WIND is part of a national network of organizations associated with a university. Each of the 50 states and most territories has at least one, New York has three. The network of these university affiliated programs is called the "University Centers of Excellence in Developmental Disability Education, Research and Service" (or UCEDD for short). UCEDDs are sponsored by federal the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

The organizational structure of each UCEDD is unique, but all UCEDDs have five major purposes. All are engaged in

1. interdisciplinary training for college students,
2. community services including training in community settings,
3. technical assistance to groups or individuals,
4. information related to disabilities, and
5. research.

To meet these purposes, UCEDDs work with a wide variety of university departments from medical to business to engineering and social sciences. No two UCEDDs are identical, but all share the goal of increasing the independence, integration, and productivity of persons with disabilities.