The summit, which will features presentations from leading provider agency staff members from across the country who currently offer individualized and flexible support, will include discussions on how to make progressive services available more broadly and how the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities can support needed changes to the system.
“Across the country there are agencies offering individualized, responsive supports to people with disabilities but we are a long way from making access to these types of services a reality for most, or even a significant portion of, people with cognitive and developmental disabilities,” Nancy Weiss, a researcher in UD's Center for Disabilities Studies and co-director of the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities, said.
More than 40 people have been invited to participate in the meeting, including people with disabilities, family members of people with disabilities, directors and staff of progressive provider agencies in the country, policy and funding experts, people involved in assuring the quality of support and services, government officials and heads of professional and advocacy organizations.
The summit is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Developmental Disabilities. The white paper developed as an outcome of this meeting will be available on the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities web site [www.nlcdd.org] by fall 2007.
The mission of the Center for Disabilities Studies is to enhance the lives of individuals and families in Delaware through education, prevention, service and research related to disabilities. The center promotes independence and productivity so individuals and families can fully participate in the life of the community.
For more information about the summit, call (302) 831-3150, or e-mail [tlm@udel.edu].