VACIL Logo

Karen Michalski-Karney, President

1502B  Williamson Rd., NE
Roanoke, VA 24012-5100

Phone: (V/TTY) 540-342-1231

Fax:  540-342-9505

info@vacil.org

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 Welcome to Virginia Association of Centers for Independent Living (VACIL)

 
 

News

A Look Back at 'Section 504'    Read more

Action Needed! Major Cuts       Proposed to     Services for     Virginias with   Disabilities        Read more  

HealthSouth Fellowship Opportunity at NCIL

 

Application and deadline info below

 

| Word | | Text |

Virginia Board for People with Disabilities'

Biennial Assessment of the Disability Services System in Virginia

 

State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) 2008-2010 (Word file)

 Presidential Candidate's "Comprehensive Plans" for Americans with Disabilities

 

National Survey of the Spina Bifida Community

 

VACIL's Purpose

VACIL is a statewide association of Centers for Independent Living (CILs) that advocates for the integration and inclusion of people with disabilities into all aspects of society.  The association also promotes the professional development, improvement, and expansion of community-based, consumer-controlled CILs, and promotes community education throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

VACIL's Mission

"People with disabilities will have a community-based consumer-directed service delivery system."

 

Virginia Centers for Independent Living (CILs) by Planning District

Planning District Listings

 

*Areas in white are unserved.  Areas that are light grey with dots are severed by Satellite offices.CILS by Planning Districts in Virginia

Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) 2011-2013 SPIL GoalsVASILC Logo

2011-2013 State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL)  |Word document

SPIL Public Comment Process  |Word document |

SPIL Input Form  |Word document |

 

Information Alert: KT4TT Seeks Survey Referrals; Offers Compensation

NCIL celebrarting 25 years

Dear Fellow Director:  

 I am writing on behalf of the Center on Knowledge Translation for Technology Transfer (KT4TT), of which Western New York Independent Living is a full partner.   This center is funded by the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation Research and operating since October 2008 led by Joe Lane, of the University at Buffalo. We previously held the NIDRR grant for Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology Transfer, which was able to get over 50 products for people with disabilities into the market place, before getting this current award.

 I am writing this with a special request regarding augmentative communication.  Our Center’s research is focused on knowledge translation strategies and currently we are working with AAC technologies.  Our research interest is about best ways of communicating research knowledge to AAC stakeholders ?and this includes consumers, clinicians, brokers, policy makers, manufacturers and researchers. 

If you can help us identify consumers over the age of 18 who use AAC equipment, and who will participate in our study both you and the consumer will benefit.  For any consumer who participates in the study he / she will receive $100 for each one of the 3 questionnaires we will ask them to complete.

For each participant an organization is able to offer us, a chance will be put into a drawing for $1000.  (This means if you are able to help us find 1 consumer you will get 1 chance at the drawing, if you assist us in finding 10 consumers you will get 10 chances in the drawing.)  We are only seeking 60 participants so you can see your chances of winning the drawing is greatly enhanced with more referrals.

 If you are able to assist us, or wish to know more about the study please feel free to email me or call: (716) 204-8606 ext. 205.  I look forward to your assistance in helping us identifying the best way for new knowledge to reach the person’s who can best benefit by it.   | Word document |  | Text file |  

 Regards,

Douglas J. Usiak

Co-PI

Knowledge Translation for Technology Transfer

(716) 204-8606 ext. 205

www.kt4tt.buffalo.edu

Or

Executive Director

Western New York Independent Living

3108 Main Street

Buffalo, NY 14214

(716) 836-0822 ext. 117

djusiak@buffalo.edu

www.wnyil.org

 

VACIL on Delegate Marshall's Comments - February 24, 2010

People  with disabilities throughout Virginia have been angered by the remarks of Delegate Bob Marshall of Manassas.  Delegate Marshall stated that "the number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically" implying that disability is a "special punishment."

The Virginia Association of  Centers for Independent Living (VACIL) does not believe that disability is a punishment.  VACIL is proud of the thousands of people who are born with disabilities and their accomplishments.  Virginias'  with disabilities continue to be discriminated against and denied services needed to live in the community.   Most Virginias respect the lives of people with disabilities and support efforts needed to improve community integration. These biased and hurtful remarks have no place in contemporary dialogue.   "The Virginia Association of Centers for Independent Living is extremely disappointed by Delegate Marshall's remarks.  These comments are a poignant reminder that Virginias with disabilities have a long way to go in fighting for their civil rights," said Karen-Karney, President of VACIL.

Lisbet Dula from Virginia Beach said, "I have a full and rewarding life and my disability is part of what makes me who I am and has been part of the path to what I have achieved.  To say that my disability is a punishment or that my life and personhood are less than someone else’s takes away my social equality as a Virginian.?lt;/span>

“To discount people with disabilities and to call them a "punishment" is wrong. I may be a person with a disability but that's the point...first and foremost I am a PERSON. I am not my disability and my disability does not define me,?said Jason Neal from Abingdon who was born with spina bifida.

