Policy Directive 03-1

To: Council Staff and Interested Parties
From: Daniel M. Shannon, Executive Director (dan.shannon@state.ma.us)
Date: July 2, 2002
Re: Policy Directive 03-1: Policy for Establishing Links to the Council Web Page

Policy for Establishing Links to the Council Web Page

Purpose

Web site links to the Council's web page are established solely to assist individuals with developmental disabilities and their families to obtain information and access to resources that will provide opportunities for them to enhance independence, productivity and inclusion.

Background

Although the goal is to provide as many useful links as possible for people with developmental disabilities and their families, it is also recognized that the Council is a public agency and therefore must be cautious in choosing links in order to maintain the public trust. Every effort must be made to include links that are consistent with the Council's mission and purpose. Every effort must also be made to not include links that may be inconsistent with the Council's mission and purpose, and to exclude links that may be perceived by others as controversial. Given that the Council does not possess the resources to maintain consistent research and review of existing or potential links, a conservative approach must be utilized.

Policy

To be included as a link to the Council's web page, a web site must meet one of the following criteria:

1. The Council is a member of the organization sponsoring the web site.
2. The Council is a subscriber to the information provided by the web site.
3. The organization sponsoring the web site is a recognized partner of the Council.
4. The organization sponsoring the web site is a state or local government agency.
5. The organization sponsoring the web site is a federal government agency.
6. The organization sponsoring the web site provides information that makes a positive contribution to a priority established by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.
7. The organization sponsoring the web site is a recognized partner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.

Any web site that does not meet at least one of the above criteria will not be linked to the Council's web site.

Procedures

Any request from any source to establish a link to a web site from the Council's web site must first be approved by the Council's Executive Director. No links can be established without prior approval. The Council's Executive Director must utilize the criteria established in this policy and no exceptions can be made.

The Council will establish a procedure to ensure that all existing links to the Council's web site will be reviewed no less than annually.