History

The International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation (ICDR) was formed in 2004 with the aim of making global issues related to disability and rehabilitation a focus within the Rehabilitation Sciences Sector, the Faculty of Medicine and across the University of Toronto.  ICDR’s 2010 Strategic Plan revitalized our focus on promoting change through research, education and social accountability.

ICDR’s aims align with and reinforce the Faculty of Medicine’s vision (2011-2016)  of “International Leadership in improving health through innovation in research and education”.

ICDR aims to achieve its impact through integration (e.g., interprofessional education, practice and research) and innovation (e.g., strategic programmes of research to evaluate and inform our practices).

The central focus within ICDR on social responsibility also dovetails with the Faculty of Medicine’s Roadmap for Global Health (2011), which notes:

Achieving the Faculty’s vision of ‘international leadership in health research and education’ and its mission of ‘contributing to our communities and improving the health of individuals and populations’ requires a broader, interdisciplinary and multilateral world view.  A commitment to global health is central to the Faculty’s priority strategic direction for social responsibility.