By The Numbers
The data below provides a snapshot of the state’s population of people with I/DD and older Americans, Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waitlists, and the collective impact of the BADN collaboration.
State Disability Prevalence Date
Est Total State Disability Population (%):
10.8%
Est Total State Disability Population (#):
997,300
Est State Prevalence of Developmental Disabilities (%):
State Waiting Lists for Medicaid HCBS
Number of People with IDD on Medicaid HCBS Waitlist:
0
Number of People with Autism on Medicaid HCBS Waitlist:
N/A
Number of People who are Seniors and/or have Physical Disabilities on Medicaid HCBS Waitlist:
0
Total Number of People in State on Medicaid HCBS Waitlist:
2,688
State Aging & Disability Network
Number of Area Agencies on Aging/Aging & Disability Resource Centers:
21
Number of Centers for Independent Living:
6
Number of Developmental Disability Regions:
9
CITATION FOR COLUMN 1 DATA: The percentage of non-institutionalized males or females with any disability (all ages; 65+), cognitive disability (all ages; 65+), all races, regardless of ethnicity, across all levels of education in the United States. American Community Survey, 2023. Click here to view the source.
CITATION FOR COLUMN 1 DATA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Developmental Disability, Estimated Prevalence of Developmental Delay, All States, 2021-22. National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network. Click here to view the source.
CITATION FOR COLUMN 2 DATA: Kaiser Family Foundation. “Number of People Waiting for Medicaid Home Care (HCBS), by Target Population and Whether States Screen for Eligibility, 2024”. Click here to view the source.
*Not all state data is available or is N/A
Projects
Goal 1
Making a Difference Together: Build relationships and bring State Alliance Team (SAT) members together around a shared goal to better understand services, break down silos, and improve access to services and supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) who are aging and their families.
Highlights/Milestones Achieved
- The NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities launched a dedicated webpage for the Community of Practice (CoP) Bridging Aging and Disability.
- The NJ Department of Human Services featured the CoP Bridging Aging and Disability on both the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) website and within the Age-Friendly Blueprint (see page 20: Age-Friendly Blueprint).
- From March 2024 to March 2025, NJ SAT team members organized or facilitated 24 trainings and events focused on aging and disability-related topics.
- NJ SAT team members continue to collaborate actively, frequently consulting with one another to provide guidance and strengthen support for older adults with I/DD and their caregivers.
- DDD and the NJ Division of Aging Services have conducted webinars to ensure that Supports Coordinators are informed about aging services and that members of the Area Agencies on Aging are educated on DDD intake resources.
- Additional educational opportunities that share resources between Aging Services and DDD have been promoted statewide through in-person family networking sessions and other venues.
- New Jersey remains committed to fostering meaningful collaboration between two CoPs: Bridging Aging and Disabilities and Supporting Families of Individuals with I/DD Across the Lifespan.
- NJ SAT team members and community stakeholders, including individual and family advocates, participated in a presentation and train-the-trainers (six-hour session) on Future is Now, an evidence-based approach to future planning for adults with I/DD and aging families.
State Co-Leads
Patricia Brennan
Director of Office of Education on Self-Directed Services, Waiting List, and Special Projects
Division of Developmental Disabilities, NJ Department of Human Services
Andrea Mancini
Manager
AAA Administration, Division of Aging Services, NJ Department of Human Services
Mercedes Witowsky
Executive Director
New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities
State Alliance Teams
Patricia Brennan
Director of Office of Education on Self-Directed Services, Waiting List, and Special Projects
Division of Developmental Disabilities, NJ Department of Human Services
Mercedes Witowsky
Executive Director
New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities
Christine Bakter
Deputy Director
Office of Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families
Margaret Gilbride
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; Director of Transition, Employment, and Aging & Disability
Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development
Ava Loveland
Assistant Program Coordinator
Warren County Division of Aging and Disability Services
Leone Murphy
Administrator
NJ Family Support Group for I/DD and Dementia/Advanced Practice Statewide Clinical Outreach Program for the Elderly (S-COPE)
Gwen Orlowski
Executive Director
Disability Rights New Jersey
Cathy Rowe
Executive Director
NJ Advocates for Aging Well
Vacant
Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services, NJ Department of Human Services
Andrea Mancini
Manager
AAA Administration, Division of Aging Services, NJ Department of Human Services
Paul Aronsohn
Ombudsman
Office of Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families
Lisa Ford
Senior Director, The Family Institute
Arc of NJ
Eileen Hurley
Vice Chair
Regional Family Support Planning Council #4 (Essex)
Jaqueline Moskowitz
Interim Executive Director
Division of Disability Services, NJ Department of Human Services
Barbara Nedohon
Executive Director
Cumberland County Area on Aging and Disability Services
Javier Robles
Chairperson
NJ Disability Action Committee
Norman Smith
Associate Executive Director and Emeritus Adviser
Project Freedom Statewide Independent Living Council