The Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council
You just want an opportunity to lead a normal life! Sounds reasonable? But, if you have a developmental disability your life may amount to a frustrating pursuit of services. We don’t think it should be that way. The Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council wants to help make sure that men, women and children who have a developmental disability fully participate in family and community life.
A Little History
In the early 1970s, Congress decided that it was in the national interest to offer people with developmental disabilities the opportunity to live in typical homes and communities, and to exercise their full rights and responsibilities. It passed the Developmental Disabilities Act which among other things established Councils in each State to help plan services and to advocate for the civil and human rights of people with developmental disabilities and their families.
Who we are, what we do
The Governor appoints the 24 Rhode Islanders serving on the Council. Most are people with developmental disabilities and their family members. Others are representatives of agencies and groups that work for people with disabilities.
Council members are men and women who have an exceptional insight into the obstacles that confront people with disabilities throughout their lives. Indeed people with disabilities face a long list of problems and issues when it comes to education, employment, transportation, housing, recreation, and health care. Working as Council we continue to discover and promote creative ways that families, service agencies and federal, state and local governments can help these historically disadvantage people to live more independent, fulfilling lives.
Promoting the ideas that will enhance the lives of people with developmental disabilities is one of the Council's missions. Under our federal enabling legislation we must stay abreast of and share information about new programs and services and important issues, trends and ideas that are of concern to people with developmental disabilities, families, service agencies, business and community leaders, legislators and policy makers. In this sense our web site connects people with the information they need to make positive changes in their lives or to develop a frame of reference for decision making.
The Council is in the process of changing its status from an agency of state government to a private, non-profit organization. Read more and comment.
Our web site News pages include feature stories from our free quarterly newsletter. The Council's annual Summer Guide lists a broad range of recreation, arts and entertainment and education programs and services for people who have a disability.
Council members and meeting schedules are listed here.
Our office is in the Warwick Medical Building in the Warwick Mall in Warwick Rhode Island. The address is 400 Bald Hill Road, Suite 515, Warwick, RI 02886. For more information about us, contact Mary Okero, Executive Director, (401) 737-1238 or email us.
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