Self-Advocacy

Self-advocacy is a worldwide civil rights movement around the world that is led by and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Self-advocacy means speaking up for yourself. There are many ways to do this, such as:

Voting in elections
Taking part in your Individual Education Plan (IEP) and Individual Service Plan (ISP) meetings
Speaking at legislative hearings
Telling people what you want and how you feel

New Jersey has a strong advocacy community. This includes individual self-advocates and many local, regional, and statewide self-advocacy groups. DDD also has its own self-advocacy group called the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities Self-Advocacy Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Peer-to-Peer Networking Sessions

The DDD Office of Education on Self-Directed Services hosts Peer-to-Peer Networking Sessions. These sessions are for adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) who self-direct some or all of their DDD services or want to learn about self-direction. At these sessions, you can:

Meet other people who self-direct their services
Share resources
Talk about your experiences with self-direction

Next Peer-to-Peer Networking Session

July 15, 2026, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. – July Peer-to-Peer Networking Session

Peer EDUcation Series

Peer EDUcation Webinar Series

DDD and The Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development are partnering to offer a Peer EDUcation Series for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The Series prepares adults with IDD to help educate their peers about important disability-related topics, including:

The service system in New Jersey
Self-direction
Person-centered planning
Community resources
Self-determination

Archived Peer EDUcation Webinars

March 2025: Sharing Strengths: Peer Education and the Lived Experiences of Self-Advocates
March 2026: Speaking Up for Your Future: Self-Advocacy in the Transition Process

Self-Advocacy Advisory Committee

The DDD Self-Advocacy Advisory Committee (SAAC) started in 2019. It is a workgroup made up of adults with IDD and staff from:

The Division of Developmental Disabilities
The NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities
The Boggs Center

The Committee's goal is to keep open communication between New Jersey's self-advocacy community and DDD.

We want to make sure self-advocates are heard. The Committee works together to improve resources and education. They also create ways for people who use DDD-funded services to get involved and share their input.

For more information about SAAC meetings, contact Ashley.Ritchey@dhs.nj.gov, Family & Advocate Education Liaison.

2026 Meeting Schedule – quarterly Tuesdays, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.