Maine Developmental Disabilities Council

The Maine Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) works in partnership with people with disabilities, parents, advocates, and policymakers to promote independence, integration, and inclusion of all people with disabilities through advocacy, capacity building, and systems change throughout the state of Maine and on the national level.

The Maine Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) works in partnership with people with disabilities, parents, advocates, and policymakers to promote independence, integration, and inclusion of all people with disabilities through advocacy, capacity building, and systems change throughout the state of Maine and on the national level.

Under the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, MDDC is required to ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities of all ages and their families participate in the design of, and have access to, needed community services, individualized supports, and other forms of assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity, integration, and inclusion in all facets of family and community life. MDDC is committed to creating a Maine in which all people are valued and respected because we believe communities are stronger when everyone is included.

Disability service systems can be burdensome and inefficient. MDDC helps keep the person in the center of the systems that are there to support them.

We break down silos, streamline processes, and foster innovation and cross-agency collaboration to ensure that services are person-centered, accessible, and effective. We help bureaucracy stay focused on what matters most—the person. As the only entity that takes a quality driven, systemic approach, we bridge gaps between agencies, advocate for person-centered solutions, and drive innovation that improves outcomes for individuals with developmental disabilities.

• Improved systems for identification of children with developmental disabilities

• Innovated service delivery by paving the way for adults to direct their own services, increasing individuals’ control of their lives and achieving cost efficiency.

• Increased leadership skills in people with developmental disabilities, instilling the confidence and skills for people to be decision makers in their own lives and contributors in their communities

• Engaged stakeholders from multiple systems efforts

• Engaged brought people together representing multiple systems, families, self-advocates, and other concerned parties to reach common ground and find workable solutions on challenging systemic problems such as ensuring early intervention for young children and addressing children and adults stuck in emergency departments.

• Improved healthcare for people with developmental disabilities in Maine by increasing capacity of medical professionals and creating low cost no cost solutions to care. MDDC has received national recognition for this high impact work.

Through policy leadership, community engagement, and strategic partnerships, MDDC is shaping a future where people with developmental disabilities in Maine live self-determined lives with the support they need. When systems work better, Maine people thrive.

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