To create a Commonwealth that advances opportunities for independence, personal decision-making, and full participation in community life for individuals with developmental and other disabilities.

Virginians with developmental and other disabilities direct their own lives and choose how they live, learn, work, and play.

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The mission of the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (the Board) is to create a Commonwealth that advances opportunities for independence, personal decision-making, and full participation in community life for individuals with developmental and other disabilities. The Board envisions a Commonwealth in which Virginians with developmental and other disabilities direct their own lives and choose how they live, learn, work, and play. The Board serves as Virginia’s Developmental Disabilities Council, authorized by the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (42 U.S.C. §15021-15029) and the 1985 Virginians with Disabilities Act (Va. Code §51.5-31 through §51.5-33).

The Board conducts three primary activities to advance systemic change that meets the needs of people with disabilities. These activities include (i) serving as a policy advisor; (ii) providing competitive grants, contracts, and other investments to advance systemic change and capacity building; and (iii) preparing people with disabilities and their family members, through training, to be leaders in the advocacy community. The Board does not provide direct services to people with developmental and other disabilities. It does provide information and referrals and educates constituents on issues of importance through social media and other communication venues.

The Board’s focus continues to be advancing systemic change so that people with developmental and other disabilities can be independent, make their own decisions, and fully participate in community life. The Board prioritizes work that meets the goals and objectives in its five-year State Plan mandated by the federal government. The goals and objectives in its current State Plan, which covers federal fiscal year 2022 through 2026, pertain to community living, health and safety, education, employment, and self-advocacy. To this end, the Board will continue its primary functions of serving as a policy leader and advisor; providing competitive grants, contracts, and other investments; and preparing people with disabilities and their family members to be leaders in the advocacy community. Key strategic initiatives across these areas are summarized below.

A key ongoing initiative is the provision of accurate and accessible information both internally and externally. In the most recent biennium, the Board worked to improve the accessibility of its own information by redesigning its website, expanding its social media platforms, and altering its staffing structure and roles. The Board also launched its Information Access Champions initiative to encourage other organizations statewide to provide accurate and accessible information. So far, over 20 organizations have taken the pledge and are receiving related resources. This initiative will continue into 2025. The Board also intends to support more formal training opportunities for state agency staff in the coming biennium. See Objective 1.2 for more information.

Another key ongoing initiative regards the provision of accessible dental care. In 2023, the Board released an assessment of the accessibility of dental care for people with developmental and other disabilities. It found that many dental professionals are not able or willing to treat people with developmental disabilities. The report included 18 policy recommendations that were identified based on stakeholder interviews, provider focus groups, and data and document requests. In 2024, the Board launched a workgroup composed of dental and disability stakeholders to advance these recommendations. This workgroup will continue into 2025 and beyond. The board also intends to financially support related community-based projects in the coming biennium.

A third key ongoing initiative is the provision of continuing education on disability issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board opened its continuing education webinars to the general public. Previously, they were only available to members of the disability community who graduated from the Board's other training programs. Since then, the continuing education webinars have educated and inspired hundreds of stakeholders to advocate. These webinars will continue in the coming biennium and the Board will continue to explore ways to increase its reach and impact.

In 2025, the Board will embark on a two-year process to develop a new State Plan. The State Plan is required to receive federal funding and identifies agency goals, objectives, and activities for the next five years. The development process will include the collection of public input, a review of agency successes and challenges during the past five years, and data analysis. The resulting Plan will guide the agency’s future work starting October 1, 2026.

The Board is a member of the Disability Services Agency (DSA) group which includes the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI), Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VDDHH), Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired (VRCBVI) and Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center (WWRC). IT services are provided by VITA and oversight for these IT services and management of VITA for the agency is provided by the IT staff located at the DARS and WWRC headquarters facility. The DSA consortium shares not only common back office IT applications, staff and data, it also shares back office fiscal processes—accounts payable, grants, payroll and general services—as well as Human Resources.

The Board paid about 33% of its general fund allocation in SFY 2024 to the Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA). Although the cost is similar to other state agencies, it is a larger percentage of the Board’s general fund budget given that it is a relatively small agency. Without additional general fund allocations, it will become increasingly challenging to cover IT-related costs, particularly for new services and supports.

