Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities

What Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities does

The Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities is a non-profit organization housed at Rhode Island College, federally designated as a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Founded in 1994 and based in Providence, Rhode Island, the center provides free services to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, including Social Security benefits counseling under a cooperative agreement with the Social Security Administration, training and technical assistance, and a community mini-grant program. In fiscal year 2025 it reported serving 25,268 participants with a staff of approximately 23 employees.

The organization operates under a grant-funded, non-commercial business model with no disclosed revenue from fees or sales. Operating support is derived from a federal UCEDD core grant, an SSA cooperative agreement, and contracts with Rhode Island state agencies including the Office of Rehabilitation Services and the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals. Services are delivered at no charge to participants, which structurally removes any pricing or monetization lever typical of for-profit entities and aligns the center's revenue mechanics with public-sector appropriation cycles rather than market demand.

The center functions as a service delivery and capacity-building institution rather than a technology or product company. No proprietary technology stack, software platform, or AI/ML capability is described in available material. Its strategic positioning derives from federal designation, multi-decade institutional expertise, and partnerships with state government, academic, and community organizations rather than from competitive market dynamics. A recently reported engagement in Connecticut indicates incremental geographic broadening beyond the Rhode Island base.

Name

Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities

Legal name

Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities

Website

https://sherlockcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities is a federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Rhode Island College, providing free benefits counseling, training, and community grants to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education Staffing & Contracted Providers (Paras, Therapists, Specialists) (EDAJAKAL), IEP/504 Planning, Case Management & Compliance (EDAJAKAB)

Keywords

• Disability services
• Early intervention training
• Work incentives counseling
• Accessibility mini grants
• Developmental disabilities support

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

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, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Cooperative Agreement (Social Security Administration): The Sherlock Center provides Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) services through a cooperative agreement with the Social Security Administration since 2015, supporting SSI and SSDI beneficiaries with work incentives and benefits counseling.
2. State Agency Partnerships and Contracts: The center partners with state agencies including the Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS), the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH), and the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services in Connecticut to deliver services including benefits counseling, employment support, and training programs. Revenue flows through state-funded service agreements and cooperative arrangements.
3. Access for All Abilities Mini Grants (Pass-through Funding): The center administers a mini grant program funded through federal UCEDD resources, providing competitive grants to Rhode Island organizations for accessibility improvements. These are pass-through funds rather than revenue-generating activity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Sherlock Center delivers interdisciplinary pre-service training, community education, technical assistance, direct services, and information dissemination for individuals with disabilities, families, and professionals across Rhode Island. Core offerings include Work Incentives Benefits Counseling (WIPA), Early Intervention Training & Technical Assistance, Vision Education & Services (RIVESP), Self-Directed Supports Network, the UCEDD Traineeship Program, RI LEND, graduate certificates, and the Access for All Abilities Mini Grants program. All services and trainings are provided free of charge, funded through federal and state cooperative agreements.

