Tri-Agency Partnerships
The federal Administration on Developmental Disabilities funds three organizations in Hawai‘i to accomplish future choices for persons with disabilities through systems-change. These three organizations are the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Hawai‘i Disability Rights Center, and the Center on Disability Studies (CDS). These three sister-agencies work in collaborative partnerships to change systems to create more future choices for the persons with disabilities. This collaboration is accomplished through annual retreats, membership on advisory groups, and addressing common issues. For example, this past year, health disparities among persons with developmental disabilities in Hawai‘i has been a common issue of concern and attention among the three agencies. In addition, the three sister-agencies have joined with the Chief of the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Department of Health to form a collaborative that meets bimonthly to address emerging issues of concern.
