Who We Are

Our purpose is to assure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families participate in and have access to needed community services, individualized supports and other forms of assistance that promote independence, productivity, integration and inclusion in all facets of community life.

State Councils on Developmental Disabilities operate under Public Law 106–402, 106th Congress: The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 work to address identified needs for individuals with Developmental Disabilities and their families.

Click here to download the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000

Click here to download the Spanish translation of the DD Act.

la traducción en español de La ley de Discapacidades del Desarrollo, “DD Act” (por sus iniciales en inglés).

For more information, visit the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 page of the ACL website.

Our Vision

We envision a world in which the choices for persons with disabilities are not limited by others, in which persons with disabilities have choices about all aspects of their lives, in which their choices are respected and supported; a world without limits.

Key Beliefs

All people have value and ability.

Every person can make a contribution. People are free to live, work, learn and play in society.

We must always challenge one another to do better.

There is dignity in taking risks and value in making mistakes.

Who We Work For

The Wyoming Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities advocates for the independence and inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in Wyoming.

What is a Developmental Disability?

Under state law, a developmental disability is defined as a list of conditions: brain injury, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, Prader-Willi syndrome and/or intellectual disability. The condition must be permanent. Because the Council is funded in part by the federal government, it uses the federal definition of developmental disability. The federal definition is based on the level of need, not the underlying condition. Under federal law, a developmental disability is a severe, chronic disability caused by a mental or physical impairment, or both. The impairment must:

• • occur before a person’s 22nd birthday

  • result in serious limitations in three of the following areas:

    1. self-care;

    2. receptive and expressive language;

    3. learning;

    4. mobility;

    5. self-direction;

    6. capacity for independent living; and

    7. economic self-sufficiency, and

create a need for lifelong services and supports.