Developmental disabilities are disabilities a person has before they turn 22. They affect the person’s ability to do activities independently without support. Some examples are intellectual disability, autism, and cerebral palsy.

The Delaware Developmental Disabilities Council has been working to improve the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities since 1971. The Council is a state agency, but operate as an independent body. That means we make our own decisions. People with developmental disabilities, family members of people with developmental disabilities, and other council members help lead our work.

The Council was established through the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act). The DD Act was passed in 1963. DD Councils were added in 1970. The Act was last updated in 2000. The Council follows all the requirements of the DD Act.

Funding is the money an organization gets to do its work. The Council gets all of its money used to get work done within the Council from the federal government. We do not get any funding from the state. We report to a federal agency called the Administration on Disabilities, Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (OIDD).

The Community Legal Aid Society, Inc./Disabilities Law Program and Center for Disabilities Studies/University of Delaware are also funded through the Developmental Disabilities Act of 2000.

We are independent. We are not a part of state government. This means we do not report to the governor or any other state agency. It also means that the governor and other parts of state government cannot direct our work. We make all decisions about what we do and how we do it. This is a requirement of the DD Act. The DD Act is the federal law the Council must follow. It is also how we get our funding. The Council’s staff are state employees, but are responsible only to the Council.

The focus of the DD Act is inclusion. All programs funded through the DD Act, including the Council, must do their work based on the belief that:

“…individuals with developmental disabilities, including those with the most severe developmental disabilities, are capable of self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life, but often require the provision of community services, individualized supports, and other forms of assistance…”

This includes some legal words. Contact the Council if you have any questions.

Every 5 years, the Council develops a plan called the State Plan. The State Plan describes things that can get in the way of people with developmental disabilities living the lives they want with the support they need. The Council picks the most important issues to work on because we do not have enough staff or money to focus on everything. Read the State Plan Summary or State Plan Summary – Easy Read.

The Council’s mission and State Plan guide how our funding is used. We use our funding to support staff and Council member activities like education and advocacy. We also fund other groups and organizations to work on projects and activities in our State Plan. The Council funds different kinds of projects and activities to help us make progress on our goals.

Learn more about what the Council funds.
Read about projects and activities the Council is funding now.

No, the Council does not fund direct services. The Division of Developmental Disabilities Services is the agency that funds services for people with developmental disabilities in Delaware.

The DD Act has rules about who can be a member of the Council. Council members include:

• Adults with developmental disabilities
• Parents or guardians of children with developmental disabilities
• Family members of adults with developmental disabilities that cannot advocate for themselves
• 5 State agencies:
  • Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Delaware Department of Labor
  • Delaware Department of Education
  • Division of Services for Aging and Adult with Physical Disabilities, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services
  • Division of Developmental Disabilities Services, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services
  • Division of Public Health, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services
• Community organizations that serve people with developmental disabilities
• Disabilities Law Program, Community Legal Aid Society, Inc.
• Center for Disabilities Studies, University of Delaware

Most members are people with developmental disabilities and family members. They must be at least 60% of our membership.

Council members are “appointed” by the governor to 6-year terms. Being appointed means they become a Council member. This is the only time the governor has any say in what the Council does.

When a member’s term is done, they can be appointed to another 6-year term. That means Council members can be on the Council up to 12 years in a row. After leaving the Council, members must wait at least a year before re-applying if they want to be on the Council again.

The Council member position description provides information about member responsibilities. There is more information on the Join the Council section of this website. Check it out and contact us if you have questions.

Yes. We make sure all members have the support they need to participate in our work. Examples of the types of support we provide to Council members who are people with developmental disabilities or family members include:

• Transportation to meetings
• Child care
• Support to review and understand materials before and during meetings

If you want to be a member of the Delaware Developmental Disabilities Council, you must complete a Board and Commissions Application. Look at the “Who can be a Council member” list above to see if you can apply. See the Join the Council page for more information.

We have less than 25 Council members, so we cannot add everyone who applies.

Yes. Council meetings are open to the public. Everyone is welcome to attend. View DDC's public Calendar for meeting dates.

Guests can watch and listen at Council meetings. They cannot participate in the discussions and votes. Guests can speak at meetings during the “public comment” period. This is a chance to share your thoughts and ideas about things you want the Council to know.

If you need an accommodation, please contact the Council at least 5 days before the meeting you want to attend. Accommodations are things like sign language interpreters, large print documents, and other things that help people communicate and participate.