Addressing Ableism in Anesthesiology to Support Diverse Patients with Disabilities
Practitioners working in the UK Healthcare Department of Anestheshiology believe it is crucial to recognize and dismantle ableism—the discriminatory attitudes and practices against people with ...
Medical outreach in action!
Stephanie Meredith is going to be busy soon. Meredith, HDI’s Medical Outreach Director, has been invited to be a part of several medical conferences in ...
HDI Staff Spotlight on Adam Potter
For much of his college career, Adam Potter struggled to find the right path. Despite being an avid musician, he didn’t feel like his initial ...
Stigma Silenced: Stories Spoken, A Mental Health Podcast is coming soon!
We are so excited to share the stories of those who have experienced stigma related to a mental health condition. ...
HDI Celebrates National Mentoring Month
January is National Mentoring Month, and that makes it a great time to highlight HDI’s Disability Mentoring Program. The program pairs people with disabilities with ...
Making Connections
As Executive Director Dr. Kathy Sheppard-Jones tells it, 2023 was a year of connections for the Human Development Institute. Connections, according to Sheppard-Jones, are a ...
HDI Staff and Students Attend AUCD Annual Conference
University of Kentucky Human Development Institute (HDI) staff and students attend the 2023 Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) conference. The theme of this ...
“All people offer perspective that is valuable to the rest of the world.” HDI Staff Erin Fitzgerald speaks on their experience with Neurodiversity and mental health
The following article discusses suicide, which some readers may find distressing. Erin Fitzgerald could always see the signs that she was different growing up - ...
UK expands training to help substance-exposed children
Educators from the University of KY are providing a unique service to address a desperate need- training students to work with babies born substance exposed ...
“I hate being treated like an emergency waiting to happen.” UK student Bailey Patterson speaks on her experience with suicide and wanting to help others
The following article discusses suicide, suicidal ideation, miscarriage, and sexual abuse, which some readers may find distressing. ...
Community Health Workers make connections across Kentucky
Community Health Workers (CHWs) are front-line workers that serve as the bridge between our communities and the healthcare system. CHWs work across our state to ...
HDI Photo Library Available Now!
Stock photography lacks disability representation. The photos are often staged and use models without disabilities resulting in misrepresentation and unnatural scenes. Staff from the University ...
HDI’s Preservice Health Training Stands the Test of Time
Medical knowledge can advance so quickly that it’s a wonder when any tool stands the test of more than a few years. HDI’s Preservice Training ...
Turner wins Gold!
Though everyone working at HDI is a champion of some sort, one of us has the medals to prove it. Morgan Turner, a program education ...
“Mental health isn’t a one-size fits all.” Austin Nugent speaks on her experience with OCD and how it may look different from what you think.
What do you think of when you think about OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder? Is it someone who has to obsessively organize their whole book collection ...
Austin Nugent reflects on her experience in therapy, misdiagnosis, and the importance of finding a therapist you trust
Austin Nugent remembers the moment when someone first suggested she try therapy. “I was in Europe, and I called my mom from a four-star hotel ...
A Semi-Brief Fascinating History of American Sign Language + Resources for Learning
There is a vast misconception among hearing Americans that American Sign Language is English on the hands, but in fact, it is a full language ...
HDI’s Lisa Amstutz is Second in Kentucky to Earn Special Credential for Mental Health ASL Interpreting
Lisa Amstutz earned her Qualified Mental Health Interpreter Certification earlier this month, making her the second American Sign Language interpreter in Kentucky to do so ...
Lifetime access pass to national parks and recreational land offers accessible options to Americans with disabilities
Spring sunshine continues to taunt summer loving Kentuckians with its promise of the radiant afternoon rays that fade into calm evening glow. It’s a great ...
“Can You Read My Lips?” Ten Things to Know Before You Ask
Lip reading is a communication technique in which a person who does not have full access to sound closely watches the mouth of a speaker ...
HDI Celebrates Developmental Disability Awareness Month
This month (March), HDI celebrates Developmental Disability Awareness Month. For some people, that may lead to questions about what defines a developmental disability. Developmental disabilities ...
