{"id":2220,"date":"2008-01-31T15:20:00","date_gmt":"2008-01-31T20:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/clds\/about-1\/"},"modified":"2022-02-14T09:36:34","modified_gmt":"2022-02-14T14:36:34","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/clds\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About the CLDS"},"content":{"rendered":"

About\n <\/h1>The Center for Literacy and Disability Studies is a unit in the ºÚÁÏÍø Department of Allied Health Sciences. Formerly known as the Carolina Literacy Center, the CLDS launched in September 1990 to address the literacy needs of individuals with severe speech and physical impairments in North Carolina. The CLDS has expanded its focus since then and now addresses the needs of individuals with a range of disabilities in response to the demands of families, educators, and health care professionals across the United States and the world. The CLDS has concentrated most of its resources on individuals with severe and multiple disabilities, an estimated 70 to 90 percent of whom read and write at levels significantly below their non-disabled peers.<\/div><\/div>\n

Mission<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Center\u2019s mission is to promote literacy and communication for individuals of all ages with disabilities. It is the belief of the CLDS that disabilities are only one of many factors that influence an individuals ability to learn to read and write and to use print throughout their life and across their living environments. All individuals, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, have the right to an opportunity to learn to read and write in order to increase and enhance their educational opportunities, vocational success, communicative competence, self-empowerment capabilities, and independence.<\/p>\n

Read the USSAC Newsletter article<\/a> regarding the Center’s re-establishment and first 15 months in operation.<\/p>\n

Goals<\/span><\/h2>\n

Five principal goals guide the interdisciplinary efforts of the Center to:<\/p>\n