Disabilities

About

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a person with a disability is someone who:

  • Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
  • Has a history or record of such an impairment
  • Is regarded as having such an impairment

There is a wide variety of disabilities. Disabilities are categorized into physical, sensory, communication, cognitive, developmental, and mental health types. Some disabilities are visible, and some are not. Some examples include:

  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • HIV
  • Autism
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deafness or hearing loss
  • Blindness or low vision
  • Epilepsy
  • Mobility disabilities requiring the use of a wheelchair, walker, or cane
  • Intellectual disabilities
  • Major depressive disorder
  • Traumatic brain injury

To apply for services, individuals or their families should contact their local human services district or authority here.

The Louisiana Developmental Disabilities law (R.S. 28:451.1 – 28:455.2) defines a developmental disability as either:

  • A severe chronic disability that:
    • Is caused by an intellectual or physical impairment, or a combination of intellectual and physical impairments,
    • Is present before the person turns 22,
    • Is likely to continue throughout the person’s life,
    • Will result in a substantial functional limitation in three or more areas of major life activity (self-care, language, learning, mobility, self-direction, independent living, economic self-sufficiency),
    • Is not solely due to a mental illness, and
    • Indicates that a person will need a combination and sequence of individually planned care, treatment or other services that will be lifelong or for an extended period.
  • A developmental disability may also be a substantial developmental delay or a specific condition in a person (either present at birth or acquired) that presents before age 9 that without services and support will likely result in a severe chronic disability as outlined above.

Developmental Disabilities

Residents with intellectual/developmental disabilities and their families may receive services through the Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disability Supports (OIDD), as well as other bureaus and programs in the Louisiana Department of Health.

To find out if you are eligible for OIDD services, contact your local human services district or authority here.

OIDD services are programs that include the following:

Home and Community-Based Waiver Services
  • Home and Community-Based Waiver Services offer services and support based on each individual’s need to help people live and participate in their community. OIDD has a tiered waiver system, meaning that we place individuals in the most appropriate waiver to meet that person’s needs.  There are four OIDD home and community-based waivers:
    • New Opportunities Waiver (NOW)
    • Residential Options Waiver (ROW)
    • Supports Waiver (SW)
    • Children’s Choice (CC) Waiver
Individual and Family Support (IFS)
  • IFS provides support services and assistance that might not be available from other resources. This could include respite, personal assistance services, specialized clothing, equipment and supplies, communication services, and crisis intervention.
Flexible Family Funds
  • Monthly stipends for families of eligible children (birth to 18 years) with severe or profound developmental disabilities to help their families meet extraordinary costs
  • Local governing entities administer the funds on a first-come, first-served basis.
EarlySteps early intervention program
  • The EarlySteps program provides services to families with infants and toddlers ages birth to 3 years who have a developmental delay or a medical condition likely to result in one.
  • Children may be eligible to receive services if they have delays in cognitive, motor, vision, hearing, communication, social-emotional, or adaptive development.
  • Providers deliver services in the child’s home, childcare, or another community setting typical for children ages birth to 3 years.
MyPlace Louisiana
  • My Place Louisiana assists individuals with developmental disabilities who are currently residing in an intermediate care facility or nursing facility to transition from an institution to a home- and community-based living setting of their choice.
  • My Place Louisiana also assists children with developmental disabilities who meet eligibility requirements and who are living in a nursing facility, hospital, or rehabilitation hospital to move into a home- and community-based setting that the family chooses.

Other Louisiana Department of Health Services

Residents with intellectual/developmental disabilities may also receive services through other bureaus and programs in the Louisiana Department of Health. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Act 421 Children’s Medicaid Option or TEFRA
    • TEFRA allows certain children with disabilities to receive Medicaid coverage even if their parents earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid.
    • Children with disabilities who are living at home with their families must meet an institutional level of care for an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID), a nursing facility, or a hospital to qualify.
  • ICF/IID
  • State Plan Medicaid long-term supports and services, including Early Periodic Screening and Diagnostic Testing (EPSDT) for children and Long-Term Personal Care Services (LT-PCS) for adults
  • State Plan Medicaid acute and behavioral health care services
  • Bureau of Family Health programs

Programs & Services

New Opportunities Waiver (NOW)

The New Opportunities Waiver (NOW) offers people ages 3 and older who require intermediate care facility services to remain in their communities.
Learn more

Residential Options Waiver (ROW)

The Residential Options Waiver (ROW) offers people of all ages services designed to support them to move from ICF/DDs and nursing facilities to community-based settings, and to serve as an alternative to institutionalization.
Learn more

Children’s Choice Waiver (CCW)

The Children’s Choice Waiver (CCW) offers supplemental support to children through age 20 who currently live at home with their families or with a foster family.
Learn more

Supports Waiver

The Supports Waiver offers focused, individualized vocational services to people over the age of 18 who otherwise would require the level of care of an intermediate care facility.
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EarlySteps

Supplies services to the families of infants and toddlers 3 years and younger with developmental delays or a condition that will likely result in a developmental delay.
Learn more

My Place Louisiana

Moves or transitions Louisiana residents with developmental disabilities from an institution into a home or community-based setting.
Learn more

Learn More About Adult-Onset Disabilities

The Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS) was formed within the Department of Health as a health care reform initiative, bringing together all of the long-term care programs that serve senior citizens and people with adult-onset disabilities.
Learn more

Learn More About Behavioral Health Disabilities

The Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) manages and delivers the services and supports necessary to improve the quality of life for residents with mental illness and addictive disorders.
Learn more

Local Resources

National Resources

FAQs

To apply for services, individuals or their families can contact their local human services district or authority. Applications often require documentation of the disability and an assessment of needs.

Aging Louisianians and individuals with adult on-set disabilities may qualify for Home and Community-Based Services through the Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS).

Suspected abuse or neglect should be reported immediately to the appropriate authorities. For contact information on reporting, click here.

Surgeon General Evelyn Griffin, MD

Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein

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