Pictured L-R: Nancy Carter (UMKC-IHD); Michael Abel (UMKC-IHD); John Colombo (KIDDRC); Rodney Samaco (AUCD); Rene Jamison (KU-LEND); Alexis Petri (UMKC-IHD); Chase Mulvaney (AUCD); Colette Canchola-Cox (UMKC-IHD); (front) John Tschida (AUCD); (back) Nathaniel Dare (MO-LEND); Michelle Reynolds (UMKC-IHD); George Gotto (UMKC-IHD); Helene Houston-Reed (UMKC-IHD); Brandon King (UMKC-IHD); Amelia Reighard (UMKC-IHD); Evan Dean (KS-UCEDD); Margeaux Whitehead (AUCD); Matthew Mosconi (KIRRDC).
The University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Institute for Human Development hosted leaders from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and representatives from Kansas and Missouri for a regional open house. The goal was to explore new opportunities for collaborating on programs, funding, networking and more so each could better serve people with disabilities.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Institute for Human Development (UMKC-IHD) is the federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) for the state of Missouri. It is a member of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and one of 67 UCEDDs located in every state and United States territory.
Along with UMKC-IHD, members from the Kansas LifeSpan Institute (UCEDD), the Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (KIDDRC), and the Missouri and Kansas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs discussed:
- Fostering collaboration between the regional partners
- Informing the national AUCD organization on the needs of centers that serve people with disabilities in this part of the country
- Strengthening ties within the UCEDD network to better serve individuals with disabilities
As an applied research and training center for human services, UMKC-IHD reports to the Office of the Provost and serves as a bridge between the university and community.
