2026 DD Council Training and Technical Assistance Institute

Annually, a training and technical assistance institute is planned in partnership and collaboration with the Administration for Community Living, Administration on Disabilities, Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities staff.

A planning committee has worked to prepare sessions that will assist Council staff and members as they conduct strategic planning efforts, recruit Council members, and engage people through positive social media practices to impact people with developmental disabilities and their families in their State or Territory.

Please see the dates, times and scheduled topics for the 2026 event.

Session 1: Administration on Disabilities, Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (OIDD) Federal Updates Session
Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Session description: Leaders and staff from the Administration on Disabilities (AoD), Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (OIDD), will share updates about current federal programs and priorities.

Session 2: ACL Operational Drivers – Scalability and Speed
Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Session description: Participants will explore factors to determine if a Council-funded project can and should be scaled. Whether scaling a project within the state to more areas, replicating a project or activity started by one Council and used in another state, or sustaining a project, scalability can help achieve positive outcomes more quickly. Three scaling paths will be reviewed.

Session 3: Strategy to Impact: Transitioning to a New 5-Year State Plan
Thursday, April 30, 2026, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Session description: Participants will explore best practices when closing out one plan and transitioning to a new plan. Topics will include closing out the current 5-Year State Plan intentionally, celebrating achievements and contributions, creating a clear bridge between plans, and communicating clearly and often. Examples of applied practices will be shared.

Session 4: Strategy to Impact: Communicating Results
Thursday, April 30, 2026, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Session description: Information to help Councils clearly explain what changed because of their work will be shared. Participants will learn how to share results in simple, easy-to-understand ways so policymakers, partners, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), and their families understand what the Council does and why it matters.

Session 5: Strategy to Impact: Effective Governance Best Practices
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Session description: This session will review governance practices that support a Council-led, staff-supported structure. Participants will discuss clear roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes. A self-assessment checklist and Council-Staff Roles one-pager will be provided.

Session 6: Strategy to Impact: Prioritizing Strategic Policy Engagement
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Session description: Councils face many policy issues each year. This session will help participants identify which policy issues to prioritize and how to focus their education efforts where they can have the greatest impact, based on their State Plan goals, the identified needs in their state, and overall feasibility. A policy issue screening checklist and engagement flowchart will be shared.

Please complete the form below to register for the 2026 DD Council Training and Technical Assistance Institute. You will receive an email confirmation via email for your records. Your confirmation email will contain the link to the respective session Zoom link for the session(s) you have selected.