Empowering Individuals with Disabilities
One in four Americans has a disability. Individuals with disabilities have less access to health, education, and other important resources.
The Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) is one of 68 University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) programs in the country funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities through the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act.
CLD serves as the home of the Georgia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities program (GaLEND), the Georgia Statewide Disability & Health Program, the Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health (GA-AIMH), the Georgia Inclusive Postsecondary Education Consortium (GAIPSEC), the GSU IDEAL Program, and other initiatives.
One in four Americans has a disability. Individuals with disabilities have less access to health, education, and other important resources. CLD seeks to improve their access by empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families and communities.
Ways To Engage
Since 2008, CLD has had the mission of translating research into sustainable community practices that improve the lives of Georgians with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families through interdisciplinary training, community service, research, and information dissemination. CLD’s historical impact across these core functions can be described as impressive.
Our activities have positively affected thousands of individuals and hundreds of specific locations (e.g., homes, classrooms, childcare settings, community-at-large, etc.) across Georgia annually. This accomplishment speaks to partnership—with project participants and their families, service and support providers, community programs, and state agencies.
Our history has shown that with the proper support, people will engage in health promotion, disparities can be reduced; infant mental health will improve through thoughtful engagement of the provider community; students, including those with autism, will receive individualized behavior supports in their schools; and individuals will become more independent in the social domain and more engaged in decision making and policy. These are, in essence, the reason and purpose for UCEDDs and LENDs. Our 2024 report, Stories of Impact, provides selected examples of program impact.
Spotlight
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
The essentials of IECMH are beautifully explained in this new GEEARS-produced video, featuring Callan Wells and other GEEARS partners such as Georgia Representative Katie Dempsey, and Georgia DECAL Commissioner, Amy Jacobs.
Watch the video to learn about. . .
- The behavioral science and neuroscience behind IECMH.
- The importance of addressing early childhood trauma right after it happens and building capacity for services like caregiver-child therapy.
- The formation of the Georgia Association for Infant Mental Health (GA-AIMH).
- How GEEARS advocacy has substantively impacted Georgia’s IECMH policies.
The goal is to normalize infant and early childhood mental healthcare, making it as valued as pediatric well visits and vision and hearing screenings.
Read The Center for Leadership in Disability's statement against systemic racism.
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Media Contact
Gail Rodriguez
Communications Manager
Center for Leadership in Disability
School of Public Health
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Center for Leadership in Disability
Urban Life Building
140 Decatur Street SE
Suite 140
Atlanta, GA 30303