OCTOBER 1, 2026 – – – We asked the public through surveys, town halls and a 45-day public comment period about the issues that are most important to them.

We then brought our data and findings to our Board members. In September 2025, we held a two-day Board retreat to narrow our goals and start drafting specific, actionable objectives and activities.

Finally, our staff finalized our State Plan, which was approved by the Board in March 2026.

Thank you to everyone who shared your thoughts and ideas with us! Your stories matter and continue to shape our work.

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Who Is the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities?

Under the federal law, each state is authorized to establish a Developmental Disabilities Council. The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (the Board) is the Commonwealth’s Developmental Disabilities Council.

The Board’s mission is to create a Commonwealth that advances opportunities for independence, personal decision-making, and full participation in community life for individuals with developmental and other disabilities. The Board’s vision is that Virginians with developmental and other disabilities direct their own lives and choose how they live, learn, work, and play.

The Board organizes its work into three main functional areas: Policy advocacy, grant funding, and training programs. This work aims to improve and build the capacity of the disability services system.

What Is a State Plan?

Developmental Disability Councils are required to develop five-year State Plans that provide a framework for how the Council will advance its mission. The current State Plan covers October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031.

This State Plan addresses six main areas of the disability services system: community supports, housing, education, employment, healthcare, and self-advocacy. The Board chose not to address other topics that are allowable under federal law because of limited resources: Childcare, early intervention, quality assurance, recreation, and transportation.

The State Plan was developed during a Board retreat in September 2025. The Board considered relevant data, public input, past successes and challenges, and Board member knowledge of unmet needs. Their work was guided by four key considerations: (1) alignment with the Developmental Disabilities Act, (2) alignment with public input and other data, (3) feasibility based on agency resources, staff expertise, and input from various external stakeholders, and (4) flexibility to adapt its strategy as information or resources change.

Following the retreat, the Board released a draft in December 2025 for a 45-day public comment period. The Board reviewed the public comments and approved a final version in March 2026.

What Is in the Board’s Current State Plan?

The Board’s current State Plan goals, objectives, and activities are listed below. The Board has four goals and 14 objectives.

Activities for the first year, federal fiscal year (FFY) 2027, are finalized. Activities for the last four years (FFYs 2028-31) can be revised and are tentative. There are more activities than the Board can do, so the Board will identify its priorities at the start of each federal fiscal year.

Goal 1 (Community Services and Housing): By October 2031, Virginians with developmental disabilities and their supporters will have maintained or improved access to services that help them live and fully participate in their communities.

Objective 1-1 (Community Services): By October 2031, the Board will provide education and other support to maintain or increase policies and practices that help Virginians with developmental disabilities get community services that meet their needs.

Activity 1.1.1 (FFYs 2027-31) Advocate for policies and practices that that help people with developmental disabilities (DD) get community services that meet their needs.

Activity 1.1.2 (FFYs 2029-31) Assess value-based purchasing model for waivers.

Activity 1.1.3 (FFYs 2029-31) Research community services available through non-Medicaid funding sources and disseminate related information to the public.

Objective 1-2 (Housing): By October 2031, the Board will provide education and other support to maintain or increase policies and practices that help Virginians with developmental disabilities get accessible, affordable, and safe housing that meets their needs.

Activity 1.2.1 (FFYs 2027-31) Advocate for policies and practices that help people with DD get accessible, affordable, and safe housing that meets their needs.

Activity 1.2.2 (FFY 2027) Update the Board’s 2020 policy assessment of residential services and incorporate research on the Community Housing Guide service.

Activity 1.2.3 (FFYs 2029-31) Assess DD waiver provider authority and practices regarding retainment of a service recipient’s income.

Activity 1.2.4 (FFYs 2029-31) Educate landlords and homeowner associations on the Fair Housing Act to support home modifications and live-in aides.

Activity 1.2.5 (FFYs 2029-31) Support the connection of people with DD who need housing to affordable housing units in a timely fashion.

Activity 1.2.6 (FFYs 2029-31) Implement recommendations from the FFY 2027 assessment of residential services in the DD Waivers.

Objective 1-3 (Information Access): By October 2031, the Board will provide outreach, training, and technical assistance to Virginians with developmental disabilities, their supporters, and other people to improve their ability to find, understand, and use information about community services and housing options.

Activity 1.3.1 (FFYs 2027-28) Partner with RTI and an inter-agency steering committee to lead a Community of Practice that improves state agencies’ ability to provide accessible and up-to-date information.

