West Virginia

“The artwork selected as the Grand Exhibitor has been incorporated into a poster promoting National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a national campaign that raises awareness about disability employment issues and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. Held annually in October, this year's theme is ‘My disability is one part of who I am.’”

Supported employment enables clients with the most significant disabilities to enter or retain competitive employment in an integrated work setting. Individuals eligible for this program need intensive job site training/job coaching and ongoing support services in order to perform their work after job placement and case closure occurs. Supported employment services shall be purchased only from Division-acknowledged service providers in accordance with the Division’s fee schedule.

“ The West Virginia Council coordinated activities during the Spring of 2011 that encouraged people to provide their views on a wide range of issues affecting people with developmental disabilities and their families in the areas of: Employment, Education, Child Care, Health Care, Transportation, Recreation, Housing, Quality Assurance and Formal/Informal Community Supports. Based on the Council’s service and support needs assessment activities, which included public forums and needs surveys reaching more than seven hundred (700) people, seven major goals emerged during the planning process and serve as the foundation for the Five Year State Plan: The Council will work with stakeholders to develop training focused on customized, Employment First, and other innovative employment approaches, accessing funding sources, and developing collaborative relationships. The Council will partner with the WV Division of Rehabilitation Services, WV APSE, Department of Education, and others to plan the training.”

The seven major goals of the Five Year Plan are: Self-Advocacy; Family Support and Training; Protection Against Abuse, Assuring Safety, and Rights Protection; Direct Support Personnel Development and Training; Inclusive Education; Accessibility and Accountability in Public Services; and Competitive and Valued Employment.

EMPLOYMENT FIRST INITIATIVE:

“The Council will support legislation that promotes valued, integrated employment with competitive wages as the first and preferred outcome for people with developmental disabilities. The Council asserts that employment is an out-come, not a program.”  

The plan shall be reviewed and revised not less than once every three years, to ensure the existence of appropriate planning, financial support and coordination, and other assistance to appropriately address, on a statewide and comprehensive basis, the needs in the State for: – The provision of State independent living services; – The development and support of a statewide network of centers for independent living; and – Working relationships between programs providing independent living services and independent living centers, the vocational rehabilitation program established under title I, and other programs providing services for individuals with disabilities. 34 CFR 364.20(f)

“The cooperative agreement shall assure that each student with a disability in the state who needs special education and/or vocational rehabilitation services is promptly identified and the appropriate transition services are made available to the individual.”

"The Council will work to produce an Employment First policy by 2014.  They plan to “facilitate a working group to study and make recommendations to the responsible State entities to create or modify policies, practices and/or standards that support employment first philosophy for working-age youth and adults with developmental disabilities.”

“The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, Public Law 108-446, herein after referred to as IDEA 2004 and the IDEA regulations (34 CFR Part 300), require that the State set forth policies and procedures to demonstrate that the State has established a goal providing full educational opportunity to all students with disabilities who are residents of West Virginia, aged birth through twenty-one years of age and a detailed timetable for accomplishing that goal. The State of West Virginia affirms the goal to provide full educational opportunities by 2014 for all students with disabilities, aged birth through twenty-one years of age, residing within its jurisdiction. The State works toward the realization of this goal through the implementation of, and compliance with, IDEA 2004 and any subsequent reauthorization, state policies and procedures and the implementation of the West Virginia Continuous Improvement and Focused Monitoring System (CIFMS).”

1. Implement the West Virginia Olmstead Plan to ensure compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 2. Eliminate the institutional bias in West Virginia's long term care system. 3. Develop and maintain a statewide, comprehensive transition and diversion program. 4. Implement a formal plan to address the major barrier of affordable, accessible and integrated housing options for people with disabilities. 5. Ensure people with disabilities have opportunities for employment, transportation and meaningful participation in their community

“The Division of Rehabilitation Services, or DRS, is a comprehensive employer assistance program for business owners and employers… Our goal is to assist business owners and employers fi nd solutions to disability-related issues. DRS can provide you with critical business options in the areas of staffing, education, tapping into fi nancial incentives associated with hiring an individual with a disability, which can be a permanent injury, illness or impairment, or insuring accessibility to your goods and services.”

“In today’s highly competitive global market, the bottom line is the most important factor for business owners and employers. Every business owner and organization is looking for a critical advantage over the competition. Offering a solid return on investment for stakeholders, maximizing profits and limiting expenses are high priorities.” “To gain this advantage, business owners and employers seek the right opportunity to affect the bottom line. DRS can show you how financial incentives can help your business employ people with disabilities and develop a progressive and proactive approach to ensuring accessibility for employees and customers with disabilities.”

“We [the Division of Rehabilitation Services] provide a wide range of services to help people get and keep jobs. Because everyone is different, services are customized for each individual. DRS counselors typically begin working with students with disabilities in the 11th grade to help them prepare for future employment.”

“People with disabilities have the right and the responsibility to be productive citizens engaged in competitive, integrated employment with the services and supports needed to do so.” This requires the State to, “Increase funding for Supported Employment Services. Increase funding for Extended Supported Employment Services. Implement the “Employment First” initiative, emphasizing integrated, community-based employment as the desired outcome for individuals with disabilities – expecting, encouraging, providing, creating, and rewarding integrated employment in the workforce as the first and preferred option of youth and adults with disabilities. Increase focus on competitive, community-based employment by creating a continuing line item appropriation to fund services for this purpose, and by identifying specific funding for job readiness skills training. Increase awareness of benefits planning and benefits advocacy for Social Security beneficiaries seeking employment.” This consensus agenda also addresses education, human & civil rights, community infrastructure and Home and Community Based Services.

State Americans with disabilities coordinator.