Mission
To improve the quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities of all ages. This supported through the University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities activities relating to quality assurance, education and early intervention, child care, health, employment, housing, transportation, recreation, community supports, assistive technology, and cultural integrity, and address the needs of persons with disabilities and their families.
The University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) is an interdisciplinary education, research and public service component of the American Samoa Community College that engages in the following core functions:
- Interdisciplinary pre-service preparation and continuing education of students and fellows, which may include the preparation and continuing education of leadership, direct service, clinical or personnel to strengthen and increase the capacity of the territory and community
- Community service that provide training and technical assistance for individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, professionals, paraprofessionals, policy-makers, students and other members of the community
- Conduct research, evaluation, and analysis of public policy in areas that affect or could affect positively or negatively individuals with developmental disabilities and their families
- Dissemination of information
The UCEDD addresses the core functions directly or indirectly with one or more if the following areas of emphasis: quality assurance activities, education activities and early intervention activities, child care-related activities, health-related activities, employment-related activities, housing-related activities, transportation-related activities, recreation-related activities, and other services available or to individual in a community, including formal and informal community support, that affects their quality of life.