New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Council
If you speak to State leaders, each one will say they want New Mexico to be a State where New Mexicans of all abilities can access the services they need to lead meaningful lives. They will say they want advocacy for children with disabilities who need help at school. They will say they support adults with disabilities who need guardians but whose families cannot afford the guardianship process. And who wouldn’t? These are bipartisan issues that cross all political lines.
The New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Council is a small state agency that does this kind of big, important work—in every corner of the state. For students with disabilities and their families, the special education system can feel impossible to navigate. Since its launch in December 2021, the Council’s Office of the Special Education Ombud has assisted over 440 families in 61 school districts and 28 counties and advocated alongside 236 families in over 370 school meetings spanning over 2,100 hours.