Intellectual Disabilities

On June 2, 2022 20 citizen members were sworn in as members of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID). The PCPID is now preparing for it's first public committee meeting on Thursday, July 28, 2022 from 12:00 p.m. to to 4:00 p.m. ET. Comments and suggestions from people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are strongly encouraged. Comments received by June 30, 2022 will be shared with the PCPID at the July meeting.

The Arc has annouced their new Virtual Program Library that includes free, on-demand activities for people with disabilities, their familes and service providers. The library features resources related to the arts, community and life skills, health and wellness and more.

The CDC has provided a new COVID-19 resource on their website for people with intellectual and development disabilities. This resource was developed by the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) to provide individuals with low literacy and their caregivers information on how to stay safe during the pandemic. The virtual resource explains vaccinations, COVID-19 testing, handwashing, mask-wearing and social distancing through videos and visual storytelling.

This report is the second in a series of publications from the MLTSS Institute. There are unique challenges in implementing a managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS) program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The report provides context on the intersection of program design and participant advocacy and outlines successful strategies for both states and health plans. It also highlights promising practices from MLTSS programs delivering I/DD services.

This report describes the current state of the direct support professionals (DSP) workforce as a crisis. DSPs promote participation in the U.S. economy, and yet the average DSP wage is $10.72, most work two or three jobs, and the average annual DSP turnover rate is 45%. This report explores how these issues affect individuals, families, and human services systems; the factors that contribute to these issues; and promising practices to strengthen the direct support workforce.