Product overview

Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at Rhode Island College that operates as a service and support organization rather than a product company. Its portfolio consists of interconnected programs including: Early Intervention services for young children with developmental disabilities; Vision Education & Services (RIVESP) for individuals with visual impairments; Work Incentives Benefits Counseling providing Social Security work incentive guidance; Self-Directed Supports Network for person-centered service design; the UCEDD Traineeship Program for future disability professionals; and the Access for All Abilities Mini Grants supporting accessibility improvements at community organizations. The center also offers training programs (Person Centered Thinking, Family Employment Awareness Training, Inclusion Institutes), graduate certificates in autism education and neurodevelopmental disabilities (RI LEND), and resources through its Lending Library and RIMAC. Services are delivered through interdisciplinary collaboration with state agencies, schools, and community providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Work Incentives Benefits Counseling (WIPA) Helps SSI and SSDI beneficiaries understand how working affects their benefits through counseling on work incentives, safety nets, benefits management, and Ticket to Work. Provided under a cooperative agreement with the Social Security Administration since 2015, covering Rhode Island and Connecticut.
• Early Intervention Training & Technical Assistance Project Provides training and technical assistance for professionals working with young children (birth to age 3) who have or are at risk for developmental disabilities. Includes a 16-credit URI certificate program delivered through URI's Department of Human Development and Family Science.
• Vision Education & Services (RIVESP) Rhode Island Vision Education and Services Program that empowers students with visual impairments to build independence, gain confidence, and connect with supportive communities.
• Services for Children & Youth with Dual Sensory Impairments Specialized services supporting children and youth who have both vision and hearing impairments.
• Educational Surrogate Parent Program Provides trained surrogate parents to represent the interests of students with disabilities in special education proceedings.
• Self-Directed Supports Network Provides support for individuals and families using the self-directed support model for home and community-based services, allowing people to design supports that best meet their unique needs.
• Access for All Abilities Mini Grants Competitive grant program funded through federal UCEDD resources that provides funding to Rhode Island organizations for accessibility improvements such as automatic doors, sensory pathways, ramps, and assistive listening systems.
• UCEDD Traineeship Program Interdisciplinary traineeship program preparing graduate and undergraduate students to be future leaders in the disability field through hands-on experience and mentorship, with a $500/month stipend.
• Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (RI LEND) Graduate-level leadership program training professionals to work with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.
• Certificate of Graduate Studies in Autism Education Graduate certificate program preparing professionals to work with students with autism.
• Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) Training helping families learn about employment possibilities for their loved ones with disabilities.
• Person Centered Thinking Facilitator Training Training program teaching person-centered thinking approaches for supporting individuals with disabilities.
• Inclusion Institutes Professional development opportunities focused on inclusive practices for educators and service providers.
• Direct Support Workforce Program Resources and support for recruiting, training, and retaining direct support professionals who serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
• Conflict-Free Case Management Ensures case management services are provided without conflicts of interest, separating service coordination from service provision.
• Orientation and Mobility Traineeship Program Combined traineeship with UMASS Boston's Vision Studies O&M Track master's degree program resulting in National Certification in Orientation and Mobility (ACVREP), with a $2,000/semester stipend.
• Rhode Island Materials Access Center (RIMAC) Provides accessible materials and resources for individuals with disabilities in Rhode Island.
• Lending Library Library of disability-related materials and resources available for loan to individuals and families affected by disabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25,268 participants served in fiscal year 2025 across all activities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Sherlock Center (UCEDD) is one of three members of the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Network, alongside the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council and Disability Rights Rhode Island. The network collaborates on joint advocacy activities including meetings with federal and state legislators on Medicaid, ADA, Section 504 protections, and developing an Olmstead Plan for Rhode Islanders with disabilities.
• UMASS Boston Vision Studies ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Sherlock Center partners with UMASS Boston's Vision Studies O&M Track master's degree program to offer a combined traineeship resulting in National Certification in Orientation and Mobility (ACVREP). UMASS provides OSEP grant funding supporting the program, and the Sherlock Center provides additional traineeship activities and a $2,000/semester stipend. Trainees must commit to two years of service for every year of funding received.
• Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (Connecticut)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025The Sherlock Center's WIPA program serves Connecticut residents through a partnership with Connecticut's Bureau of Rehabilitation Services. Connecticut clients of BRS can request work incentives benefits counseling through their counselor, and the Connect to Work Center also provides benefits counseling services throughout Connecticut.
• Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025BHDDH connects individuals approved through the Division of Developmental Disabilities with work incentives benefits counseling services. Individuals can submit an Employment and Earnings Form to request benefits counseling. Self-directed supports participants can ask their plan writer or BHDDH social worker to facilitate the request.
• Connect to Work Center (Connecticut)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025The Connect to Work Center, part of Connecticut Aging and Disability Services, provides work incentive benefit counseling services throughout Connecticut in-person or remotely. The Sherlock Center coordinates with this state partner to extend WIPA services across Connecticut.
• Open Farms RetreatminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Open Farms Retreat, a 2-acre sustainable farming operation in Cumberland, RI, collaborates with Aging Well Inc. on El Jardín programming, hosting Friday gardening classes and providing education about sustainable farming practices. 85% of the produce grown is returned to Woonsocket. Sienna Viette from Open Farms leads planting sessions and helps create value-added products from hydroponically grown herbs.
• Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024ORS partnered with the Sherlock Center to develop an immersive Work Incentive Benefits Counseling internship program launched in 2024. The program combines career exploration, hands-on experience, and targeted support to help participants earn certification and become ORS-approved vendors for benefits counseling services in Rhode Island.
• University of Rhode Island (URI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Sherlock Center's Early Intervention Training and Technical Assistance Project collaborated with URI's Department of Human Development and Family Science to develop a 16-credit Early Intervention certificate program. This five-course program, taught by EI professionals who teach at RIC and URI, prepares students to work with families of children from birth to age 3 who have or are at risk for developmental disabilities. Students completing the certificate can be provisionally hired as Early Interventionist II.
• Social Security AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015The Sherlock Center has provided Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) services to SSI and SSDI beneficiaries since 2015 through a cooperative agreement with the Social Security Administration. Staff complete rigorous national training to earn the Certified Work Incentive Coordinator credential. This partnership enables the center to deliver benefits counseling across Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• National Disability Rights Network: NDRN is the national membership network for Protection and Advocacy systems including Disability Rights Rhode Island. Comparable as the broader advocacy infrastructure coordinating with the Sherlock Center's disability services and policy work.
• Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD): AUCD is the national network that represents and supports all UCEDDs including the Sherlock Center. It is directly comparable as the umbrella membership body governing the Sherlock Center's peer designation and providing federal advocacy on behalf of UCEDD programs.

