Developmental Disabilities

Rhode Island Contacts

State Agency Responsible for Providing Services to the Developmentally Disabled

The Division of Developmental Disabilities is responsible for planning, providing, and administering supports for adults in Rhode Island with developmental disabilities and their families by safeguarding the well-being of people with developmental disabilities and protecting them from abuse, neglect and mistreatment; ensuring equitable access to, and allocation of available resources; and enhancing the quality of support so that people with disabilities can identify and move toward personal futures of inclusion and participation in community life. For information on who is eligible for services or for more information about the services provided call or write:

State Agency Responsible for Overseeing Employment Opportunities for the Developmentally Disabled

The Office of Rehabilitation Services Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program is the public state and federally funded program that assists individuals with disabilities to choose, prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment. The goal of this program is that "Employment being the successful outcome of services provided through the public vocational rehabilitation program." The eligible individual with a disability and a qualified vocational rehabilitation counselor work together to develop an employment plan called the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). This plan considers the individual's unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, skills, abilities, preferences, capabilities, interests, and values, as well as the barriers to employment. To learn more about the Vocational Rehabilitation Program, write or call:

Competitive Employment

The Office of Rehabilitation Services is an active partner in collaborating with the Department of Mental Health, Retardation, and Hospitals and private, non-profit vendors of supported employment services to provide efficient and effective services leading to integrated, competitive employment. Individuals have a job with a community employer and receive periodic publicly funded assistance, training and support aimed at securing employment and/or improving job skills.

Health and Safety

Using a free consultation service largely funded by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers can find out about potential hazards at their worksites and improve their occupational safety and health management systems. Primarily targeted for smaller businesses, this safety and health consultation program is completely separate from the OSHA inspection effort.

The Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Rhode Island Area Office provides safety and health protections to most private sector workers and state and local government employees within the state. OSHA investigates complaints about workplace safety and health hazards.

Reporting Abuse and Neglect

People can report abuse, neglect, and exploitation of Rhode Island's vulnerable or incapacitated adults at the state's hotline: 1-401-462-2629.

Protection and Advocacy

Another advocacy source is the Rhode Island Governor's Commission on Disabilities. The Commission's objective is to ensure that all people with disabilities are afforded the opportunities to exercise all the rights and responsibilities accorded to citizens of this state and each person with a disability is able to reach his/her maximum potential in independence, human development, productivity, and self-sufficiency.

The mission of the Rhode Island Disability Law Center is to assist people with differing abilities in their efforts to achieve full inclusion in society and to exercise their civil and human rights through the provision of legal advocacy. The Center provides free legal assistance to persons with disabilities. Services include individual representation to protect rights or to secure benefits and services; self-help information; educational programs; and administrative and legislative advocacy.