Dr. Royal Walker - Institute of Disability Studies

To say employees at The University of Southern Mississippi's Institute for Disability Studies (IDS) strive to help those in need would be vastly understating the group's mission. They want to change people's lives.

"People with disabilities have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else and should be afforded the same opportunities to reach their goals," said IDS Executive Director Dr. Royal Walker Jr. "They are an important part of the fabric of our society and here at the Institute we are committed to offering assistance any way we can. It is simply the right thing to do."
For more than 30 years IDS has provided a variety of programs to assist individuals with disabilities and their families with priority areas such as housing, early intervention, inclusive child care, assistive technology, recreation, health, education, and family support.

All Mississippians are eligible to receive assistance through IDS, regardless of gender, race, religious affiliation or socio-economic status. The overarching theme of the Institute is to pave a pathway to a better life for people of all ages -- infants, toddlers, school-age children, youth, workers, parents, families and seniors.

IDS is a member of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, a network of 67 interdisciplinary centers in the United States and its territories working to advance policy and practice for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.