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State Councils on Developmental Disabilities

State Councils on Developmental Disabilities Factsheet

State Councils on Developmental Disabilities (Councils) are federally funded, self-governing organizations charged with identifying the most pressing needs of people with developmental disabilities in their state or territory. Councils are committed to advancing public policy and systems change that help these individuals gain more control over their lives.

The 56 Councils across the United States and its territories work to address identified needs by conducting advocacy, systems change, and capacity building efforts that promote self-determination, integration, and inclusion. Key activities include conducting outreach, providing training and technical assistance, removing barriers, developing coalitions, encouraging citizen participation, and keeping policymakers informed about disability issues.

Diverse Council Membership

Council members are appointed by a state or territory’s governor; by law, at least 60% of a Council’s membership must consist of individuals with developmental disabilities or their family members. Advocates and state agency representatives also serve as members. This diversity enables Councils to better analyze and improve systems and services within a state and ensure that the voices of people with developmental disabilities and their families are heard.

Empowerment through Self-Advocacy

Councils focus on empowering individuals through activities that teach self-advocacy skills and support self-determination. By empowering individuals and their families both to advocate for themselves and to seek long-term solutions through systems change, Councils are creating an environment of self-sufficiency, self-determination, inclusion, and acceptance. Councils also play a critical role in quality assurance and as innovators in the development of person-centered systems.

State-Level Planning and Goal Implementation

To serve their communities, Councils design five-year state plans that address new ways of improving service delivery. To implement the state plans, Councils work with different groups in many ways, including educating communities to welcome people with developmental disabilities; funding projects to show new ways that people with disabilities can work, play, and learn; and seeking information from the public as well as state and national sources.

Outcome Data Tables

Report Title

Year

Individuals And Family Advocacy - This table outlines the impact of DD Council supported activities towards individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

2020-2021 (Excel)

Systems Change - This table outlines the impact of DD Council activities resulting in systems change to support positive outcomes for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. 

2020-2021 (Excel)

Examples of Councils’ Activities

Housing Accessibility

In partnership with the state’s Developmental Disabilities Administration, the Washington State DD Council piloted the use of smart home technologies, such as automatic lights, Wi-Fi enabled appliances and utilities, digital voice assistants (like Amazon’s Alexa) and devices operated by them, and security systems to support independent living. Through the pilot, people with I/DD received smart devices – and training on their use – to improve the accessibility of their homes, allow them to do things without assistance, connect to people outside the home, and more. Based on successes and promising findings from this pilot, the DD Council is exploring prospects to expand the project during the next planning cycle—to get more smart technology into more homes. 

Addressing Health Disparities

People with I/DD experience significant health disparities, partly because health care providers often do not know how to tailor their interactions to meet their needs. The Vermont DD Council created a training course to help health care professionals improve their communication with people with I/DD. The project has trained 240 health care professionals to date, providing strategies they are now applying to improve the care they provide. 

Expanding the Direct Care Workforce

Due to a national shortage of direct care professionals, many people with disabilities are unable to get the support they need to live safely and participate in the community. DD councils across the country are providing technical assistance and serving as crucial sources of information to support policymakers who are working to address this public health crisis. For example, the North Carolina DD Council (NCCDD) funded and conducted a study in partnership with providers and their state agency to determine average wages direct care workers for the Developmental Disabilities Medicaid Waiver. The rate study showed that the average hourly rate in North Carolina was $12.12 in Spring 2022. Stakeholders and state leaders agreed that the rate needed to be at least $18.00 an hour in order to attract and retain staff. The final budget that became law increased funding by $60 million to increase wages for direct care professionals.

Increasing Access to Dispute Resolution Services

Conflict resolution services, including both mediation services and coaching to develop self-advocacy skills, can be especially valuable to people with I/DD and their families. For example, these services often are critical to ensuring that students with disabilities receive special education services. However, access to these services – and service effectiveness – can be limited if conflict resolution professionals do not understand the needs of clients with I/DD. With funding from the New York DD Council, the state’s Community Dispute Resolution Centers trained more than 170 of their staff and volunteers to improve their ability to serve people with I/DD. The initiative also developed and shared materials that have been used by Alternative Dispute Resolution practitioners in other states and communities, including community mediation programs around the country and the New York State Unified Court System staff who oversee the state’s networks of community mediation centers.  

