Employment First
Legislation that requires responsible state agencies to pursue and and promote valued, integrated employment with competitive wages as the first and preferred outcome for ALL people with developmental disabilities who want to work. We assert employment is an outcome, not a program. Accordingly, The Arc will advocate for tax breaks and other incentives that encourage employers to hire people with developmental disabilities and will advocate to phase out sub-minimum wage for all people with disabilities.
Medicaid/LTSS: HCBS Infrastructure Improvement Act Introduced in Senate
On February 12, Senator Robert P. Casey (D-PA) introduced the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Infrastructure Improvement Act (S.3277). This bill provides seven-year grants to states to improve the Home and Community Based Services systems by doing at least three of the following:
Alternatives to Guardianship
The Arc of the Eastern Panhandle advocates for the use of alternatives to guardianship such as limited guardianship and supported decision making for people with the developmental disabilities. The Council also advocates for the training of appointed counsel, mental hygiene commissioners, and judges on the necessity to explore least restrictive alternatives that preserve as many decision making rights ans possible for a person with a developmental disability.
Olmstead Implementation
The Arc of the Eastern Panhandle advocates for the full implementation of the State Olmstead Plan as approved by the Governor of West Virginia in October of 2005. This is WV's plan to comply with the Olmstead decision rendered by the US Supreme Court in June 1999, which mandates that people with disabilities have the right to receive state administered services, programs, and activities "in the most integrated settings". People with developmental disabilities are to be given the opportunity to leave and or avoid nursing homes, long term care facilities, ICF/IIDs, other group homes, and psychiatric hospitals in order to live integrated lives in communities around the state.
Op-Ed: from the American Council on Education ~ Combat Stigma in Higher Education
The American Council on Education (ACE), an organization representing more than 1,000 leaders of colleges and universities wrote recent paper “Ending the Stigma for College Students With Learning Disabilities”. This reflects on how the college admissions scandal impacts students with disabilities—and the need for our communities to directly confront the abuse of a system that’s essential to supporting these students.
Transportation
The Arc of the Eastern Panhandle supports policies, initiatives, and other efforts to increase affordable and accessible transportation in rural areas of our state so that the disabled may become appreciate the benefit of being fully integrated citizens in West Virginia. This could mean expanding city bus routes to include rural routes or on demand bus benefits for the disabled to request to and from work.
Legislation that requires responsible state agencies to pursue and and promote valued, integrated employment with competitive wages as the first and preferred outcome for ALL people with developmental disabilities who want to work. We assert employment is an outcome, not a program. Accordingly, The Arc will advocate for tax breaks and other incentives that encourage employers to hire people with developmental disabilities and will advocate to phase out sub-minimum wage for all people with disabilities.
Medicaid/LTSS: HCBS Infrastructure Improvement Act Introduced in Senate
On February 12, Senator Robert P. Casey (D-PA) introduced the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Infrastructure Improvement Act (S.3277). This bill provides seven-year grants to states to improve the Home and Community Based Services systems by doing at least three of the following:
- Increasing the availability of housing;
- Expanding transportation options;
- Increasing wages, benefits, and support for direct support professionals;
- Expanding competitive integrated employment; and
- Building no-wrong-door application, referral, and counseling systems.
Alternatives to Guardianship
The Arc of the Eastern Panhandle advocates for the use of alternatives to guardianship such as limited guardianship and supported decision making for people with the developmental disabilities. The Council also advocates for the training of appointed counsel, mental hygiene commissioners, and judges on the necessity to explore least restrictive alternatives that preserve as many decision making rights ans possible for a person with a developmental disability.
Olmstead Implementation
The Arc of the Eastern Panhandle advocates for the full implementation of the State Olmstead Plan as approved by the Governor of West Virginia in October of 2005. This is WV's plan to comply with the Olmstead decision rendered by the US Supreme Court in June 1999, which mandates that people with disabilities have the right to receive state administered services, programs, and activities "in the most integrated settings". People with developmental disabilities are to be given the opportunity to leave and or avoid nursing homes, long term care facilities, ICF/IIDs, other group homes, and psychiatric hospitals in order to live integrated lives in communities around the state.
Op-Ed: from the American Council on Education ~ Combat Stigma in Higher Education
The American Council on Education (ACE), an organization representing more than 1,000 leaders of colleges and universities wrote recent paper “Ending the Stigma for College Students With Learning Disabilities”. This reflects on how the college admissions scandal impacts students with disabilities—and the need for our communities to directly confront the abuse of a system that’s essential to supporting these students.
Transportation
The Arc of the Eastern Panhandle supports policies, initiatives, and other efforts to increase affordable and accessible transportation in rural areas of our state so that the disabled may become appreciate the benefit of being fully integrated citizens in West Virginia. This could mean expanding city bus routes to include rural routes or on demand bus benefits for the disabled to request to and from work.