In this episode, we’re joined by Heather Lytle, Executive Director of Family Advocacy and Community Training—FACT. FACT is a family-led organization that supports families of children with developmental disabilities and behavioral health needs through training, education advocacy, and peer support rooted in lived experience.

Together, we talk about why advocacy is a lifelong skill, how parents can meaningfully participate in their child’s education, the importance of knowing your rights, and how families can build confidence—even when they don’t have all the answers.

🎥 Watch this interview on YouTube! ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@umkcihd⁠

Resources in this episode:

• FACT (Family Advocacy and Community Training): www.factmo.org

• Learn more about LEND: https://www.aucd.org/about-lends

• People First of St. Charles: https://factmo.org/people-first/

• Receive training from the FACT team: https://factmo.org/special-education-training/

• Community and Children’s Resource Board of St. Charles: https://stcharlescountykids.org/

• MOLEAP (Missouri Lay Educational Advocacy Program): https://mofamilytofamily.org/mo-lay-educational-advocacy-program/

Register for the Accessible Book Club! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdzCaUXDYkPpONi-bsdvFtuOsf-EQIMejiuLveNUnX8jXuOKQ/viewform

Acronym Guide:  

LEND: Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

UCEDD: University Center for Excellence Developmental Disabilities

IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IEP: Individualized Education Plan

Interview Transcript: https://ihd.umkc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/S5E1-Heather-Lytle-Transcript.docx

For more information about UMKC-Institute for Human Development, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ihd.umkc.edu

Lillie Heigl, Director of Policy at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), joins George and Amelia for the season finale of the Voices of the Network series.

Lillie shares a national perspective on disability policy, including recent developments in federal funding and advocacy efforts to protect UCEDDs and other DD network programs.

They talk about the importance of relationship-building with legislators, the power of storytelling in policy work, and why advocacy is a long game. This conversation highlights how policy shapes the UCEDD network’s ability to serve people with disabilities nationwide and why staying engaged matters.

🎥 Watch this interview on YouTube! ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@umkcihd⁠

Resources in this episode:

• Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD): ⁠https://www.aucd.org⁠

• AUCD Policy & Advocacy: ⁠https://www.aucd.org/policy⁠
• Follow Lillie Heigl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lillie-heigl-4a2930105/

Acronym Guide:

DD Act: Developmental Disabilities Act

UCEDD: University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

LEND: Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

AUCD: Association of University Centers on Disabilities

For more information about UMKC-Institute for Human Development, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ihd.umkc.edu

George and Amelia sit down with Jacy Farkas from the University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, one of Arizona’s two UCEDDs. Jacy shares how the state’s unique geography and cultural diversity shape their work—from partnering with border communities and binational organizations to engaging with 22 federally recognized tribal nations. They talk about building trusted relationships, centering Indigenous perspectives, and serving as a bridge between the university and the community. This conversation highlights how UCEDDs work to build capacity within communities, expand opportunities, and support all people.Watch this interview on YouTube! ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@umkcihd⁠

Resources in this episode:

• University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities: ⁠https://sonoracenter.arizona.edu⁠

• Circle of Indigenous Empowerment: ⁠https://sonorancenter.arizona.edu/cie⁠

• Project SEARCH: ⁠https://sonorancenter.arizona.edu/community-programs/project-search⁠

Acronym Guide:

DD Act: Developmental Disabilities Act

UCEDD: University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

LEND: Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

AUCD: Association of University Centers on Disabilities

For more information about UMKC-Institute for Human Development, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ihd.umkc.edu