Disability advocates celebrated rare wins at a meeting of the Virginia Disability Commission Thursday afternoon.
This story was reported and written by Radio IQ
“It’s a huge deal, it really is,” said Jen Krajewski with the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.
She was praising the record funding— about $300 million— approved by the legislature and signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin. The money will support about 3,400 families of those with disabilities in dire needs. Known as priority one waivers, it was a top concern for Youngkin and advocates as the state’s disability waiver waiting list grew to about 14,000.
Other good news in the disability space from this session included a new individualized education program (IEP) management system, and a new impartial, non-legal State Parent Ombudsman for Special Ed.
“Parents are definitely in need of information and a central location for that information and to ask questions is always a good thing,” Krajewski said.
And while all of this was welcomed, Connor Cummings, a newly appointed member to the Disability Commission and an autism advocate with the Arc of Virginia, said he hoped the body would study what it would take to support the over 10,000 disabled Virginians lower on the priority list.
“Just a little help, like a caregiving to come a few hours this week, a case manager who can help them find services, or some respite that can help families and keep them out of crisis and keep them out of crisis and stay working,” Cummings said from his seat on the board Thursday.
Other wins this year include expanded curb-side voting for the disabled as well as new training for law-enforcement on communicating with individuals with disabilities.
