The University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Institute for Human Development (UMKC-IHD) accepts grants for specific projects through its various centers and programs. At minimum, these projects require conducting research, developing training, reaching out to targeted local, state or national audiences, and distributing information with the overarching goal of improving the lives of people with disabilities and their families.
Digital Library
We are currently reviewing our publications, resources and other materials to ensure accessibility guidelines are met, which will then will be uploaded to a digital organizer, serving as a library and archive of our work.
Until then, tune in to the Accessible Podcast to get informed and stay up to date on important disability topics.
Accessible Podcast
Accessible is a podcast that brings disability leadership, issues, and impact into clear focus.
Produced in partnership by the Missouri UCEDD and Missouri LEND, Accessible spotlights leaders who work in and around the developmental disabilities field. Through thoughtful conversations, the podcast creates awareness of the work happening across systems, communities and disciplines, while offering insight and education on disability issues for a broad audience.
Hosted by UMKC Institute for Human Development Director George Gotto and Program Development Director Amelia Reighard, Accessible explores how leaders found their way into disability-focused work, the roles they play today and the ideas shaping the future of the field. Episodes highlight advocacy, policy, research, lived experience and systems change, making both disability leadership and disability issues more accessible to everyone.
Whether you work in the field, are connected personally to disability or simply want to better understand how systems can support people with disabilities, Accessible opens the door to conversations that matter.
LEND Partnership
What started as a resource for interdisciplinary trainees has grown into a platform that spotlights the developmental disabilities field, while creating awareness and understanding for audiences both inside and outside the field.
The podcast is informed by ongoing collaboration with Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) faculty, who help guide episode topics and conversations to ensure the content is meaningful for students and professionals entering the developmental disabilities workforce. Episodes offer insight into real-world practice, systems, advocacy and leadership – connecting academic learning to lived experience and community impact.
Meet the Hosts
George Gotto, Ph.D., is the Director of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development (UMKC-IHD) in Kansas City, Missouri. George is trained as a Medical Anthropologist with an emphasis in community-based research and cross-cultural perspectives on health and disability.
Amelia Reighard, LMSW, is the Director of Program Development at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute for Human Development (UMKC-IHD) in Kansas City, Missouri. Amelia is a Licensed Master Social Worker and has been with the Institute for over a decade working on various research and community-training projects.
New Episodes
Season 5 launches February 18, 2026! Check out new episodes every other Wednesday.
New! Accessible Podcast Virtual Book Club coming to you on April 2, 2026. Register for the book club to join our live discussion of Being Heumann, Judy Heumann’s powerful memoir on disability rights, leadership and collective action.
Find Accessible on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Learn more about the topic and guest, view the transcript of the conversation and find links to listen!
Accessible Podcast is kicking off a new series call Hot Topics, where we dig into issues making headlines — and what they actually mean for people, families and communities.
In this episode, we talk to Robyn Linscott, Director of Education and Family Policy at The Arc of the United States — the country’s leading advocacy organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Drawing on her experience as a special education teacher, Capitol Hill staffer and advocate, Robyn offers a national perspective on how federal policy shapes special education across the country. She explains the role of the federal government in funding, enforcement and oversight through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and breaks down what recent federal changes — particularly within the U.S. Department of Education — could mean for students with disabilities, families and educators.
The conversation explores the disconnect between policy and classroom realities, the strain on school systems due to chronic underfunding, and the uncertainty created by shifting federal priorities. Robyn emphasizes the importance of maintaining federal protections while encouraging advocacy at every level to ensure students with disabilities continue to receive the supports they need.
Meet Our Guest
Robyn Linscott
Director of Education & Family Policy, The Arc of the United States
Robyn was a special education teacher for eight years in New York City before transitioning into the policy world. She served as a policy fellow and Legislative Assistant in then-Senator Kamala Harris’s office — focusing on education, health and disability. She has been leading education efforts at The Arc for the last four and a half years.
Episode Details
Key Takeaways
- The federal role in special education: funding, enforcement, and oversight
- Why IDEA remains foundational — and what it guarantees for students
- How chronic underfunding impacts schools, educators, and services
- The disconnect between policy decisions and classroom realities
- What recent changes at the Department of Education could mean
- Where pressure is showing up across the system
- Why advocacy matters at every level — from Congress to local school boards
Resources in this Episode
- The Arc of the United States
- The Arc Advocacy Center (Take Action)
- Overview of IDEA
- OSEP State Determinations
Acronym Guide
- IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
- IEP: Individualized Education Program
- LEND: Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
- OCR: Office for Civil Rights
- OSEP: Office of Special Education Programs
- UCEDD: University Center for Excellence Developmental Disabilities
Interview Transcript
In this showcase, two-part episode we talk with Mizzou’s LEND trainees to explore how their interdisciplinary community leadership projects are turning learning into action and making a real impact across Missouri.
In part two, we chat with two student teams about their LEND projects — Charting the Transition and Show Me the Gaps: Service Deserts in Missouri.
View the episode details from part one to catch up from last week or click the button below to listen now.
Note: this special episode was recorded in-person at the newly opened Thompson Center, so is available in audio format only.
About the Projects
The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program is a federal, graduate-level student training initiative designed to improve care for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities. LEND programs are located across 44 states with additional partnerships in the remaining six states and three territories.
In Missouri, the LEND program — TIPS for Kids — is housed at the Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment at the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou). The Training in Interdisciplinary Partnerships and Services (TIPS) for Kids program aims to produce leaders in various healthcare professions and provide evaluation and assessment services for children with special healthcare needs and their families.
