During the 1980s, several faculty members sought to create an environment of creative thinking and cross-disciplinary collaboration to improve services and outcomes for people with disabilities and their families. Their efforts led to high-impact initiatives that included:

1. The Community Training and Employment Project, one of the nation’s first successful program models of supported employment. It was jointly funded by the Hawai’i Department of Health and Department of Human Services. The project continues today as a spun-off non-profit, now known as Abilities Unlimited Hawai’i.
2. Enhancement of transition-to-adulthood programming with Federal funding. Initiatives included the TTEC Transition Research Project (tracking services and outcomes for about 1,500 special education students leaving high school); development of Individualized Transition Planning procedures; and training for a transition specialist position at high schools. These efforts made Hawai’i a leader nationally for school-to-work transition services.
3. A project to develop and demonstrate work-based programs to provide people with developmental disabilities with skills in emerging computer applications. This included one of the nation’s first computer specializations in a special education teacher training program. This coursework is still offered by the Department of Special Education.

During the 1986 -1987 academic year, the Chair of the Special Education Department, Dr. Robert Stodden, began working closely with another faculty member, Dr. George Fargo, on ways to support people with developmental disabilities to live in communities of their own choice (however Dr. Fargo passed away during that time). It was noted that Hawai’i had yet to take advantage of the authorization and funding of “University Affiliated Programs” in the Developmental Disabilities Act of 1963. The intent was for each state to have at least one such program to bring advances developed at universities to local communities, through the “core activities” of training, research, service, and dissemination. 

To establish HUAP, Drs. Stodden and Fargo began planning with Ethel Yamane, Chief of the newly formed Developmental Disabilities Division of the Hawai’i Department of Health. This led to the assignment of a Department of Health specialist, Tom Uno, to help with planning and serve as point person. To garner University of Hawai’i programmatic and fiscal support, meetings were held with Madeline Goodman, then Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs. To demonstrate fundraising capacity, several new extramurally funded faculty members were brought together to form the proposed program’s research and training core.

During 1987, the Developmental Disabilities Division obtained a $250,000 appropriation to support HUAP’s establishment. Madeline Goodman obtained a legislative appropriation for four faculty positions, and to also seek Federal funding based on these assurances of university, state, and extramural funding. This application was approved near the end of 1987, and during Spring 1988, Dr. Stodden took a sabbatical leave to organize the new HUAP and serve as its Director. Tom Uno transferred from the Department of Health to serve as HUAP Administrator and assist in its development.

To meet national requirements for establishing a university center, HUAP was initially placed under the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. This placement helped HUAP make connections across academic departments, but lacked good support to meet fiscal, personnel, and facility needs. It was therefore deemed more appropriate to designate HUAP as an “Organized Research Unit” within the Office of the Vice President for Research Services. A new University administration subsequently decided to return Organized Research Units to Academic Units for fiscal, facility and personnel processing tasks. HUAP became part of the College of Education, and in the late 1990’s was re-named the University of Hawai’i Center on Disability Studies (CDS).

To effectively meet HUAP’s mission of improving the lives of people with disabilities, its leaders created a structure which was interdisciplinary and focused on community needs, yet implemented with the rigor of scholarly expectations, and responsive to funding sources. The original HUAP team thus had representation across relevant disciplines, including speech pathology, occupational therapy, special education, public administration, sociology, and rehabilitation. Faculty were selected who could work across disciplines and who could visualize and deliver outputs through the required activities of training, research, service, and dissemination. 

During the first year of operation, more than 50 faculty members, graduate students, and other staff were directly involved in projects funded by State and Federal sources. These projects included Community College Health Assistant Training Program; development of new courses addressing working with families; health and education needs of children with severe disabilities; developing model community practicum sites; school-to-adult transition/vocational assessment; non-aversive behavior strategies; and development of new interdisciplinary roles in transition to adulthood, public health, social work, and assessment.

HUAP’s primary initial community partnership was with the new Developmental Disability Division (DDD) in the State Department of Health. New grants allowed assembly of an interdisciplinary team that also built new partnerships with State agencies serving people with disabilities, including education, early intervention, public health, vocational rehabilitation, human services, and mental health. Particular attention was devoted to partnerships with family members and advocacy groups, formalized through the Community Advisory Committee, which help identify key strengths and needs to be addressed by project activities in the community. The Developmental Disabilities Council is also regularly consulted.

