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Aims & Scope

This journal disseminates high quality research and evaluation about the multiple systems that serve individuals with disabilities and their families. Central to these systems is the "Developmental Disabilities Network", a group of federally designated programs in each U.S. state and territory, that provide advocacy, training, research, and service focused on the unique needs of people with disabilities and their families. This journal specifically highlights programs, practices, and policies that encourage the full inclusion of people with disabilities in communities and all aspects of public life.

    This is an open-source academic journal focused on rigorous scholarship about disability systems and the value and impact of the Developmental Disabilities network. This network is comprised of an array of organizations and programs that conduct interdisciplinary pre-service preparation, advocacy, research, community services, and information dissemination with and on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

    • University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD);
    • Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND);
    • Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (IDDRC); and
    • other Developmental Disabilities network programs including State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Protection & Advocacy Organizations, Projects of National Significance, and Family Support Programs (see here for a summary of these programs).

    We also welcome scholarship from programs with a similar focus on disability rights, community living, and interdisciplinary research including Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC), Parent Training and Information Centers (PTI), Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), State Independent Living Councils (SILC), Centers for Independent Living (CIL), State Grant for Assistive Technology Programs. This journal provides a peer-reviewed venue to publish research by staff and faculty who work in these programs, to encourage rigorous scholarship about disability systems, and to highlight research and evaluation that demonstrates the value and impact of the Developmental Disabilities network and similar programs.

    If you have questions about submitting a manuscript or becoming a reviewer for this journal, please contact the editorial office at .