Institute For Community Inclusion (ICI)

What Institute For Community Inclusion (ICI) does

The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), founded in 1967, is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) operated as a program at the University of Massachusetts Boston and Boston Children's Hospital. It conducts research, program evaluation, training, consultation, education, policy analysis, and service delivery across four emphasis areas—Employment, Education, Community Life, and Health Care—serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), their families, state IDD agencies, higher education institutions, and community rehabilitation providers. ICI operates three national hubs: ExploreVR and ThinkWork (employment-focused) and ThinkCollege (postsecondary education), supplemented by specialized communities of practice such as SELN, CYVYC, and the Professional Fellows Program. The technology stack centers on web-based platforms including the ES-Coach employment consultant coaching tool (used by 400+ consultants in 24 states), the Community Life Engagement Toolkit with the Guideposts Fidelity Scale, and the longitudinal State Data Report (Blue Book) tracking employment outcomes for people with IDD for over 30 years. Online learning is delivered via the College of Employment Services and CES/ACRE certification, and accreditation services are provided through IHEAC.

ICI's business model is that of a federally funded non-profit research and technical-assistance center. Revenue streams consist of (a) federal grants from the US Department of Education (TPSID/NCC, including a $10M five-year award in October 2025), NIDILRR ($600K grant in 2022), the Rehabilitation Services Administration, and the Administration on Community Living; (b) institutional support through UMass Boston and Boston Children's Hospital (including the UCEDD core grant); (c) donations and gifts (e.g., $100K from Dr. Stelios Gragoudas in 2024); and (d) technical assistance, training, and consultation services delivered to state agencies, providers, and educational institutions. Customer concentration is high on federal funders, while downstream users include 300+ US colleges and universities (Think College), 35+ state IDD agencies (Higher Performing States Framework), 24 states' worth of employment consultants (ES-Coach), and assistive technology programs serving aging and disabled populations across multiple states. Distribution is primarily through direct enterprise technical assistance, online self-serve tools, and member-supported communities of practice rather than commercial sales channels.

Name

Institute For Community Inclusion (ICI)

Legal name

Institute for Community Inclusion

Website

https://communityinclusion.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, founded in 1967 and based at UMass Boston and Boston Children's Hospital, conducting research, training, technical assistance, and policy work on employment, education, and community inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It operates three national hubs (ExploreVR, ThinkWork, ThinkCollege) and is primarily funded by federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Research and Training Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Schools & Life Skills Programs (EDAKAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Technology (AT) Evaluations & Needs Assessments (EDAKAIAA), Psychoeducational & Educational Assessments (IEE Support) (EDAKACAD), Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC), Assistive Technology (AT) & AAC Services (EDAJAKAF)

Keywords

• Disability employment services
• Vocational rehabilitation research
• Postsecondary education programs
• Community inclusion services
• Assistive technology access

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston, Massachusetts

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Grants: ICI receives substantial federal funding from agencies including the US Department of Education (TPSID/NCC grants), NIDILRR (National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research), Rehabilitation Services Administration, and Administration on Community Living.
2. University Institutional Support: As a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), ICI receives foundational support through the UCEDD core grant and institutional resources from UMass Boston and Boston Children's Hospital.
3. Donations and Gifts: The organization accepts donations to support its mission, including a $100,000 gift from Dr. Stelios Gragoudas for transition leadership and student self-determination initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ICI is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) that conducts research, program evaluation, training, consultation, education, policy analysis, and service delivery to advance employment, postsecondary education, community life, and healthcare outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It operates three national hubs—ThinkWork, ExploreVR (employment focus), and ThinkCollege (postsecondary education focus)—and develops evidence-based frameworks, online tools (e.g., ES-Coach), training curricula, and technical assistance used by state agencies, providers, and colleges nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ThinkWork: National hub focused on employment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• ThinkCollege
• ExploreVR

Products and services

• ES-Coach (Employment Support Coach) A web-based software application that provides data-enabled feedback to employment consultants, helping them implement best practices in supported and customized employment through daily micro-lessons, videos, tips, data, and articles. Used by employment consultants and programs serving people with disabilities.
• Community Life Engagement (CLE) Toolkit

