disAbility Law Center of Virginia

12/12/2025

You have a right to safety!

Check out our website for resources on the involuntary commitment process and the rights you have!

www.dlcv.org/involuntary-commitment

12/11/2025

TODAY is Human Rights Day! This year's theme is Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials. Here in Virginia, human rights shape our daily lives, often in ways we may not always notice.

Human rights ARE disability rights. Everyone deserves to be included and live a full life in their community — accessing the same public spaces, housing opportunities, education, and work as anyone else. At dLCV, we are committed to making this a reality as we envision a Commonwealth free of legal barriers for individuals with disabilities.

If your human rights have been violated because of your disability, please submit a Get Help form on our website at https://www.dlcv.org/get-help for assistance

12/09/2025

181 Virginians with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD/DD) died while in state-licensed care — and many of these deaths were preventable.

Our new report reveals critical failures in emergency response, oversight, and provider accountability that are putting lives at risk. This is more than a statistic. It’s a call for immediate action.

Virginia must strengthen emergency response requirements and enforce real consequences for providers whose neglect endangers lives.

🔗 Read the full report: www.dlcv.org/idd-deaths

12/08/2025

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at SERIOUS RISK due to critical gaps in oversight, emergency response, and provider accountability in licensed providers!

dLCV recently released a new comprehensive report following an extensive, multi-year review of unexpected deaths of persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) receiving services licensed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS).

The report, Every Minute Matters: Oversight and Emergency Response Failures in ID/DD Care, shows ALARMING trends, including failures to initiate CPR or call 911 promptly, failure to follow food safety protocols, and repeated violations by some providers.

This is a call for immediate action for DBHDS and Virginia Lawmakers to:
(1) Require regular medical emergency drills in all licensed programs and
(2) Enforce stronger sanctions, including civil penalties, for providers whose neglect endangers lives.

Read the full report now www.dlcv.org/idd-deaths

12/08/2025

For the safety of our staff and community, dLCV is closed today, Monday, December 8, due to inclement weather.

Need assistance while we’re away? Visit www.dlcv.org/get-help to request services, learn about your rights, or access self-advocacy resources.

12/05/2025

For the safety of our staff and community, dLCV is closed today, Friday, December 5, due to inclement weather.

Need assistance while we’re away? Visit www.dlcv.org/get-help to request services, learn about your rights, or access self-advocacy resources.

12/04/2025

181 Virginians with intellectual and developmental disabilities died while receiving state-licensed care — and many of these deaths were preventable.

A multi-year dLCV investigation uncovered systemic failures, including:
❌ Delayed or absent CPR
❌ Delayed 911 calls
❌ Food safety lapses
❌ Repeat violations by some providers

These are not isolated incidents. They reveal dangerous gaps in oversight and emergency preparedness.

dLCV is calling on DBHDS and Virginia lawmakers to strengthen emergency response requirements and hold unsafe providers accountable.

🔗 Read the full report: www.dlcv.org/idd-deaths

12/03/2025

View our full report at https://www.dlcv.org/idd-deaths

Dozens of people with disabilities receiving state-licensed care were allowed to die without anyone trying to save them, according to a new report from the disAbility Law Center of Virginia.

12/03/2025

TODAY is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities!

This is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. The goal of the day is to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. The theme for this year's International Day of Persons with Disabilities is: Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress.

- In the U.S., 25% of adults with disabilities living in the community are living in poverty. This is more than double the percentage of adults without disabilities living in poverty (Center for Research on Disability).
- In 2025, national unemployment rates were much higher for people with a disability than for those with no
disability, even when controlling for education (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- Within the five years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, nearly one in ten working adults with disabilities reported experiencing some kind of workplace discrimination, and almost a third of these respondents permanently exited the workforce (National Health Interview Surveys).

It is clear that people with disabilities and their households have and continue to face challenges in attaining financial independence and self-determination. At dLCV, we commit to building a more just, inclusive, equitable, and sustainable Virginia by continuing to protect and advocate for Virginians with disabilities today and EVERY DAY!

If you are in need of assistance, submit a Get Help form on our website now www.dlcv.org/get-help

12/02/2025

It’s Giving Tuesday—and today, your voice fuels our mission.

Across Virginia, people with disabilities are fighting for access, justice, and the chance to live, work, and participate fully in their communities. At dLCV, we stand with them every day—and today, we’re asking you to stand with us.

When you give, you help:
✅ Protect rights and challenge discrimination
✅ Open doors to education, employment, and independence
✅ Ensure no one faces barriers alone

Be part of a statewide movement for inclusion and justice.
Give today at www.dlcv.org/donate

Your action creates change. Your support opens doors.

11/29/2025

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) turns 50 years old today!

That is 50 years of inclusion, advocacy, and equality for students with disabilities. But cuts to the Office of Special Education Programs and threats to move IDEA oversight out of the Department of Education now jeopardize decades of progress. Now’s the time to strengthen IDEA, not weaken it.

11/26/2025

"Activism" can be a scary idea.

When we think of activism, a certain image comes to mind: large crowds of people, shouting and holding picket signs. It can be inspiring to witness people come together to stand up for a cause they care about. It can also be really intimidating, especially when a lot of these typical “activist” activities don’t seem accessible for people with disabilities.

But people with disabilities can and do participate in activism. The disability rights movement has made incredible strides over the past several decades, and none of that progress happened by accident. It happened because disabled people demanded change...

Read more from Owen Priest, VCU Social Work Intern, at www.dlcv.org/activism-blog