Charting the Transition
The Charting the Transition project seeks to identify resource gaps for young adults transitioning from high school to adulthood, by better understanding resources available in Columbia and the barriers in accessing and utilizing them.
Through facilitating consumer and agency surveys, and fostering conversations with local agencies, the team hopes to highlight strengths and bringing concerns to light, showing how data collection and community engagement inform advocacy and system improvements.
Show Me the Gaps: Service Deserts in Missouri
The Show Me the Gaps project is identifying service deserts — areas where critical supports for individuals with disabilities are lacking — around Missouri to aid MACDDS in determining actionable items to further their overarching goals.
After collecting data from service providers around the state, the workgroup will analyze it to identify the most common reasons reported for why and the geographic locations where service deserts occur.
Episode Details
Discussion Topics
- Explore how local data can drive advocacy and policy change.
- Learn about the challenges families face in accessing services.
- See how LEND trainees translate research into meaningful community impact.
Resources
- MACDDS Website
- Follow the Thompson Center Facebook page to stay up to date with updates and events
Acronym Guide
LEND: Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
TIPS: Training in Interdisciplinary Partnerships and Services
MACDDS: Missouri Association of County Developmental Disability Services
UCEDD: University Center for Excellence Developmental Disabilities
Mizzou: Nickname for the University of Missouri-Columbia
Next Gen: Next Generation
Interview Transcript
In this showcase episode we talk with Mizzou’s LEND director Rosie Kaemmerer and the LEND trainees to explore how their interdisciplinary community leadership projects are turning learning into action and making a real impact across Missouri.
The Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program is a federal, graduate-level student training initiative designed to improve care for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities. LEND programs are located across 44 states with additional partnerships in the remaining six states and three territories.
In Missouri, the LEND program — TIPS for Kids — is housed at the Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment at the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou). The Training in Interdisciplinary Partnerships and Services (TIPS) for Kids program aims to produce leaders in various healthcare professions and provide evaluation and assessment services for children with special healthcare needs and their families.
In part one of this two-part episode, we chat with two student teams about their LEND projects — the Boone County Family Resources 50th Anniversary Event and the Caregiver Connections Support Group.
Note: this special episode was recorded in-person at the newly opened Thompson Center, so is available in audio format only.
Stay tuned for part two next week!
About the Projects
Boone County Family Resources 50th Anniversary Party
Boone County Family Resources (BCFR) provides services annually to more than 2,400 Boone County residents and is one of the top nonprofit supporters of developmental disabilities in the community.
The LEND team is helping plan and gather resources for BCFR’s 50th birthday event, a community-building open house, that highlights and celebrates their decades of work and impact.
Caregiver Connections Support Group
Caregiver Connections is a support group run through the Thompson Center, for members — consisting of caregivers and parents of children with autism — to find community with others who understand the journey by connecting, exploring strategies, offering support, and empowering advocacy.
The aim of the LEND project is to develop an organize, easily accessible, online resource bank for caregivers and families needing assistance, support or community services. The LEND team collaborates directly with the support group and it’s members to gather feedback and input, to determine what resources would be most helpful and impactful.
Episode Details
Discussion Topics
- How LEND trainees apply leadership skills in real-world settings
- Lessons learned from working directly with community partners
- What it takes to plan a meaningful community event
- The impact of Boone County Family Resources over the past 50 years
- Barriers families face when navigating support systems
- How information overload affects caregivers
- Why accessible, user-friendly design matters
Acronym Guide
LEND: Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
TIPS: Training in Interdisciplinary Partnerships and Services
Mizzou: Nickname for the University of Missouri-Columbia
Next Gen: Next Generation
UCEDD: University Center for Excellence Developmental Disabilities
Interview Transcript
Episode Archive
View past episodes on the UMKC-IHD YouTube page or view the Linktree to listen on your preferred platform.
Voices of the Network | This special series spotlights the national network of University Centers for Excellence on disabilities. Guests share their perspective and stories of real-world impact, leadership development, innovation in service delivery, family partnership and systems advocacy.
S4 Ep4 | Belonging is Personal with Maggie Rollwagen, Abilities First
S4 Ep3 | Ubuntu in Disability Systems Change with Dr. Makhaya Malema
S4 Ep2 Live at CORE 2024! | Thinking Boldly on Community Integration with Dr. Amy Hewitt, Minnesota UCEDD
S4 E1 | Advocacy for Violence Prevention with Julie Petty, Arkansas UCEDD
S3 Ep12 | Advocating for Disability Rights with Lisa Sutherland
S3 Ep11 | Self Determination & Inclusive Research with Dr. Karrie Shogren, KUCD
S3 Ep10 | Disability Advocacy & Public Policy with Emily Hartley
S3 Ep9 | Magic Moments in Assistive Technology with David Baker
S3 Ep8 | Humor in Caregiving with Pam Merkle
S3 Ep7 | Setting the Bar for Excellence with Kim Riley
S3 Ep6 | Family-Professional Partnerships with Dr. Meghan Burke
S3 Ep5 | Aging and Natural Support Networks with Sharon Williams
S3 Ep4 | Sibling Bonds & Disability Advocacy with Dr. Katie Arnold
S3 Ep3 | Raising a Self-Advocate with Karen and Candace Cunningham
S3 Ep2 | Peer Support Networks with Colette Canchola-Cox
S3 Ep1 | The Family Factor: Impact on Disability Outcomes with Dr. Sheli Reynolds