Improving Accessibility

DD councils have successfully advocated for action to address issues that prevent people with I/DD from participating in their communities. For example, thanks to the advocacy of their DD council and other disability groups, the state of Tennessee is making public bathrooms more accessible for the 200,000 Tennesseans, and thousands of tourists, who need adult changing tables. These tables, also referred to as “universal changing tables,” offer a clean surface that allows people with disabilities to take care of bathroom needs with the help of a caregiver. Without them, people with disabilities are forced to lie on bathroom floors, attend to these needs in their vehicles and other non-private settings, or wait until they return home. Despite their critical importance, adult changing tables are rare, and lack of access to bathroom facilities causes many people with disabilities to simply stay home, forgoing participation in their communities. Thanks to the advocacy of the Tennessee DD Council and other disability stakeholders, height-adjustable changing tables for adults are now being installed in state facilities throughout Tennessee. In 2019, there were zero adult changing tables in state facilities. In 2023, there were 50 tables installed across the state with at least 200 more planned by 2030. This includes tables at every state park, welcome center, and rest area. 

Financial Literacy

DD councils are supporting a variety of initiatives to help people with I/DD and their families increase their financial literacy, which directly contributes to successful community living. For example, the Illinois DD council funded a three-year initiative in partnership with the National Disability Institute to train 150 trainers to educate people with I/DD and their family members on how to manage money, create a spending plan, open an ABLE account, reduce debt, and use credit wisely. The program has trained more than 11,000 people with disabilities, including nearly 6,000 people with I/DD.  

Self-Advocacy

With assistance from the Maryland DD Council, People on the Go of Maryland, a statewide self-advocacy group led by people with I/DD, provided critical insight and shared their personal experiences to educate lawmakers as they worked on legislation recognizing supported decision-making as an alternative to guardianship. The bill became law in 2022.

 

Information and Technical Assistance Center for Councils (iTACC)
Logo of Information and Technical Assistance for Councils on Developmental Disabilities

 

 

 

 

 

ITACC (Information and Technical Assistance for Councils on Developmental Disabilities) is a federally funded technical assistance project. Section 129(b) of PL 106–402 provides that funding be made available to provide technical assistance to entities funded under the DD Act (PL 106–402). ITACC is the entity providing technical assistance to Councils on Developmental Disabilities. The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) received the award to provide these services.

Cultural Competence Plan

ITACC, working with NACDD, is to provide all training and technical assistance in a culturally competent manner approved by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD).

Visit iTACC Website

State Councils on Developmental Disabilities: Program Contacts

Alabama

Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities
RSA Union Building
100 North Union Street, Suite 682
P.O. Box 301410
Montgomery, AL 36130-1410

Toll-Free: 800-232-2158

E-Mail: darryle.powell@mh.alabama.gov

Web: www.acdd.org

Alaska

Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education
Robert B. Atwood Building
550 W 7th Ave, Suite 1220,
Anchorage, AK 99501

Phone: (907) 269-8990 | Toll-Free: 1-888-269-8990

E-Mail: GCDSE@alaska.gov

Web: dhss.alaska.gov/gcdse/Pages/default.aspx

Arizona

Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council
3839 North 3rd Street, Suite 306
Phoenix, AZ 85012

Phone: (602) 542-8970 | Toll-Free: (877) 665-3176

E-Mail: addpc@azdes.gov

Web: https://addpc.az.gov

Arkansas

Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities
1515 West 7th Street,
Suite 320-330
Little Rock, AR 72201

Phone (501) 682-2897

E-Mail: ddcstaff@dfa.arkansas.gov

Web: https://gcdd.arkansas.gov/

California

California State Council on Developmental Disabilities
3831 North Freeway Blvd. #125
Sacramento, CA 95834

Phone: (916) 263-7919 | Toll-Free: (833) 818-9886
TDD: (916) 324-8420

E-Mail: council@scdd.ca.gov

Web: www.scdd.ca.gov

Colorado

Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council
1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 706
Denver, CO 80203-2117

