The Council on Developmental Disabilities Inc

The Council on Developmental Disabilities serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities from birth to the end of life. We provide services to individuals for a lifetime. Our mission and resources focus on lifelong education, empowerment and support of our constituents with disabilities and their families. We serve individuals with Down Syndrome, autism-spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders and co-occurring disabilities. The Council supports families as they seek services and programs for family members with disabilities, serving often as a broker and advocate when families encounter roadblocks or when pieces of the service system break down.

We focus on:

• Providing resources and information to parents and families. The Council offers a six-week leadership development program for parents, empowering them to advocate successfully on behalf of their children. We provide training on special education laws, Individualized Education Plans and principles of advocacy.
• Supporting families through our Family Outreach program with a variety of programming (Art Expressions, Healthy Family, Sibling Outreach Support) and events (Family Movie Night, Spring Carnival and our fall Family Fun Fest).
• Developing leadership and delivering training for all constituents — people with disabilities, parents and families, service providers and the public. We provide specialized training to families on the Medicaid waiver system, financial planning for the future, and guardianship.
• Advocating to prevent the abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disabilities. We work to initiate changes in laws and regulations that improve public policies, funding and perceptions of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 
• Providing an inclusive visual arts venue - Weber Gallery - that brings together professional artists and artists with disabilities for joint exhibits at our office and gallery space in Old Louisville.