UMKC IHD Staff and UCEDD Advisory Leadership Team members, fall 2018
Our Story
The UMKC Institute for Human Development (UMKC IHD) began in the 1970’s as the Institute for Community Studies, establishing Missouri’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) in 1977. Close to a decade later, our name evolved to its present form, but our overall purpose remained constant: identifying and addressing individual, family and community needs with a focus on building long-term capacity.
UMKC IHD has now offered more than four decades of sustained leadership and support for the university’s urban-serving mission. We work with a wide variety of partners across all levels – local, state, regional, and national – tackling persistent challenges people and families face throughout the life span, from infancy to late adulthood. We focus on community inclusion and social belonging for all, striving to improve overall quality of life.