Phone: (720) 941-0176

E-Mail: GetInformed@coddc.org

Web: www.coddc.org

Connecticut

Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities
460 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106-1308

Toll-Free: (800) 653 - 1134
TTY: (860) 418-6172

Web: www.ct.gov/ctcdd/

Delaware

Delaware Developmental Disabilities Council
Margaret M. O’Neill Building, Suite 2
410 Federal Street, 2nd Floor
Dover, DE 19901

Phone: (302) 739-3333

Web: ddc.delaware.gov

District of Columbia

D.C. Developmental Disabilities Council
One Judiciary Square
441 4th St., NW, Suite 729 North
Washington, DC 20001

Phone: (202) 724-8612
TTY: 711

E-Mail: ddc@dc.gov

Web: https://ddc.dc.gov

Florida

Florida Developmental Disabilities Council
124 Marriott Drive, Suite 203
Tallahassee, FL 32301-2981

Phone: (850) 488-4180 | Toll-Free: (800) 580-7801
TDD Toll-Free: 888-488-8633

E-Mail: fddc@fddc.org

Web: www.fddc.org

Georgia

Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities
2 Peachtree Street, NW, #26-246
Atlanta, GA 30303

Phone: (404) 657-2126 | Toll-Free: (888) 275-4233
TDD: (404) 657-2133

E-Mail: info@gcdd.org

Web: www.gcdd.org

Hawaii

Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities
1010 Richards Street, Room 122
Honolulu, HI 96813

Phone: (808) 586-8100

Web: https://hiddcouncil.org/

Idaho

Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities
Joe R. Williams Building
700 W. State Ste, 119
Boise, ID 83702-5868

Phone: 208-334-2178 | Toll-Free: 1-800-544-2433

E-Mail: info@icdd.idaho.gov

Web: www.icdd.idaho.gov

Illinois

Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities Chicago Office
160 N. LaSalle St., Suite 1000C
Chicago, Illinois 60601

Phone: 312-814-2080
TTY: 888-261-2717

Web: icdd.illinois.gov

Indiana

Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities
Indiana Government Center South, Room E145
402 W. Washington Street,
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Phone: (317) 232-7770

E-Mail: council@gcpd.in.gov

Web: www.in.gov/gpcpd/

Iowa

Iowa DD Council
700 2nd Avenue, Suite 101
Des Moines, IA 50309

Toll-Free: (800) 452-1936

E-Mail: contactus@iowaddcouncil.org

Web: www.iowaddcouncil.org

Kansas

Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities
Docking State Office Building
900 S.W. Jackson, Room 569
Topeka, KS 66612-1570

Phone: (785) 296-2608 | Toll-Free: (877) 431-4604

E-Mail: kcdd@kcdd.org

Web: www.kcdd.org

Kentucky

Kentucky Council on Developmental Disabilities
1024 Capital Center Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601

Phone: (502) 564-7841

E-Mail: ccdd@ky.gov

Web: https://ccdd.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx

Louisiana

Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council
5615 Corporate Blvd. Suite 500B
P.O. Box 3455
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Phone: (225) 342-6804 | Toll-Free: (800) 450-8108

E-Mail: Amy.Deaville@la.gov

Web: www.laddc.org

Maine

Maine Developmental Disabilities Council
Mailing Address: 139 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0139
Physical Address: 526 Western Ave. Unit 2, Augusta, ME 04330

Phone: (207) 480-1478 | Toll-Free: (833) 713-2618

Web: www.maineddc.org

Maryland

Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council
217 E. Redwood Street, Suite 1300
Baltimore, MD 21202

Phone: (410) 767-3670 | Toll-Free: (800) 305-6441

E-Mail: info@md-council.org

Web: www.md-council.org

Massachusetts

Massachusetts DD Council
108 Myrtle Street, Suite 202
Quincy, MA 02171-1791

Phone: (617) 770-7676

Web: www.mass.gov/mddc

Michigan

Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council
Suite 218, PO Box 30037
Lansing, MI 48909

Phone: (517) 335-3158
TDD - (517) 335-3171

E-Mail: mdhhs-dd-council@michigan.gov

Web: www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/mentalhealth/developmentaldisability

Minnesota

Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities
370 Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar Street
St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone: (651) 296-4018 | Toll-Free: 877-348-0505
MN Relay Service: (800) 627-3529 OR 711 

E-Mail: admin.dd.info@state.mn.us

Web: mn.gov/mnddc/ 

Mississippi

Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities
239 North Lamar Street, Suite 1101
Robert E. Lee Building
Jackson, MS 39201

Phone: (601) 359-6238

Web: www.mscdd.org

Missouri

Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council
1706 E. Elm Street
P.O. Box 687
Jefferson City, MO 65102

Phone: (573) 751-8611 | Toll-Free: (800) 500-7878

E-Mail: moddc@moddcouncil.org

Web: www.moddcouncil.org

Montana

Montana Council on Developmental Disabilities
7 West 6th Ave, Suite 507
Helena, MT 59601-9767

Phone: (406) 443-4332

Web: www.mtcdd.org

Nebraska

Nebraska Council on Developmental Disabilities
301 Centennial Mall, South
P.O. Box 95026
Lincoln, NE 68509-5026

Phone: (402) 471-2330
TDD (800) 833-7352

E-Mail: dhhs.ddcouncil@nebraska.gov

Web: https://dhhs.ne.gov/pages/DD-Planning-Council.aspx

Nevada

Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities
896 W. Nye Lane,
Carson City, NV 89703

Phone: (775) 684-8619

Web: www.nevadaddcouncil.org

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities
21/2 Beacon Street, Suite 10
Concord, NH 03301-4447

Phone: (603) 271-3236
TDD Access: Relay NH: (800) 735-2964

E-Mail: info@nhcdd.us

Web: www.nhcdd.nh.gov/

New Jersey

New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities
20 West State Street Mary Roebling Building, 6th Floor
Trenton, NJ 08608

Phone: (609) 292-3745 | Toll-free 1 (800) 792-8858
TDD: (609) 777-3238

E-Mail: njcdd@njcdd.org

Web: https://njcdd.org/

New Mexico

New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Council
625 Silver Avenue SW
Suite 100
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102

Phone: 505-541-4519

Web: www.nmddpc.com

New York

New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council
99 Washington Avenue, 12th Floor, Suite 1230
Albany, NY 12210

Phone: (518) 486-7505

E-Mail: information@ddpc.ny.gov

Web: ddpc.ny.gov

North Carolina

North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities
3109 Poplarwood Court, Suite 105
Raleigh, NC 27604

Phone/TTY: (984) 920-8200| Toll-Free: (800) 357-6916

E-Mail: Info@nccdd.org

Web: www.nccdd.org

North Dakota

North Dakota State Council on Developmental Disabilities
600 E Boulevard Ave,
Bismarck, ND 58505

Phone: (701) 328-4847

E-Mail: jhorntvedt@nd.gov

Web: https://www.nd.gov/scdd/

Ohio

Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council
1810 Sullivant Ave
Columbus, OH 43222

Phone: (614) 466-5205 | Toll-Free: (800) 766-7426

E-Mail: ddcinfo@dodd.ohio.gov

Web: www.ddc.ohio.gov

Oklahoma

Developmental Disabilities Council of Oklahoma
P.O. Box 25352
Oklahoma City, OK 73125 - 9975

Phone: (405) 521-4984

E-Mail: staff@okddc.ok.gov

Web: www.okddc.ok.gov

Oregon

Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities
2475 SE Ladd Ave #231
Portland, OR 97214

Phone: (971) 204-8824

E-Mail: info@ocdd.org

Web: www.ocdd.org

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council
2330 Vartan Way, Suite 130,
Harrisburg, PA 17110

Phone: (717) 787-6057 | Toll-Free: (877) 685-4452
TTY: (717) 705-0819

Web: www.paddc.org

Rhode Island

Rhode Island DD Council
400 Bald Hill Rd, Suite 515
Warwick, RI 02886

Phone: (401) 737-1238

E-Mail: riddc@riddc.org

Web: www.riddc.org

South Carolina

South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council
1205 Pendleton St, Suite 372
Columbia, SC 29201-3731

