Our Mission & Goals

Our Vision: A community where each individual is enabled to live their most fulfilling life.

Our Mission: We provide and support inclusive, life-enriching options through person-centered programs and advocacy.

A diverse group of adults of varying races and abilities smile for the camera at UDS. They wear orange to represent inclusion.

 

Our Core Values (S.T.R.I.D.E.)

  • Serving People. Service to others is the primary purpose of UDS and all who carry out its mission.
  • Teamwork. We reach our common goals by supporting and bringing together different skills, interests and ideas to work as a unit.
  • Respect. We communicate thoughtfully and honestly, act with integrity, and always treat people well.
  • Inclusion. We improve the abilities and opportunities of those we serve by supporting full access and membership in the community.
  • Dignity. By our actions, we protect and uplift the inherent worth of each person served.
  • Excellence. We are passionate about delivering exceptional quality in our programs and services.

Our Strategic Plan

Goal #1: Evolve and strengthen UDS core programs and infrastructure to ensure high levels of quality in meeting the changing needs of the people we serve.

  • Refreshing all Adult Services models through training, innovation and quality indicators to improve person-centered outcome for individuals served;
  • Transitioning prevocational services to a model of community-based skill building and use of functional skill curriculum in preparation for potential phase-out 14(c) certificate and subminimum wage work;
  • Exploring development of additional community workstations for part-day or full-day work opportunities;
  • Protecting and growing the financial strength of the Transportation program as a key lever of financial stability; identifying profitable new uses of the fleet, including growth of charter school routes and “field trips;” and 
  • Developing strategies and plans to attract enrollment of younger (post high school) participants in Adults Services.

Goal #2: Attract, engage, appreciate and retain qualified staff who advance the mission of UDS.

  • Supporting a diverse, high-performing staff that reflects the community that we serve; 
  • Filling DSP vacancies in order to improve program structures and facilitate successful, high-quality outcomes for the individuals served; and 
  • Incentivizing DSP driving positions in order to encourage more staff to support community integration goals with more program-based drivers.

Goal #3: Protect and enhance the reputation of UDS as a leader in the field of serving persons with disabilities.

  • Developing a communications plan that is guided by agency goals and measurable outcomes;
  • Leveraging external relationships to strengthen public awareness of UDS and grow donor support;
  • Sustaining exceptional leadership from a diverse and talented Board of Directors;
  • Focusing on agency-wide leadership development and succession planning in order to prepare for the next generation of agency leadership.

Goal #4: Strengthen the financial position of UDS for continued sustainability and growth.

  • Leveraging unprecedented waiver rate increases to shore up program deficits;
  • Pursuing measurable outcomes to grow individual and corporate donor base;  
  • Adopting or innovating new tactics to attract new consumers to Low Vision Services and Toy & Resource Center, and
  • Optimizing the full space of 701 S. Main St. as an asset for program and/or revenue (rent) enhancement.

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