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Many may not know about the Developmental Disabilities Act, and in fact, some may only vaguely know what a developmental disability is. Understanding the DD Act is important for people with disabilities and their families because of all the benefits the act offers. Even if you don’t have a developmental disability or know anyone with one, it’s important to empower individuals with developmental disabilities and their families to help shape policies that impact them.

What Is the Developmental Disabilities Act?

The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 is designed to improve conditions and expand opportunities for people who historically have faced exclusion from schools, jobs, and other community activities because of developmental disabilities. A developmental disability is one that pertains to mental or physical impairments that are a result of a genetic defect or many other factors. The act mainly focuses on advocacy and giving families the power to change their involvement in society.

How Does It Affect Me?

The DD Act puts specific programs in place in order to aid people with developmental disabilities and their families. The Act does not directly fund services; rather, it aims to put services in the hands of the community. If the programs are utilized, the DD Act could have a great effect on your family. The programs encourage advocacy, promote awareness and acceptance, and unite communities.

Some of the programs include:

• State Councils on Developmental Disabilities
• Family Support Programs
• Direct Support Workforce
• State Protection & Advocacy Systems
• University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service
• Projects of National Significance

Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities

The Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities (ACDD) falls under the DD Act’s State Councils program category. ACDD offers a number of resources and advocates for people with developmental disabilities and their families. Contact us to learn more about how ACDD can aid you or a family member.

The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act) was put into place in order to service those with disabilities and their families through community services. The DD Act is an umbrella that covers a number of different types of developmental disabilities, one being intellectual disabilities. In order to understand the experiences and needs of people with intellectual disabilities, we must first define the term.

There are three main aspects that define intellectual disabilities: limited intellectual functioning, limited adaptive behavior, and the age of onset.

Intellectual Functioning

Intellectual functioning, or intelligence, refers to a person’s mental capacity — in other words, it encompasses a person’s ability to learn, reason, and problem-solve. The most common way to measure intellectual functioning is the Intelligence Quotient (I.Q.) test. The maximum I.Q. score for adults is 161, and 162 for those under 18 years old. Typically, a score below 70 can indicate a limitation in intellectual functioning.

Adaptive Behavior

Adaptive behavior consists of social, practical, and conceptual skills. Conceptual skills are skills that deal with time, money, language and literacy. Social skills is a category of abilities that deal with self-esteem, social responsibility, and interpersonal skills. Lastly, practical skills deal with daily activities like transportation, hygiene, safety, and other daily responsibilities.

Age of Onset

Intellectual disabilities is a category of disabilities under the larger umbrella of developmental disabilities. Intellectual disabilities occur during the developmental stage of life. In the United States, the developmental stage lasts until age 18.

Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities Has More Information

The Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities (ACDD) aims to advocate for Alabamians with developmental disabilities and to support their independence, inclusion, and productivity. ACDD empowers those with developmental disabilities and their families to help change legislation by offering information on bills of interest and bill tracking. In addition to current grants that benefit people with developmental disabilities, the Council includes an application on its website for grant proposal requests. Grant proposals can be about volunteer activities, employment opportunities, and more.

If you’d like to learn more about developmental disabilities or the resources that we offer, the Alabama Council of Developmental Disabilities is here to help. Contact us today!