The Indiana Governor's Council for People with Developmental Disabilities is an independent state agency established under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act) and Indiana Code 4-23-29. The Council receives an annual allotment from the Administration on Community Living (ACL), a division of Health and Human Services, of roughly $1.5 million as an investment in the State to advance the rights and inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) in the community.

The Council serves to engage in advocacy, capacity building, and systems change activities that advance the DD Act in the state. State Councils on Developmental Disabilities are federally funded self-governing organizations charged with identifying the most pressing needs of people with developmental disabilities in their state or territory. Councils are committed to advancing public policy and systems change that help these individuals gain more control over their lives.

The fifty-six Councils across the United States and its territories work to address identified needs by conducting advocacy, systems change, and capacity building efforts that promote self-determination, integration, and inclusion. Key activities include conducting outreach, providing training and technical assistance, removing barriers, developing coalitions, encouraging citizen participation, and keeping policymakers informed about disability issues.

The work of the Council should contribute to coordinated, consumer and family centered and directed systems of community services, individualized supports, and other assistance to help people with ID/DD exercise self-determination, independence, productivity, and be integrated and included in all facets of community life.

To meet its federal mandate, the Council develops a Five-Year State Plan that outlines how the Council will support advocacy, capacity building, and systems change for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families. The State Plan serves as the road map for navigating the social, political, and economic environment. The State Plan is a living document predicated on the values, vision, and mission espoused in the DD Act and adopted by the Council, and serves to address the service gaps and needs identified by community members that prohibit the advancement of people with ID/DD.