Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council (PADDC)

11/02/2026

📢 If you are having disability-related voting issues tomorrow, call Disability Rights Pennsylvania. It is working with Election Protection on November 3 and will be available all day through it's intake number at 800-692-7443, or you can call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). Call for advice on your voting rights or to report issues.

Tomorrow is Election Day!

If you haven't sent back your mail-in ballot, don't put it in the mail! Take it directly to your county elections office or ballot drop box. You cannot return your completed mail-in ballot at your regular polling place. Your ballot must be received by 8:00 p.m. on November 3. Check with your county elections office for return locations and hours.

If you have a disability and cannot get to one of these locations, you can use a designated agent to return your ballot by filling out an authorization form and having that person carry it with them when returning your ballot on your behalf.

Requested a mail-in ballot but now want to vote in person? If you haven't returned your mail-in ballot, you can bring your ballot and outer return envelope to your polling place, surrender them, and vote a regular ballot. If you don't have both, you can request a provisional ballot, which will be reviewed to determine whether it can be counted.

If you are voting in person, make sure you know your polling location. If you find accessibility issues, please contact us.

For self-advocacy tools, designated agent information, and other voting resources, visit our voting resources page here:
https://www.disabilityrightspa.org/resources/

Things to remember:
📌 You can have someone help you! As a person with a disability, you can choose someone to assist you in filling out your ballot as long as they are not your employer, the judge of elections, an agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of your union.

📌 You have the right to vote! Don't let red tape, confusion, or accessibility barriers get in the way of exercising your right to vote.

📌 You can call for help! If you are having disability-related voting issues, call us.

DRP is working with Election Protection on November 3 and will be available all day through our intake number at 800-692-7443, or you can call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). Call for advice on your voting rights or to report issues.

11/02/2026

The part of the interim final rule that imposed a limitation that the individual’s ‘physical, mental, or other behavioral health condition significantly impairs the individual’s ability to comply with the community engagement requirement’ is beyond the powers of Centers for Medicaid Services the new ruling says. Under the ruling, people will only need to show that they qualify for one of the five “medically frail” categories that Congress specified.

In what advocates are hailing as a win, a federal judge is tossing a requirement that many people with disabilities prove they are unable to work in order to remain eligible for Medicaid.

11/02/2026

It is National Family Caregivers Month -- Caregivers deserve to be seen, appreciated, and heard. Caregivers contribute every day to the health and wellbeing of the people they care for - sons, daughters, mom or dad, other family... yet their contributions and needs are too often overlooked. They provide essential care, manage complex medical needs, and help their loved ones maintain their health and wellbeing.

11/02/2026

Our colleagues at Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, College of Education have opened applications for Competence and Confidence: Partners in Policymaking—C2P2. This is a great opportunity for Pennsylvania family members of school-age children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and/or autism and Pennsylvania adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and/or autism!

C2P2 2027 applications are open!

Build your leadership and advocacy skills while learning how to create change for people with disabilities!

📅 Applications close at 5 pm on Wednesday, November 18, 2026

💻 The hybrid program runs January-September 2027, with eight required sessions.

🔗 Learn more and apply on our website: https://buff.ly/TFNq0Jh

10/30/2026

News About the Waiting List --- Governor Shapiro’s Administration announced that the emergency waiting list for intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) waiver services has decreased by 2,742 people (40%) since February 2024. Additionally, five counties—Clarion, Forest, Lawrence, Potter, and Warren—have eliminated their emergency waiting lists entirely.

Shapiro Administration Reduces Emergency Waitlist for ID/A Services by More Than 2,700 Individuals in Unprecedented Commitment to Serving Pennsylvanians with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism

10/28/2026

Very important voting information!!

Did you know? If you have a disability, you may designate someone in writing to return your mail ballot for you. Learn more about accessible voting in Pennsylvania: vote.pa.gov/AccessibleVoting

10/28/2026

Webinar alert for a webinar this afternoon at 4 pm. See more information below!

Webinar Alert!

Understanding Community Living and Action Steps for State Advocates

October 28th

4:00 PM ET

Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/NjM6vHgMQyGn61VreN5Eeg #/registration

With the current federal landscape bringing attention to the rights of people with disabilities living in their communities, there are multiple actions advocates can take to make community living and inclusion a way of life.

As a part of its Home Sweet Home campaign, NACDD is hosting a webinar with leaders who have lived experience and subject matter experts. The webinar will focus on understanding community living and what state advocates can do to ensure that community living and inclusion become the way of life for people with developmental disabilities in local communities.

10/27/2026

Every polling place in Pennsylvania must have at least one accessible voting system. Voters can look up the accessible voting system that their county uses and view a demo of how it works. Find your county here: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/vote/voter-support/voting-system-demos

10/27/2026

What a great new resource, shared by Vision For Equality - The Caregiver Dental Hub. The Hub was developed by Penn Dental Medicine for family caregivers, direct support professionals and others that support those with disabilities who may need extra support during dental visits.

Attention Caregivers! There is a NEW Caregiver Dental Hub, the first university-affiliated national resource dedicated to supporting caregivers who provide daily oral care for individuals with disabilities. Visit the hub today: https://caregiverdentalhub.org/

CaregiverDentalHub.org offers instructional videos, caregiver stories, expert demonstrations, and practical resources on topics such as choosing oral health products, preventing tooth decay, making healthier food choices, communicating with dental professionals, safe positioning techniques, and reducing stress during daily brushing and mouth care routines.

Visitors to the site learn directly from dentists, dental hygienists, caregivers, and other professionals through real-world demonstrations and conversations designed to answer common caregiver questions. Another feature of CaregiverDentalHub.org is its directory of disability-friendly dentists experienced in treating patients who may need special accommodations.

The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, with support from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, launched the Caregiver Dental Hub.

10/27/2026

From the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and others, there is a newly updated Guide to Disability Voting Rights. It details the rights of people with autism, intellectual disability, mental health issues and other cognitive disabilities. Go to:https://www.bazelon.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2026-Voter-Guide-final.pdf