The Human Development Institute (HDI) established the Fund for Excellence for the development of innovative programs, services or products to address the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families, for which funding is not currently available. Fund for Excellence Projects are led by HDI staff.
HDI Fund for Excellence Application Process June 2023.docx
HDI Fund for Excellence Final Report template.docx
Current Projects
Below are projects currently being funded by HDI.
Creating Meaningful Connections through Universally Designed Spaces at Berea Community School
Project Lead: Kristen Dahl kristen.dahl@uky.edu
The goal of this project is to create universally designed spaces for students where they can build meaningful connections with staff and other students at Berea Community School (High School). These spaces would also focus on using the respite time to ensure all students feel welcome and supported.
This project strives to build inclusive communities by ensuring all students feel welcome and safe. The project will increase the partnership between Berea Community Schools and HDI by supporting efforts to provide universally designed safe spaces for students with disabilities and all students at Berea Community School (High School).
The anticipated outcomes include
- Creation of universally designed spaces at Berea Community School to increase accessible and inclusive school climate
- School peer group trained in strength-based activities to make meaningful connections with individuals in marginalized groups
- Students feel welcome and supported at Berea Community School (high school)
- Conversations around mental health become normalized.
The Disabled Playwrights Workshop
Project Leads: Haley Potter haley.potter@uky.edu | Bailey Patterson bailey.patterson@uky.edu | Eric Seale eric.seale222@uky.edu
The Disabled Playwrights Workshop will be a paid 3-day workshop for playwrights who identify as having a disability. Playwrights will bring new, original work to edit and improve during the workshop, concluding with a staged reading open to the public. This creates an opportunity for the playwrights with disabilities to get valuable feedback from theatre professionals, see their work performed, and improve their résumé.
This project will address inequities that playwrights with disabilities face while creating accurate representations of characters with disabilities in theatrical works. It aims to build an inclusive community of playwrights, actors, directors, and audience members. Additionally, this project will help increase employability by developing skills like critical thinking, creativity, receiving criticism and feedback, and self-expression.
Expanding the Social Networks of Adults with Autism
Project Leads: Patti Logsdon patti.logsdon@uky.edu | Harold Kleinert hklein@uky.edu
This proposal supports autistic adults in expanding their friendships, social networks, and community participation in valued community roles and activities. This will be achieved through a blended approach that builds upon person-centered planning, circle of friends/support, peer networks and valued social roles.
HDI’s Mission is to advance efforts that build inclusive communities, address inequities, and improve the lives of all people who experience disability across the lifespan. This project will support HDI’s mission of building inclusion by developing social networks.
HDI Inclusive Internships
Project Lead: Nicholas Wright nicholas.wright@uky.edu / Mark Williams mdwilliams@uky.edu
This internship program provides a transformational model that promotes equity, which allows for a more diverse pool of students to become involved and gain experience. Interns in this program will have the opportunity to learn about universal design, accessibility, and gain a better understanding of ways to build inclusive communities for people experiencing disability across the lifespan while being appropriately compensated for their labor. This program creates access, makes students more educated in professionalism, and shares a greater understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
HDI has the mission to advance efforts that build inclusive communities, address inequities, and improve the lives of all people who experience disability across the lifespan. This internship program builds inclusive communities by breaking down financial barriers and allowing students to engage in their passion for accessibility. Inequities
The anticipated outcomes will be for interns to gain a deeper understanding of various types of disabilities, tools for accessibility, barriers, and the importance of implementing universal design.
Language Delays in Young Children: Helping Early Childhood and Afterschool Care Providers Recognize Delays and Assist Children
Project Leads: Dawn Griffin dawn.griffin@uky.edu | Sally Dannenberg Sally.Dannenberg@uky.edu
This project will develop a series of modules to provide early childhood and school age educators the knowledge and skills to identify when a language delay may be present, the confidence to share this knowledge with a child’s family and the strength to advocate for the child and their family to get the help that is needed.
This project relates to HDI’s core values of fostering creativity, flexibility, and collaboration. These modules, upon completion, will be available to early educators working with young children. They will help prepare them to quickly identify signs of language delays and advocate for children to receive the assistance they need.
The anticipated outcomes will be providing educators of school-age children with research-based information about language delays, and sharing information for educators and families to talk with one another if there are concerns about possible language delays.
