Our Partners

On January 1, 2026, The University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education & Human Development was awarded a $1 million grant from the US Department of Education to advance accreditation and quality assurance for postsecondary certificate programs serving students with intellectual disability. The four-year grant supports a national partnership between the Warner School’s Center for Disability and Education and the Inclusive Higher Education Accreditation Council (IHEAC), a newly established accrediting agency for college and university programs serving this population.

The new project, “Advancing Workforce Outcomes through Postsecondary Program Accreditation,” responds to a US Department of Education priority focused on encouraging accreditation reform through the creation of new accrediting agencies. Through this work, URochester will provide strategic leadership and infrastructure to support IHEAC’s development and pursuit of national recognition as the only accrediting body dedicated exclusively to inclusive postsecondary certificate programs for students with intellectual disability.