Developing leaders to improve services and supports for children with or at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Welcome to WI LEND
Understanding the WI LEND Program
Applications for the 2026-2027 training year are now open. Click Apply Here for forms and more information.
2026-27 Application Deadlines:
February 13
Occupational Therapy
Public Health
Speech/Language
March 13
Audiology
Family
Nursing
Physical Therapy
Psychology
Speech/Language
April 17
Disability Advocacy
Social Work
May 15
Medicine
Nutrition
Special Education
Important Dates (2025-26):
Orientation– Aug 26 & 27, 2025
First seminar– Sep 5, 2025
Leadership Development Workshop– Sep 26, 2025 morning (virtual)
Leadership Development Workshop– Oct 31, 2025 morning
Leadership Development Workshop– Mar 13, 2026 morning
Graduation day– May 1, 2026, full day
Important Dates (2026-27):
Orientation– Aug 25 & 26, 2026
First seminar– Sep 4, 2026
Leadership Development Workshop– Sep 25, 2026 morning
Leadership Development Workshop– Oct 30, 2025 morning
Leadership Development Workshop– Mar 12, 2027 morning
Graduation day– Apr 30 2027, full day
Featured Graduates
Cindy Petros is a 2021 Occupational Therapy (OT) graduate of WI LEND—a parent of a child with special healthcare needs and self-advocate for better inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education. Cindy aspires to increase occupational therapy’s role in the care of Veterans with service-connected disabilities and their young children. Read more
Ida Winters is a 2021 Family Discipline graduate who has taken the skills she gained through WI LEND back to her career as a Community Health Worker in Milwaukee, WI. She felt empowered as a leader, equipped with more knowledge and connections, to be a more effective advocate for the families she works with. Read more
Through WI LEND, 2021 Disability Advocacy graduate Stasia Wilson mentored young children who use an augmentative communication device. Her main goal is to inspire them to talk through their communication devices during her time with the kids. Read more
Danielle Gerber is a 2021 Family Discipline graduate, and an advanced Family Fellow in the 2021-22 WI LEND cohort. She was nominated and selected to be WI LEND’s Trainee Liaison in AUCD’s Emerging Leaders network. In this role, she works alongside other LEND and UCEDD Trainee Liaisons who identify strategies to improve trainee networking and the exchange of information between programs within the AUCD network. Read more
In the News
Congratulations to Kiley McLean, WI LEND social work alumna, for being selected as the 2022 Anne Rudigier Award recipient from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)! This award recognizes commitment, leadership and potential in supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Read more
In 2022, Danielle Gerber, WI LEND Family Fellow alumna, recently co-authored an article–“Admitting what is needed: How the health system and society can reduce hospitalizations for children with medical complexity”–in the Journal of Hospital Medicine along with faculty from the School of Medicine and Public Health here at UW-Madison. Read more
In 2022, WI LEND is celebrating its tenth anniversary of graduating disability advocates as LEND trainees! Thirteen trainees representing the disability advocacy discipline (persons with a disability) have completed LEND training since 2012. Read more
WI LEND graduate Danielle Gerber was selected to be featured on the AUCD’s 2022 Emerging Leaders Map, which highlights the contributions of former trainees in supporting resiliency and self-determination for all. Congratulations Danielle! Read more
In 2022, WI LEND Disability Advocacy discipline trainee Elise Fjelstad wrote a feature for the UW-Madison campus newspaper, The Badger Herald, entitled “Equity, not equality: UW disability community mobilizes for more equitable accommodation access, campus climate.” Read more
In the 2021-22 training year, recent WI LEND graduates Ida Winters and Stasia Wilson were hired to fill the roles of Family Peer Mentor and Disability Advocacy Peer Mentor, respectively. Although this is a new staff role, WI LEND has had trainees and staff in the family discipline for over 15 years, and added self-advocacy trainees 10 years ago. Read more
In 2020, WI LEND Social Work Trainee Kiley McLean published “Don’t Leave People with Disabilities Behind in Coronavirus Relief” in The Cap Times and “COVID-19 Relief Package: We are Essential” in AUCD Policy Talk. Read more
In 2019, WI LEND Public Health trainee Kali A. Kramolis and Robert A. Peterson Jr. of the Madison-based ABC for Health published “Robert A. Peterson Jr. and Kali A. Kramolis: Valuable child health care program is flying under the radar” in The Cap Times. Read more