Maurice Dawson, Jr, Technology Training Initiative
Project Leads: Kathy Sheppard-Jones kjone@uky.edu | Carter Fifield Carter.Fifield@uky.edu
This project will provide one part-time technology entry level position for a high school completer at HDI. As part of this FFE, HDI technology leadership will create a year-long training program indicative of major job responsibilities and skills needed for early career professionals in the technology realm. The FFE team will work in concert with the family of Maurice Dawson as part of the recruiting process. A generous anonymous donation was made by HDI friends and colleagues of Maurice that will enable the intern to attend a national level conference or other professional development event that furthers their skills and knowledge.
This training program will benefit HDI in that it will serve as a replicable model for other job titles at HDI. This will aid in both succession planning and recruiting and retention efforts. It will benefit the intern through provision of job experience and resume building, along with increased potential for hire, at HDI or elsewhere.
The anticipated outcomes include increased skills and experience for entry level technology staff, and a training process for incoming technology positions that may be replicable across other entry level job titles.
Mind in the Making: Seven Essential Executive Skills for Families
Project Leads: Joanne Rojas joanne.rojas@uky.edu | Sally Dannenberg sally.dannenberg@uky.edu
Mind in the Making (MITM) is a research framework developed by Ellen Galinsky that summarizes decades of developmental research into the seven essential life skills. The MITM training consists of eight modules geared to early childhood professionals and family educators to engage them in an experiential and reflective process of self-discovery of their one competence in these life skills, connect their experience to the research, and learn to promote these capacities in themselves as well as in the children in their care. The goal of this project is to provide this training to communities throughout the state that serve families that are at risk because of a variety of circumstances. These families can benefit from not only learning what executive function skills are, but how to develop these skills for themselves and their children.
This project supports HDI’s mission of addressing the inequity of access to resources and support networks. These trainings will foster creativity, innovation, and collaboration within communities and build additional community partnerships throughout the state. This can be accomplished by building skills and creating opportunities to practice these skills related to executive functions.
The anticipated outcomes will be for families to learn about executive function skills in themselves and children. They can then use this knowledge to build these skills in themselves and with the children with whom they live and work.
Stigma Silenced (Stories Spoken): A Mental Health Podcast
Project Leads: Haley Potter haley.potter@uky.edu | Bailey Patterson bailey.patterson@uky.edu
This podcast is dedicated to amplifying the stories of Kentuckians with highly stigmatized
mental health conditions, like schizophrenia, personality disorders, bipolar disorders, OCD,
dissociative disorders, people who have experienced involuntary commitment, and more. Sharing
these stories and experiences will empower our speakers to advocate for themselves, while allowing listeners to feel seen and heard, and in-turn, empowered themselves.
Providing this platform for people with lived experience creates a more inclusive mental health
and disability community while addressing inequities. Because episodes are available on an accessible and free (besides its premium subscription) platform, people from anywhere with access to Spotify can listen. People that feel alone because of their mental health condition can learn there are other people going through similar experiences.
The anticipated outcomes will be to empower people with stigmatized mental health conditions and experiences to advocate for themselves and tell their own story
Ucalculia
Project Lead: Jay Hatcher jay.hatcher@uky.edu
Dyscalculia, which means “computing poorly”, is a disability in which the neurological machinery the brain uses to intuit numerical and mathematical relationships does not function in the typical way or does not function at all, either due to brain injury (sometimes called acalculia or acquired dyscalculia) or more commonly due to a developmental difference in the brain’s growth in the womb or infancy (Butterworth, Dyscalculia: from Science to Education, 2013). This project goal is to provide a software tool for both children and adults with dyscalculia that specifically assists with mathematical cognitive difficulties.
Universal Design in Research: Opening Research to Meaningfully Include People with Disabilities
Project Lead: Austin Nugent austin.nugent@uky.edu
This proposal is to fund a ten-month project focused on increasing the capacity of researchers to meaningfully engage people with disabilities throughout the research process. The project will develop multiple resources that guide researchers in designing accessible and inclusive research teams and studies.
Working Alternatives to Guardianship (WAG)
Project Lead: Laura Butler laura.smith2@uky.edu
The goal of this project is to form a workgroup of stakeholders that will work together to inform workable decisional support options for people who have not traditionally had viable options beyond legal guardianship. The initial objective of the group will be to create a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) course that will focus on providing people with legal documents that will be accepted by a wide variety of other professionals.
This project will further HDI’s mission of building inclusive communities by helping identify ways for more people to experience full personal and civil rights. By creating more avenues for people to use guardianship alternatives, this project will promote full civic participation.
