RD391 - 2014 Assessment of Disability Services in Virginia


Executive Summary:
About one in five Virginians have some type of disability, either permanent or temporary. Over 127,000 Virginians have a developmental disability (DD). In passing the federal Developmental Disabilities Bill of Rights Act (DD Act), most recently authorized in 2000, Congress found that

"disability is a natural part of the human experience that does not diminish the right of individuals with developmental disabilities to live independently, to exert control and choice over their own lives, and to fully participate in and contribute to their communities through full integration and inclusion in the economic, political, social, cultural, and educational mainstream of United States society."

The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (the Board) serves as Virginia’s Developmental Disabilities Council, authorized and principally funded under the DD Act. The Board, through its state (Virginians with Disabilities Act) and federal authorization has a responsibility to influence and guide the policies and practices that govern the delivery of services and supports to persons with developmental and other disabilities living in Virginia.

In 2009, the Board developed its Benchmarks for Evaluating Public Policy in Virginia. These benchmarks continue to guide the Board’s work. They provided a framework for the agency input, public comment, and data gathered and analyzed in the course of this assessment and are the basis for many of the Board’s recommendations. The benchmarks supply policymakers and providers with a critical checklist for decision-making:

• Front-loaded supports. Publicly funded supports to children and adults with disabilities and their families are “front-loaded” (provided as soon as indicated) at levels designed to reduce services needed over the individual’s lifespan and to maximize opportunities to give back.

• Inclusive settings. Individuals with disabilities receive services and supports appropriate to their needs in inclusive community settings. They are not segregated from their fellow citizens.

• Person centered. Individuals with disabilities have access to and receive flexible, person-centered services and supports that:

• provide a single point of entry that is not disability specific;

• offer choice and maximize personal decision making;

• are available no matter where the individual lives and are effective, timely, and reliable;

• promote high expectations and individual potential and strengthen families;

• continue as needed across the lifespan; and

• have sufficient oversight to ensure health, safety, and welfare and to prevent exploitation, fraud, and waste.

The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities makes the benchmarks available for download in various forms for printing, including a mailable brochure, through its website at http://vaboard.org/vapolicy.htm#benchmarks.