Developmental Disabilities Association

The Developmental Disabilities Association is a community living agency that provides over 50 community-based programs and services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families in Vancouver and Richmond. We create extended networks of support, invest in individual needs, and strive for an inclusive and safe community. Over 1,600 individuals and families in the Vancouver and Richmond area are serviced by the Developmental Disabilities Association every year. In 1952, twelve parents of children with developmental disabilities came together to work towards integrating their children into public schools. By the 1990’s, that parent group, called the Vancouver-Richmond Association for Mentally Handicapped People, had become Canada’s largest charitable society of its kind west of Toronto. In 1998, recognizing changes in society, the wishes of its members, and its expanded role in the community, the Association changed its name; it is now the Developmental Disabilities Association. To read a comprehensive history of the Developmental Disabilities Association please click here. Our Mission: To enable people with developmental disabilities to reach their full potential. Our Values: To pursue our mission with expertise, integrity, respect, and conviction.