Introduction to the Special Issue: National Goals 2015

Abstract

In August 2015, the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota, the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Developmental Disabilities and Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Advancing Employment for Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at the University of MassachusettsBoston, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), the Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD), and The Arc of the United States hosted the National Goals in Research, Practice, and Policy conference (also referred to as the National Goals 2015 conference). The purpose of this invitational conference was to bring together researchers, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members, policy makers/advocates, practitioners, and other stakeholders to summarize the current state of knowledge and identify a platform of national goals in research that will have the greatest impact on practice and policy concerning intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) by 2025. Within the context of civil rights, notably advanced through the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990), Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2006), and other landmark legislation, the resultant goals reflect the commitment the United States has already made to people with IDD through federal laws and regulations, court decisions, and national policy initiatives and illuminate the nation’s expectations for the outcomes of relevant public policies and programs. Building upon the findings of the 2003 National Goals meeting, entitled Keeping the Promises: National Goals, State of Knowledge, and Research Agenda for Persons With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, the outcomes of the August 2015 conference emphasize the vision for the future and leadership of research, practice, and policy in intellectual and developmental disabilities. The conference had 10 areas of focus: selfdetermination and self-advocacy; social inclusion; education; employment and economic self-sufficiency; long-term supports and services; health and wellness; aging, retirement, and end of life; supports for families across the life course; trends in the workforce; and justice. The 2015 National Goals in Research, Practice, and Policy conference was kicked off by plenary presentations designed to provide all participants with an overview of where people with IDD live, where they work, the extent of financial resources spent on services and support, and the broad outcomes of these services and supports. Participants were also inspired to honor the past and move on toward the future embracing and building new ways of thinking and new ways of doing.