Stephanie George who lives in Manassas independently and who has cerebral palsy said, “The moral dilemma is that people with disabilities must beg and fight for services.  Apparently for some legislators, life is valuable before birth, and then some sort of transformation occurs to lessen the value of that life after birth.?nbsp;    | Word document |

VACIL Budget Alert: Major Cuts Proposed to Services for Virginias with Disabilities       

The Virginia General Assembly is considering major cuts to Medicaid services that will:

  • Reduce the number of hours of respite from 720 hours to 240 hours a year

  • Reduce Medicaid Waiver provider rates by 5%

  • Increase waiting lists for the DD and ID/MR Waivers

  • Stop new enrollment into the DD, EDCD, and ID/MR Waivers

  • Eliminate thousands of jobs, including personal care attendants/aides and respite staff

  • Eliminate podiatry services and adult optometry services

  • Reduce therapy services

Contact your State Senator and Delegate, the Governor, and leaders of the legislative money committees.  Let them know how these cuts will impact you.  Read more for contact info...

 

VACIL News

The Social Security Administration (SSA) and CESSI, the Program Manager for Recruitment and Outreach for the Ticket to Work (Ticket) program, are pleased to announce the launch of the new Choose Work web site at www.choosework.net for people with disabilities receiving Social Security benefits in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the enactment of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (Ticket Act).

 

In 1999, Congress passed the landmark Ticket Act to expand choice and provide improved services and supports to beneficiaries with disabilities who decided to Choose Work.  SSA has worked continuously to improve the Ticket program over the past decade and the program has come a long way since the first Ticket was issued in 2002.

 

Based on input SSA received from beneficiaries, Employment Networks and the disability community, regulatory improvements were made to the Ticket program in July 2008 and those changes have resulted in significant program growth and the emergence of some very encouraging trends:

 

Increased Ticket Assignments:  Over 270,000 beneficiaries are using their ticket to get help finding a job.  That is up 72% from the beginning of 2007.

 

More Beneficiaries are Working:  In 2008, 96,993 beneficiaries had their Ticket in use and were working.  That is up from 59,443 in 2007, a 63% increase.  Many of these beneficiaries are achieving significant levels of self-sufficiency and some have successfully transitioned off SSA benefits.

 

 SSA is launching this web site to renew Congress' challenge to willing SSI and SSDI beneficiaries to "Choose Work" by participating in the Ticket to Work program and using the other SSA Work incentives.  For the first time, those unfamiliar with the program can view short, informative videos; hear powerful stories told by people just like themselves whose circumstances have led them to explore the ticket and other Work Incentives; experience a Work incentive Seminar event; find local resources and other helpful information in one interactive location online. 

 

Stop by www.ChooseWok.net and hear directly from some of the people wit disabilities the Ticket program has helped to Choose Earnings, Choose Fulfillment and Choose Work.

 

 

December 1, 2009  - The Disability Law Lowdown podcast just posted a podcast about new regulations that just went into effect regarding GINA - the Genetic information Nondiscrimination Act.  The regulations were issued by the U.S. Department of Health Services, Labor, and Treasury.

 

 

The Disability Law Lowdown podcast is available at www.DisabilityLawLowdown.com, as well as on iTunes.  People can listen to the podcast directing from a computer or can download it to an MP3 player, like an iPod.

 

The healthcare bill introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in November contains numerous provisions that affect people with disabilities.  Please note that this bill will be debated over the next few weeks and some of these provisions could be modified and even removed.  This is an analysis of the bill as it stands December 1, 2009, and not a final bill.

 

If you have questions about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care or about the legislative process, contact NCIL Policy Analyst Jason Beloungy at 202-207-0334 (toll-free 1-877-525-3400) ext. 1008 or e-mail: jason@ncil.org 

| Word document |  | Text file |

 

November 18, 2009

Information received from Senator Barbara Boxer:

"A new benefit from the Department of Defense offers compensation to service members who were kept in the military under the "stop loss" policy, which extended service for many members of the military.  I urge you to spread the word to anyone you know who might have been impacted by the Department of Defense stop loss policy.  The Department of Defense estimates that approximately 185,000 personnel are eligible for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay of $500 per month for every month of stop loss service."  Don't let any veterans miss out on this benefit if they've earned it.  If you or someone you know is eligible for this payment, visit one of these websites to learn more:


Army:    http://www.stoplosspay.army.mil

Navy:  send e-mail to NXAG_N132C@navy.mil

Marine Corps:  https://www.manpower.usmc.mil/stoploss

Air Force:  www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/stoploss

 

Please accept this invitation from the Virginia Statewide Independent Living Council (VASILC) to participate in a web based survey to gather comments from Virginians with Disabilities  about their service needs.  The survey is on the SILC website http://www.vasilc.org  Responses will be accepted through September 7, 2009.  These comments will assist the SILC in directing the development of the 2011-2013 State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) currently being developed. 

 

Virginia Senator James Webb is open to co-sponsoring the Community Choice Act (CCA), but wants to know what organizations and people in Virginia support  CCA.  By visiting the following link, advocates can send a pre-drafted letter encouraging support to Senator Webb and Senator Warner:  http://capwiz.com/rochestercdr/issues/alert/?alertid=11372496   You may also contact Maribel Ramos in Senator Webb's office at 202.224.4024 or e-mail her at Maribel_ramos@webb.senate.gov on behalf of your organization.

 

Money Follows the Person logo

Virginia launches website describing community living choice project for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

For more information and updates visit:  http://www.olmsteadva.com/mfp or read more about the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Demonstration. |Word|

 

 

VACIL Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2005-06

(.PDF file)

 

 

 

 

 For comments or questions about this website please e-mail webmaster@vacil.org

Last updated June 4, 2010