History of ADDP

The Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers (ADDP) has a history spanning 35 years and has gone through many transformations that are marked by significant accomplishments.  ADDP represents one-hundred and thirty private providers of services and supports to people with developmental disabilities and brain injuries in Massachusetts. Our members provide a wide array of high quality, cost effective residential and community based services with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and brain injuries as well as to their parents and loved ones.

In 1980, a small group of human service providers came together to act specifically on behalf of serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (who at the time were referred to as having ‘mental retardation’) by providing residential services and called themselves the 'Mental Retardation Providers Council' (MRPC). The Massachusetts Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Inc. (MARF) were formed in 1979 and were incorporated in 1984. In 1997, MARF changed their name to the Massachusetts Association of Community Rehabilitation Organization (MACRO) and focused only on Day Services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, whereas the MRPC focused only on Residential Services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 1996, the MRPC changed its name to the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers, Inc. (ADDP), and on January 1, 2001, MACRO merged with ADDP which united the associations' efforts to focus on both Residential and Day Services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Growing with the times

Over the last 35 years, ADDP has grown and adapted to the changes that people with disabilities face across their life span. Through the decades, ADDP has advocated for the passage of state and federal budgets, legislation, regulations and policies that ensure providers can operate using best practices in the most efficient way possible while serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and have also added brain injury services to their list of priorities.

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