Tennessee Developmental Disabilities Network Statewide Needs Assessment 2025

Tennessee’s Developmental Disabilities Network (DD Network) brings together four statewide organizations working to support people with disabilities: the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability Rights Tennessee, the University of Tennessee Center on Developmental Disabilities, and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Together, these partners work to improve services, support advocacy, conduct research, and offer programs and resources for Tennesseans with disabilities and their families.

In the fall of 2024, the DD Network launched a joint project to better understand the needs, priorities, and experiences of Tennessee’s disability community. Rather than asking people to provide similar input to multiple organizations, the partners created one shared opportunity for community voices to help shape their future work. To our knowledge, Tennessee was the first state to conduct a unified statewide needs assessment at the DD Network level.

Nearly 1,500 people participated in the statewide needs assessment, with additional perspectives gathered through follow-up focus groups. The project then expanded to examine more than 1,400 inquiries made to DD Network partners for information and support. The two-phase approach allowed the DD Network to build on the statewide assessment and develop a fuller understanding of community needs. The inquiry analysis provided another lens for understanding those needs through the everyday issues people sought help with.

Beyond the findings themselves, the project has provided a model for how DD Network partners can work together to gather and use community input. The approach has since been shared with state and national audiences, with other DD Networks beginning to adapt the model for their own needs assessments.

Explore the Reports

The two reports offer complementary perspectives on the needs and experiences of Tennessee’s disability community. Below, a brief snapshot highlights each phase of the project, followed by more information about each report and its findings.

Phase 1: Statewide Needs Assessment	Phase 2: Inquiry Analysis
What needs and priorities did Tennesseans identify? What were their experiences finding and accessing disability support?	What questions, barriers, and support needs emerged when Tennesseans sought help?
1,496 participants	1,471 inquiries
Survey and focus groups	Calls, emails, forms, and live chats
View Statewide Needs Assessment Report	View Inquiry Analysis Report

About the Statewide Needs Assessment

The Statewide Needs Assessment provides a broad look at the experiences and priorities of Tennessee’s disability community. Adults with disabilities, family members, and professionals shared what is working, where support is falling short, and what they believe should be prioritized to improve the lives of Tennesseans with disabilities and their families. The assessment also took a broader view of community needs, looking beyond access to services and supports to understand experiences with inclusion and belonging in everyday life. The findings provide a shared foundation for the DD Network and others working to strengthen disability services, supports, and communities across the state.

Results are presented through visual summaries, participant quotes, and key takeaways and implications, with complete data sets included in the appendix.

About the Inquiry Analysis

The Inquiry Analysis provides a closer look at the questions and challenges Tennesseans encountered while actively seeking help. By examining inquiries made to DD Network partners, the report shows what people needed help with, the barriers they encountered, and how partners responded. The findings add important context to the statewide needs assessment by showing how broader needs and priorities appeared in everyday situations.

Findings are presented through tables and visual summaries, along with examples that illustrate the situations individuals and families were navigating when they reached out for support.

Learn More

The Path Forward: Insights from the Tennessee DD Network Needs Assessment Survey:
Hear from Tennessee DD Network leaders about the development and implementation of the statewide needs assessment.

Strength in Collaboration: A Unified DD Network Approach to a Statewide Needs Assessment
Interested in conducting a similar collaborative needs assessment? This published manuscript describes Tennessee’s approach to planning and implementing a joint DD Network needs assessment and shares lessons for other states interested in replicating the model. Read the manuscript in the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal.