Advocacy Institute Hero

Apply now for the 2025 Advocacy Institute!

Are you a self-advocate or a family member who is NEW to advocacy and wants to learn more?
About the Council
Advocacy. Innovation. Inclusion.
Mission

The mission of the New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) is to enhance the lives of New Yorkers with Developmental Disabilities and their families through programs that promote self-advocacy, participation, and inclusion in all facets of community life.

National Reach

NYS CDD is one of 56 state councils on developmental disabilities in the U.S. and its territories created through the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act). 

Council Membership

The Governor appoints members of the Council to facilitate the distribution of Federal funds available to New York State. By Federal law, at least 60% of the members of the Council must be people with developmental disabilities, or family members of people with developmental disabilities. 

What's Happening

Are you a self-advocate or a family member who is new to advocacy and wants to learn more? Apply for the CDD’s Advocacy Institute, a one-day, interactive workshop in Albany to help you learn to tell your story so people will listen. 

Deadline to apply is June 30th.

To develop the CDD’s new State Plan for 2027-2031, we are collecting input from people with developmental disabilities (DD), their family members and caregivers, and others impacted by our work. This survey should take about 5-10 minutes to complete and is available in English, Spanish, Bengali, Simplified Chinese, and other languages upon request.

The survey will be open until June 13, 2025.