Since 1987, March has been designated Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in the US. This month recognizes individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and the barriers they face.

It also highlights their achievements and celebrates the progress made toward inclusiveness, understanding, equity, and advocacy in communities, workplaces, and schools.

This month we can all do our part to welcome individual diversity and further our successes toward a more inclusive community for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Even if you are not one of the millions of Americans affected by IDD, here is why celebrating and advocating for this population matters:

What are Intellectual Disabilities?

According to the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Inclusion, IDDs are usually present at birth and affect the individual’s physical, intellectual, and/or emotional development. The specific cause of most developmental disabilities is unknown and is thought to result from an interaction between genetic, environmental, and social factors, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

Intellectual disability starts any time before a child turns 18 and is characterized by problems with intellectual functioning and intelligence. It includes learning, reasoning, and problem-solving, which typically impacts social and life skills.

Developmental disabilities are a broader category of often lifelong disabilities that can be intellectual, physical, or both. Examples of developmental disabilities include autism, learning disabilities, brain injury, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, epilepsy, sensory and language disabilities, and spina bifida.

What is the prevalence of intellectual and developmental disabilities?

The Institute for Exceptional Care reports that nearly 5%, or 16 million Americans, live with an intellectual or developmental disability today. In the United States, about 1 in 6 children have a developmental disability, according to the CDC. During 2019—2021, the prevalence of any diagnosed developmental disability in children aged three —17 years increased from 7.40% to 8.56% (CDC). The number of children diagnosed with developmental disabilities has been increasing all around the world in the past decades, attributable to improved awareness and identification of developmental disabilities, increased access to healthcare services, and changes in diagnostic criteria, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The impact of advocacy

Multiple studies show that early and individualized intervention leads to opportunities to enhance developmental outcomes and quality of life. Mainstreaming children with IDD provides a natural, real-world environment where important life skills are learned through observation and imitation and contribute to children reaching their full potential, greatest possible independence, and opportunity to contribute in adulthood.

It was not until the 1960s, under President John F Kennedy, that the basic rights of institutionalized persons with IDD were recognized. It took another 15 years for the horrific living conditions of institutionalized people with intellectual disabilities to be exposed when media outlets and TV personalities like Geraldo Rivera brought their reporting to the general public. The exposure compelled legislators to impose legal interventions to end previously accepted inhumane treatment practices. It was not until 2000 that the US Bill of Rights was amended to include that care would be “free of abuse, neglect, sexual and financial exploitation, and violations of legal and human rights and that subject individuals with developmental disabilities to no greater risk of harm than others in the general population.” Because of the work of advocates continuing to drive public policy during the past 20-30 years, today, people with intellectual disabilities have choice in where they live, learn, work, and play.

Here are some ways you can advocate for persons with IDD and their families:

• Educators use this month to raise awareness of developmental disabilities among your student bodies by highlighting the achievements of people with disabilities. Create opportunities to encourage open conversations about inclusion and respect for individual differences. Assign reading, read stories to younger children, and watch films that include characters with developmental disabilities.

• Help youngsters connect with persons with developmental disabilities by making them aware of influential figures through history with developmental disabilities — the list is long and includes just for starters: scientist Albert Einstein, actors Tom Cruise and Chris Burke, athlete Magic Johnson, and entrepreneur Collette Divitto, emphasize how these persons have overcome adversity and used their diversity for success.

• Community organizations can invite guest speakers with disabilities, organize fundraising events for disability organizations, and use the month to evaluate the inclusivity of your organization.

• Become part of the mission to support persons with IDD and their families by joining an advocacy organization like an Arc, whose advocacy is focused on the rights and supporting full inclusion of people with IDD in the community. There are 6 Arc’s that make up the Arc Coalition of Wayne County, and likely one in your community. If you live outside of Wayne County, contact The Arc Michigan. Contact The Arc of The United States if you live outside of Michigan.

About the author, Carol Zuniga, MS, CEO of Hegira Health, Inc. has nearly 40 years’ experience in the behavioral healthcare industry. A Limited Licensed Psychologist in Michigan for 35 years, she was recognized in 2020 by Crains Detroit as a Leading Woman in Healthcare. Hegira Health, Inc., a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), is a leading provider of behavioral healthcare services with clinic locations in southeast Michigan.