Disability Justice

January 14, 2026

Disability Awareness Resources Events (ARE)

  • On Thursday, January 22 at 11:30AM the Arc of Virginia is hosting its DD Capitol Rally at the Bell Tower in Richmond, VA.  You can register to attend HERE.
  • On Tuesday, February 10 at 6:15AM the Arc of Northern Virginia is hosting its DD Advocacy Day Bus Trip.  To RSVP for this event you can complete the registration form HERE.
  • On Saturday, March 14 at 9AM the Virginia Down Syndrome Association (VDSA) is hosting its Annual Conference. Registration options can be found HERE.
  • The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers a free Access Pass to National Parks that you can find HERE. 

January 9, 2026

There are opportunities and resources that might be of interest.

  • On Monday, January 12 at 7PM the Decriminalize Developmental Disabilities (DThree) is hosting its Whine and Wine.  You can register to attend HERE on Zoom.
  • On Wednesday, January 14 at 1:30PM the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) is hosting The Fundamentals of How to Conduct the Person-Centered Service Planning Process.  You can register to attend HERE on Zoom.
  • On Sunday, January 18 at 10AM Friendship Circle of Virginia (FCVA) is hosting a Disability Expo.  You can register to attend HERE.
  • On Tuesday, January 20 at 7PM the Autism Society Tidewater Virginia (ASTV) is hosting its Parents of Adults with Autism Web Chat.  You can attend HERE on Zoom.
  • The Virginia Association of Community Service Boards has issued its Legislative Update for January 7, 2026.  You can access it HERE.
  • The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is accepting applications from  college students for the 2026 Autism Campus Inclusion (ACI) Leadership Academy.  Applications are due by Sunday, March 8 HERE using Google forms.

Please contact the organizer for questions about the opportunities and resources.

Friendship Circle of Virginia’s Disability Expo, presented by QTS Data Centers, is a free, family-friendly event designed to connect individuals of all ages and abilities with vital resources, services, and opportunities for support.

Date: Sunday, January 18, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Dewey Gottwald Center, 2301 W Leigh St, Richmond, VA 23220

Resolute Reads

If you are looking for a couple of resolute reads, there are two books that might be helpful reads for those people who are looking for a new perspective or just additional information on difficult struggles and balancing some positivity.

Actor Michael J Fox wrote Lucky Man, a New York Times best seller. In the book, he talks about his life and career. It started when he woke up in 1990 and discovered his spastic pinky. It chronicled his mind-body divorce and lack of cooperation as he came to terms with his new life and reality with Parkinson’s Disease.

Political figures Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly wrote  Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience. In the book, they wrote about their careers and navigating through their careful journey of supporting each other through the resilience of speech therapy and physical rehabilitation. They wrote about the simple words like spoon and chair, which became more complicated to say and do. They also wrote about both of them using diapers, in difficult circumstances, times and spaces.

December 2025

  • On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 10AM the Appropriations Committees of the Virginia General Assembly will hold virtual public hearings on the Governor’s proposed budget.  To speak, you must register Tuesday, January 6.  You can access the instructions HERE on the House Appropriations Committee website.
  • On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 3PM the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed (NADD) will host Health and Wellness: Eight Dimensions of Wellness.  You can register to attend HERE on Zoom.
  • On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 5:30PM PEATC will host Disability Benefits: Virginia’s Medicaid Waivers.  You can register to attend HERE on Zoom.

988 Lifeline is a free resource if you need to talk, text, or chat.  Vibrant Emotional Health has created an interactive My Safety Plan tool that you can access HERE on the website.

August 2025

Recently, on 20 July 2025 “Disability Pride: Barriers & Belonging” the service highlighted the following educational resources:

July 2025

Disability Pride Month occurs worldwide, usually in July. Disability Pride has evolved from a day of celebration to a month-long event.

It originated in the United States to commemorate the passing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July 1990. Disabled people make up 15% of the world’s population representing all ages, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. Read more on Wikipedia.

March 2025

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
In March, you may want to dedicate time to increasing awareness and understanding of people living with developmental disabilities, which can affect physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Promote inclusion and acceptance and the rights of those living with disabilities. This will lead to a greater understanding of all people worldwide.

The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), a state agency that operates 12 state hospitals and facilities with over 6,000 employees and oversees a $2.5 billion system that annually serves 217,000 Virginians and families with behavioral health disorders and developmental disabilities.

You can read more about national development disabilities awareness month from the Virginia DBHDS March newsletter.

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We are Unitarian Universalists living with disabilities, our families, friends, and allies coming together for a common purpose:

To enable the full engagement of people with disabilities in Unitarian Universalist communities and the broader society.

Read more about Ableism Basics from EqUUal Access.

TIME | A Lawsuit Threatens the Disability Protections I’ve Known My Whole Life | February 19, 2025

TIME |These Companies Aren’t Ditching DEI | February 26, 2025

In Virginia, the following information below encourages the social action and advocacy to improve services and supports for people with developmental disabilities. Some of these programs below also educate and empower family members to assist with independent living and person centered practices.

Applications are being accepted for the 2025-2026 PIP Training Program which can be found HERE.  The deadline to apply for PIP is Friday, March 14, 2025.

YLA applications are being accepted and can be found HERE.  The deadline to apply for YLA is Friday, March 28, 2025.

The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) advocates for better services and supports. We make sure that people with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families have what they need to live their best lives.

Partners in Policymaking (PIP) is a free program. In this program, people with developmental disabilities (DD) or their family members learn advocacy and leadership skills.

The PIP program is made up of seven sessions. The sessions begin in September and end in April. Each session lasts two days. Sessions start on Friday afternoon and end on Saturday afternoon. The sessions include advocacy training, skill building, expert speakers and much more.

The Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) helps students with developmental or other disabilities gain new skills. These skills help them to grow as a person and as a leader. Students also explore career choices that interest them.

The Va-LEND program is committed to the preparation of professionals, family members and people with disabilities statewide in the field of childhood neurodevelopmental disabilities who will assume leadership roles within health care and disability service systems. The interdisciplinary program provides a 12-24 month curriculum of interactive seminars, clinical and community-based practica, planned grassroots and systems level policy activities, and for most trainees, a family mentorship experience.

PEATC is a statewide nonprofit whose passion is to empower families of children with disabilities in Virginia. Our central focus is on families who are navigating the special education and disability service system. Here are some trainings and workshops.

Here are some other legislative and advocacy resources:

Research papers and education methodologies

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