Regional players

• Easterseals Rhode Island: Easterseals RI provides direct disability services including early intervention, vocational rehabilitation, and case management in Rhode Island. Comparable as a regional provider of similar disability services to the same populations the Sherlock Center serves.
• The Arc of Rhode Island: The Arc of RI advocates for and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Rhode Island. Comparable as a regional advocacy and service provider operating in the same disability ecosystem as the Sherlock Center.

Direct peers

• Disability Rights Rhode Island: DRRI is a sister member of the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Network alongside the Sherlock Center, providing advocacy and legal services for people with disabilities. Both organizations are federally funded and coordinate on Olmstead Plan development and state disability policy.
• Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison: Waisman Center is a UCEDD and LEND program providing interdisciplinary training, services, and research for individuals with developmental disabilities. It is directly comparable as a UCEDD/LEND combination delivering traineeships, community services, and clinical training.
• Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council: The RIDDC is the third member of the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Network alongside the Sherlock Center and Disability Rights Rhode Island. Both organizations receive federal funding under the DD Act and collaborate on state-level disability advocacy.
• Institute on Disability at University of New Hampshire: UNH IOD is a UCEDD that delivers interdisciplinary training, research, and services for people with disabilities, similar to the Sherlock Center. Both are university-affiliated UCEDDs operating with federal funding, interdisciplinary traineeship programs, and community-based services in New England.

Others

• Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work program: SSA's Ticket to Work program is the federal program through which the Sherlock Center's WIPA services are delivered. It is comparable as the overarching benefits and employment program framework that the Sherlock Center's Work Incentives Benefits Counseling directly supports.
• Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS), Rhode Island: ORS is a core state agency partner that refers beneficiaries to the Sherlock Center for WIPA services and co-developed the Work Incentive Benefits Counseling internship program. Comparable as a state vocational rehabilitation agency that the Sherlock Center both partners with and extends.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sherlockcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sherlockcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities