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Home | At Home | Understanding Autism | The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act
The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) is the fundamental law that supports and enhances the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families.
The DD Act focuses on the estimated 5.4 million children and adults in the United States and territories who have developmental disabilities. It provides:
Developmental disabilities are severe, life-long disabilities. They arise from mental and/or physical impairments that manifest before age 22. They are likely to continue indefinitely. Developmental disabilities result in significant limitations in three or more of the following areas:
Individuals with developmental disabilities use individually planned and coordinated services and supports of their choosing (e.g., housing, employment, education, civil and human rights protection, health care) to live in and to participate in activities in the community.
State Councils are federally funded programs that identify the most pressing needs of people with developmental disabilities in their State or Territory. Councils work to address these needs by changing systems and capacity building efforts that promote self-determination, integration and inclusion for people with developmental disabilities.
Council efforts include:
A formula grant is given to states based on population, financial need and need for service. The P&As provide services to those with developmental disabilities based on goals listed in the DD Act, which was based on public input. The Statements of Goals and Priorities that drive the work done by P&As include:
This discretionary grant is awarded to public service units of universities or public or not-for-profit entities associated with universities. The grant supports the running of the center, and additional funds go toward the core activities of:
These centers support activities that address various issues like prevention, early intervention, and supported employment. They represent a broad range of disabilities.
Additional grants may be awarded to UCEDDs to carry out national training and other initiatives. Current training initiatives are supporting post-secondary education opportunities for people with developmental disabilities and enhancing self-determination skills. There are two grants to UCEDDs to focus on partnerships with institutions serving minorities.
PNS funds provide grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to public and private, non-profit institutions; in turn, these entities provide opportunities for those with developmental disabilities to contribute to and participate in all facets of community life. Funds also support the development of national and state policies that reinforce and promote the self-determination, independence, integration and inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities.
These projects focus on current and emerging issues affecting people with developmental disabilities and their families. Some issues transcend state and territory borders but must be addressed on a local level. Examples are:
The Administration on Developmental Disabilities also oversees three disability-related grant programs. These programs help individuals with the full range of disabilities to vote by providing:
Date posted: March 29, 2011. Content created by The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities. Last updated: March 21, 2018.
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