Anticipated outcomes include:
- Creating a workgroup of professionals and people with lived experiences to discuss decisional support options for people without natural or paid support.
- Develop a legal continuing education course regarding decisional support documentation.
- Create a blueprint for the development of continuing education courses for other professions.
- Create an informed and diverse team of allies who can advocate for guardianship alternatives within their own peer groups
Past Projects
Below are projects that have concluded.
Innovative Team Building for Services to Children with NAS and FASD, their Families, and Providers in Underserved Areas of KY | Concluded July 2024
Project Lead: Caroline Gooden caroline.gooden@uky.edu
Kentucky is one of many states with an identified substance use disorder (SUD) crisis and resultant large numbers of children born each year at risk for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Due to the complex needs of children with NAS/FASD and their families, an interdisciplinary approach is essential for the treatment of these children and their families. The project will focus on innovative face-to-face and online interdisciplinary training methods to serve this population, to be responsive to the communities we serve within existing locales and service models (e.g., hospitals, outpatient clinics, community mental health centers).
This project relates to HDI’s mission to expand service provisions to stakeholders across the Commonwealth, especially stakeholders who serve children with NAS/FASD and their families. Collaborators include UK HealthCare, UK College of Medicine, and KY Departments for Public and Behavioral Health.
The anticipated outcomes will be an improved collaboration across therapeutic, educational, and medical services providers for children with NAS/FASD and their families. Along with the creation of innovative programs of service delivery in underserved regions of Kentucky, and expanded partnerships for services to persons affected by SUD and alcohol abuse.
Bluegrass Mountain Biking Accessibility Initiative | Concluded January 2024
Project Leads: John C. Hill johnchill@uky.edu & Laura Butler laura.butler@uky.edu
The project goal is to enhance the community and benefit Kentucky and Kentuckians by further developing and maintaining trail networks that provide for health, wellness, and education with the help of our partners. More specifically, KYMBA Bluegrass volunteers have expertise and passion for designing, building, and maintaining sustainable trails for all users.
HDI Photo Library
Leader: Haley Potter
This project aims to curate a photo library of inclusive photos with scenes and representation across HDI priority areas and the lifespan. These photos can be used on social media, in presentations, in printed materials, on websites, in news articles, and more.
Sign Language for Early Childhood Educators and Families of Young Children
Project Director: Sally Dannenberg | Sally.Dannenberg@uky.edu
The HDI Fund for Excellence Award has been given to Sally Dannenberg to develop a series of online modules to teach American Sign Language to teachers of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. During the first years of life, children need a way to communicate with those around them as spoken language skills develop. The signs taught in these courses are appropriate for all children at different stages of development. Resources including videos, posters, and handouts for students and their families will be provided.
These modules will be piloted by licensed childcare providers and align with Kentucky’s expanded five-star quality rating and improvement system for early care and education programs. These courses addressing the parent and family engagement, the classroom and instructional quality, and the staff qualifications components of the quality standards
Project Directors: Christina Espinosa-Bard ctespinosa@uky.edu | Patti Singleton Patti.Naber@uky.edu
The HDI Fund for Excellence award has been given to Christina Espinosa Bard and Patti Singleton to offer a professional certification to equip people to use the principles of Universal Design (UD) in the workplace. This will expand HDI’s current undergraduate certificate program available to UK students from any field of study.
HDI is a national leader in embedding UD practices in learning by examining goals, materials, methods, and assessment for usability factors. These practices will be used to develop and pilot a six-hour certificate program that will include case studies and activities to support practical application of UD principles in the workplace
Project Director: Patti Logsdon | patti.logsdon@uky.edu | 859-218-1338
The HDI Fund for Excellence Award has been given to Patti Logsdon to capture stories to increase understanding about the experiences of people living with disabilities. Staff from HDI were trained by the National Public Radio StoryCorps Project to enhance our long history of sharing the lived experiences of people with disabilities. These stories will recognize contributions of people with disabilities to our communities and lives, while informing the larger narrative of how disability impacts society. The HDI plans to centralize and archive the stories for use by HDI staff, partners, and the public.