ASL Team delivers services at Southeast Regional Institute on Deafness
This past October, the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting Team, housed at the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute, ...
UK HDI Fund for Excellence Award to fund Bluegrass Mountain Biking Accessibility Initiative
Kentuckians will soon have access to an adaptive mountain biking trail, thanks in part to an internal grant funded by the UK Human Development Institute ...
HDI celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
17 October, 2022 | Written by Delaney Wickert Upon the conclusion of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th—October 15th), the Human Development Institute would like to ...
The State of HDI Episode 2: Down Syndrome Awareness Month
Description: October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month; in this episode, join Stephanie Meredith, HDI's Medical Outreach Director and the mother of Andy, a 22-year-old with ...
As Suicide Prevention Awareness Month comes to a close, keep these risk factors in mind
30 September 2022 | Written By Delaney Wickert Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, or SPAM, is recognized during the month of September. Suicide is an important ...
Human Development Institute’s Stephanie Meredith receives PCORI Engagement Award to address health disparities as related to Down syndrome diagnoses in Black and Hispanic families
The Lettercase National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Resources at the University of Kentucky’s Human Development Institute (HDI) has been awarded a prestigious Eugene Washington ...
Southeast SuperHub Champions working to increase vaccine confidence
Led by the Human Development Institute in partnership with Georgia State University, a coalition of advocates and community partners have taken on the important task ...
UK Human Development Institute Resources Formally Recommended by American Academy of Pediatrics for Families of Infants with Down Syndrome
In a clinical report released on April 18, The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended resources administered by the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute to ...
HDI to Host Prenatal Disability Education Summit
On May 13, 2022, the National Center for Prenatal and Postnatal Resources, housed at the UK Human Development Institute will host the Prenatal Disability Education ...
HDI Staff and Students Selected to present at National Conferences
Congratulations to HDI Staff selected to present at the 2022 National Council on Rehabilitation Education Conference in San Diego, California in March. Evaluating the Stress-Appraisal-Coping ...
University of Kentucky Human Development Institute releases 2022-2023 Strategic Plan
The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute (HDI) is pleased to announce the release of its 2022-2023 Strategic Plan. As Kentucky’s University Center on Disability, ...
HDI introduces new mental health project: Merge
The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute introduces a new project: Merge. The project will strengthen the existing training framework serving Kentuckians with co-occurring mental ...
HDI Staff to Present at Annual AUCD Conference
University of Kentucky Human Development Institute (HDI) staff are preparing to present sessions and posters at the 2021 Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) ...
Kentucky’s OVR Interpreters in Action at SERID Conference
Interpreters from the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, in conjunction with others across the country, provided American Sign Language interpreting services at the 2021 Southeast ...
HDI Launches Storytelling Website
The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute Digital Storytelling Initiative highlights the stories and lived experiences of people with disabilities. By recording and collecting stories, the ...
HDI Receives Notice of Awards
The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute (HDI) received notice of award of a five-year grant from the Administration for Community Living to better serve ...
HDI to partner with the Adaptive Martial Arts Association
The Kentucky Inclusive Health Collaborative at the UK Human Development Institute is excited to partner with the Adaptive Martial Arts Association (AMAA) to develop training ...
Promoting COVID-19 Vaccine Access and Confidence
Over the next year, the UK Human Development Institute will work with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and several partners as part ...
Recharging Resiliency Together
Register now for Recharging Resiliency Together! HDI would like to thank the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Quality of Life Grants Program for providing funding ...
Dahl to Co-Chair AUCD Special Interest Group
Kristen Dahl, LPCC, CHES, has been selected to co-Chair the Mental Health Aspects of I/DD Special Interest Group of the Association of University Centers on ...
Communication Initiative for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
A UK Human Development Institute (HDI) Fund for Excellence award has been given to Jacqui Kearns, PhD, to create a set of unique online modules ...
Wellness Edge awards grants to local communities!
