Early Childhood - Where family–community partnerships provide all families the supports they need to nurture, teach, and advocate for their children.

School-Age - Where the capacity of educational systems and universally designed services meet the needs of all students.

Young Adulthood - Where the access is improved and expanded to provide opportunities for competitive integrated employment and community living.

Adulthood - Where individuals participate in all facets of community life and have choice and control over their health and independence.

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About the Institute

The Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC), Indiana’s University Center for Excellence in Disabilities, has fostered a foundation of excellence for community investment in developmental disabilities since 1970. Our mission is to work with communities to welcome, value, and support the meaningful participation of people of all ages and abilities through research, education, and service.

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Our Centers

Our work crosses the lifespan and is conducted across seven centers.

Center for Behavior and Systems Innovation
Center for Collaborative Systems Change
Center on Community Living and Careers
Center on Education and Lifelong Learning
Early Childhood Center
Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands
Indiana Resource Center for Autism

Meet ID8: Your Disability Resource Navigator!

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Created by the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC), ID8 is your friendly AI assistant for navigating disability resources.  Learn more about ID8 and how it can help you.

Get started by sharing your needs, like “I’m a parent seeking educational support for my child with autism.” Whatever your needs, ID8 is here to help! Launch ID8 now!

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What can ID8 do for you?

  • Find Answers: Get info on education, employment, healthcare, and more.
  • Discover Resources: Explore support options from IIDC and trusted organizations.
  • Build Skills: Access resources to enhance your knowledge as a self-advocate or professional.
  • Connect with Experts: Get guidance from IIDC specialists for complex issues.

A Message from Derek Nord, Director, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC)

"The future is bright for people with disabilities in Indiana and the changes underway today will serve as the critical foundation. Though there is much work to do across the state, I am confident that with Indiana’s strong and effective self-advocates, families, advocates, professionals, and policymakers, people with disabilities will have greater opportunities to lead meaningful lives in the community."

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Find Disability Resources through the Indiana Institute's Library and Indiana Disability Resource FINDER

The Library at the IIDC

The Indiana Institute on Disability and Community has a full-service lending library with a wide variety of resources about disabilities across the lifespan. Regardless of where you live, we are happy to lend our materials to you through the mail or to help you find the answers you need.

We’re open weekdays from 8:00 to 11:30 am and 12:30 to 4:15 pm ET.

Learn more about the Library

Browse our Collection

Locate Disability Resources with FINDER

For those with disabilities and their families, trying to navigate a complex web of services, programs, and other disability-related community resources can be daunting. FINDER provides 24/7 access to community services, is easy to use, and supports first-time users with a step-by-step guide. For more experienced users, it has advanced search features. Regardless of how information is located, search results are immediately available, and can be saved for future use and shared.

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News from the Institute

The Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC) has named Dr. Tiffany Neal director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA) and director of the newly established Center for Behavior and Systems Innovation (CBSI). The new Center builds on the HANDS in Autism® model to expand applied behavioral practices, training, coaching, tiered implementation, and system-level supports. Together, IRCA and CBSI will strengthen the IIDC’s work to improve outcomes for individuals with autism and other disabilities, their families, and the systems and communities that support them.

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Upcoming Events

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in 2024-2025

4,290hours of training and technical assistance provided

481training and technical assistance events

87,393people impacted through IIDC-sponsored training events

What We Offer

Learning Through Trainings, Workshops, and Technical Assistance

From the Interdisciplinary Education Training Program (IETP), to our online learning courses, to the many in-person workshops and trainings offered by our Centers, the Institute can help you learn and improve. We also work directly with schools, state agencies, service providers for people with disabilities, and institutions of higher education to address issues and create new plans.

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Resources for You

Our centers have compiled resources for educators, other professionals, parents, students, transitioning individuals with disabilities, and policymakers—and you can browse them all in one place.

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Connections to Community

We host blogs with writings from people with disabilities, like Adria, to provide insights into disability through the lens of their personal experiences. We also sponsor student groups like the Students on the Spectrum Club for IU and Ivy Tech students, and parent groups of children with autism to provide a foundation for self-directed mutual support.

Connect with your communities

Looking for More Information...?

The Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC) has a number of ways that you can connect with us. Newsletters, Blogs, Trainings, Special Events. Opt In! 

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Learn More About Indiana's History in Disability

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The Indiana Disability History website, curated by the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, documents and preserves the memories and experiences of Hoosiers with disabilities, highlighting historic developments in the disability rights movement.

The website uses video, audio, and digital technology to raise awareness of the contributions of movement leaders and pioneers as well as people trying to live ordinary lives. These advocates include both Hoosiers with disabilities and their supporters. They are community activists, family members, educators, professional service providers, public officials, and legislators.

The website offers online exhibits featuring a collection of oral history interviews in video format, with accompanying transcripts, descriptive data, and historical background information. This first-hand testimony illuminates the role of advocacy, and resulting changes in public policy, in the evolution of service provision and cultural attitudes towards people with disabilities.

Indiana Disability History Website 

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The Institute advances policies and practices across the disability lifespan