South Hampton Roads Disability Services Board09

The HRPDC provides staff support to the South Hampton Roads Disability Services Board09, which represents the Cities of Portsmouth, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk. The South Hampton Roads Disability Services Board (SHRDSB09) is the offshoot of the regional DSBs created by the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) in 1992. It was created in 2009 by the support of all of the Cities and the decision of the Board Members after all funding was eliminated. For a list of appointed Board members, click HERE.

In 1992, the General Assembly legislated the development of the Disability Services Boards (DSBs) to assist localities in identifying and addressing the needs of persons with physical and sensory disabilities in their communities. (For more information on SHRDSB, click HERE.)  In 2009 funding was cut for staff support but our regional Cities decided to continue this important collaborative effort and thereby re-appointed representatives, who decided to continue their work as would be possible.  SHRDSB09 was started adding to their charge people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities.  All people living within the five regions are now represented and will be served.

The Disability Services Boards and their grant program, the Rehabilitative Services Incentive Fund, (RSIF) originated in a 1992 report of the Disability Commission. Community involvement was a major theme of the report. In studying services for people with physical and sensory disabilities, the Commission found that planning for programs and services had traditionally been developed at the state level and implemented locally. In response to this finding the Commission created local Disability Services Boards as the infrastructure for locally based assessment and planning.  Today, the SHRDSB09 does not offer the RSIF, but has been awarded a grant for the year 2010 to encourage local government agencies to employ people with disabilities.  A Conference will take place September 21, 2010 to meet this Grant.

 

Although DSBs did not provide direct services, they played a vital role in the development and expansion of services to improve access for Virginians with disabilities.  The SHRDSB09 will work towards continuing the improvement of addressing access, education and issues that will directly affect the people with disabilities within the five South Hampton Roads Districts.

Our local governments have continued to support this work and have appointed board members to fulfill this charge.  Membership is comprised of appointed local government representatives, business representatives, and individuals with disabilities or family members of people with disabilities. This newly formed Board will continue to act as advisors to state and local government offices, all profit and non-profit agencies, to help create a fully accessible environments, in accordance to the Americans with Disabilities Act and its Amendments, and will work with all city agencies and commissions that are involved with people with disabilities to improve services and public awareness.

The South Hampton Roads Disability Services Board09 meetings are open to the public. For a list of meeting times, click HERE.

For a list of disability organizations and other resources, click here.

For more information, please contact shrdsb09@univdesign