Frequently Asked Questions

I/DD is short for intellectual and developmental disabilities. This term is often used to describe differences in a person’s brain, and how those differences show up in their life. For many people, these differences, also recognized as disabilities, are part of daily life and do not define them. 

These differences can have a significant impact on daily life for some people. For example, it may be harder to communicate, learn or problem solve. Some people may be sensitive to light, sound, smell, touch or flavors.  

Some examples of intellectual and developmental disabilities are cerebral palsy, down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder and fragile X syndrome.

This program references the Colorado state definition of IDD (10 CCR 2505-10 8.600.4) which defines intellectual and developmental disability for service eligibility purposes. Persons with I/DD must have been diagnosed, as follows:  a) children up to age five (5) with developmental delays, and b) a person who, before the age of twenty-two (22), manifests a significant disability which is attributable to an intellectual and developmental disability or related conditions which include Prader-Willi syndrome, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism or other neurological conditions when such conditions result in impairment of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior. 

I/DD typically refers to someone who has both developmental disabilities (DD) and intellectual disabilities (ID). 

Developmental disabilities (DD) can be intellectual or physical (or both) and often impact multiple body parts or systems. These disabilities appear before the age of 22 and are likely to be lifelong.  

Intellectual disabilities (ID) are a subset of developmental disabilities that are cognitive in nature (they impact how someone thinks). Intellectual disability means having:

1. Significant limitations in cognitive functioning (learning, reasoning and problem solving).
2. Significant limitations in adaptive behavior (meeting basic needs, working, communicating and getting along with others).
3. Symptoms that appear before age 22 (whatever is causing an individual’s brain to be different happened while they were young, when their brain was still developing).

A developmental delay is when a child is continually behind in developing certain skills compared to other children their age. These skills are referred to as developmental milestones and include things like talking, walking or responding to social cues.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 1 in 6 children have at least one developmental delay.

Most children with developmental delays will catch up to their peers, especially with the right services and supports.

To learn more, visit the following websites:

To receive IDDEAS-funded support, you must live in Denver and have an intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD), or if under the age of 5, have a developmental delay as defined in Colorado Law (10 CCR 2505-10 8.600.4). The best way to verify your eligibility is to speak directly with the IDDEAS-funded program you are interested in accessing.

You’re a Denver resident(PDF, 652KB) if you live within the boundaries of the City and County of Denver. Your mailing address alone does not indicate whether you are a Denver resident. For example, you may be a Denver resident and have a Littleton mailing address, or you may have a Denver mailing address and be a resident of unincorporated Arapahoe County. 

According to IDDEAS program rules, the following situations will also qualify an individual to be considered a resident of Denver:

• An eligible person experiencing homelessness that presents within the geographic boundaries of the City and County of Denver with no current residential address.
• An eligible person under age 21 that is in the legal custody of Denver Human Services (DHS), regardless of foster home or other residential facility placement outside the geographic boundaries of the City and County of Denver, so long as the person remains in the legal custody of DHS.
• An eligible person under 18 who has at least one parent or legal guardian who is a current Denver resident, including minors that may be in an out-of-home placement. This does not include minors in custody with other counties’ Department of Human Services – even if they are placed in Denver County, they would be considered residents of their home county where custody remains.
• An eligible person who resided within the geographic boundaries of the City and County of Denver and moves out of county may request to receive IDDEAS-funded services and supports for a transition period up to 90 days from the date they cease to reside in Denver.
• If an eligible person temporarily relocates outside of Denver with an intent to return, they may request to be covered by up to 150 days from the date of relocation. DHS may request a documented plan to return to support the request.

We fund programs designed with, for and through persons with I/DD that aim to fill in service gaps and increase wellbeing, opportunity and inclusion in community life. Some examples of IDDEAS-funded services and supports include mental health care designed for people with I/DD, housing navigation and stabilization services tailored to the unique needs of Denver’s I/DD community, music classes, caregiver respite, massage therapy, summer camps and more.  

For a list of our programs and service providers, visit our Explore Programs page.

All programs funded by the Denver Human Services’ (DHS) IDDEAS mill levy are required to have a complaint or review process for services that are provided using DHS IDDEAS mill levy funds. Please contact the specific programs(s) directly for the details of their complaint process.

If people have attempted to resolve issues directly with the organization or agency that runs the program and are having ongoing problems, they can reach out to DHS with information about their concern and how they would like it to be addressed, according to Section 4 of the program rules(PDF, 197KB), as summarized below:

Who can make a complaint:

Only people who qualify to receive services from an IDDEAS-funded program can make a complaint.  

If a person who is eligible for IDDEAS-funded services cannot make a complaint themselves, then their guardian, advocate or legal representative can do it for them. 

How to file a complaint:

Before people can make a complaint to DHS about a program that is funded by the IDDEAS mill levy, they first need to show that they have tried to resolve the problem directly with the organization or agency that runs the program. 

Types of complaints that people can make:

• Whether an application or request for service is complete.
• Decisions about a person’s eligibility for IDDEAS mill levy funding.
• Requirements for documentation to receive IDDEAS-funded services.
• Concerns that a program is not following mill levy or other relevant rules or laws. 

In 2003, Denver voters passed, by a margin of nearly 70%, an increase to the mill levy, or property tax, that funds services for people with I/DD. The revenue from this mill levy goes into a special revenue fund managed by the Denver Department of Human Services.  

In Denver, mill levies, or property taxes, help pay for a variety of services including our schools, libraries and social services. A mill levy is a tax rate of one-thousandth (0.001) that is applied to the assessed value of a property. The assessed value of a property is different than the market value. The assessed value is a dollar value assigned to real estate for property tax purposes and is often calculated as a percentage of fair market value. In 2023, a one (1) mill or (0.001) tax on a typical single family home valued at $631,800 was $38.65.

For more information on property assessment, please visit the City and County of Denver Assessor's Office website.