Quantifiable outcome

• Since 1988, integrated employment has increased people with disabilities hired for jobs by 325% (33,092 to 140,521)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Institute for New England Native American Studies at UMass BostoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025Partners with ICI on Rural Youth Apprenticeship Development project for American Indian and Alaska Native youth with disabilities.
• American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Training and Technical Assistance Center at Northern Arizona UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025Partners with ICI on Rural Youth Apprenticeship Development project expanding pre-apprenticeship programs for tribal youth with disabilities.
• Mathematica Policy ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025Partners with ICI on RETA (Rapid Engagement Team Approach) to expand VR services for SSDI beneficiaries.
• School of Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) at UMass BostoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2025ICI is part of SGISD. Collaborates on ARRT postdoctoral training program with NASDDDS.
• National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2025Partners with ICI on Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program launching Spring 2026.
• Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2025Think College National Coordinating Center partner for supporting TPSID programs and advancing postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability.
• Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2025Partner in National Coordinating Center working to build and enhance high-quality, sustainable college options for students with intellectual disability.
• Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education at Syracuse UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2025Partner in NCC working to build and enhance high-quality, sustainable college options for students with intellectual disability.
• Warner School of Education Center for Disability and Education at University of RochestercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2025Partner in NCC working to build and enhance high-quality, sustainable college options for students with intellectual disability.
• Inclusive Higher Education Accreditation Council (IHEAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2025Accreditation council launched by Think College in 2023 for postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disability.
• International Disability Alliance (IDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2024Continental membership organization of Disabled Persons' Organizations in Africa. Co-administrator with ICI of Professional Fellows Program on Civic Engagement.
• African Disability Forum (ADF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2024Continental organization bringing expertise and connections to the Professional Fellows Program supporting emerging disability leaders from East Africa.
• Humanity and Inclusion (HI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2024International nonprofit partner in Professional Fellows Program on Civic Engagement, providing disability-inclusive development expertise.
• Center for Public Representation (CPR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2023Facilitates the CYVYC Community of Practice. CPR Executive Director Cathy Costanzo leads national initiative to promote alternatives to guardianship.
• Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2023Self-advocacy organization partner in CYVYC Community of Practice, centering voices of youth with disabilities in systems change work.
• Georgia Advocacy OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2023State protection and advocacy organization partner in CYVYC Community of Practice.
• Disability Policy Consortium (DPC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides mentorship to ICI interns on disability advocacy, leadership, and current issues affecting the disability community.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Human Services Research Institute (HSRI): A non-profit research and consulting organization working with state IDD, mental health, and aging agencies on systems change, data, and outcomes measurement. Highly comparable mission (transforming disability service systems) and customer base (state human service agencies).
• National Disability Institute (NDI): A non-profit focused on the financial health and economic empowerment of people with disabilities, working with state and federal partners on employment, benefits, and asset development. Comparable policy advocacy and state-level consulting posture.
• Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD): The national membership network of UCEDDs, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) programs, and IDDRCs. ICI is a member and AUCD shapes the policy and funding environment in which ICI operates, making it the closest ecosystem-level peer.
• APSE (Association of People Supporting Employment First): The national membership organization advancing Employment First policies and competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities. Overlapping mission and state-level network relationships with ICI's SELN and ThinkWork.
• Institute on Community Integration (UCEDD, University of Minnesota): Another federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) operating research, training, and service programs across employment, education, and community life for people with IDD. Highly comparable operating model, federal funding base, and national hub role.
• SourceAmerica: A non-profit that creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities through the AbilityOne program and connects employers with a disability talent pipeline. Comparable end-customer focus (employment outcomes for people with disabilities) with a different operational model.
• Cornell Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability: A university-based research and technical assistance center focused on disability and employment policy, with research, training, and consulting functions closely aligned to ICI's ThinkWork and ExploreVR offerings.
• Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (Indiana University): Another Indiana-based UCEDD conducting research, training, and information dissemination on disability inclusion across the lifespan, including community living, employment, and education - structurally and functionally similar to ICI.

Broad incumbents

• Mathematica Policy Research: A large social policy research and evaluation firm that partners with ICI on the RETA project and competes for many of the same federal disability and workforce evaluation contracts. Comparable research and federal contracting customer base, but broader in scope.

Others

• Boston Children's Hospital: ICI's institutional parent and clinical partner, providing healthcare research and pediatric specialty expertise for ICI's Down Syndrome Program and disability health-care initiatives. Closely intertwined operationally but not a competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ICIMass
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-community-inclusion-ici-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute For Community Inclusion (ICI)