HUAP’s community and university partnerships provided a flow of valuable information about the most pressing needs of people with disabilities and of funding opportunities to meet those needs. HUAP developed an infrastructure to support grant proposal development and submission, leading to funding of hundreds of projects for training, research, and systems change.

In the early 1990’s a major gap was identified in Hawaii’s services for infants and young children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their families. HUAP therefore worked with the University of Hawaii John Burns School of Medicine to take advantage of another federal initiative that supports each state to have a Maternal and Child Health Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental (MCH LEND) program. Dr. Lousie lawaishi, Nancy Robinson, Wendy Tada, and Dr. Jeffrey Okamoto were the initial staff for Hawaii’s MCH LEND program.

Hawai‘i has always had a natural reach West  to entities in the Outer Pacific. HUAP secured funding for numerous projects in American Samoa, Guam, Palau, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Dotty Kelly  served as coordinator for this Pacific Outreach Initiative (POI). Robert Stodden partnered with American Samoan Community College to conduct a Special Education training program, and with College of Micronesia and Northern Marianas College to provide training in transition to adulthood and other key topics. During the early 1990’s, HUAP worked with island communities and Federal agencies to form the Pacific Basin University Center for Excellence (PBUCE) with sites at the University of Guam, Northern Marianas College, and American Samoa Community College, further strengthening supports for the region’s people with disabilities. After the first five years of implementation, the University of Guam was supported to become an independent University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.

To support collaborations on projects of broad significance and implement the core activity of dissemination, HUAP forged networks of connection with numerous organizations and leaders across the state, the nation, and the world. Dissemination efforts were facilitated by conducting the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity every year. The start of this conference actually dates to 1985 when it was initiated by Dr. Stodden when he was chair of the College of Education’s Special Education Department. The conference serves as a gathering place for everyone in the disability community to share and learn about evidence-based practices and new ventures. “PacRim” as it is known has gained a reputation as a major international conference that routinely attracts over 1,000 attendees from around the world.

The next phase of CDS development was highlighted by increasing recognition and new partnerships nationally as well as internationally. These outcomes were facilitated by Dr. Stodden’s leadership activities at the national level. As Joesph P. Kennedy Senior Policy Fellow in the US Senate (1995-1996), he helped develop the 1997 IDEA Reauthorization language. This was followed by his election to the Board of Directors of the Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD) (1998-2001) and then selection as its President (2001-2004). National recognition brought invitations to collaborate in major projects and helped CDS recruit well-known experts as senior faculty or visiting scholars (e.g., David Pfeiffer, Frank Rusch). Numerous University of Hawaii graduate students also sought work on CDS projects, with many moving on to contribute in disability fields and some to reach senior positions within CDS. Many CDS faculty went on to gain advancement within Federal agencies such as the US Department of Education or at other noted universities on the US Mainland.

CDS receives University funding for only a few core staff members. CDS therefore adopted a ”Growing Your Own” entrepreneurial perspective to gain external grant funding to hire the many “temporary” positions needed for its wide array of projects (typically lasting 1 to 5 years). Interdisciplinary teams of faculty, staff, and students use an “Agenda Building” process to map out a logical course of projects that build on each other. For example, an initial research project would test a promising practice for a particular target population, then the findings would be applied in a model demonstration project, then demonstration findings would be used in a scaling up or systems change project, and training projects would then prepare personnel to effectively implement the model and achieve systems change. Each project typically collaborates with community-based organizations and/or governmental agencies to ensure access and responsiveness to the actual strengths and needs of people with disabilities.

During this period CDS was awarded various grants as lead partner with collaborators across the US Mainland. These included National Center on the Study of Postsecondary Education Supports (6 university sites; 1998-2004); National Technical Assistance Center for Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) with Disabilities (with cultural, disability, and rehabilitation networks; 2001-2007); Cultural and Linguistic Diversity (CLD) Transition Success Research Project (5 university sites; 2001-2007); and management of post-outcomes network of National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (at University of Minnesota; 2000-2006).

The annual International PacRim Conference gained added significance by hosting a pre-conference International Forum. This attracted leading scholars and advocates from around the world to share and discuss ways to implement the newly passed UN Resolution on Persons with Disabilities. Networking at this and other venues attracted disability scholars from around the world to come for residences at CDS, while CDS faculty began to visit and establish working agreements at numerous universities. The countries touched have included Australia, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Nepal, and Thailand.

