About

About Us

Independence. Advocacy.
Productivity. Inclusion.

Our Vision

The Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities is comprised of 36 governor-appointed volunteer members, including people with developmental disabilities, family members, and representatives of public agencies that serve them.

We are dedicated to the vision that all Alabamians, regardless of disability, will live, learn, work, and play in inclusive communities. To that end, we work towards system changes in aspects of service/support to promote better lives for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

Our Vision

by the numbers

1,321

People
Trained

39

Programs/Policies
Created or Improved

144K

for
Additional
Grants

6,424

Educated about
Developmental
Disability Issues

Annual Report

View and download the 2018 Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities Annual Report which highlights the programs supported in 2018.

2018 Annual Report

State plan

Goals and Objectives

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families and others will have increased information, education, and public awareness to participate in all aspects of community life and take part in decisions that affect their lives and the lives of others.

Objective 1.1: By 2021, educate and provide information to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their family members and others to increase leadership opportunities and inclusive participation in community activities.

Objective 1.2: By 2021, ACDD will collaborate with transportation agencies, state and local agencies, organizations, and advocacy groups to identify and implement strategies to eliminate barriers to transportation for people with I/DD and others in targeted communities.

Objective 1.3: By 2021, ACDD will support activities that increase the knowledge of employers, providers, people with Intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, and others about the benefit of having people with intellectual and developmental disabilities participate in community-based workforce and volunteer activities.

Objective 1.4: By 2021, ACDD will support leadership development and advocacy training for families and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; including young adults and others that will increase their knowledge about self-determination, service delivery systems, person-centered supports, educating and influencing policy-makers, and awareness of rights under state and federal law.

Objective 1.5: For each year of the state plan, in collaboration with the DD Network Partners, ACDD will strengthen at least one statewide advocacy organization, support leadership training opportunities for self-advocates, and support and expand participation of self-advocates in cross disability and culturally diverse coalitions.

Objective 1.6: In collaboration with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and stakeholders, the ACDD will reduce language barriers for Hispanic families in targeted areas when they are accessing information and referral services and services.

Support Systems are improved so that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families live and thrive in the broader community.

Objective 2.1: By 2021, the ACDD will increase the capacity of organizations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to improve service delivery for the people they serve.

Objective 2.2: By 2021, the ACDD will support activities to create, improve, and/or implement policies and procedures to impact access and awareness for people with Intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Objective 2.3: By 2021, ACDD will support initiatives to increase capacity and qaknowledge of people with developmental disabilities, their families, and organizations about Alabama’s Able Act and Alabama’s Managed Care Organizations through sustainable training and development and dissemination of reliable user-friendly information.

council

staff

Darryle Powell, M.S.
Executive Director

Dr. Melissa Sylvester, Ph.D., CRC
Director of Planning, Research, and Evaluation

Holli Zukowski

Holli Cawthorne
contracts manager

Sophia

Sophia Wright-Whitted
fiscal manager

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