About the NJ ADD Network

The federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act establishes three separate entities that complement each others efforts in promoting “self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life” for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

In each state, the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) Network, as these three entities are known, is comprised of:

• a University Center of Excellence for Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service, which provides community and student training and technical assistance, conducts research, and disseminates information to a wide variety of stakeholders

• a Council on Developmental Disabilities, which engages in advocacy and capacity building

• a Protection and Advocacy system, which protects the legal and human rights of individuals with developmental disabilities.

The three partner agencies that make up the New Jersey ADD (NJ ADD) Network are The Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD), and Disability Rights New Jersey (DRNJ). The NJ ADD Network is working collaboratively to address the shared priorities of cultural competence (coordinated by The Boggs Center), self-advocacy (coordinated by NJCDD), and emergency preparedness (coordinated by DRNJ) for people with disabilities and their families.