Disability is a natural part of human diversity. People with disabilities comprise about 15% of the world’s population, making them the world’s largest minority group. CDS has long recognized that the intersection of disability with other minority statuses often raises extra barriers, as addressed in its early days through its Pacific Outreach Initiative. Two major developments in 2003 and 2004 added greatly to CDS’s capacity in this area, as described below.

Since 2004, CDS has been awarded numerous Federal NHEP grants to use practices based on Native Hawaiian values to promote the educational success of individuals of all ethnic backgrounds with or at-risk for disabilities. These projects rely on Native Hawaiian cultural specialists for guidance, and many projects have been conducted in collaboration with the non-profit Native Hawaiian service agency ALU LIKE, Inc.

Renowned disability advocate Dr. David Pfeiffer came to CDS as a Resident Scholar after he retired from The Ohio State University in 1997. He led development of the Review of Disability Studies (RDS) as a CDS publication by merging with infrastructure from the Society of Disabilities Studies. Dr. Pfeiffer died in 2003 when the first issue appeared with him as the founding editor. The CDS library is named in his honor, and RDS continues to be highly regarded globally.

A need became apparent across CDS for a Media Center to not only publish the RDS, but also support projects to produce and disseminate products of high quality, as increasingly expected by their funders and stakeholders. The Media Center had the equipment and expertise to design and print a full range of materials in all sizes, including curricula, handbooks, guides, brochures, flyers, conference posters, monographs, and reports. It also created and maintained the CDS website, and offered the same service to all projects so they could have their own dedicated websites with such features as interactivity and freely down-loadable products. It further specialized in creating videos for instructional and therapeutic purposes. All products and websites are fully accessible, and the Media Center came to be a resource guiding other University of Hawai’i units to meet accessibility requirements. These advances enhanced CDS’s capacity for promotion and dissemination with reach around the world.

The early success of HUAP in winning grants led to the problem of finding office space as its staff increased. Space was found mainly in so-called “temporary” buildings around the College of Education and elsewhere on campus. In 2012, CDS finally gained a permanent home in a large building refurbished for its needs across from the SimpliFi Arena in Lower Campus.

During this period several senior faculty members in CDS retired, leaving CDS leadership to a new generation.  Founding Director Robert Stodden retired in 2015, followed by Associate Director Jean Johnson, Pacific Outreach Initiative Director Dotty Kelly, Health & Human Services Initiative Director Becky Ozaki, and Research & Evaluation Director David Leake. JoAnn Yuen served a period as Interim Director, until the hiring of Patricia Morrissey in 2016 as the second CDS Director. Ms. Morrissey is renowned as a leading force in developing and passing landmark disability rights legislation and subsequent amendments during the 1980s and 1990s. These included the Americans with Disabilities Act, Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and Rehabilitation Act. From 2001-2009, she served as Commissioner of the US Administration on Developmental Disabilities.

The text summary below highlights notable outcomes, and also lists important public and private partners in each initiative area.

CDS has also collaborated with many other University Centers of Excellence. Those that partnered in multiple initiatives include Northern Arizona University, Ohio State University, San Diego State University, University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Minnesota, University of Washington, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