Activity 1.3.2 (FFY 2027) Hold an Information Access Summit in FFY 2027 to review and build upon recent state agency efforts to improve information access.

Activity 1.3.3 (FFYs 2029-31) Assess the accessibility of information for the public on the quality of care provided by DD waiver providers.

Activity 1.3.4 (FFYs 2029-31) Campaign to inform families of existing information, and develop more information as needed, on waiver and non-waiver services, how to access them, and housing options and rights.

Activity 1.3.5 (FFYs 2029-31) Train people with DD and their supporters on how to access information using artificial intelligence.

Goal 2 (Education and Employment): By October 2031, Virginians with developmental disabilities will maintain or improve their ability to participate in inclusive school and work environments that fully identify, develop, and use their strengths throughout their lives.

Objective 2-1 (K-12 Education): By October 2031, the Board will provide education and other support to maintain or increase policies and practices that promote an inclusive, welcoming, and supportive K-12 school environment that meets the needs of Virginia students with developmental disabilities.

Activity 2.1.1 (FFYs 2027-31) Advocate for policies and practices that promote an inclusive, welcoming, and supportive K-12 school environment for students with DD.

Activity 2.1.2 (FFY 2027) Educate students without disabilities on how to be inclusive to reduce exclusion and bullying.

Objective 2-2 (Post-Secondary Education): By October 2031, the Board will provide education and other support to maintain or increase policies and practices that make post-secondary education, including career and technical education, more accessible for Virginians with developmental disabilities.

Activity 2.2.1 (FFYs 2028-31) Advocate for policies and practices that support inclusive post-secondary education.

Activity 2.2.2 (FFYs 2029-31) Assess K-12 school efforts to support career and technical education, inc. trades, and identify any related barriers.

Activity 2.2.3 (FFYs 2029-31) Support the development of more higher education programs that provide academic and social support for people with DD.

Objective 2-3 (Employment): By October 2031, the Board will provide education and other support to maintain or increase policies and practices that promote an inclusive, welcoming, and supportive work environment that meets the needs of Virginians with developmental disabilities.

Activity 2.3.1 (FFYs 2027-31) Advocate for policies and practices that promote an inclusive, welcoming, and supportive work environment.

Activity 2.3.2 (FFYs 2027-29) Continue partnering with DARS to train and mentor employment services organizations to increase their capacity to provide customized employment services to people with DD in unserved and underserved areas of Virginia.

Activity 2.3.3 (FFY 2027) Update the Board’s 2020 policy assessment of employment and day services.

Activity 2.3.4 (FFY 2027) Continue partnering with Come As You Are to train and coach people with DD to increase their professional skills needed for sustained employment success.

Activity 2.3.5 (FFY 2028) Assess the Medicaid WORKS program in Virginia and other states.

Activity 2.3.6 (FFYs 2028-31) Provide training and technical assistance to employers on how to create inclusive working environments and obtain their commitment to hiring people with developmental disabilities.

Activity 2.3.7 (FFYs 2029-31) Assess the waiver transportation service to make recommendations to improve access to reliable and affordable transportation to get to work.

Objective 2-4 (Navigating Education and Employment): By October 2031, the Board will provide education and other support so that Virginians with developmental disabilities and their supporters are better able to understand and choose their education and work options.

Activity 2.4.1 (FFYs 2027-31) Advocate for policies and practices that help people with DD better understand and choose their education and work options.

Activity 2.4.2 (FFYs 2027-31) Continue partnering with the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia to educate families and organizations through workshops and a statewide resource hub so they can understand, navigate, and advocate for pre-employment transition services.

Activity 2.4.3 (FFYs 2029-31) Implement recommendations from the FFY 2028 assessment of Medicaid WORKS.

Activity 2.4.4 (FFYs 2029-31) Provide education and support to people with DD on starting a business.

Activity 2.4.5 (FFYs 2029-31) Raise awareness about peer support services for job seekers who have a Medicaid DD waiver and/or expand access to employment-related peer mentor supports for people without a waiver.

Goal 3 (Health): By October 2031, Virginians with developmental disabilities will have maintained or improved access to services that support health and well-being.

Objective 3-1 (Healthcare Access): By October 2031, the Board will provide education and other support to maintain or increase policies and practices that help Virginians with developmental disabilities get high-quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare that meets their physical and mental health needs.

