2020 Toolkit

Developmental Disabilities Advocacy Days Virginia General Assembly

Located at 900 East Main St, Richmond

Developmental Disability (DD) Advocacy Days Toolkit

Introduction

Each year The Arc of Virginia sponsors DD Advocacy Days at the General Assembly during the Legislative Session. Partnering with statewide self-advocate and

family organizations, enables us to bring together hundreds of voices with a united message for our elected representatives.

DD Days are an opportunity for Advocates from across the State to come and

meet with their State Representatives to share their personal stories and to advocate for Public Policy that improves the lives of people with developmental disabilities.

If you have not chosen a day for your DD Advocacy Day, contact

tmilling@thearcofva.org

 

Working together to improve the System of Support for people with Developmental Disabilities in Virginia

Standing Out to Get Noticed

Members of the General Assembly meet thousands of constituents in a short time, so it is not only hard but nearly impossible for them to remember all the needs and issues coming at them on a daily basis. That is why we bring a wave of orange into their offices, hallways, elevators, sidewalks, committee rooms and capitol. And they DO

REMEMBER US! They know the Orange Scarves represent Developmental Disabilities, that is why we ask advocates to wear the orange scarves and stickers, to be remembered.

But for those groups who join us for a DD Day from another organization, we encourage you to wear or bring

something that also names and represents your group!

 Finding Your Legislator You can find your legislator on the Virginia General Assembly website: https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/  

Setting Appointments with Your Legislator As soon as you decide which DD Advocacy Day you will be attending, contact your representatives to schedule appointments. Ideal times for appointments are 8am - 11am and/or 2pm - 5pm.    You can reach them by calling their offices in Richmond, contact information can be found at https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/ 

When you call, be sure to tell them you are a constituent. Ask ONE of your representatives to introduce you in session if you are able to attend session. Suggest something like: “....welcome to (your group name Or if you don’t have a name, advocates) here today for a developmental disability Advocacy Day with The Arc of Virginia.” You could add some comments about the things you are advocating for.   

Ideas for Telling Your Story

 ● If you don’t have a Waiver or receive services, how long have you been waiting? ● If you do, what services or supports help you to live your life? Or help you and 

your family?   ● What else do you need in order to live the life that you want? ● Review The Arc’s Legislative agenda, and relate the items back to your life.   

 Don’t be disappointed to meet with Legislative staff if your member is not available. The meetings with those staff are key in making change happen, the member depends on them to help manage the expansive amount of information they need to attend to each session.   

     

 

 What we provide: (unless otherwise discussed) 

● Orange Tote Bags ● Orange Scarves, stickers ● Legislative Materials (enclosed end of this toolkit as well) ● Lunch vouchers for Meriweather’s Cafe, 3rd floor Suntrust Building 

 

DD Advocacy Day Suggested Schedule: Time Determined Meet in lobby to pick up bags from staff of The Arc of VA 8am - 11am  Visit with your legislators 11:30 am Get in line at the Capitol to go into Gallery to observe Session Noon Session begins  General Assembly Session - Once you have been introduced and recognized, you may stay and observe session for as long as you like.  Lunch Options - When you leave session, head to Meriweather’s Cafe, 3rd Floor Suntrust Building to use your free lunch voucher. We ask that you use our voucher for your meal and beverage only. (Desserts not covered with Voucher)  

Logistics Information:  

Parking  A limited number of metered public parking spaces (2 hours) are located nearby. Pay 

parking lots and decks are nearby on 8th and Grace Streets and 7th and Marshall Streets. Downloadable maps of nearby parking lots and decks are available, as well as rates for these areas. If you have any questions about parking lots in the Capitol 

vicinity, please call the Capitol Tour Desk at (804) 698-1788.  

Inside Pocahontas Building  Be prepared to walk through metal detectors when you enter the General Assembly 

and Capitol buildings. Remove keys, cell phones and other items from your pockets.  

Accessibility The front entrance to Pocahontas Building is accessible. 

4 parking spaces zoned as accessible parking are located on the northside of Bank St., between 9th & 10th Streets. Spaces are available in the garage at St. Paul’s Church. Free parking for up to 2 hours at any meter spot for anyone with accessible tags.  

   

Attire  We suggest wearing comfortable shoes. Coat closets with limited space are on floors 3 & 4.

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Virginia into full compliance with, and satisfy,

the DOJ Settlement Agreement.

