40 Big Ideas

As the Institute on Community Integration marks its 40th anniversary, we set out to reflect not only on our own history, but also on the broader movement toward inclusion and belonging for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD). We asked a simple but far-reaching question: What ideas have most shaped the lives of people with IDD and their families over the past half century?

(From left) Disability rights activist, 1970s inclusive education, Parent advocate Sally Swallen

We began with a list of more than 100 influential ideas. These ranged from concepts such as deinstitutionalization, inclusive education, and presuming competence, to programs like Partners in Policymaking and Special Olympics, to broader movements, approaches, and shifts in how society talks about and understands disability. We then invited a diverse group of leaders in the field—seasoned self-advocates, advocates, family members, direct support professionals, leaders of provider organizations, and researchers—to rank these ideas and add their own.

(From left) Seguin’s sensory and motor training, Self-advocate Cliff Poetz, Remembering with Dignity project

The response was remarkable: 123 completed surveys with over 90% participation. The outcome reflects the collective wisdom of people who, in many different ways, have dedicated their lives to advancing disability rights and social inclusion. While comprehensive, the list does not capture every influential concept. Efforts such as building healthy relationships, supporting people in retirement, advancing health equity, Money Follows the Person, federal cost-sharing, and the Developmental Disabilities Act are not represented here. A larger, more scientific survey might have yielded different results and addressed some of the assumptions in our process. Even so, the exceptionally high participation of a diverse and esteemed group of leaders gives us confidence that these results reflect the central ideas that have shaped—and continue to shape—our field.

What the Top 40 Ideas Reveal

Since the civil rights era, the IDD field has undergone a profound transformation, from segregation and institutionalization toward a vision rooted in full citizenship, human rights, inclusion, and belonging. This shift has been propelled by federal and state legislation, global human rights frameworks, and above all, the persistent voices of people with disabilities and their families.

(From left) Bengt Nirje and Wolf Wolfensberger, Judy Heumann at Human Policy Press, Researcher Renáta Tichá

At the center of this change is the knowledge that people with disabilities are valued members of society who deserve to live, learn, work, and participate in community life with the same dignity, respect, and opportunities as everyone else – knowledge supported by more than four decades of research. Key principles driving this change are inclusion, self-determination, and person-centered supports that presume competence and embrace disability as a part of the human experience.

Big ideas like inclusive education, assistive technology, augmentative and alternative communication, universal design, and trauma-informed care have expanded choice and access. Social movements for independent living, self-advocacy, and disability justice have underscored that people with disabilities should make their own decisions and direct their own lives with support when needed. The phrase “Nothing About Us Without Us!” sets the expectation that people with disabilities are leaders and agents of change.

Achieving this vision has required and will continue to require a skilled, ethical workforce, recognition of the dignity of risk, and robust supports for people with disabilities, families, and direct support professionals. It also depends on policy and systems change, including home and community-based supports, supported decision-making, and cross-sector efforts that connect education, employment, housing, transportation, and health.

Taken together, these ideas represent nothing less than a cultural transformation

Taken together, these ideas represent nothing less than a cultural transformation: from seeing disability as a problem to be managed to recognizing it as part of the richness of human diversity, and a cornerstone of inclusive, just, and thriving communities.

Next Steps

As you read through this 40 Big Ideas issue, we encourage you to reflect on the progress they represent and the changes you have seen unfold, and perhaps helped shape, over time. These ideas capture the aspirations and the hard-won achievements of people with IDD, their families, advocates, professionals, and allies. They also remind us that progress is never complete. Ensuring that the promise of these ideas is fully realized—for all people with IDD, across communities and across the globe—requires ongoing commitment. The path forward calls for both reflection and action, as together we continue the work of building a more inclusive future.