The Board will continue to leverage internet technology to expand its reach and effectiveness. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, web conferencing tools like Zoom and Teams have become integral to holding internal and external meetings. They have substantially increased accessibility, particularly for people with disabilities and their caregivers who typically experience more barriers to transportation, while decreasing total costs. The Board also uses other internet technology like the survey software, SurveyMonkey, which has been an integral tool for the Board’s research and evaluation work.

Some key staff will be eligible for retirement in the coming years. These positions include the Executive Director and the Director of Administration. Transition planning will be needed to continue the agency’s success moving forward. 

Staff turnover is an ongoing risk due to the agency’s size and funding levels. While the Board has a highly motivated and skilled workforce, it is still a small agency with limited growth opportunities. Salaries and benefits for positions requiring comparable educational and skill levels are significantly higher in larger agencies and in the private sector, which negatively impacts agencies with a small workforce. Several staff positions require expertise in multiple areas due to the agency’s small size. In addition, due to the Board’s limited MEL and funding, some positions which could be full-time are part-time wage positions. It is difficult to maintain good employees in wage positions as they seek full-time employment with benefits. These factors collectively present both recruitment and retention challenges.

As a small agency with a flat organizational structure, continued funding challenges and increasing workload, few realistic opportunities exist for cross training of employees. Board staff share their knowledge with each other when relevant and feasible. The Board will also continue to use the agency’s employee recognition program and salary administration plan. The Board will also continue to review the effective use of internal and external agency resources, including staff resources, to take advantage of staff strengths and determine the most appropriate strategies for meeting agency goals with limited staff.

The Board is in the midst of transitioning its office space and location. In June 2024, the Board moved from downtown Richmond to co-locate with the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). The relocation has allowed the Board to leverage its use of hybrid and remote work to reduce its office costs and footprint. The relocation is also expected to yield other benefits including more accessible parking for stakeholders attending meetings, a more accessible building, and increased access to DARS staff who provide administrative support to the Board. DARS is in the midst of re-procuring its office space with input from the Board, so the Board anticipates another move in 2025.

A key condition of the Board's federal funding is the development of a State Plan that identifies agency goals, objectives, and activities for the next five years. The Plan must be approved by the Administration for Community Living. The next State Plan is due in August 2026.

Flat or declining federal and state funding, after adjusting for inflation, combined with increasing operational expenses could limit the Board’s ability to carry out its activities as effectively as possible. Insufficient funding could reduce the resources available for staff salaries, grants and contract awards, training programs, information technology to accommodate people with disabilities, the agency’s physical plant, and other operational costs.

Staff turnover is an ongoing risk due to the agency’s size and funding levels. These factors limit salary competitiveness, promotional opportunities, staff ability to specialize, and the ability to convert part-time to full-time positions. These factors collectively present both recruitment and retention challenges.

Effecting and overseeing systemic change is increasingly challenging for a small agency. Systemic change rarely happens quickly, nor easily, and often requires ongoing efforts over many years. Staff workloads have increased in order to monitor an increasing number of wide-reaching state initiatives underway, participate in numerous inter-agency workgroups guiding the initiatives, conduct primary research to inform its policy assessments, and evaluate the Board’s progress in compliance with more intensive state and federal reporting requirements. Effecting and overseeing systemic change requires substantial policy expertise, continuous involvement in state initiatives, collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders, and good data collection to track impact.

Complying with evolving state and federal requirements is increasingly challenging for a small agency. The Board has to comply with extensive state and federal requirements regarding strategic planning, budgeting, procurement, and evaluation. However, the Board has substantially fewer staff than that of other agencies, resulting in a larger portion of the Board’s workload being spent on these requirements compared to other agencies. These responsibilities have limited the amount of time the Board can spend on other operations and have resulted in an ongoing re-evaluation of resource utilization, priorities, and activities.

The Board's primary source of funding is its federal grant award from the Administration for Community Living, an agency under the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The grant award represents 89% or about $2 million of the agency’s state fiscal year 2025 annual appropriation. These funds are allocated annually based on the state’s population, the need for services for individuals with developmental disabilities, and the state’s financial need. The Board has a two-year period of performance to obligate federal funds and perform associated activities and a third year to liquidate funds. The Commonwealth contributes the other 11% of the Board’s budget, or about $249,000, from the state General Fund.

