The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals recently considered whether “gender dysphoria” is categorically excluded from the definition of “disability” in the ADA.
Category: Press Releases
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Report on Critical Incidents in Virginia’s State Operated Mental Health Facilities
During Federal Fiscal Year 2022, dLCV received a total of 410 Critical Incident Reports from facilities operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS).
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How Accessible were the Polls Really in 2022?
dLCV is mandated by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (PL 107-252) to advocate for the rights of Virginia voters with disabilities. Through dLCV’s Protection and Advocacy for Voter Access (PAVA) program, we survey polling sites on Election Day to determine if sites are accessible and take corrective action if sites are not accessible.
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Possible New Medicaid Rule for Family as Personal Care Aides
Have you heard about the Department of Medical Assistance Services’ (DMAS) proposed rule regarding “legally responsible individuals” as personal care aides? Under the proposed Medicaid rule, parents of minors and spouses are able to serve as personal care aides for their family member and be paid for their services. Check out dLCV’s fact sheet to learn more about the rule and how you can share your opinion on the rule with DMAS via “public comment.”
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Virginia Department of Corrections Denies Equal Services to Visually Impaired People who are Incarcerated
Today the ACLU of Virginia, the disAbility Law Center of Virginia, and the law firm of Brown, Goldstein, and Levy filed a complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia against the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC), individual VDOC officials, and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia and seven incarcerated men who are blind or visually impaired and are being denied equal access to services and programs available to sighted incarcerated people.
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Parents and State Settle Lawsuit on School Masking Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Today, the Commonwealth of Virginia affirmed that peer masking in Virginia public schools is a reasonable modification for students with disabilities that put them at severe risk if they contract COVID-19 as part of a settlement in the Seaman et al. vs. Commonwealth of Virginia et al. lawsuit.
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Virginia Continues to Unnecessarily Hospitalize Over 200 Virginians
DBHDS reports that as of the end of July 2022, 210 individuals were on the Extraordinary Barriers to Discharge List (EBL). Thirty-one (31) individuals on the EBL have an ID/DD diagnosis. Some of these individuals have been waiting, needlessly, for months or even years to return home.
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Report on Critical Incidents in Virginia’s State Operated Mental Health Facilities
During Federal Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) , dLCV received a total of 468 Critical Incident Reports from facilities operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS)
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Honoring Advocates who Promote the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in the Arts
After reflecting upon the past few years of pandemic living, the disAbility Law Center of Virginia has witnessed the power of art in overcoming isolation and fear. That is why, in 2022, the organization is honoring individuals who have become a beacon of hope and inclusion through the arts.
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The Insanity of Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity
“It’s a sad thing that I have been locked up for 10 years, all because of the NGRI process.” Emanuel VaShaun Key, a patient at Central State Hospital (CSH), has been deprived of a life outside a state psychiatric hospital due to the Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) plea.