Golisano Institute Mission

The mission of the Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing is to generate an international cadre of health care professionals prepared with the knowledge, professional skills, and competencies to effectively support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) throughout their life span and across settings.

Self-advocates play a critical role in the Golisano Institute's mission. Meet Kole, and learn about his health care experiences.

The Golisano Institute Pillars

The Institute has established a number of central tenets that guide its efforts:

  • The creation and development of IDD-inclusive nursing curricula and learning resources
  • The dissemination and implementation of IDD-inclusive content throughout all levels of nursing training and education
  • Expanding and leveraging partnerships with healthcare organizations and communities to create a network of influence
  • Using the experiences of self-advocates and their loved ones to inform and direct our content development
  • The development of global thought leaders to drive IDD scholarship, practice, and education
  • Influencing policy and practice to achieve health equity for the IDD population at the national and international levels

The Golisano Institute's Goals

The Golisano Institute has a number of goals and objectives that it strives toward:

  • Transform the quality of care and support for individuals with developmental disabilities regionally, nationally, and internationally by training nursing professionals in field-specific skills and knowledge
  • Deliver an internationally recognized and technology-enriched curriculum for developmental disabilities nursing education through on-ground and online micro-credential formats
  • Lead the effort to add content on the care of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to the nursing licensure and credentialing examinations as a means of ensuring that all nursing program graduates are fully prepared to care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
  • Prepare the next generation of thought leaders who will care and advocate for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities regionally, nationally, and internationally through the Golisano Fellows program
  • Disseminate best practices through publications and presentations at national and international conferences and consultation and collaboration with health care systems, health care educators, and experts in disability research and policy
  • Establish and support a network of health care professionals who care for individuals with developmental disabilities across the globe, building off of existing partnerships in Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and strong ties with the European Nursing Education Group
  • Advise hospitals and health centers, including those bearing the Golisano name; schools, advocacy groups; and families around the country and across the globe on providing care for individuals with developmental disabilities