SOLUTIONSSTABILIZE THE SYSTEM BY

FUNDING PRIORITY 1

The Arc's request is the ONLY one that includesCritical Services for individuals living in their own

homes or their family home, such as NURSING, PERSONAL CARE, & RESPITE

INCREASE RATES

FOR WAIVER SERVICES

Reimbursement rates that would

create an inclusive service base,

are too low for Providers to begin

or sustain community services.

Supported Living is a service that

supports someone in their home up to

24 hours per day, yet the reimbursement

rate is 30% less than supporting that

same person in a group home

Decrease costs over time, by funding Priority 1

and intervening before people are in crisis

FULLY FUND PRIORITY 1

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A LIFE LIKE YOURS2147 Staples Mill Road | Richmond, VA 23230 info@thearcofva.org | 804-649-8481

2020 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

FURTHERING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION Requires the Department of Education and relevant local school boards to develop and implement a pilot program for up to four years in two to eight local school divisions in the Commonwealth. In developing the pilot, the Department is required to partner with the appropriate school board employees in each such local school division to (i) identify the resources, services, and supports required by each student who resides in each such local school division and who is educated in a private school setting pursuant to his Individualized Education Program; (ii) study the feasibility of transitioning each such student from his private school setting to an appropriate public school setting in the local school division and providing the identified resources, services, and supports in such public school setting; and (iii) recommend a process for redirecting federal, state, and local funds, including funds provided pursuant to the Children's Services Act, provided for the education of each such student to the local school division for the purpose of providing the identified resources, services, and supports in the appropriate public school setting. The bill requires the Department of Education to make a report to the Governor, the Senate Committees on Education and Health and Finance, and the House Committees on Education and Appropriations on the findings of each pilot program after two and four years.

HB 49 (Adams, McNamara), SB 128 (Suetterlein)

● Since the first study by the Commission on Youth that examined spending by the Office of Children’s Services for private special educationplacements, school division representatives serving on workgroups and offering comment have repeatedly stated that they would prefer toserve the children they have placed in a private special education school in their communities in a public school.

● School divisions should be supported in identifying specific training, staffing, or other services needed in order to build the capacity to returnstudents to public school or to prevent out-of-school placements of students whose parents wish to keep them in a public school.

● Current CSA funding methods systematically incentivize the most restrictive environments for students.

2020 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROTECTIONS

Ensuring Comprehensive Family Life Education for Students with Developmental Disabilities Instructs the Department of Education to establish guidelines for individualized education program (IEP) teams to utilize when developing IEPs for children with disabilities to ensure that IEP teams consider the need for age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate instruction related to sexual health, self-restraint, self-protection, respect for personal privacy, and personal boundaries of others.

HB 134 (Runion, Bourne) SB 186 (Dunnavant, Boysko)

● Currently Family Life Education is not geared toward students with developmental disabilities. This lack of education puts people withdevelopmental disabilities at risk of abuse.

● Without proper education, individuals are also at a higher risk of becoming offenders due to inappropriate behaviors.● This legislation will not remove parental opt-out or other autonomous decisions of IEP teams; rather, it will simply ensure that appropriate

Family Life Education is considered for each student.

Recognition and Diversion in the Criminal Justice System Creates policy on directing and allowing courts to withhold imposition of a sentence, for cases involving defendants with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities, and place conditions on the defendant that, when met, allow for the charges to be dismissed.

Internal Policy - HB 659 (Hope) | Recognition & Diversion - SB 133 (Stuart, Boysko)

● People with disabilities are more likely to be arrested, charged with a crime, and serve longer prison sentences once convicted, than thosewithout disabilities.

● Lack of proper education regarding healthy relationships, proper boundaries and social norms, leads to individuals with I/DD having a higherrisk of becoming offenders due to inappropriate behaviors.

● The consequences of a finding of guilt has a greater impact on the life of a person with an intellectual or developmental disability, as itimpedes their ability to receive services and supports usually available to a person with I/DD to assist them in living their daily lives.

INDIVIDUALS WITH I/DD ARE SUBJECT TO ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION WHEN INCARCERATED AND DENIED EITHER ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION OR

APPROPRIATE HABILITATION PROGRAMS THAT WOULD ADDRESS THEIR INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY, AND/OR BEHAVIOR, AND HELP THEM RETURN SAFELY

TO THE COMMUNITY.

The Arc of Virginia partners with, Legal Reform for People Intellectually & Developmentally Disabled, an organization made up of parents whose children have suffered injustices in the Criminal Justice System in Virginia

Achieve With Us. thearcofva.org

A LIFE LIKE YOURS2147 Staples Mill Road | Richmond, VA 23230 info@thearcofva.org | 804-649-8481