NEWS ADVISORY

NCD #11–612
February 11, 2011
Contact: Anne Sommers
202-272-2004

WASHINGTON — On Monday, February 14, National Council on Disability (NCD) Member Marylyn Howe will join more than 500 advocates at the 2011 Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, DC to present major findings and recommendations from NCD's newest report regarding the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) and the programs the law created.

NCD will release the report on Tuesday, February 15, on its website at www.ncd.gov.

The report, titled Rising Expectations: The Developmental Disabilities Act Revisited, is the culmination of a study NCD contracted for in 2009 that researched how well the programs established by the DD Act are meeting the needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families. The report presents findings of the research and offers several recommendations to develop a more uniform national policy and improve program supports and services for people with developmental disabilities.

The 2011 Disability Policy Seminar is a collaborative effort of the Arc, United Cerebral Palsy, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, and Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered. The seminar is for registered participants only.

NCD is an independent federal agency charged with advising the President, Congress, and other federal agencies regarding policies, programs, practices, and procedures that affect people with disabilities. This mandate includes reviewing and evaluating programs established under the DD Act.