• Self-Determination and Inclusion for People with Severe Disabilities
  • Greatly enhanced public awareness and system capacity to support and include people with severe disabilities in education (including college), employment, and community living (Centers for Independent Living; Developmental Disabilities Division; Hawai’i Council on Developmental Disabilities; Hawai’i Disability Rights Center; Hire Abilities; The Arc in Hawai’i; Vocational Rehabilitation Division).
• Disability Studies
  • Established and continue to publish Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal, and to conduct Disabilities Studies Certificate Program for University of Hawai’i students.
• Cultural Competence
  • Helped to improve cultural responsiveness and outcomes at both system and individual provider levels, through cultural competence components in most projects. Many projects, especially those funded by the Native Hawaiian Education Program, are rooted in traditional Native Hawaiian values. (ALU LIKE, Inc.)
• Children with Special Health Care Needs
  • Boosted reach and effectiveness of early detection and intervention system (Child Welfare Services Branch of Department of Human Services; Early Intervention Section of Department of Health
  • Provided families with skills, knowledge and mentoring to foster development of their infants and toddlers (Early Intervention Section of Department of Health)
  • Promoted public awareness and system improvement for families with children on the autism spectrum (Autism Society of Hawai’i).
  • Conducted Maternal and Child Health Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental (MCH LEND) Program (University of Hawai’i System, especially John A. Burns School of Medicine).
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health
  • Helped Hawai’i move from having one of the worst rated state systems in 1994 to one of the better rated, through 3 major grants from the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (Catholic Charities; Child and Adolescent Mental Health Administration; Department of Human Services, especially Child Welfare Services Branch and Office of Youth Services; Department of Education; Family Court of the First Circuit; Hale Kipa; Hawai’i Families As Allies; Mental Health America of Hawai’i; Parents and Children Together; Susannah Wesley Community Center; Waianae Coast Community Mental Health Center).
• Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Conducted numerous research and training projects to improve outcomes through innovative and culturally responsive practices (e.g., full inclusion, tiered approaches, place-based learning, universal design, assistive technology, video futures) (College of Education, especially Educational Psychology and Special Education; Department of Education; Public Charter Schools)
  • Promoted success in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields, often offering dual enrollment in high school and community college (Department of Education; Public Charter Schools; University of Hawai’i System)
  • Enhanced family understanding of disabilities and their engagement with schools (Department of Education; Hawai‘i Families As Allies; LDAH; Public Charter Schools; Special Parent Information Network)
• Transition to Adulthood
  • Raised awareness of transition’s importance and supported schools to promote student, family, and multiple agency involvement in transition planning, and also promoted interagency collaboration (Department of Education; Developmental Disabilities Division; Hawai’i Council on Developmental Disabilities; Hawai‘i Families As Allies; Special Parent Information Network; Vocational Rehabilitation Division)
• Postsecondary Education
  • Promoted universal design and other best practices to teach and include college students with disabilities (University of Hawai’i System).
  • Supported students with disabilities to succeed in college through culturally responsive mentoring, tutoring, and other supports (University of Hawai’i System).
  • Enhanced community college training capacity to fill disability-related workforce shortages (e.g., early childhood) (University of Hawai’i System).
  • Enabled young adults with intellectual disabilities to attend college with mentoring and other supports (University of Hawai’i System).
• Employment
  • Promoted competitive employment for people with severe disabilities (Centers for Independent Living; Developmental Disabilities Division; Hawai’i Council on Developmental Disabilities; Hire Abilities; Vocational Rehabilitation Division).
  • Supported people with severe disabilities to become self-employed (e.g., artists, aquaponics technicians) (Hawai’i Very Special Arts).
  • Trained numerous Vocational Rehabilitation Division and other key personnel as well as families on preventing loss of Medicaid benefits due to job earnings too high (Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Vocational Rehabilitation Division).
• Elderhood
  • Helped develop and enhance websites providing streamlined access to aging and disability services on each island (Hawai’i Executive Office on Aging; University of Hawai’i Center on Aging)
  • Many Native Hawaiian Education Program projects gave “voice” to kūpuna (elders) to share their mana‘o (wisdom) (ALU LIKE, Inc.)
• Pacific Outreach Project (POI)
  • Launched or expanded existing systems for early detection of hearing or vision loss
  • Enhanced skills and knowledge of numerous teachers and related service providers
  • Established two University Centers for Excellence, one for Northern Mariana College and American Samoa Community College, the other for University of Guam.
  • Empowered children, parents, and teachers by giving them “voice” through audio and video technologies, as well as parent advocacy groups.
• Health and Well-being
  • Major Medicaid-funded project promoted healthy lifestyles to prevent disabilities due to diabetes (Community Health Centers on all major islands; Kaiser Permanente)
  • Assessed healthcare needs of Hawai’i teens with disabilities (Department of Health)
• Accessibility for Everyone
  • Conducted Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice with a Focus on People with Disabilities, and used results to promote housing that is “visitable” for mobility impairments and also enables aging-in-place (Hawai’i Fair Housing Work Group; University of Hawai’i Center on Aging)
  • Supported compliance across the University of Hawai’i System with website and technology accessibility requirements of Section 508 of Federal Rehabilitation Act.

Since 2020, several highly experienced CDS faculty have served as Interim Director while waiting for the position to be filled. They have ensured that CDS continues a legacy of innovation and responsiveness by being at the cutting edge of the latest academic and therapeutic trends. This provides the necessary foundation for continued success in grant seeking on behalf of people of all ages with all kinds of disabilities.