The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities
FORTY-FIVE YEARS OF HISTORY 1971-2016
October 2016 marks the 45th Anniversary of the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. A series of articles will cover this history, the work completed and accomplishments made by the Council during those forty-five years.
These articles will be released in five year segments over the next several months. This first segment provides brief background material on the advocacy and legislation that preceded the establishment of the Council.
The introductory article covers the first five years (1971-1976) of the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities (Council) with brief background material on the advocacy and legislation that preceded the establishment of the Council. Future articles will move the history along in five-year segments to bring the Council's work to the present.
The second article focuses on the Welsch case and its impact, and the Council's role in addressing Consent Decree implementation issues.
The third article covers the years 1982-1986, when a sea-change began to occur in Minnesota regarding strategies for implementing the goal of deinstitutionalization and community integration for people with developmental disabilities.
This fourth article covers the years 1987-1991, significant because a single event, a Congressional hearing on Medicaid issues and the experience of a young mother attempting to present testimony, set in motion the design and development of the Partners in Policymaking® leadership training program.
The fifth article covers the years 1992-1996 and the Council’s continuing support of the Partners in Policymaking® program, and addressing the need for employment services. As more and more individuals were leaving state institutions, the need for employment services increased as well as services to support young adults in transition from school to adulthood.
The sixth article spans the 1997–2001 time period. The Partners in Policymaking® program was growing, cultural outreach programs extended to the Native American and Hispanic communities, and the Council adopted the Baldrige Criteria as its continuous quality improvement approach in alignment with its mission.
The seventh article spans the 2002-2006 time period. A Public Opinion Poll of the state's general population, based on a 1962 survey, measured attitudinal changes regarding developmental disabilities, finding substantial and positive changes over 45 years. The Partners in Policymaking® program began its 15th year and the Council began converting the classroom program into a series of five online courses. Parallels in Time, Part 2 was released in October 2006 on the Council's 35th Anniversary, exploring a new way of thinking about home, learning, work, relationships, and community services.