IL Council on Developmental Disabilities

05/13/2026

IDD System Redesign Coalition Summit

The IDD Systems Redesign Coalition invites self advocates, family members, providers, and allies to a Summit on May 20. Participants will learn about efforts to redesign Illinois’ IDD system.

Summit presenters will include information gathered through listening sessions and survey. The summit hosts ask attendees to “Come ready to share your story, connect with others, and help shape the future.”

Here are the details of the Summit:

May 20, 2026
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
UIC Student Services Building Conference Room
1200 W. Harrison, Chicago, IL 60607

This event is in person only. Registration is required. Space is limited. Lunch will be provided.

Here is the registration link: https://thearcofil.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/thearcofil/eventRegistration.jsp?event=201&

05/11/2026

On Friday, May 8, Mary Lazare, the Principal Deputy Administrator for the Administration on Community Living (ACL), was in Springfield, Illinois. While in Springfield, Lazare met with Tyson Bedford, Council Chair of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities and with ICDD Executive Director Kimberly Mercer-Schleider. Lazare was in Illinois to learn more about ACL initiatives, like ICDD, the Illinois Assistive Technology Program, and the Illinois Department on Aging. (In this picture, Principal Deputy Administrator of the ACL Mary Lazare (right) takes a picture with Tyson Bedford, ICDD Chair, and ICDD Director Kimberley Mercer-Schleider).

05/07/2026

The Plenary Session on Day 2 of the 2026 Arc of Illinois Convention featured Meg Cooch (left), Chief of Staff with the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities, and Kimberly Mercer-Schleider, Director of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities. Cooch and Mercer-Schleider spoke about current policy issues impacting the Illinois community and took questions from the audience.

05/05/2026

ICDD celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of people of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. This Heritage Month 2026 takes place from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 31.

Happy AANHPI Heritage Month!

Here some background and more information from the History.com Website.

https://www.history.com/articles/asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage-month

Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

05/04/2026

This is an Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities Communication from May 4, 2026. This communication includes a number of messages, including a message about SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Changes to the SNAP program as a result of Federal HR 1 went into effect on May 1. The State of Illinois has a number of resources available designed to assist people to learn about and respond to the changes. Visit this link for the full DDD Communication, which includes the SNAP Resources.

Visit this link:

As we enter Public Service Recognition Week, I want to reaffirm the Division of Developmental Disabilities' commitment to supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Illinois. Our mission remains focused on person-centered, high-quality services and consistent access to...

04/30/2026

Day One of The Arc of Illinois Convention. A photo of a panel that led a discussion about Artificial Intelligence as a support resource, and a photo of the panel that led a Plenary Session on the System Redesign Coalition.

04/28/2026

Here is information about an upcoming event that is part of the Community Webinar Series.

Webinar Title: Cross-System Strategies to Support Children with Complex Behavioral Health Conditions.

Time: May 20, 2026 2 p.m. Eastern Time

Description: Children with complex behavioral needs – and their families – face real barriers to getting effective help. This presentation unpacks the science of brain development to explain why dysrepagulated behavior happens, how it affects healthy growth, and how the brain’s natural plasticity opens doors to real, lasting change.

This Webinar will be over Zoom.

Here is a registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/mmc5ek9nTn6KvPihem4ozQ #/registration

This Webinar is presented by the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities and The Link Center -Improving Access to Mental Health Services for People with Disabilities

04/24/2026

April is Autism Acceptance Month. Here is a Facebook Post from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

In this post. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is recruiting people to submit videos under the title: The The Truth About Autism. The deadline to submit is April 30th.

04/22/2026

𝗜𝗗𝗗 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁

Registration is open for the IDD System Redesign Coalition Statewide Summit

This statewide summit will bring together self-advocates, families, providers, and allies to learn about efforts to redesign Illinois’ IDD system.

Summit presenters will include information gathered through listening sessions and a survey.

The summit hosts ask attendees to “Come ready to share your story, connect with others, and help shape the future.”

Here are the details of the Summit:

𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
𝟭𝟬:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠 - 𝟮:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠
𝗨𝗜𝗖 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺
𝟭𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗪. 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗼, 𝗜𝗟 𝟲𝟬𝟲𝟬𝟳

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸:

04/20/2026

The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities Five-Year State Plan for 2027-2031 is now open for comment.

Every Developmental Disabilities Council (DD Council) is required by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) to create a Five-Year State Plan. This plan helps guide how ICDD will use its resources, leadership, and systems change work to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families across Illinois over the next five years.

We are excited to share our 2027-2031 Five-Year State Plan for public comment. Visit this link to view the plan and for more information. Website Link:

The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities (ICDD) is excited to share its 2027-2031 Five-Year State Plan for public comment. Every Developmental Disabilities Council (DD Council) is required by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) to create a Five-Year St...

04/17/2026

Here is a recent communication from the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities about Understanding PUNS. The updated PUNS Document from DDD includes information about

What is PUNS?
Who Should Enroll?
How to Enroll?
What to Expect After Enrollment?

Here is a link to the DDD Communication:

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), is pleased to share that an updated version of Understanding PUNS (DHS 4313) is now available on the Division's website.