Greetings, Aloha, Talofa, Hafa Adai, Aliëi, Yokwee,

Welcome to Pacific Basin Outreach Initiative (POI) webpage, which represents education, research and service projects of the University of Hawaii Center on Disability Studies/University Center on Excellence (CDS/UCE) located in the Pacific Basin.

Established in 1992, the POI team assists in the coordination of planning, implementation and evaluation of the CDS/UCE outreach activities in Pacific Island nations/jurisdictions of Federated States of Micronesia (Korsae, Pohnpei, Chuukand Yap), Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Republic of Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands and American Samoa.

POI supports capacity-building in Pacific Basin Nations/Juristictions by:

Honoring Pacific Island traditions and cultures while partnering with stakeholders, consumers, students with disabilities and their families, building on cultural history, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and interpersonal styles to plan, develop and implement POI activities;
Working in partnership to support building capacity for people with disabilities and their families through teaching, technical assistance, research, demonstration, evaluation and dissemination activities;
Partnering with Pacific Basin stakeholders to mutually determine and establish the need for POI activities;
Supporting network building and information sharing efforts to more effectively work together in the region;
Helping stakeholders to participate in developing a vision and mission; and comprehensive improvement plans to support the quality of life, community inclusion and self-determination of Pacific Islanders with disabilities;
Establishing strategies and culturally appropriate protocols to support all forms of serviceable and useful communication and respective infrastructure;
Collaborating with other technical assistance/support efforts within the University of Hawaii 10-campus system that provide capacity building assistance for people with disabilities;
Collaborating with all service providers in the Pacific Basin to develop interagency partnerships to assure seamless services related to people with disabilities;
Establishing mutual understanding and interdependent partnerships between United States, University of Hawaii, CDS/UCE and Pacific Basin nations/jurisdictions and agencies;
Promoting cultural awareness, sensitivity and understanding in United States and Hawaii about the people and island ways in Federated States of Micronesia (Korsae, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap), Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands and American Samoa.

Greetings, Aloha, Talofa, Hafa Adai, Aliëi, Yokwee,

Current Projects: