Institute on Disabilities

What Institute on Disabilities does

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University is a non-profit university center founded in 1974 (originally as the Developmental Disabilities Center) and housed within Temple University's College of Education and Human Development in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of 68 federally designated University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCEDDs) nationwide and operates TechOWL — Technology for Our Whole Lives — as Pennsylvania's official Assistive Technology Act program. The Institute delivers services exclusively across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through a portfolio that includes assistive technology lending and training (TechOWL, PA Tech Accelerator, ACES), inclusive postsecondary education (Leadership & Career Studies), advocacy and policy training (C2P2, Youth Advocacy Council), direct-support professional education (College of Direct Support, College of Employment Services, Supports Broker certification), quality monitoring (IM4Q), home and community-based services support, health equity programming (Access to Care, Food Justice, Healthy Sexuality, Public Health Emergencies), and media arts and culture initiatives (File/Life Stories, Rhythm Bath, Visionary Voices).

The Institute does not build proprietary software or commercial technology products; its "technology" footprint is the assistive technology devices, AAC equipment, adapted hardware, and switch-adapted tools it lends and demonstrates through TechOWL and the new TechOWL Community Space (opened April 2024 at 1392 Cecil B. Moore Avenue). Its underlying platform is therefore a human-services and research delivery model rather than a software or SaaS model. Operating with a small core team of approximately 14 employees, the Institute extends reach primarily through subcontracts and partnerships with state agencies, workforce development boards, schools, and disability organizations.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through grants — federal (Administration for Community Living for UCEDD core and AT Act), state (Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, Pennsylvania Department of Education), and private foundations (WITH Foundation, The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, Philadelphia Foundation) — and services are provided at no cost to participants. The organization does not sell to commercial customers, has no disclosed equity funding, and is governed as an academic unit within Temple University. As of March 2026 the Institute is operating but undergoing a leadership transition following the resignation of Executive Director Sally Gould-Taylor.

Name

Institute on Disabilities

Legal name

Temple University Institute on Disabilities

Website

https://disabilities.temple.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University is a non-profit UCEDD founded in 1974 that delivers disability advocacy, assistive technology, inclusive postsecondary education, and research services to people with disabilities and their families across Pennsylvania. It operates TechOWL, the state's designated Assistive Technology Act program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Services and Advocacy

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Technology (AT) & AAC Services (EDAJAKAF), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Assistive Technology (AT) Evaluations & Needs Assessments (EDAKAIAA), AT Device Setup, Integration & Technical Support (MDM, IT, Interoperability) (EDAKAIAK)

Keywords

• Assistive technology services
• Disability advocacy programs
• Developmental disabilities research
• Inclusive postsecondary education
• Community-based disability supports

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government and Foundation Grants: As a university-based center housed within Temple University's College of Education and Human Development, the Institute operates primarily on grant funding from federal sources (such as ACL/Administration for Community Living), state agencies (Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, Pennsylvania Department of Education), and private foundations (The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, WITH Foundation). Revenue is grant-based and project-specific rather than commercial.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Institute on Disabilities is a Temple University-based non-profit UCEDD that delivers disability advocacy training, assistive technology access, inclusive postsecondary education, community integration supports, health equity programs, and disability-related research across Pennsylvania. It serves as home to TechOWL, Pennsylvania's designated Assistive Technology Act program, providing assistive device lending, AAC services, equipment demonstrations, and adapted technology workshops. Standalone programs include TechOWL, ACES, C2P2, Leadership & Career Studies, PA Tech Accelerator, Supports Brokering, College of Direct Support, College of Employment Services, IM4Q, and HCBS services.

