On Friday, October 9, United Services for Children received the 2026 Cutting Edge Award from the Missouri Association of County Developmental Disabilities Services (MACDDS) for our Inclusion 50 Project and our digital exhibit, “Missouri’s 100 Year Journey of Inclusion.” The award recognizes innovation and creativity that create meaningful change for individuals with developmental disabilities.
The award was presented at the MACDDS Annual Conference in Columbia, where Dr. James Hutson and United Services President and CEO Dr. Julie Turner presented “From Institution to Inclusion: A Century of Missouri’s Journey” sharing how Missouri moved from institutional care to community inclusion. We are grateful to Denise Cross and the St. Charles County DDRB for nominating us.
We are very grateful to MACDDS for this honor! In bestowing the award, MACDDS described the Inclusion 50 Project as a powerful exhibit that uses digital resources and community partnerships to bring Missouri’s disability history to life while engaging educators, employers and organizations in building more inclusive communities.
