WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities facing elimination
It's not alone. All University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) are set to be eliminated Oct. 1 without changes to the upcoming federal budget.
The Association of University Centers on Disabilities notes there are currently 68 UCEDDs, including at least one in every state and territory. The centers work with people with disabilities, members of their families, state and local government agencies and community providers on projects that provide training, technical assistance, services, research and information sharing.
'UCEDDs have played key roles in every major disability initiative over the past four decades,' the AUCD notes.
According to the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget in Brief available at hhs.gov, University Centers for Excellence in Development Disabilities have historically fallen under the Administration for Community Living, which is being consolidated with the Administration for Children and Families to create the Administration for Children, Families and Communities.
With the consolidation comes a reprioritization of funds.
'Savings come from eliminating radical diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory programs, which weaponized large swaths of the federal government against the American people and moving programs that are better suited for states and localities to provide.'
In addition to University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, funding will also be eliminated for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Community Services Block Grant programs, transitional medical services for refugees, refugee social services, chronic disease self-management education, limb loss resources, paralysis resource center, voting access for people with disabilities and the White House Conference on Aging.
A press release issued by the WVU CED says the centers are being incorrectly lumped in with DEI programs.
'The WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities has been the foundation for developing, testing and sustaining evidence-based trainings and services that help West Virginians with disabilities achieve independence and a better quality of life – building a support system that the community and state depend on,' WVU CED Director Lesley Cottrell said. 'Over the years, programs like Life Quilters and the intensive Autism Services Delivery clinic for children have originated and grown through the efforts of CED team members, trainees and experts.'
Last year, the WVU CED provided services to more than 435,000 people through its numerous programs and clinics.
These services are critically important, Cottrell continued, considering one in three West Virginians (37%) live with a disability according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. Census Bureau statistics also show West Virginia has the highest disability rate in the country at 19.4%.
In addition to the services, loss of funding would eliminate 96 jobs and likely eliminate more than $11 million in additional funding leveraged through the federal allocation.
'Many West Virginians have been trained in some form by the services at the CED if they work with individuals with disabilities. Many of these individuals have gone on to develop and expand services within West Virginia and across the nation,' Cottrell said. 'With secured funding, the center will continue to train our future, advance our knowledge of key disabilities through innovative research and work hard to make sure that these services are available to every community in the state.'
For those interested in getting involved, WVU CED is asking individuals, professionals and students to share a positive experience at cedwvu.org/share-your-story. Similarly, the AUCD is collecting feedback at aucd.quorum.us/campaign/133226/.
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