The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute’s Kentucky Inclusive Health Collaborative has awarded grants through Wellness Edge. This program aims to improve health outcomes for individuals with ...
Enter now to win!
The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute - HDI with Michael Carter, creator of the "Disability Don't Mean Can't" (DDMC) comic book series to host ...
Danielle Augustin selected as AUCD Emerging Leader
The UK Human Development Institute is pleased to announce the selection of Danielle Augustin as an Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Emerging Leader. ...
The University of Kentucky and the Human Development Institute are happy to announce Year 3 funding for Wellness Edge
Wellness Edge provides grants of up to $24,999 to community organizations that aim to increase the quality of engagement for individuals with paralysis and their ...
Administration for Community Living funds Center for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities
The Administration for Community Living has awarded the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities a $1.5 million grant to lead eight national partners, ...
Lindsey Mullis receives 2019 APHA Student Member Award
The American Public Health Association (APHA) has selected Lindsey Mullis to receive the 2019 Disability Section Student Member Award presented at their Annual Meeting and ...
Available Now! Comic Book Featuring People with Disabilities Achieving Health Goals
As a way to help motivate and inspire people, I created the comic book DDMC Man, in which the hero has Ataxia, much like me to show ...
Results from needs assessment for Kentuckians with developmental/intellectual disabilities
Education and early intervention, self-advocacy, employment, housing, transportation, childcare, and community supports were all listed as areas of need by service providers, family members and ...
Latest Fund for Excellence Awards: March 2019
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 ...
Spotlight on Danielle Augustin
Danielle Augustin is a part-time Inclusive Health Project Assistant at HDI with work spanning several projects, including the Health and Wellness Initiative: Project CHEER and ...
HDI’s Judy Johns Recognized by the National Association for Mental Health (NAMI)
HDI's Judy Johns was recognized as the "Family Support Group Facilitator of the Year" on September 22 at the 2018 NAMI Kentucky Annual Conference for ...
Project CHEER offers Adaptive Exercise Videos to Improve Health for Everyone!
Individuals with disabilities experience many barriers that prevent them from living the healthiest lifestyle possible. Ability to participate in regular physical activity is a common ...
Wellness Edge is ready to accept applications!
by Jason Jones The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute (HDI) received a three-year grant totaling $600,000 from the Administration on Community Living. The project, ...
The Department for Medicaid Services Rescinds Proposed Changes to the Collection of Patient Liability for Long-Term Care Waiver Recipients
by Kevin McManis Between May and June 2018, the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services sent letters to approximately 20,000 Kentucky long-term care waiver recipients detailing the amount ...
UK HDI Receives Grant to Help Serve Individuals With Paralysis
From UKNow: HDI has received a three-year grant totaling $600,000 from the Administration on Community Living. The project, Wellness Edge, is a Paralysis Resource Center State ...
Latest Fund for Excellence: Research on Impact of Physical Activity on ADHD Symptoms
We’re excited to share that HDI will be devoting a Fund for Excellence grant this spring to research focused on "A School-Based Physical Activity Intervention for ...
Building Healthy Inclusive Communities
“Inclusion is vital in today’s society for so many reasons and health is one of the most important! In order for people with a disability ...
HDI Promotes Health and Wellness at the Special Olympics Kentucky State Basketball Tournament: The Healthy Athletes Event
HDI's Elaine Eisenbaum, Lindsey Mullis, and Anna Fuller promoted good health with friends at the Special Olympics Kentucky State Basketball tournament—the Healthy Athletes event! Lindsey ...
Spring Seminar: Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: An Overview
“Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptomology can overlap and present similarly. The presentation will provide an overview of TBI and PTSD ...
Raising Awareness and Inclusion for Healthy Hearts
by Lindsey Mullis The Kentucky CARE Collaborative (Cardiovascular, Assessment, Risk-reduction and Education) is a free blood pressure awareness program that aims to increase the number ...
Fall Seminar: Medicaid Waivers 101
“What are the Medicaid waiver programs available to assist persons with developmental disabilities in Kentucky? What services does the Medicaid waivers program offer in Kentucky? ...