Activity 3.1.1 (FFYs 2027-31) Advocate for policies and practices that help Virginians with DD get services that support their health and well-being.

Activity 3.1.2 (FFYs 2027-31) Monitor health and safety trends in intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual and other disabilities (ICF/IIDs), and advocate as needed.

Activity 3.1.3 (FFYs 2027-31) Continue partnering with VCU Occupational Therapy Dept. to support sensory-adapted dental environments.

Activity 3.1.4 (FFYs 2029-31) Assess Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation.

Activity 3.1.5 (FFYs 2029-31) People with lived experience and/or other experts provide training and technical assistance to health providers on trauma-informed care, patient accommodations, and sensitivity training.

Activity 3.1.6 (FFYs 2029-31) Assess the physical, communications, and programmatic accessibility of medical spaces and support the purchase of more accessible medical equipment.

Objective 3-2 (Navigating Health and Disability): By October 2031, the Board will provide education and other support so that Virginians with developmental disabilities can better understand and choose person-centered health and disability services.

Activity 3.2.1 (FFY 2027) Continue partnering with Come As You Are to provide person-centered training to people with DD on skills needed to advocate for their personal needs and make informed decisions in medical, professional, and community settings.

Activity 3.2.2 (FFYs 2028-31) Educate pediatricians on how to use developmental disability diagnostic tools & disability resources like early intervention services and waivers.

Activity 3.2.3 (FFYs 2029-31) Assess the accessibility of information for the public on the quality of care provided in ICF/IIDs.

Objective 3-3 (Health Behavior): By October 2031, the Board will provide education and other support to increase opportunities for Virginians with developmental disabilities to have healthy lifestyles.

Activity 3.3.1 (FFYs 2028-31) Educate people with DD about nutrition and food preparation.

Activity 3.3.2 (FFYs 2029-31) Research Medicaid nutritional services to improve dietary habits.

Activity 3.3.3 (FFYs 2029-31) Support inclusive parks and recreation opportunities.

Objective 3-4 (Emerging Issues): When needed, the Board will provide support to reduce emerging needs related to natural and manmade disasters that affect the health and well-being of Virginians with developmental disabilities.

Goal 4 (Self-Advocacy): By October 2031, Virginians with developmental disabilities and their family members will be better able to advocate for themselves and others so that they can lead their own lives.

Objective 4-1 (Self-Advocacy Organization): Annually, the Board will provide funding or other support to create or strengthen a state self-advocacy organization led by people with developmental disabilities.

Activity 4.1.1 (FFYs 2027-31) In partnership with the Arc of Virginia, strengthen and sustain Virginia’s statewide self-advocacy network by training local advisors, expanding leadership tools, and improving access to inclusive materials.

Activity 4.1.2 (FFYs 2028-31) Create or strengthen a state self-advocacy organization led by people with DD.

Objective 4-2 (Peer Leadership Training): Annually, people with developmental disabilities will provide mentorship and leadership training to their peers so they may become leaders.

Activity 4.2.1 (FFYs 2027-31) Each year, use people with developmental disabilities as leadership trainers for other people with developmental disabilities in Board programs.

Activity 4.2.2 (FFYs 2028 and 2030) Conduct a biennial train-the-trainer event in FFYs 2028 and 2030 to train people with developmental disabilities on how to train other people with developmental disabilities to be leaders.

Objective 4-3 (Coalition Participation): Annually, the Board will provide outreach and training to Virginians with developmental disabilities and their family members to increase knowledge that supports or expands their participation in cross-disability leadership coalitions.

Activity 4.3.1 (FFYs 2027, 2029, and 2031) Conduct a biennial Youth Leadership Academy in FFYs 2027, 2029, and 2031 for people with developmental and other disabilities.

Activity 4.3.2 (FFYs 2027, 2029, and 2031) Conduct a biennial evidence-based Partners in Policymaking program in FFYs 2027, 2029, and 2031 for people with developmental and other disabilities and their family members.

Activity 4.3.3 (FFYs 2027-31) Implement the year-round Alumni Development Program to provide continuing education and strategic communications to Virginians with developmental and other disabilities and their family members, including but not limited to alumni of the Youth Leadership Academy and/or Partners in Policymaking program.

Activity 4.3.4 (FFYs 2027-28) Collect and disseminate stories from Board members and self-advocates about barriers they experienced when accessing services and, when applicable, ways they overcame those barriers.