Federal Budget May Affect Programs that Serve Georgians with Disabilities

The proposed federal budget could end funding that supports services and protections for over 170,000 Georgians with developmental disabilities. The Developmental Disabilities (DD) Network in Georgia, which consists of Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), and Developmental Disabilities (DD) Councils, including the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD), faces potential funding cuts or elimination of programs.

These proposed reductions, combined with Medicaid cuts could end essential services that allow people with disabilities to live, learn, work, and thrive in their own communities.

The President’s requested Health and Human Services budget proposes cuts for:

• The Georgia Advocacy Office, which protects the legal and human rights of people with disabilities.
• Two University Centers for Excellence, the Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) at Georgia State University (GSU) and the Institute on Human Development and Disability (IHDD) at the University of Georgia (UGA), which provide research, training, and community-engagement.

Each agency plays a unique role in supporting the lives of Georgians with disabilities.

“The strength of the DD Network is in our collective impact—whether that’s helping children leave nursing homes, preventing abuse and neglect, or empowering families with the tools they need to thrive,” said Ruby Moore, Executive Director of the Georgia Advocacy Office. “I can’t imagine a Georgia without these supports in place.”

Without these services, individuals with disabilities could face more institutionalization, fewer legal protections, reduced educational and employment opportunities, and an increased risk of harm. These proposed cuts could set back progress of the work of the DD Network and shift higher costs to already-stretched state systems.

Georgia’s DD Network is calling on Georgia’s disability community, including people with developmental disabilities to contact their state and federal representatives, letting them know how these cuts would impact their lives. People can help by sharing their stories with state and federal representatives, attending townhalls, and spreading the word about the potential funding cuts on social media.

For more information about the DD Network in Georgia, click the following link:

https://gcdd.org/news-a-media/making-a-difference-magazine/june-2025/what-is-the-dd-network

Press Release from Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities