Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities

The Nevada Children with Special Health Care Needs conducted a 5 month multi-method needs assessment that describes demographics, universal needs and barriers families with children with special health care needs face. Completion of this needs assessment represents an opportunity for community input into the prioritization of needs design & implementation of positive changes to the system of care. The report also includes a summary of Selected States’ Service Delivery Models, tables & figures.

This website provides materials to enhance independence, inclusion, individual productivity and self-determination for people with disabilities. Free materials and features include: Resources for individuals, families and professionals; “Parallels in Time: A History of Developmental Disabilities;” Partners in Policymaking; and The Learning Center library. You will also find a self-paced online learning courses to increase knowledge and skills in self advocacy, education and employment.

The New England ADA & Accessible IT Center is one of ten regional disability and business technical assistance centers funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The Center is a project of Adaptive Environments, Inc., a nonprofit organization. The website offers Publications & Resources, Technical Assistance & Training, ADA Audio-Conferences and the Access New England Newsletter.

Adaptive Environments is committed to advancing the role of design in expanding opportunity and enhancing experience for people of all ages & abilities. Their work balances expertise in legally required accessibility with promotion of best practices in human centered or universal design. Projects vary from local to international and are characterized by collaboration and user participation. Visit the website to see resources, conference materials, news and case studies about universal design.

Acting Governor Richard Codey solidified New Jersey’s commitment to helping individuals with disabilities by proposing the creation of a $200 million housing trust fund. This fund is the initial step that will assist in the creation of 10,000 permanent, affordable housing opportunities over a 10-year period and is the beginning component of a comprehensive housing plan. The trust will be funded through unused capital bond capacity identified by the State Treasure.

NCHSD held its 4th Annual National Fall Technical Assistance Conference for Medicaid Infrastructure Grantees. This year’s meeting featured pre-conference regional gatherings, a day-long session on building public-private partnerships with employers, updates from our CMS partners, and a series of state expert panel presentations. Attached are the Fall 2004 Conference Edition eNews with highlights and promising practices plus the conference materials and presentations from every session.

The Centers on Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded a three year contract to the Topeka Independent Living Resource Center (TILRC) to provide technical assistance to the Consumer Task Forces Real Choice system change grant projects. In doing this, CMS highlighted the contributions that consumers can and must make to the success of the grants and to increasing access to community living services more generally. This website offers a list of grant projects, tip sheets and survey tools.

Service providers, schools, parks departments, public health agencies and other organizations make decisions and policies that profoundly affect the health, employment, income and well-being of people with disabilities. This capacity carries the obligation to involve the people most affected by including individuals with disabilities in the decision-making process. This Practice Guideline offers suggestions on how to involve people with disabilities as active members and advisors of your group.

Moving out on your own is a big decision. There are so many issues to decide. Where to live? Who to live with? How to spend your money? In order to consent to living in a place of their own, it may be helpful for consumers to know about safety. This paper helps to create a safety plan after completing the safety checklist

This is an example of a personal support and safety plan. This document can be used with clients to determine what they hope to accomplish, design a people map and outline important and positive characteristics about themselves. The plan then focuses on support and what others need to know to provide assistance. Lastly, the plan address what is happening in life (ups and downs) and forms an action plan.