News
-
Hatcher developing tools to support people with Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is not a well-known disability, which means that people who experience it have limited help. Jay Hatcher aims to change that. Dyscalculia affects a person’s ability to work with numbers and do math. Hatcher, a software engineer for HDI, is developing an app called Ucalculia, which aims to provide a resource for people with…
-
Jaz Brown, LEND trainee, attends AUCD
Jaz Brown has a background in activism rather than academia, and that gives them a unique perspective in Kentucky’s LEND program. Brown is a trainee for Kentucky’s LEND. They also recently attended the AUCD conference and walked away with strong impressions about both the conference and Kentucky’s LEND. Kentucky’s LEND program, they said, was one…
-
Loneliness and Isolation: Unseen Barriers for People with Disabilities
Just like anyone else, people with disabilities experience mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, as well as feelings of loneliness and isolation. Merge, an HDI project focused on mental health, interviewed people with disabilities and mental health conditions across Kentucky to learn more about their experiences. People with disabilities get stressed about everyday life,…
-
Child Care Aware Recognized for Outstanding Leadership
Child Care Aware Kentucky has done amazing work in the state – and people are taking notice. Kentucky’s Child Care Aware region was recently highlighted at a national meeting for the Child Care Aware of America Leadership Institute in Salt Lake City. During a seminar on community collaboration during emergency situations, Kentucky’s chapter was specifically…
-
Erica Ranade, LEND Trainee and Author
Erica Ranade always felt like something was missing from the field of Behavior Analysis, but her background in psychology is helping fill in the gaps. Ranade is a trainee for HDI’s LEND program, which provides training to people going into fields related to neurodevelopmental conditions. She is also an author and editor of “Psychology Essentials…
-
Flexibility and Accessibility at Work: One Data Analyst’s Journey at HDI
As we move past October’s Disability Employment Awareness Month, meet Jacob Mason, a data analyst at the Human Development Institute HDI whose experience shows how an inclusive, flexible workplace boosts both productivity and well-being. His story highlights the power of accessibility. Jacob is a data analyst for HDI’s evaluation department. It’s his job to enter…
-
HDI Wellness Event is a great success!
Dr. Nicholas Lamar Wright always planned on recruiting help to make the One Mile Wellness event a success, but he didn’t expect this much. Early on, Wright asked for help from some of his colleagues at HDI such as Kristen Dahl and Haley Potter. He also recruited staff photographers Eric Seale and Adam Potter to…
-
Tribute to Preston Lewis, Advocate and Educator by Dr. Harold Kleinert
Our state lost an amazing advocate and educator with the recent passing of Preston Lewis on October 20 of this year. My first experience with Preston was when we worked together in 1984 (now 40 years ago!) to create the long-running SPLASH (Strategies for Programming Longitudinally for All Students with Severe Handicaps) Project. Funded through…
-
HDI Sensory Garden Blooms
Nancy Savage had been walking by a mostly empty planter box in front of the Mineral Industries Building a while when she had an idea. “It was begging for, more plants to be put in,” Savage said. “I used to work at UK in the Department of Horticulture before I worked for HDI, so I…
-
HDI partners with UK Healthcare to promote health in Kentucky communities
HDI and UK HealthCare have long had a fruitful partnership leading to a lot of great work – and their latest initiatives will be no exception. The two are collaborating on a pair of new projects focused on supporting community health through universal design, and the people spearheading them are excited about where they could…