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Tennessee Developmental Disabilities Network Statewide Needs Assessment Report 2025

What do Tennesseans with disabilities and their families need to lead full, meaningful lives? Nearly 1,500 people across the state shared their experiences, priorities, and hopes through a collaborative needs assessment led by the Tennessee Developmental Disabilities (DD) Network. This is the first time Tennessee’s DD Network has conducted a joint needs assessment. To our knowledge, no other state has conducted a statewide assessment like this at the network level. This webpage shares the final report from that statewide effort.

Meet the DD Network

The Tennessee DD Network is made up of four organizations working together to support people with disabilities across the state:

  • Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities
  • Disability Rights Tennessee
  • University of Tennessee Center on Developmental Disabilities.
  • Vanderbilt Kennedy Center UCEDD

Together, these partners work to improve services, support advocacy, conduct research, and build programs that center the voices of Tennesseans with disabilities and their families.

About the Needs Assessment

Each DD Network partner is responsible for developing a strategic plan based on the needs and priorities of the disability community. To inform these plans, the DD Network conducted a joint needs assessment to identify unmet needs, service gaps, and barriers experienced by people with disabilities, their families, and professionals in the field.

Launched in 2024, the assessment was a coordinated effort to streamline data collection, reduce the burden on participants, and increase awareness of the DD Network’s role. Input was gathered through multiple formats (e.g., survey, focus groups) to ensure a wide range of voices were heard.

Report Features

To help you get the most out of the report, it includes several useful tools:

  • Clickable Table of Contents: Quickly jump to any section you want to explore.
  • Data Snapshot: A summary of key data findings right at the beginning.
  • Key Points and Implications: Each section highlights major takeaways and what they mean.
  • Final Summary: A wrap-up of the most important findings and reflections from across the report.

Turning Findings Into Action

This report is an important tool for Tennessee’s DD Network and the wider disability community. It will directly shape the strategic plans of each organization, helping ensure that future efforts focus on the most pressing needs of people with disabilities and their families.

By sharing this data publicly, the DD Network aims to support advocates, service providers, and policymakers in making informed decisions. The report is also intended to promote collaboration, support effective use of resources, and drive long-term improvements across Tennessee.