NLCDD Bulletin

This issue of the NLCDD Bulletin explores what it means to lead beyond the disability service system in this time of increasing complexity, pressure, and potential opportunity. Across the articles, authors invite readers to look beyond traditional service boundaries and consider how safety, belonging, workforce stability, and whole-life outcomes are shaped not only by programs, but by relationships, policies, and leadership choices.

This issue of the Bulletin explores the opportunities and complexities that come with using technology in the disability service sector, digging into the ethical responsibility of using tech to enable people using supports, rather than control, coerce, or circumvent them. Authors highlight the wonderful things that come with using technology, such as increasing autonomy and control that people have in their lives, and warn about the challenges that come with using technology in place of people.

How can leaders brace themselves for dramatic changes in policy, government agencies, and funding? This issue of the Bulletin explains how federal policy is made, offers strategies for how to become more informed about policy changes, and presents tools and resources that are useful for advocacy and lobbying. Learn how to adjust with the changing times.

People with IDD experience high incidences of mental health conditions and behavioral support needs than people without IDD but research shows they may not receive needed care from community providers. This issue of the Bulletin explores the gap between support needs and availability and access, successes and challenges across the system related to these dual needs, mental health support for direct support workers and family members, and highlights of impactful leaders and leadership related to mental health supports across the IDD sector.

There is an overwhelming need for innovative support and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, however, every year thousands of nonprofits fail within their first 10 years, often leaving the people they were supporting in need. The reality is that nonprofit and for-profit sectors have a lot to teach each other about leadership and management. In this issue of the Bulletin, we explore business acumen, or the leadership skills needed to make organizations work well and the challenges faced by those leading disability service organizations.

This issue of the Bulletin highlights international innovations, research, and issues to increase readers’ awareness of similarities and differences in the disability field around the world. The issue is filled with insights, evidence-based practices, and recommendations to improve the lives of people with disabilities around the world. Explore and learn lessons in this issue from other countries that can help service delivery at home.

Systems change is a long-term process that requires a balance between working within the system, changing the sys­tem, and replacing the system. What elements are working? What elements need to be eliminated? What elements need to be changed? We have had many successes in changing our system, but we have a lot of work left. In this Issue of the Bulletin, we hear from leaders across the system and look at the many ways that this work of strat­egizing and pulling levers is being done already.

Being anti-ableist comes in many forms, and essentially, it’s about the work people do to actively address and reduce implicit bias and discrimination against people with disabilities. This issue includes a range of perspectives on ableism and anti-ableist practices, both from people with lived experiences and people who do this work alongside people with disabilities. We hope this issue will challenge you, make you (at least a bit) uncomfortable, and offer you practical tools and actionable strategies that you can implement to become more anti-ableist.

Systemic, societal, and attitudinal barriers have led to lack of health equity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This Issue of the Bulletin, Leading the Way to Health Equity, explores the many complex facets of barriers to health equity and highlights some of the bright spots related to innovations and initiatives aimed at combating this inequity. This issue aims to offer a better understanding of the movements and models that brought us to where we are now, the current quality of healthcare for many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and the many ways that we can work to improve access to and quality of healthcare, supports, and services.