Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND) is one of 63 university centers for excellence in developmental disabilities, UCEDD for short, in the United States. Each state now has at least one UCEDD; all UCEDDs are affiliated with universities and receive funding from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, US Department of Health and Human Services. UCEDDs share the common university goals of teaching, research, and service, but have a specific interest in persons with disabilities, and broaden to teaching research and service goals beyond the campus to the community at large.

Wyoming was the last state to be granted funding to develop a UCEDD. Although efforts were made as early as 1986, planning for WIND as it exists today started in 1993 with a Feasibility Study. The initial application for funds for a Wyoming university affiliated program, as UCEDDs were called at the time, was submitted in early 1994. WIND officially became a university affiliated program in October 1994, by January 1995, the administrative staff was hired and WIND began the programs, supports and training that, to this day, extend well beyond the University of Wyoming campus.