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• History
• Mission
• Staff
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• Dr. Fred Orelove, Executive Director
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History

The Partnership for People with Disabilities, an affiliate of the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University, is recognized as Virginia's only university center for excellence in developmental disabilities by the federal Administration on Developmental Disabilities. Founded in 1985, with fewer than five staff members, today the Partnership is proud to operate over two dozen initiatives, staffed by more than 80 professionals and students who support individuals with disabilities and their families.

The mission of the Partnership is to partner with people with disabilities and others to build communities where all people can live, learn, work, and play together. Among our most important partners in our effort to support individuals with disabilities, beyond self-advocates and families, are numerous service providers, schools and school divisions, universities and colleges, professional organizations, state and local agencies, and advocacy organizations.

The Partnership conducts a full range of activities in three broad disability areas that cover the age span from newborn to aging. Success in the Early Intervention/Education area is highly dependent on our ability to equip family members, early interventionists, preschool teachers, and others with the awareness, skills, and training needed to make a difference. Similarly, all children benefit from receiving early and consistent educational services and supports. Additionally, a strategic goal of the Partnership is to support adults with the principles of self-determination and inclusion guiding our work. To achieve that goal, the Partnership is committed to helping communities garner the resources needed for adults and aging persons with disabilities to meet their personal needs and interests.

The Partnership's legacy to Virginia is its ability to develop effective and enduring systems of care for individuals with disabilities and their families. The organization's success and longevity are the result of its commitment to excellence in the provision of integrated home and community-based service to individuals with disabilities and their families. Our slogan defines our work: “Linking People. Changing Lives.”