The Board's only consistent annual revenue is its federal fund allocation under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 and the state general funds.

In addition to the performance measures presented elsewhere, the statistics in the following table illustrate the breadth and depth of the Board’s efforts to-date to advance systemic change for people with disabilities:

The number of people with developmental disabilities is expected to increase as Virginia’s overall population, and the reported prevalence of developmental disabilities within the overall population, continue to increase. Virginia’s population is expected to increase by about 399,979 people between 2023 and 2030, or five percent, according to the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. The prevalence of diagnosed developmental disabilities in children ages 3 to 17 increased by 16 percent, from 7.4% to 8.56%, between 2019 and 2021, according to the latest data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. The increased prevalence has been attributed primarily to an increased risk of developing developmental disabilities other than autism or intellectual disabilities. 

The number of people with developmental disabilities seeking services is expected to increase as the number of people with developmental disabilities increases, Virginia continues to shift people with disabilities from institutional to community-based settings, and people become more aware of available community-based disability services. People’s ability to live independently in the community depends on access to services such as housing, transportation, and competitive employment. However, the Board expects that the number of people with disabilities it serves, and other stakeholders it serves, will remain stable due to flat or declining federal and state funding after adjusting for inflation.

• The Board’s major publications are annual assessments of two key areas of the disability service system, which serve as the basis for the Board’s policy recommendations and priorities.


• The Board serves as a policy advisor on issues affecting people with developmental and other disabilities through legislative testimony, formal and informal comments on policies, regulations, and budget actions, and participation in numerous inter-agency workgroups.


• The Board provides competitive grants, contracts, and other investments for public and private projects that promote independence, self-determination, and inclusion of people with developmental and other disabilities. The Board prioritizes projects that meet the goals and objectives in its federally-mandated five-year State Plan.


• The Board trains people with disabilities and their family members to be leaders in the advocacy community through the (i) Youth Leadership Academy, which currently focuses on rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with disabilities, and (ii) Partners in Policymaking program, which trains adults with developmental disabilities and parents of young children with developmental disabilities.


• The Board provides virtual continuing education webinars to increase knowledge about disability issues among the disability community and other stakeholders throughout the state.

The Board’s key performance metric is the number of policymakers and other stakeholders who are educated through the policy initiatives. The Board educated over 400 policymakers during the FFY 2023 baseline year for this biennium. This number is higher than previous years due to a number of presentations given at conferences and other events. Moving forward, the Board aims to maintain or exceed its historical average of 350 policymakers educated. Flat or declining funding levels, after adjusting for inflation, do not realistically allow for increased advocacy.

Another key performance area is the Board’s training programs for people with disabilities, their family members, and other stakeholders. The Board is replacing a state performance measure that was artificially limited by survey fatigue with a new measure that is more accurate. The new measure tracks the number of people who attend the Board’s continuing education webinars on various disability issues. The Board provided continuing education to nearly 200 people during the FFY 2023 baseline year for this biennium. The Board expects to substantially improve upon this performance because key staff were on leave for most of the baseline year.

In addition to policy and training programs, the Board’s activities include numerous grant projects. The Board has reinvested about 20% of its annual budget into community-based grants and contracts in recent years. The Board uses this funding to leverage other non-federal funding to the extent possible. The amount of matching funds expended per year can vary substantially based on the grantee’s resources and project timeline. Moving forward, the Board aims to maintain its commitment to community investment and increase dollars leveraged to the extent possible. However, the Board recognizes that any efforts to diversify grantees may result in partnering with smaller organizations that have fewer resources available to serve as a match.

Virginia has made notable progress towards improving services for people with disabilities in recent years. In 2012, Virginia committed to the U.S. Department of Justice that it would serve people in the most integrated settings. To that end, the Commonwealth has closed four of five training centers, added more Medicaid waiver slots for community-based long-term services and supports, and increased the provision of rental assistance for people to live in their own homes. In the most recent biennium, the Commonwealth decided to phase out sub-minimum wage and provide Medicaid Developmental Disability waiver slots to everyone on the priority one waiting list. These decisions were huge steps forward for the disability community.