Product overview

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University operates as Pennsylvania's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service, housing TechOWL as its core assistive technology program. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs including ACES (communication empowerment), C2P2 (policy leadership training), Leadership & Career Studies (postsecondary education), PA Tech Accelerator, Supports Brokering, College of Direct Support, College of Employment Services, IM4Q (quality monitoring), HCBS services, Health Equity programs, and Media Arts & Culture initiatives. TechOWL Community Space serves as the primary physical hub for equipment lending and assistive technology exploration, while the broader programs span advocacy, education, employment, health equity, and community integration services across Pennsylvania.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TechOWL: Technology for Our Whole Lives - Pennsylvania's Assistive Technology Act program that helps people with disabilities access assistive technology
• ACES
• C2P2
• L&CS
• IM4Q

Products and services

• TechOWL (Technology for Our Whole Lives) Pennsylvania's designated Assistive Technology Act program that helps people with disabilities access assistive technology devices and services for employment, social interaction, and everyday life. Provides assistive technology information, device demonstrations, equipment lending, training, and outreach statewide.
• TechOWL Community Space A storefront community space at 1392 Cecil B. Moore Avenue in Philadelphia offering open public hours for assistive equipment checkout, demonstrations, workshops, switch-adapted toy making, adapted gaming, and community connection opportunities for people with disabilities.
• ACES (Augmentative Communication Empowerment and Supports) A week-long intensive program for young adults who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, offering communication classes, adaptive recreation, and campus life experience. Operated since 1990.
• C2P2 (Competence and Confidence: Partners in Policymaking) An eight-session leadership training program providing up-to-date information, leadership training, and skill building for individuals with disabilities and family members on local, state, and national policy issues. Operated since 2008.
• Leadership & Career Studies (L&CS) An inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) certificate program for young adults with intellectual disabilities or intellectual disabilities and autism, providing academic courses, employment experiences, campus life participation, and peer mentor support at Temple University.
• PA Tech Accelerator A program exploring assistive technology options, who benefits from them, and where to access them, helping increase access to employment, social interaction, and everyday life through technology. Includes on-demand webinars.
• Supports Brokering Certification and Training Training and certification program for supports brokers who help individuals with disabilities navigate and direct their own support services in the community. Includes initial certification and recertification classes.
• College of Direct Support Training program for direct support professionals working with individuals with developmental disabilities, providing online courses and certification to build the disability workforce.
• College of Employment Services Training program focused on employment services and job development for professionals serving individuals with disabilities, building capacity in the employment services workforce.
• IM4Q (Independent Monitoring for Quality) A quality monitoring program that gathers input from people with disabilities about services and supports they receive, producing statewide summary reports and ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.
• HCBS (Home and Community-Based Services) Supports and services that empower individuals with disabilities to live in the community of their choice, including personal care assistance, community participation support, and supported employment services.
• Health Equity Programs Programs addressing health access including Access to Care, Food Justice, Healthy Sexuality, and Public Health Emergencies for people with disabilities, including work to improve healthcare for sexual and gender minorities with disabilities.
• Media Arts & Culture Arts and storytelling programs including File/Life Stories, Rhythm Bath, Visionary Voices, and Youth Advocacy Council zine projects addressing social justice issues and disability history through multimodal installations and accessible programming.
• Youth Advocacy Council A program for high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities focused on team building, leadership, and collaborative advocacy projects including murals and zine projects in partnership with Tyler School of Art and Architecture.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22 Pennsylvanians graduated from C2P2 leadership training program in September 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and major.

• Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Partnered with DRP and other organizations to urge Pennsylvania to reaffirm commitments to community living. Collaborative advocacy effort for disability rights.
• PA State Representative Joseph HohensteincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2025Presenting sponsor of Disability Summit 2025. Representative has been active in disability legislation including disability inclusive curriculum and hosting annual disability summits.
• The Arc of PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2025Co-sponsor of Disability Summit 2025 along with Institute on Disabilities, Special Olympics Pennsylvania, Vision for Equality, KenCrest, and Comcast NBCUniversal.
• Special Olympics PennsylvaniacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2025Co-sponsor of Disability Summit 2025. Joint effort to bring together advocates, service providers, and community members for disability inclusion.
• KenCrestsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2025Co-sponsor of Disability Summit 2025. Disability services organization providing residential and community-based services.
• HMS School for Children with Cerebral PalsysecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Organization whose occupational therapists and transition specialists bring students to TechOWL Community Space for equipment lending and assistive technology exploration.
• Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2023Awarded grants to the Institute including programs for Inclusive and Equitable Futures (TIPPS), Unemployment/Underemployment intervention, Supported Decision Making, and AT Champions — Technology For All. PA DD Council is a state agency providing funding and advocacy for developmental disability services.
• National Resource Center for Supported Decision MakingsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2023Institute builds on national guardianship reform movement and tools/practices of the National Resource Center for Supported Decision Making in its program to help empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• PA Workforce CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2023Institute partners with PA Workforce Coalition to break down barriers to employment and increase overall employment of people with disabilities. Leverages Local Workforce Development Areas and PA CareerLink to build Mentor Networks.
• Local Workforce Development Areas (LWDAs) and PA CareerLinkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 October 2023Workforce development partners used to educate and coach businesses on acquiring talent from people with disabilities. Institute leverages these systems to expand Mentor Networks throughout Pennsylvania.
• Opera PhiladelphiasecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2023Curated round table discussion and developed accessible educational programming around the opera '10 Days in a Madhouse'. Jamie Ray-Leonetti collaborated with Opera Philadelphia VP of Community Initiatives to create inclusive programming.
• College of Public Health at Temple UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 August 2023Partnership with Amy Lynch, PhD on Inclusive and Equitable Futures: TIPPS project addressing preschool-to-prison pipeline through trauma-informed practices.
• The Pew Center for Arts & HeritagemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2023Funded the File/Life: We Remember Stories of Pennhurst multimodal installation project at Philadelphia's Arch Street Meeting House. The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage is a multidisciplinary grant maker funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural community in Greater Philadelphia.
• Tyler School of Art and ArchitecturemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaborated on Youth Advocacy Council (YAC) project creating mural 'Better Together'. Partnership involved high school students with disabilities working with Tyler students to address social justice issues. Also collaborated on printmaking aspects of YAC projects.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Tobii Dynavox: Global leader in AAC and assistive technology hardware/software. Comparable as a partner/vendor whose AAC devices are central to the Institute's ACES program and equipment lending library.
• PRC-Saltillo: Commercial manufacturer of AAC devices and language systems. Comparable in that IOD's ACES and PA Tech Accelerator programs train users on devices like those from PRC-Saltillo; represents the upstream AT vendor ecosystem the Institute's programs support.

Direct peers

• University of Illinois Chicago Institute on Disability and Human Development (IDHD): Fellow UCEDD housed at a major public university (UIC). Comparable in operating model: research, training, direct service, and TA across Illinois, with overlapping programs in AT, employment, and self-advocacy. Strongest direct peer given shared UCEDD designation and structure.
• Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP): Pennsylvania's federally designated Protection and Advocacy organization. Comparable to IOD in serving people with disabilities across the Commonwealth, with overlapping advocacy and community-living mandates, and an active partner of the Institute.
• Think College (UMass Boston): National center on inclusive higher education for students with intellectual disabilities. Highly comparable to IOD's Leadership & Career Studies program; provides the national network and resources that the Institute's IPSE work plugs into.
• Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (UCEDD): A UCEDD at Vanderbilt University conducting research, service, and training on intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comparable to IOD in the integration of academic research with direct-service programs (e.g., self-advocacy, inclusive postsecondary education).
• University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration (ICI): A leading UCEDD at the University of Minnesota, operating research, training, and direct-service programs in disability inclusion, community living, and assistive technology. Direct peer to IOD given shared UCEDD mandate and university-housed operating model.

Regional players

• AJ Drexel Autism Institute: Philadelphia-area university-based center focused on autism and developmental disabilities research and community programs. Comparable to IOD in serving Pennsylvania with overlapping audiences (self-advocates, families, students) and university-housed model.
• Easterseals Eastern Pennsylvania: Regional disability services nonprofit serving eastern Pennsylvania with AT, employment, and community-living programs. Comparable in service mix to IOD (AT access, employment supports) but operates as a direct-service nonprofit rather than a UCEDD.

Broad incumbents

• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN): National membership network of P&A organizations. Comparable to IOD through the broader ecosystem of disability rights advocacy and federally funded supports, of which IOD is a state-level affiliate-adjacent actor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDO7TX_RzCh91DrlwtWTvuQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/IODTempleU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-on-disabilities
• Instagraminstagram.com/iodtemple

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute on Disabilities