Explore the Institute
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. As an applied research and training center for human services at UMKC, the IHD reports to the Office of the Provost and serves as a bridge between the university and community.
We solve problems through an inter-disciplinary approach that includes research, education, training and public service.
Core Functions
Research and evaluation
- Applied research
- Program evaluation
- Public policy development
Interdisciplinary education
- Pre-service preparation
- Continuing education
- Course infusion
Information sharing
- Publications (e.g., reports, peer-reviewed publications, infographics)
- Websites
- Videos
- Audio podcasts, etc.
Our Vision
We envision a world where all people live, work and play in their chosen communities throughout their life course.
Our Mission
We build partnerships that lead to effective social change through research, training, community development, and information sharing.
As a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, we work to promote self-determined lives for people with disabilities.
As an institute within an urban research university, we work to promote access to opportunities and resources for unserved and underserved populations.
Our Story
The Institute for Human Development was founded in the 1970s as the Institute for Community Studies and was established as Missouri’s UCEDD in 1977.
Nearly a decade later, we became the Institute for Human Development, but our overall purpose has remained the same. We identify and address individual, family and community needs with a focus on building long-term capacity.
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 people’s overall quality of life.