Despite this progress, further policy changes are needed to enable people with developmental and other disabilities to be independent, self-directed, and fully included. Thousands of Virginians with developmental disabilities are still waiting for a Medicaid waiver slot. Those who have waivers often have difficulty finding service providers and are often served in segregated settings. Many people still live in private intermediate care facilities for people with intellectual and other disabilities. Students with disabilities are disproportionately secluded from the regular classroom and three of every ten don’t graduate high school with a regular diploma. Fewer than half of Virginians with disabilities are employed. Virginians with disabilities have worse health access and outcomes than people without disabilities due to factors that are often preventable. The Board will inform policymakers about the these and other unmet needs by regularly assessing the service system and recommending changes to key policymakers; commenting on regulations and budget actions; and participating in interagency workgroups.

The Board’s goal to strengthen its role as a policy leader and advisor is directly aligned with its mission, authority, and expertise. In order for the Board to realize its mission, policymakers in all branches of government need information and guidance to make funding and policy decisions that improve the lives of people with disabilities. State and federal statutes direct the Board to serve as a policy advisor to the Governor, General Assembly, state agencies, and other policymakers, and state statute directs the Board to submit an annual report to the Governor that assesses at least two major service areas for people with disabilities. The Board recently updated its statement of Policy Values to guide the Board’s policy work in alignment with the its mission and authority. State and federal statues also direct the Board to support and educate communities to respond positively to people with disabilities, as well as to educate the public about the abilities and needs of people with disabilities.

The Board is uniquely positioned to serve as a policy leader and advisor. VBPD can serve as an independent, objective voice on matters of state policy because it is principally federally funded. The Board’s unique composition gives it the expertise needed to be a comprehensive and educated source of information for policymakers on the needs of people with disabilities because it includes people with developmental disabilities and their families as the majority of the membership, giving the Board first-hand knowledge of the needs of people with disabilities. It also has representatives from key state agencies and other relevant organizations.

In order to strengthen its role as a policy leader, the Board will provide objective, comprehensive, and accurate information to policymakers on issues affecting people with developmental and other disabilities. The Board’s annual policy assessment of two major service areas is vital to this effort. In addition to the annual assessments, the Board will advise policymakers through legislative positions, formal and informal comments on regulations and budget actions, and participation in inter-agency workgroups.

• Produce annual assessments of at least two key service areas for people with disabilities that include recommendations for improvement

• Track legislation and regulations affecting people with disabilities for the Board, its partners, and other stakeholders

• Provide legislative testimony on issues affecting people with developmental and other disabilities

• Provide formal and informal comment on policies, regulations, and budget actions affecting people with developmental and other disabilities

• Participate in numerous inter-agency workgroups that address issues related to people with developmental and other disabilities

In the most recent biennium, the Board embarked on an effort to improve the accessibility of disability information statewide. In 2022, the Board began by assessing information access for people with disabilities and families in Virginia and identifying opportunities for improvement. In 2024, the Board launched an Information Access Champions initiative in collaboration with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources. This initiative educates organizations about how to provide accurate and accessible information and asks them to take a related pledge. So far, over 20 organizations have taken the pledge. In the coming biennium, the Board will continue to support this initiative, assess its impact, and make any needed improvements.

To best advance these advocacy efforts, the Board itself needs to serve as a role model for information access. To that end, the Board launched a new agency website in 2024 that is more accessible and useful to the disability community. The website includes various resources for both policymakers and the general public, including assessments of the disability service system, agency impact reports, and information on disability resources. The Board also expanded its social media platforms to include YouTube and LinkedIn. The Board created a new full-time staff position and altered an existing position to better support these internal and external information access efforts. Moving forward, the Board will continue to ensure the accessibility and accuracy of the information it provides.

• Provide up-to-date and accessible information on the Board's website and social media platforms including annual policy assessments, annual impact report, and disability resources

• Lead the Information Access Champions initiative and related efforts to improve the accessibility of information across Virginia

Improving the lives of people with developmental and other disabilities will require reform and expansion of the current public and private service system. Virginia continues its long-term policy to shift people with disabilities from institutional to community-based settings, a policy which was jumpstarted by the 2012 U.S. Department of Justice settlement agreement. As a result, more people will need access to services such as housing, competitive and integrated employment, health care, and other long-term care supports in order to live independently and productively in the community.

Several barriers currently limit people’s ability to access these services including limited funding, limited service providers, inaccessible buildings, negative attitudes towards people with disabilities, and a lack of information. The Board will advance systemic change by providing competitive grants, and entering into contracts and other investments, for projects that address these barriers and explore other ways to improve the disability service system. In addition to grants, contracts, and other investment efforts, the Board will also advance systemic change through its policy work and educational efforts discussed in other goals.

The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities’ goal to invest in community-based projects that promote independence, self-determination, and inclusion of people with disabilities is directly aligned with the Board’s mission, authority, and expertise. In order for the Board to achieve its mission, the public and private service system must be reformed and expanded so people with disabilities can access needed services and supports. State and federal statutes direct the Board to support a variety of projects including those that eliminate barriers to accessing community services, demonstrate new approaches to serving people with disabilities, educate communities to respond positively to people with disabilities, and educate the public about the abilities and needs of people with disabilities. The Board’s unique composition of people with disabilities and their family members, as well as key state agencies and community representatives, gives it the expertise needed to identify unmet service needs and barriers to accessing needed services.

In order to advance systemic change, the Board will support public and private projects that promote independence, self-determination, and inclusion of people with developmental and other disabilities through competitive grants, contracts, and other investments. These projects can include research, demonstration, outreach and education, and other projects. The Board will prioritize projects that meet the goals and objectives in its federally-mandated State Plan for federal FY 2022-2026 which aim to promote community living, health and safety, inclusive education, competitive and integrated employment, and self-advocacy.

The Board will continue to try to improve the quality of grant proposals and project monitoring while making the process more accessible to smaller and/or less-resourced organizations. In 2024, Board staff improved various guidance documents for applicants and grantees as well as the grantee quarterly progress report template. These new materials will be implemented during this biennium to hopefully yield improvements. The Board’s grant processes will continue to evolve over time in response to evaluation results and stakeholder feedback.

• Conduct outreach about the Board’s funding opportunities via the Board’s social media, the Commonwealth’s grant website, targeted distribution to other key stakeholders including multicultural organizations, and other avenues to increase the number of quality proposals

• Provide technical assistance to aspiring grantees to increase the number of quality proposals through technical assistance calls, a grant writing manual, guidance on project evaluation, and assistance in development of federal performance measure targets, expected outputs, and expected outcomes

• Solicit, review, and fund grants, contracts, and other investments to public and private entities to implement initiatives that promote independence, self-determination, and inclusion of people with developmental and other disabilities in a culturally and linguistically competent way

• Encourage recipients of Board funding to look at collaborative funding with other partners and maximizing matching funds

• Closely monitor grants, contracts, and other investments to ensure adequate funding, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability, and provide technical assistance to grantees as needed

• Continuously evaluate grant processes and identify opportunities to improve their accessibility and effectiveness

Improving the lives of people with developmental and other disabilities will continue to require increased awareness among policymakers and the general public of the right and ability of people with disabilities to be fully included in all facets of life. People with disabilities continue to be excluded from the rest of society in many facets of life including housing, education, healthcare, and employment. For example, nearly one-third of students with an Individualized Education Program spent less than 80 percent of their school day in a general education classroom in 2022-23. Only 42 percent of people receiving day or employment services in Virginia had, or were on the pathway towards, a paid employment in an integrated setting in 2021. This exclusion harms their quality of life by limiting their ability to be independent, be productive, make their own choices, and meaningfully connect to their communities. It also harms the greater community which is unable to benefit from the diversity of abilities of and contributions made by people with disabilities every day. Research indicates that exclusion can limit the social development of people without disabilities.

There is no one better to advocate for full inclusion than people with disabilities themselves. They know first-hand the impact that exclusionary policies have and what changes are needed. Through their advocacy, they can also demonstrate their abilities to people who may have low expectations and misconceptions. It is important for people with disabilities, and their social support network, to be a part of policy discussions that impact them.

This goal directly aligns with the Board’s mission and authority. In order for the Board to realize its mission, policymakers and the general public need to respect the right and ability of people with disabilities to be fully included in all facets of life. Public attitudes influence both policy decisions and the extent to which the intent behind those policies is carried out on a daily basis. State and federal statutes direct the Board to support and educate communities to respond positively to people with disabilities, educate the public about the abilities and needs of people with disabilities, train people with disabilities and their families to advocate for their own needs, and strengthen self-advocacy organizations led by people with disabilities.