Communication Initiative for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Project Director: Jacqui Kearns | jacqueline.kearns@uky.edu
A UK Human Development Institute (HDI) Fund for Excellence award has been given to Jackie Kearns, PhD, to create a set of unique online modules for speech/language pathologists, case managers, direct support workers, and program administrators, on developing communicative competence for the adults that they serve. Though many gains have been made in communicative competence for people with significant cognitive disabilities, we have learned that students who do not have a symbolic mode of communication can develop symbolic levels of expressive communication (Holman, 2011). The Teaching Age Appropriate Academic Learning via Communication (TAALC) Project* and Kentucky National Core Indicator Data suggest that the communication needs of many adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are not being met.
The Fund for Excellence award will support the development of a set of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association-certified professional learning modules to meet the communication needs of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities who do not currently have or use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This will increase awareness and promote the availability of AAC and services for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
*funded by the Kentucky Department of Education
Percussion Empowerment Project | Concluded February 2021
Project Director: Haley Potter | haley.potter@uky.edu
A UK Human Development Institute (HDI) Fund for Excellence award has been given to Haley Potter, BA, to fund a pilot project aimed at teaching young girls about music, percussion, and performance. This inclusive extracurricular activity will be accessible to all students who identify as female. Students will learn how to read and interpret music, study the history of percussion and female percussionists, and practice performance etiquette. Supports will be provided to students as needed to participate fully in the class.
HDI promotes inclusion and independence in all areas of life. The music industry, especially band, is historically male-dominated and many young girls may be discouraged or become uninterested at an early age. Young girls who look for inspiration from adults will rarely find a female band director, as 80% of band directors at large, public middle and high schools are male. The Fund for Excellence award will support the project that aims to increase the inclusion of young girls in the percussive arts by addressing the challenge of gender bias and increasing the confidence and musical knowledge of the participants.
Teacher Effectiveness Pilot | Concluded August 2019
Project Directors: Caroline Gooden cjgood2@uky.edu | Growing Together Director, Cerise Bouchard | Education Coordinator, Denise Menshouse
The Teacher Effectiveness Pilot (TEP) will be conducted at Growing Together Preschool (GTP) in Lexington, with the full support of Director Cerise Bouchard and her staff. Four of GTPs classroom teachers will be the focus of the pilot, as classrooms where the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; Pianta et al., 2008) is administered three times a year. Teachers will be rated on their classroom climate, teacher sensitivity, and productivity. Teacher goals relative to CLASS scores will be updated quarterly and will inform progress with the TEP.
Based on CLASS scores, personal improvement goals will be established and discussed during monthly observations and meetings with each teacher and Project Director Gooden, in collaboration with GTP Curriculum Director Denise Menshouse. Each teacher will set goals for growth in increased efficiency and mentorship/leadership at GTP. Progress toward goals will be measured by changes in CLASS scores and by supervisory and employee reflection on teacher improvement plans. Teacher progress in self-efficacy will be measured by administration of the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES; Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) at the beginning, middle, and end of the pilot.
Tools to be taught during TEP coaching sessions include improved awareness of teaching strengths and needs; improved communication skills with children, staff, and families; and mentoring skills with other staff at GTP. Techniques for tool use include videotaping of sessions, focused discussion, observations of other teachers, and reflection based on instructional videos. Emphasis will be placed on teacher-driven goals, activities, and reflection. Teachers will keep weekly journals of reflections, and will video-tape selected activities for discussion during coaching sessions. Other tools to be used include the Strong Interest Inventory and CliftonStrengths 34
A School-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Children with and without ADHD Symptomology | Concluded July 2019
Project Directors: Megan Jasperson, Dr. Alicia Fedewa, Dr. Heather Erwin, Morgan Turner
This grant will include approximately 100 children (5-7 years) across two elementary schools in Lexington, Kentucky (K-1st grade) to investigate the effects of a 16-week physical activity intervention in an elementary sample of typical-developing children as well as those at-risk for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study is to gather a relatively large number of young children to test whether a physical activity intervention improves children’s attention, executive functioning and behavior compared to a sedentary intervention, like board games.
Parents and teachers will be asked to rate the behavior of the elementary students before and after intervention to find out if students who are physically active end up displaying fewer signs of ADHD.
Rural Transportation Toolkit Project | Concluded January 2019
Project Director: Christina Espinosa Bard ctespinosa@uky.edu | Jeff White jeff.white@ky.gov
The purpose of this project is to identify and then work collaboratively with a rural community in Kentucky, partnering with local government and organizations, to implement and evaluate a Rural Transportation Voucher Program (developed by the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living [APRIL]) for providing rural transportation solutions for community residents with disabilities.
