A University of Wyoming-affiliated program that helps Wyoming residents with disabilities to become independent and productive members of the community was the leading recipient of external funding at UW for 1999. WIND, a unit of the College of Health Sciences, is part of a national network called university affiliated programs that provides teaching, research and service in the field of disabilities with an emphasis on developmental disabilities. WIND'S mission is to help Wyoming residents with disabilities and their families achieve their desired quality of life by supporting their independence, productivity and full community inclusion and social participation, says program director Keith Miller. I am very pleased that WIND has been able to obtain funding for so many different projects in the last year. But the bottom line is being able to help communities become more welcoming to and supportive of persons with disabilities.
WIND is funded through a mix of federal and state grants.
Major federal granting agencies include the departments of Commerce, Education, Health and Human Services, and Labor. The Wyoming Department of Health supports WIND through its Division on Developmental Disabilities and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in the Department of Employment and the Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities also have funded WIND projects. WIND also continues to be a leader in applied research on issues affecting Wyoming citizens with disabilities.