State of Alaska > Governor > Boards and Commissions

Disabilities / Special Education

Board identification number: 043

Department: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES

Authority: AS47.80.030;14.30.23; PL104-83;105-17; AS47.020.020;47.80.090

Status: Active

Sunset date:

Requirements: No Legislative Confirmation or Financial Disclosure required

Prohibitions: None

Term: 3 years

Description: 18-28 members appointed by Governor: 60% must be people with developmental disabilities (D.D.) or their parents or guardians (as noted in the Special Facts below), with geographic balance and variety of disabilities represented. The balance represents principal state and other agencies concerned with services to people with disabilities/special education: Higher Education Representative, Division of Insurance Representative, 1 State Legislator, 1 member of the Alaska Commission on Aging (which may also double as a State Agency representative), 1 special education teacher and other appropriate agencies. Members serve at pleasure of the Governor.

Function: Interdepartmental planning/coordinating agency of the Department of Health and Social Services, the Department of Education and Early Development, and other departments which deliver services to people with disabilities or provide special education. State planning council for purposes of federal laws relating to disabilities and special education. Provide recommendations to the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority concerning the integrated comprehensive mental health program for the mentally disabled (AS 47.30.056(b)(2)).

Chair: Council selects.

Special facts: Council selects executive director. Federal funding. Federal law requires that the state council must be comprised of at least 60% consumers: (A) 1/3 of 60% must be primary consumers - persons with D.D. which is a severe/chronic mental or physical impairment manifested before age twenty-two; (B) balance may be secondary consumers - who are parents or guardians of such D.D. persons; and (C) 1/3 of 60% consumers must be persons who are immediate relatives or guardians of persons with mentally impairing D.D. (at least one of these individuals shall be an immediate relative or guardian of an institutionalized or previously institutionalized person with a D.D., and of these 1 must be a parent or guardian of an infant or toddler - age 0-6 with development disabilities). At least 1 must be a provider of services to infants or toddlers with developmental disabilities. For Alaska, this means a minimum of 11 parents or guardians, and at least 6 people with developmental disabilities. The consumer members may not be employees of a state agency or any other agency which receives funds or provides services under the DD Act.

Compensation: Standard Travel and Per Diem. No additional compensation.

Meetings: Council meets 3 times per year; in addition, committees meet monthly by teleconference.

For further information contact:
Ms. Millie Ryan
Executive Director
Governor's Council on Disabilities & Special Educ.
P.O. Box 240249 3601 C. Street, Suite 740
Anchorage, AK 99524-0249
Phone: (907) 269-8990, FAX: (907) 269-8995

Disabilities / Special Education Roster

Go to the Disabilities / Special Education Home page

We appreciate your interest in boards and commissions. For further information contact the boards and commissions staff at (907) 465-3500 or at boards@alaska.gov.