In this episode of ACCESSIBLE, our hosts chat with Pam Merkle, executive director of the Association on Association on Aging with Developmental Disabilities (AADD).

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Pam discusses the innovative programs AADD offers to support individuals aging with developmental disabilities, emphasizing the importance of community, humor, and healthy aging practices. Pam highlights the significance of partnerships in delivering effective services and provides valuable advice for newcomers in the field. She also shares stories of community engagement and friendship and how important these real-life connections to the people they serve are to improving their quality of life.

Accessible is a podcast that opens the door to disability leaders and their ideas and is hosted by George Gotto, director at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Institute for Human Development and Amelia Reighard, director of Program Development.

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.