This collaborative approach is critical to building relationships, identifying resources, and implementing the toolkit. The project will ultimately rely on local administration by a civic or community agency based program. The role of HDI project staff will be to initially organize and administer the transportation solution. KentuckyWorks will additionally contribute marketing and communication strategies to promote the transportation offering.
Unpuzzled: Leadership and Allyship Development Project | Concluded January 2019
Project Directors: Bev Harp baharp2@uky.edu | Laura Butler laura.smith2@uky.edu
This project proposes to launch a series of discussions around self-advocate leadership with a statewide unconference for people with disabilities. The unconference, along with supporting social media, will create a space for engaging with ideas around self-advocacy and self-determination, and for experienced self-advocates to mentor [allies and] those who have had fewer opportunities to self advocate.
HDI Supported Training Experiences Post-Secondary (STEPS) Case Study | Concluded January 2019
Project Director: Teresa Belluscio | Teresa.belluscio@uky.edu
This project will build upon work started in the HDI Summer Leadership Experience camp of 2017. The SLE provided skill-building experiences for high school junior and seniors who had plans to transition into postsecondary education. The SLE had 11 participants, many were juniors who would enter their senior year Fall 2017 and graduate May 2018. This project will focus on a select group of those campers who would like to continue building the skill sets needed to be successful leaders and self-advocates.
The Impact of Robot-Assisted Gait Training and Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Proof-of-Concept Study | Concluded June 2018
Project Directors: Kathy Sheppard-Jones kjone@uky.edu | Lumy Sawaki
Anecdotal evidence from therapists and family indicates comprehensive benefit for children with CP. More specifically, robot-assisted gait training for children appears to enhance not only gait but also outcomes of speech and occupational therapy. The main objective of the proposal is to collect strong preliminary data enabling proof-of-concept as well as a foundation for submission of a NIDILRR grant.
HDI Consumer Advocacy Toolkit (CAT) | Concluded January 2019
Project Directors: Caroline Gooden cjgood2@uky.edu | Jennifer Ulbricht, and Lindsey Coleman
The Consumer Advocacy Toolkit will provide resources, and it will teach users how to help themselves, family members, or clients. The Toolkit will be self-guided and written in plain language. Unique features of the Toolkit include question-and-answer sections where users will fill-in-the- blanks to define their experience and needs by writing or typing.
Expanded Photo Library to Improve Representation of Diversity, Employment, and the Lifespan | Concluded March 2018
Project Directors: Stephanie Meredith stephanie.meredith@uky.edu | Harold Kleinert hklein@uky.edu
Project Summary: The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute (HDI) is expanding its photo library and creating an important resource to improve the broad representation of people with disabilities from diverse backgrounds. The photos will be utilized by institute as well as the National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Resources.
Rural Clinic Assessment for Accessibility Project | Concluded October 2017
Project Directors: Christina Espinosa Bard ctespinosa@uky.edu | Kathy Sheppard-Jones kjone@uky.edu Pat Kitzman
The purpose of this project is to collaboratively work with 1-2 smaller rural hospitals to assess accessibility of the facility, develop a collaborative plan to address any barriers, and support efforts to secure funding to address those barriers. This will be accomplished through the following strategies and activities: 1) determine current best practice in physical accessibility, 2) create and refine assessment tool for health care facilities, 3) conduct assessments with pilot sites, 4) develop solutions for enhancing accessibility, 5) show proof of concept, and 6) share project results
Using Propensity Score Matching to Assess Effectiveness of Health Navigators on Outcomes for Stroke Patients | Concluded June 2017
Project Directors: Tony LoBianco tflobi1@uky.edu | Chithra Adams Chithra.adams@uky.edu | Pat Kitzman
The purpose of the study is determine the impact of the KC3T interventions on healthcare utilization. The project will use existing databases and propensity score matching to create an artificial statistical control group. Individuals from the control group will be matched to the individuals in KC3T based on demographics, health risk factors (smoking, obesity), geographical factors (residing in food insecure region, lack of health care). Analysis will be conducted to see if the KC3T participants had a lower health care utilization rate than the control sample. This is an innovative method of looking at health outcomes without using randomized control trials.
