IDD

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.

This research brief synthesizes the latest available information and research relating to the mistreatment of adults with disabilities (AWD). This brief addresses the intersection of AWD and elder mistreatment and provides information about risk factors, national survey findings, intimate partner violence (IPV), adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), barriers to reporting and help-seeking, and recommendations for intervention.

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is observed every March to hightlight diversity, raise awareness about inclusion, and strengthen communities. The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) has announced the theme for March 2022 as "Worlds Imagined," to emphasize intersectionality and encourage exploration and collaboration among the community.

ACL is announcing two new grants to University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDDs) including Community-Based Transitions Planning and Implementation Grants and a National Training Initiative to Support People with IDD Experiencing Co-Occurring Mental/Behavioral Health Issues.

CMS is inviting states to participate in a Medicaid learning collaborative. The learning collaborative is an opportunity for states to develop new solutions and identify promising practices to improve the delivery of supports and services for people with I/DD and their aging caregivers. The collaborative will consist of six monthly virtual learning sessions between November 2021 and April 2022.

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.

On Monday, July 12, 2021 three ACL grantees released a digital book titled, 30 Years of Community Living for Individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities. The book shares personal perspectives on community living and inclusion shared by people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) who served as advisors to the project. The book was written by the directors of three longitudinal studies funded by ACL’s Projects of National Significance program.

In honor of Pride month, ACL has published a blog post highlighting the experiences of LGBTQ+ people with disabilities and the challeges many face in advocating for equity and inclusion. The blog post also outlines the various measures ACL has taken to ensure the diverse needs of the community are met, specficially for individuals with IDD.

The Rehabilitation Research Training Center (RRTC) on home and community-based services (HCBS) recently shared their Spring 2021 newsletter titled HCBS Quality Matters. The newsletter provides an inside look at the RRTC’s work and the HCBS studies on which they collaborate. The Spring 2021 edition highlights the needs of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) and includes stories on health disparities, employment, and person-centered planning.