About the Case for Inclusion
Since 2006, the Case for Inclusion has been a leading source for data and policy recommendations regarding the effectiveness of state Medicaid programs in serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. The most comprehensive report of its kind, the Case for Inclusion gives lawmakers, advocates and other disability champions a sense of the scope of the challenges we face—a necessary first step to creating a roadmap for how to drive progress in the states to ensure that people with IDD can live, work and thrive in the community.
About Our Key Publications
The Case for Inclusion is all about drawing connections between data that illustrate key challenges and solutions that make meaningful improvements in quality of life for people with IDD.
In addition to the data and advocacy tools found on this website, the Case for Inclusion draws these connections through three different types of publications:
- Key Findings Reports: Published annually from 2006 until early 2024, these reports highlight new data made available over the past year, plus policy solutions to pursue in the year to come. These reports offer detailed insights about the challenges facing the IDD service delivery system, as well as recommendations for what all branches and levels of government can do to alleviate these challenges. The final Key Findings report was published in March 2024. Moving forward, this resource will be replaced with two distinct resources: Data Snapshots and Advocacy Blueprints.
- Data Snapshots: Beginning in late 2024, updated data are added to the Case for Inclusion website and featured in Data Snapshots, shorter, more targeted reports that offer timely insights about trends within IDD services.
- Advocacy Blueprints: Whereas Data Snapshots give texture to the challenges facing people with IDD to live a life without limits in their homes and communities, Advocacy Blueprints outline what federal and state governments can do to move the needle on key challenges, as well as what advocates can do to bring those solutions to fruition.
About United Cerebral Palsy
The mission of United Cerebral Palsy is to be an indispensable resource for people with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Making its 75th anniversary this year, UCP has 55 affiliates (53 in the U.S. and two in Canada) that provide a wide range of services annually to more than 150,000 children and adults, including resources and referrals, advocacy, research, educational instruction, early intervention, physical therapy, job training, integrated employment, home and community-based services, recreational opportunities and housing assistance. UCP also advocates for direct support professionals (DSPs) and other direct care workers, and is committed to the idea that all people with disabilities should be treated as equal members of an inclusive society so they can "live life without limits."
About ANCOR
For more than 50 years, ANCOR (American Network of Community Options and Resources) has been a leading advocate for the critical role service providers play in enriching the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Acknowledgments
The production of various Case for Inclusion reports and accompanying data and advocacy resources would not be possible without the meaningful contributions of so many. UCP and ANCOR owe a debt of gratitude to the lead author of this report, Lydia Dawson, as well as several of our respective organizations’ team members. From ANCOR, we extend our gratitude to Elise Aguilar, Noah Block, André Floyd, Sean Luechtefeld, Tom Rice and Alli Strong-Martin. From UCP, we are grateful for Armando Contreras and James Garcia, whose leadership and contributions have been invaluable.
We are deeply grateful for the professionals who comprise the Case for Inclusion 2024 Steering Committee, including Colleen Crispino, UCP of Long Island; Angela Easter, UCP of Georgia; Lori Opiela, UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago; Grey Persons, Hope House Foundation; Katie Slade, Exceptional Persons, Inc.; and Jared Weekly, Sunny Oaks, Inc.
We also deeply appreciate the thought leadership of the researchers and practitioners that collect and analyze the sources of data on which Case for Inclusion insights are drawn. These data sources include the Residential Systems Information Project at the University of Minnesota; KFF’s State Health Facts; National Core Indicators, a project of the Human Services Research Institute and the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services; State of the States at the University of Kansas; and ThinkWork! State Data from the Institute on Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.
Finally, we don’t know where we’d be without the creativity and expertise of several consultants and partners who contribute to the Case for Inclusion. Special thanks to Erin Dennis and Claire Murchison from BerlinRosen for supporting communications and outreach; to Karyn Baskette of Yondee Designs for her beautiful graphic design work; and to Michael Walker and Jason Melancon of Data Made Useful for developing many of the helpful tools found on this website.
Contact Us
If you have questions about the Case for Inclusion, including inquiries about the report, this website and/or the data included herein, please contact Lydia Dawson via email.