Volunteer Advocacy Program Project | Concluded June 2017
Project Directors: Meada Hall and Annette Jett
The Volunteer Advocacy Program (VAP) was developed through Vanderbilt University Kennedy Center, one of Tennessee’s University Centers for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Adapted for Kentucky in partnership with the Human Development Institute (HDI) at UK, Kentucky’s University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities, VAP is a 36-40 hour training designed to produce competent advocates who can help with Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s). Unique to Kentucky’s VAP, a dyad model focusing on self-determination and advocacy skills has been added to the curricula. This is designed to allow a family member or guardian to learn alongside a self-advocate for the portion of the course covering student-led, i.e. “self-advocate-directed,” IEPs. Build Inclusion’s partnership with HDI to bring VAP to Kentucky combines the expertise of industry and educational professionals with the firsthand experience of families associated with Build Inclusion – as staff, board members, volunteers and supporters – to ensure the highest quality replication for VAP.
Understanding Language Environments in Community Settings in Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder | Concluded January 2017
Project Director: Joanne Rojas | joanne.rojas@uky.edu
Project Summary: The primary goal of this project was to assess language environments in community settings among families of children with ASD ages 3-6 years (n=10) using precise, objective measures: the Language ENvironmental Analysis (LENA) systemTM and a Global Positioning System (GPS) (i.e., QstarzTM).
My Choice Kentucky: Exploring Supported Decision-Making in the Commonwealth | Concluded October 2016
Project Director: Laura Butler
Project Summary: The primary goal of this project was to educate people in Kentucky about alternatives to legal guardianship, specifically, supported decision-making. The focus was primarily on adults with developmental/intellectual disabilities, their families, and service providers. Some outreach was also made to attorneys, judges, and public guardians. The goal at the end of every session or conversation was for people to understand that legal guardianship is not the only option for people who may need help making life decisions. Over time, the project also grew to include information about what guardianship is and isn’t (dispelling myths). This work was done in conjunction with Kentucky Protection and Advocacy.
HDI National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Resources Turner Syndrome Photography | Concluded September 2016
Project Directors: Stephanie Meredith and Harold Kleinert
Project Summary: The purpose of this project was to complete the production of a booklet on Turner Syndrome for parents and prospective parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis of this condition. We received a grant (July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016) from the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation to create the text of this booklet in collaboration with our National Center Medical Advisory Committee.
The HDI Fund for Excellence provided supplemental funding to our Kennedy Foundation grant so that we could create the accompanying photography for the booklet. Studies have indicated that culturally diverse photography that portrays individuals with their families in the ordinary activities of daily life enables prospective families to see beyond a diagnosis, to what it might mean for someone in their own family living with that condition (Levis et al., 2012). Photography that captures individuals across the life span also enables prospective families to envision possible positive futures, at a time when the initial diagnosis often generates paralyzing fear, and a sense of profound isolation.
Sibling Support: Building Capacity for a Kentucky Sibling Leadership Network Chapter | Concluded December 2016
Project Director: Carolyn B. Wheeler
Project Summary: In order to “grow” a Kentucky Chapter of the Sibling Leadership Network as a strategy of sibling support, an investment in local efforts to find and invite siblings to not only join the KY SLN Network but also to provide meaningful opportunities for siblings to gather, share information and “figure out” what makes sense for them in their local communities is the focus of this project. This was accomplished through mini-grants to organizations throughout Kentucky which have a focus on family support to encourage their recruitment of adult siblings to the KY SLN Chapter, as well as provide assistance in supporting siblings in whatever role, current or future, they have in their brother or sister’s lives. In addition, funding was made available to two adult siblings to attend the Ohio SIBS Conference in Columbus, Ohio as a leadership development opportunity as well as to provide concrete direction for the development of a similar event as part of The Arc of Kentucky’s Conference. Supporting siblings and their involvement in their brother or sister’s life is a critical element of “changing practice – changing lives” which is at the core of HDI’s mission.
Adaptation of Healthy Lifestyles Curriculum With Universal Design for Learning and Dyad Approach | Concluded June 2016
Project Director: Lindsey Mullis
Project Summary: This project focused on modifying a health and wellness curriculum to use a more universal design that is accessible for people with disabilities and different learning styles — and enables them to make more informed choices about their health and wellness using the Dyad approach. Persons with a developmental disability chose a health partner with whom he or she would participate in self-selected health promotion activities. Participants chose the health component that was of most interest to them and worked toward positive changes in that specific area, such as exercise or nutrition. The lessons learned from the evaluation of this project will be used to create new resources that promote healthy lifestyles. Resources will be housed on the existing wellness4ky.org website to insure that they are available statewide.