2025 Snapshot of TN Disability Services

Every 5 years, the Council on Developmental Disabilities collects information from across Tennessee state government and creates a summary of disability-related programs. Many thanks to Council intern Elena Lotano for collecting and organizing this information. 

The purpose of the summary is to offer a snapshot in time, illustrating the breadth and depth of the disability system.

In our 2025 survey of disability programs offered across Tennessee State Government, we found:

At least 15 state agencies reported having 137 programs for Tennesseans with disabilities.

We also ask Tennesseans about their needs once every 5 years. When we surveyed nearly 900 Tennesseans in 2019, most respondents (approximately 80%) indicated that they did not know where to find disability services when they needed them. In response, the Council on Developmental Disabilities worked with six other state agencies to invest in strengthening TN Disability Pathfinder: a one-stop, accessible website and call center to help Tennesseans find disability resources. 

When we surveyed Tennesseans again in 2024, the 1,500+ respondents reported that while it is still hard to find disability resources, it is even harder to access those resources. This indicates that even with so many programs in our state, most people are not actually getting the help they need. Respondents indicated that top barriers are difficulty with navigation, eligibility, and availability. For example, many programs offer similar things but have slightly different eligibility criteria from each other. The system is saturated in some areas and minimal in others. The result is a system that is confusing and fragmented.

In response, TN Disability Pathfinder plans to expand its focus on service navigation and barriers to access, in addition to providing information and referral, in 2026. The Council on Developmental Disabilities and the other funding agencies will guide and support this work.

The comprehensive review and analysis report is a snapshot of the programs offered to Tennesseans with disabilities. The information was collected from publicly available information on state agency websites, reviewed and added to by each agency’s staff. The information is not intended to be fully up-to-date, comprehensive, or exhaustive. Some of the programs listed provide direct services, while others offer less direct resources (e.g. “accessible online content”) Rather, it is intended to show a snapshot in time that illustrates the breadth and depth of the disability system – and why it is so hard to navigate.