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Policy and Legislation

Board Policy Positions/Public Comment

Virginia Alliance for Community

The Virginia Alliance for Community, a collaboration of the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, the Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University, the Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy, The Arc of Virginia, and Virginia’s twenty-two local chapters of The Arc, provides a unified and collective voice in advocating for the civil rights of Virginians with intellectual and developmental disabilities, especially concerning the need to move away from the state’s historical bias and antiquated practice of institutionalizing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The following updated Alliance proposal and answers to frequently asked questions are a call to action to Virginia’s elected officials to make “Community for All” reforms a priority for the Commonwealth:  

This updated proposal builds on the following recent series of messages from the Alliance directed at the state’s current elected officials and all candidates for statewide offices and House of Delegates’ seats in the November 2009 election.

The links below include the Alliance’s initial November 2008 proposal to reform Central Virginia Training Center, one of the oldest and largest institutions in the country, and supporting documents.

Click here for the latest Alliance news, a full list of supporting organizations, photos and video from the Alliance’s recent Capitol Square Rally for Reform, and other resources.

Federal and State Special Education Regulations and Related Resources

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) issued new federal regulations for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), enacted by Congress in 2004. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and the Board of Education then reviewed and modified the state's special education regulations to ensure compliance with IDEA 2004. Changes to the Commonwealth’s regulations took effect in July 2009. Links to the federal regulations, revised Virginia regulations, information about the state's revision process, and additional resources are listed below:

The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities is an active advocate for the rights of students with disabilities and their parents, both independently and as a member of the Virginia Coalition for Students with Disabilities. Additional information can be found at its Coalition Alerts and Contact VCSD webpages and in the Early Intervention and Education Chapters of the Board’s Biennial Assessment of the Disability Services System in Virginia.

Community Integration (Olmstead) Implementation in Virginia

Disability Commission

NACDD Legislative Action Center

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This File Was Last Modified: Wednesday January 06 2010