The Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities is steadfast in its mission to help students and individuals with disabilities.

Research and modeled development, training and technical assistance, supporting students, and leadership—these are the four foundational pillars of the Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities, a fixture on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University since 1988. Together, they guide the Kellar Institute’s mission of improving the lives of children and adults with disabilities and are interwoven into the Institute’s activities and engagement with the community. Dr. Linda Mason, professor in Mason’s Special Education program and director of the Kellar Institute, recently provided a glimpse into the inner workings of the Institute.

Assistive Technology and Mason LIFE

In its early beginnings, the Institute’s research focused primarily on how assistive technology could be harnessed to improve the functional capabilities of students with disabilities. Since then, the Kellar Institute has made tremendous strides in exploring the science of assistive technology and augmentative communication and how these tools can provide access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities who would otherwise be denied those opportunities. This research has been recognized with numerous state and international awards and has elevated the reputation of the Kellar Institute as a leader in this field.

Another way in which the Kellar Institute is making a real difference in the lives of students with disabilities is through Mason LIFE, an innovative program that provides young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities a full university experience in a supportive academic environment. Mason LIFE is one of the first inclusive post-secondary education programs in the country. Its success is due in large part to the faculty and staff of the Kellar Institute who recognized the need for a four-year residential university program that would help students with disabilities acquire the life skills needed to live and work independently, just like any other young adult. Mason LIFE was originally housed in the Kellar Institute before it became part of the university’s Division of Special Education. The Kellar Institute continues its involvement with Mason LIFE through its research in this emerging field aimed at identifying evidence-based best practices to support these students.

VDOE Funded Research Initiatives Enable the Kellar Institute to Provide Information and Resources to Schools in the Community

The Kellar Institute serves the community in other ways by developing information and resources used by schools and families in Virginia’s Region IV educational district. These activities are funded by grants from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) in support of applied research in which faculty work directly and collaboratively with teachers, students, and families. Dr. Mason offered a brief overview of these activities as follows.

TTAC (Training and Technical Assistance)

Through VDOE Training and Technical Assistance (TTAC) grants and cooperative agreements, Kellar Institute faculty provides professional learning, resources, and technical assistance to educators in Virginia with the goal of improving educational outcomes for children with disabilities. In addition, the Kellar Institute can provide school districts with data collection and analysis on inclusive evidence-based best practices that support children with disabilities.

AIM-VA (Accessible Instructional Materials in Virginia)

AIM-VA (Accessible Instructional Materials in Virginia) is a project managed by the Kellar Institute that makes accessible instructional materials available at no cost to Virginia K-12 students who have an identified print disability which makes it challenging for them to read traditional text.

ASELA (Aspiring Special Educators Leaders Academy)

The Kellar Institute administers the Aspiring Special Educators Leaders Academy (ASELA) designed to assist Virginia school divisions and state-operated programs with succession planning. This endeavor provides leadership training, workshops, and professional development that prepares special education teachers to become leaders in the field and to assume school administrative roles.

The Kellar Institute Leads Consortiums in Collaboration with University Partners

In addition to its work and collaboration with local public-school systems, the Kellar Institute engages with other universities through two consortiums led by faculty. One of these is the Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation in Vision Impairment, established to meet the high demand and critical need for teachers trained to work with students who are blind and visually impaired. The other is a consortium that focuses on preparing teachers to work with students with high incidence disabilities who are in the general education classroom.

The Kellar Institute’s Reputation for Success Extends Internationally

The Kellar Institute’s reputation for its success in improving educational outcomes for children with disabilities has achieved international recognition. Dr. Mason shared that recently she was approached by the Minister of Education in Ghana who wanted to learn more about working with students with disabilities in schools. Dr. Mason explained that because the Kellar Institute faculty includes instructional faculty who have practical experience working as teachers in schools, she was able to provide the Ghana official with a better understanding of the real-life challenges faced by special education teachers in the classroom.

To learn more about the Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities, please visit the Institute’s website. For information about degree offerings in the Special Education program within Mason’s School of Education, please visit the program website.