels include faculty and staff from postsecondary education initiatives, parents, self-advocates and other experts sharing effective practices during breakout sessions with opportunities for group discussion.��The student conference will bring high school and college students into the conversation.

For the first time, the conference—hosted by George Mason University’s Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human Disabilities and the Lawrence B. Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education at ���ϲ�����—takes place in ���ϲ�����.

“We have professionals coming from universities and centers all over the world, including Austria, Ireland, Canada, Hawaii and Washington,” says Beth Myers, executive director of the Taishoff Center and Lawrence B. Taishoff Professor of Inclusive Education in the . “Tracks include academic supports, promoting policy and systemic change, campus life, innovations in higher education, independent living, family and community support, research and evaluation, program development and transition.”

Filmmaker Dan Habib from the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability and Micah Fialka-Feldman ’15, a Taishoff Center staff member, will present the opening keynote, including clips from Habib’s forthcoming documentary “Intelligent Lives.” The film tells the stories of Fialka-Feldman and two other young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).

“I’m sure they will talk about the construction of intelligence as a marker of success and show how some individuals with IDD are pioneers in inclusion, breaking stereotypes about intellectual disability,” says Myers.

Retired Navy Capt. Robert Taishoff, a ���ϲ����� Trustee, will speak Wednesday afternoon. He is chairman of the Taishoff Family Foundation, which created the Taishoff Center. It’s named for his grandfather, who made it his priority to aid in research and educating society about Down syndrome.

The State of the Art Conference will have 250 participants; 85 students are expected for the Student Leadership Conference. The latter event is open to all students, with an emphasis on young adults who are transitioning into college and current college students. The focus is on students with intellectual disabilities and their peers, including traditionally enrolled friends, classmates and mentors.

Sessions for the students will cover academic life, social connections, self-advocacy, self-representation and housing, along with a ropes course, yoga and a karaoke party.

“The SLC is a gathering of current and future college students with intellectual disabilities. This is so hugely significant because 30 years ago not only would these students not be attending college, many or most of them would be isolated or institutionalized,” says Cara Levine, a Ph.D. student in counseling and counselor education at the School of Education and coordinator of the student conference. “The conference will provide a space for participants to acquire self-advocacy skills and learn about the college experience from one another while making valuable social connections with peers from across the United States and Canada.”

For more information, visit .

Colleges and universities across the United States are placing more emphasis on disability and inclusion. “We see disability as an important part of that diversity,” says Beth Myers, executive director of the Taishoff Center. “We put together these events in California in order to engage a wider audience in new conversations about inclusion. We’re hoping to make some new allies and give the community a chance to hear from local and national advocates about new ways to think about disability and higher education.”

The “Redefining Inclusion” events are free and open to the public, and are being hosted in partnership with ���ϲ����� Los Angeles. The panel discussions in each city will have a distinct theme, and feature well-known experts and celebrities connected to the field of disability studies.

Each event will start off with a short preview of the upcoming film “Intelligent Lives,” which challenges the social constructs of society’s definition of “intelligence.” Panel discussions, moderated by Myers, will follow and will include: filmmaker ��(“Intelligent Lives” and “Including Samuel”); ,��self-advocate and Outreach Coordinator for the Taishoff Center, featured in “Intelligent Lives”; and , professor of inclusive education at Rowan University. Disability advocate and actor Andy Arias will also participate on both panels.

In San Francisco, the panel’s topic will be “Inclusive Education” and experts will include: Cheryl Theis,��education advocate, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund; and Kathleen Gee,��professor of special education, California State University. The event, held at the Delancey Street Foundation, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 25.

The Los Angeles event will address “Disability in the Media,” and will feature , actress, producer and activist; and ; a writer for ABC’s “Speechless.” The Los Angeles panel will be on Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. at the Intercontinental Century City.

Myers says, “We hope attendees will engage with us in conversation about how we view intelligence. We hope everyone will leave thinking critically about how disability and intelligence are represented and negotiated in society.”

RSVP’s are strongly encouraged. Please visit for more information about the Redefining Inclusion events and to RSVP.