Councils respond to the pandemic

As news of the COVID-19 pandemic grew and states began implementing containment measures in March 2020 and beyond, State Councils on Developmental Disabilities (Councils) across the country responded quickly. Their focus was, and continues to be, on ensuring people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families have access to critical information needed to stay safe and healthy, that healthcare and community service systems treat them fairly and equally, and that resources and supports are available.

With no time to waste, Councils pivoted to focus a lot of their time on this crisis. They leveraged a multitude of partnerships, staff and member expertise, and fiscal resources to implement a wide array of activities and strategies. This has included outreach, information and education, resources to help communities respond, demonstration projects to support capacity building and inform systems change, and policy advocacy.

As established in the DD Act, Councils were well-positioned to respond to the critical emerging issues described in this report.1

Click to open the COVID-19 report on Council activities, initiatives, and impact