Research & Training Center on Independent Living

The Life Span Institute at the University of Kansas focuses on discovering and delivering research that enhances the health and development of individuals across Kansas and beyond. Comprising over 350 scientists, staff, and students, the institute is dedicated to creating solutions that promote thriving communities. Generated from the website

The Center for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas focuses on improving community health and well-being through collaborative research, evaluation, education, and community support. It aims to transform environments and conditions to assure health for all, partnering with local and global organizations to deliver impactful programs and resources. Notable initiatives include the Community Tool Box, which offers accessible tools for community change, and the ThrYve program, geared towards reducing youth violence through education and support. Furthermore, the Center serves as a third-party evaluator for the Kauffman Foundation's Collective Impact Initiative, emphasizing the role of collaborative approaches in promoting economic mobility and community development. Generated from the website

Through excellence in research, teaching and technical assistance, and service in Kansas, the United States of America, and globally, and through collaborations with those individuals and entities dedicated to the same ends, the Beach Center on Disability will make a significant and sustainable difference in the quality of life of families and individuals affected by disability and of those who are closely involved with them. We are a permanent unit of The University of Kansas, a major international center for research and other scholarship, teaching and learning, and service to the citizens of Kansas, the United States of America, and people throughout the world. We are affiliated with two units within the University, namely, The Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies and the School of Education's Department of Special Education. Since our founding in 1988, we have (a) conducted research, (b) carried out training and technical assistance, and (c), national, state, regional, and local service. We have carried out these three activities in collaboration with families who have members with disabilities, individuals with disabilities, the professionals and policy leaders who serve families and individuals, and members of the communities in which the families and individuals live, all to enhance the quality of life of families and individuals affected by disability.