Phone: (803) 734-0465
TYY: (803) 734-1147

Web: http://scddc.sc.gov/

South Dakota

South Dakota Council on Developmental Disabilities
2520 E Franklin St, Suite 4 
Pierre, SD  57501

Phone: (605) 773-6369 | In-State Toll Free: (800) 265-9684

E-Mail: infoddc@state.sd.us

Web: https://dhs.sd.gov/cdd.aspx

Tennessee

Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities
500 James Robertson Pkwy
Davy Crockett Tower, First Floor
Nashville, TN 37243

Phone: (615) 532-6615

E-Mail: tnddc@tn.gov

Web: www.tn.gov/cdd

Texas

Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities
6201 East Oltorf, Suite 600
Austin, TX 78741-7509

Phone: (512) 437-5432 | Toll-Free: (800) 262-0334

E-Mail: tcdd@tcdd.texas.gov

Web: www.txddc.state.tx.us

Utah

Utah Developmental Disabilities Council
5296 S Commerce Drive Ste. 305
Murray, UT 84107

Phone: (801) 245-7350

E-Mail: UDDC@utah.gov

Web: www.utahddcouncil.org

Vermont

Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council
100 State Street, Suite 342
Montpelier, VT  05633-0206

Phone: (802) 828-1310

E-mail: vtddc@vermont.gov

Web: www.ddc.vermont.gov

Virginia

Virginia Board for People with Disabilities
1100 Bank Street, 7th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219

Phone: (804) 786-0016

E-Mail: info@vbpd.virginia.gov

Web: www.vaboard.org

Washington

Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council
2600 Martin Way E., Suite F
Olympia, WA 98506

Phone: (360) 586-3560 | Toll-Free: (800) 634-4473

Web: www.ddc.wa.gov

West Virginia

West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council
110 Stockton Street
Charleston, WV 25312-2521

Phone: (304) 558-0416

E-Mail: dhhrwvddc@wv.gov

Web: www.ddc.wv.gov

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities
101 East Wilson Street, Room 219
Madison, WI 53703-2796

Phone: (608) 266-7826

E-Mail: Jeremy.Gundlach@wisconsin.gov

Web: www.wi-bpdd.org

Wyoming

Wyoming Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities
Capitol Hill Building
320 W. 25th St. Suite 119
Cheyenne, WY 82002

Phone: (307) 777-7230 | Toll-Free: (800) 438-5791

E-Mail: wgcdd@wyo.gov

Web: ddcouncil.state.wy.us

U.S. Territories

American Samoa

American Samoa Developmental Disabilities Council
P.O. Box 194
Pago Pago, AS 96799

Phone: (684) 633-2696

E-Mail: council@samoatelco.com

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities
Building No. 1312, Capitol Hill
P.O. Box 502565
US Northern Mariana Islands
Saipan, MP 96950-2565

Phone: (670) 664-7000/3/5
TTY: (670) 664-7002

E-Mail: cnmicouncilondd@gmail.com

Web: https://cnmicdd.gov.mp/

Guam

Guam Developmental Disabilities Council
University Castle Mall, Room 2
130 University Drive,
Mangilao, GU 96913

Phone: (671) 735-9127

E-Mail: guamddc@gddc.guam.gov

Web: https://gddc.guam.gov/

Puerto Rico

State Council on Developmental Disabilities
Physical Address: Edif. VIG Tower
Ave. Ponce de León 1225
Parada 18
Suite B 104 GF 3
San Juan PR 00907

Phone: (787) 722-0595

E-Mail: liz.candelario@ddec.pr.gov

Web: cedd.pr.gov

Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands Developmental Disabilities Council
St. Thomas/St. John/Water Island
5070 Norre Gade, Ste 6
St. Thomas, VI 00802

Phone: (340) 719-0076

E-Mail: info@viddc.org

Web: www.viddc.org

 


Last modified on 03/15/2024


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