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| The Arc is more than a thriftstore. But you
can get a good bargain. |
What are Developmental Disabilities?
Simply put, a developmental disability is a disability that occurred before the person reached adulthood, and the disability is severe enough to interfere with the person’s development.
20% of people in the US have some sort of disability (physical, sensory, mental,
learning, brain injury and many disabilities that are invisible), and almost eight million Americans need assistance with daily living tasks like dressing, eating, toileting, or housekeeping. Most people will experience some form of disability, either permanent or temporary, over the course of their lives. Given this reality, if disability were more commonly recognized and expected in the way that we design our environments or our systems, it would not seem so abnormal. The definition of disability has changed from a model that regards it as a deficiency that must be fixed by a professional, to defining the problem as the environment/society’s inability/unwillingness to include people with disabilities in community life. (The Center for an Accessible Society)
A Definition of "Developmental Disability"
is contained in the
Developmental Disabilities Act:
"A 'developmental disability' is a severe, chronic disability of a person five years of age or older which - is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental or physical impairments; is manifested before the person attains age twenty-two; is likely to continue indefinitely; results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity: A) self-care, B) receptive and expressive language, C) learning, D) mobility, E) self-direction, F) capacity for independent living, and G) economic self-sufficiency…."
The State of New Mexico’s Definition of Developmental Disability:
1. |
The individual has a developmental disability, defined as a severe chronic disability, other than mental illness, that: |
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a. |
is attributable to a mental or physical impairment, including the result of trauma to the brain, or a combination of mental and physical impairments; |
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b. |
is manifested before the person reaches the age of twenty-two years; |
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c. |
is expected to continue indefinitely; |
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d. |
results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity |
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i. |
self-care; |
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ii. |
receptive adn expressive language; |
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iii. |
learning; |
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iv. |
mobility; |
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v. |
self-direction; |
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vi. |
capacity for independent living; |
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vii. |
economic self-sufficiency; and, |
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e. |
reflects the person’s need for a combination and sequence of special or interdisciplinary treatment, generic or other support and services that are of lifelong or extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated. |
2. |
The individual also has mental retardation or a specific related condition, limited to cerebral palsy, autism (including Asperger’s Syndrome), seizure disorders, chromosomal disorders (e.g. Down Syndrome), syndrome disorders, inborn errors of metabolism, and developmental disorders of brain formation. |
3. |
The individual must also require the level of care provided in an Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded (ICF-MR); and,
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4. |
meet all other applicable financial and non-financial eligibility requirements. |
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