The District of Columbia Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC) is a Mayoral appointed body established in accordance with the mandates of the D.C. Developmental Disabilities Basic State Grant Program. The grant program is authorized by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, Public Law 106-402 (42 USC 15001), dated October 30, 2000. The DDC is an independent, community-based advisory committee funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Community Living. The Council possesses a membership of dedicated individuals with and without disabilities charged with identifying and addressing the most pressing needs of people with developmental disabilities in the DC community. The DD Council seeks to strengthen the voice of people with developmental disabilities and their families in support of greater independence, inclusion, empowerment and the pursuit of life as they choose. The DDC believes that all people are created equal and are entitled to have their legal, civil and human rights respected and protected. The DDC, which serves a culturally diverse population, is committed to upholding the aspects of the Act which mandates that “services, supports and other assistance are provided in a culturally competent manner, that individuals from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds are fully included in all activities under this Act and that greater efforts are made to recruit individuals from minority backgrounds into the field of developmental disabilities.” In addition, the DDC addresses the needs of those individuals with the severest of developmental disabilities, a population that historically has been unserved or underserved.