In order to increase awareness of the rights and abilities of people with disabilities, the Board will prepare people with disabilities and their family members to be leaders and advocate for their needs. People with disabilities and their families are often unaware that they can effect change through their own advocacy efforts, or they may lack the knowledge and skills to effectively advocate. The Board’s training programs are therefore critical to providing them with the necessary knowledge and skill sets to lead and advocate for systemic change.

The Board operates two long-standing training programs, the Youth Leadership Academy (formerly the Youth Leadership Forum) and Partners in Policymaking, and engages alumni of these two training programs. The Board’s alumni engagement has evolved substantially over time in response to evaluation results and guidance from federal funders. Currently, the Board offers continuing education webinars to alumni and the general public on various disability issues. The webinar topics are selected by the training program alumni, most of whom have a developmental disability or a family member with a developmental disability.

The Board is continually refining these three programs to improve their outreach and effectiveness. The Board will make programmatic changes as needed in response to stakeholder feedback. The Board has also been experimenting with how to best balance in-person and virtual formats across all three of its training programs. Virtual formatting can increase accessibility and lower costs. However, virtual formatting can also limit program effectiveness if people have different learning styles and/or don’t have enough opportunities to interact with each other.

• Implement and refine the Partners in Policymaking program, which trains self-advocates and parents of children with developmental disabilities on how to engage and advocate for themselves to effect systemic change

• Implement the Youth Leadership Academy (formerly the Youth Leadership Forum) to help high school students with developmental and other disabilities develop personal leadership and career development skills to enhance their ability to advocate for themselves and others

• Implement and refine continuing education webinars for the general public and alumni of the Partners in Policymaking program and Youth Leadership Academy

• Improve the cultural and linguistic competency of the Board’s (i) outreach and recruitment efforts for the Board’s training programs for youth and adults in order to increase the number and diversity of participants; and (ii) training curriculum.

• Strengthen a self-advocacy organization or program led by people with disabilities by helping build the organization or program’s infrastructure, skills, and ability to advocate for policy change

This service area consists of the Board’s activities to advocate for systemic change in the provision of disability services and supports (Goal 1) and to prepare future leaders in the advocacy community who can educate policymakers and the general public about the needs and abilities of people with disabilities (Goal 3). Activities include researching the effectiveness of the service system for people with disabilities, planning and evaluating Board efforts to address the unmet needs of people with disabilities, providing input on legislation and policies related to people with disabilities, and preparing people with disabilities and their families to advocate for their own needs.

This service area directly aligns with the Board’s mission to maximize the ability of people with developmental and other disabilities to be independent, self-directed, and fully included by educating policymakers and the public about the needs and abilities of people with disabilities and informing policymakers about how they can meet those needs through changes to the disability service system.

This service area implements several of the Board’s responsibilities enumerated in the federal Developmental Disabilities and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. §15021-15029) and the Virginians with Disabilities Act (Va. Code §51.5-31 through §51.5-33), which establishes the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities as the Commonwealth’s Developmental Disabilities Council.

• Strategic planning and evaluation documents:
  
  
  
  • Five-year state plan and annual updates for the federal Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) to guide the Board’s efforts to address the unmet needs of people with disabilities
  
  
  • Program Performance Report for AIDD to annually evaluate the Board’s progress towards meeting its five-year state plan
  
  
  • Agency strategic plan for the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget to provide background information on the Board as well as specific goals, objectives, strategies, and performance measures
  
  
  • Quarterly reports on Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) for the Health and Human Resources Secretary to monitor the Board’s performance
  
  
  
  


• Annual assessments of at least two key service areas for people with disabilities that include recommendations for improvement


• Board input on legislation, regulations, and budget actions affecting people with disabilities, including legislative advocacy, formal and informal comment, and participation in numerous inter-agency workgroups


• Three programs to train people with developmental and other disabilities, their family members, and/or the general public on leadership, self-advocacy, and disability issues:
  
  
  
  • Partners in Policymaking
  
  
  • Youth Leadership Academy (formerly the Youth Leadership Forum)
  
  
  • Continuing education webinars on disability issues
  
  
  
  


•  Information Access Champions initiative and related efforts to improve the accessibility of disability information across Virginia

The Board's primary source of funding for this service area is its federal grant award from the Administration for Community Living, an agency under the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. About $1.1 million (55%) of the Board’s federal funding will be used for this service area annually, accounting for 49% of the Board’s total appropriation. The Board’s federal funds are allocated annually and must be obligated within two years, which means that the Board has two grant awards available for obligation during any given year.

