Dr. Young Seh Bae is the founder and Executive Director of Community Inclusion & Development Alliance (CIDA: www.cidainfo.com), a grassroots organization with the mission of strengthening the capacity and increasing the inclusion opportunities of individuals with disabilities. She earned her doctorate degree in Special Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. Dr. Bae taught in a New York City special education school as a NYS-certified special education teacher. She also taught as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Columbia University and St. John’s University. Dr. Bae’s research accomplishments include mathematics education for students with learning disabilities, mathematical word problem-solving for students with ASD, and sexuality education for students with ASD.
Reflecting on her own experiences as an immigrant parent who has a child with a disability, she has actively advocated on family rights for language accessibility and culturally-sensitive disability service structures. Dr. Bae served as president of the Korean American Behavioral Health Association (KABHA), where she initiated Korean-American family support for families who have children with disabilities. This family support group later became the seed for founding Community Inclusion & Development Alliance (CIDA). Growing from such a basis, CIDA is currently focusing on advocacy, workforce development and family support programs for individuals with disabilities and their families. CIDA also provides a Community Parent Resource Center program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).