This service area provides ongoing financial oversight and administrative support for the Board’s activities in the “Research, Planning, Outreach, Advocacy, and Systems Improvement” service area and “Financial Assistance to Localities for Individual and Family Services” service area. In the Administrative Service area, activities include the management of agency state and federal funds, human resources, information technology, organization and logistics for the 40-member Board, and general services including procurement of goods and services, contracts, RFPs requiring eVA procedures, and mandates for small purchases. In carrying out these activities, the Board ensures that the agency is efficiently and effectively using its financial resources within the agency’s budgetary constraints. The Board has a Memorandum of Understanding with Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services to provide additional administrative “back-office” support in the areas of human resource management, fiscal and audit services, and information technology and web support.

This service area directly aligns with the Board’s mission to maximize the ability of people with developmental and other disabilities to be independent, self-directed, and fully included. Without administrative services and supports, programmatic staff would be unable to support other service areas’ efforts to improve the disability service system, educate stakeholders about people with disabilities, and advance systemic change through grants and other investments.

This service area provides administrative services that are needed to implement several of the Board’s responsibilities enumerated in the federal Developmental Disabilities and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. §15021-15029) and the Virginians with Disabilities Act (Va. Code §51.5-31 through §51.5-33), which establishes the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities as the Commonwealth’s Developmental Disabilities Council.

• Budget development


• Monitoring and disbursing of agency funds


• Staff recruitment, management, and professional development


• Procurement of goods and services in eVA


• Oversight of information technology services


• Organization of Board functions including quarterly Board meetings


• Contingency plans including Continuity Of Operations Plan (COOP), Business Impact Analysis (BIA), and Agency Risk Management and Internal Controls (ARMICS)


• Contract development


• Administrative support for Board staff and members including interpreting administrative policies, procedures, and regulations

The Board's primary source of funding for this service area is its federal grant award from the Administration for Community Living, an agency under the Department of Health & Human Services. About $490,000 (25%) from the Board’s federal appropriation will be used for this service area annually. The Board’s federal funds are allocated annually and must be obligated within two years, which means that the Board has two grant awards available for obligation during any given year.  The Board can only utilize 30 percent or less of its federal funds on administrative functions.

The entirety of the Board’s state general fund appropriation of approximately $250,000 in SFY 2025 will also be used for this service area.

This service area supports projects that promote the independence, self-determination, and inclusion of people with developmental and other disabilities through competitive grants, contracts, and other investments. These projects can include public or private research, demonstration, outreach and education, and other projects. The Board prioritizes projects that meet the goals and objectives in its federal five-year state plan. The Board monitors its investments to ensure adequate funding, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability, and disseminates project results to stakeholders statewide.

This service area directly aligns with the Board’s mission to maximize the ability of people with developmental and other disabilities to be independent, self-directed, and fully included by investing in public and private projects that advance these principles.

This service area implements several of the Board’s responsibilities enumerated in the federal Developmental Disabilities and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. §15021-15029) and the Virginians with Disabilities Act (Va. Code §51.5-31 through §51.5-33), which establishes the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities as the Commonwealth’s Developmental Disabilities Council.

• Solicit, review, and fund competitive grants, contracts, and other investments to projects that promote the independence, self-determination, and inclusion of people with disabilities and support the Board’s goals and objectives in its federal five-year state plan.


• Provide technical assistance to grantees including technical assistance calls, a grant writing manual, and assistance in development of federal performance measure targets, expected outputs, and expected outcomes.


• Close monitoring of its grants, contracts, and other investments to ensure adequate funding, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability.


• Dissemination of project results to other disability organizations, policymakers, and the general public statewide.

The Board's sole source of funding for this service area is its federal grant award from the Administration for Community Living, an agency under the Department of Health & Human Services. About $401,000 (20%) of the Board’s federal appropriation will be used for this service area annually. The Board’s federal funds are allocated annually and must be obligated within two years, which means that the Board has two grant awards available for obligation during any given year.