VCU's partnership for people with disabilities receives over $2 million in new funding

By Malorie Burkett

RICHMOND, Va. – The Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University recently announced the receipt of three new grants totaling over $2 million.

“These grants will enable us to better meet our mission of improving the lives of individuals with disabilities in the Commonwealth,” said Fred Orelove, executive director of the Partnership.

The Partnership is Virginia’s only federally designated university center for excellence in developmental disabilities, education and service, a status that Orelove said has allowed the Partnership to compete and be chosen for numerous grants as well as stand out among organizations serving people with disabilities in Virginia.

The three grants awarded to the Partnership include:

• Partnership for People with Disabilities Core Grant

The Partnership received a $1.9 million grant to fund its core operations for the period 2003-2008. The core grant, awarded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to strengthen and make community support to individuals with disabilities and their families more effective. In agreement with its mission, the Partnership offers support to people with disabilities by providing community services, information, products and other assistance.

·         Making a Difference…One Child at a Time

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services awarded a $75,000 grant to the Partnership, to be used over a 12-month period. This grant is designed to improve the success of youth with hidden disabilities such as mental, emotional and educational problems and who have become involved with the juvenile justice system and are adjudicated by the court.

·         New Voices

The Virginia Board for People With Disabilities (VBPD) awarded the Partnership a grant of $150,000, to be used over 18 months. The grant will allow the Partnership to form a New Voices Planning Committee, consisting of 10 individuals with disabilities from across Virginia, who applied for the committee. The individuals, also known as self-advocates, will meet to identify issues important to them. It is anticipated that the committee will discuss issues such as their living situations, budgeting, technology devices, recreational activities and getting to know others. With the support of the Partnership under the guidance of the VPBD, the committee will also use part of the grant to plan a conference for other self-advocates. Partnership officials say that each member of the committee will offer the Partnership the opportunity to better understand the circumstances and lives of people with disabilities, and in return will be able to discuss ways of offering support and assistance to individuals with disabilities.

VCU’s Partnership for People with Disabilities, formerly known as the Virginia Institute for Developmental Disabilities (VIDD), was founded in 1985 under the leadership of Dr. Howard Garner, with fewer than five staff. Today, the Partnership is staffed by more than 100 professionals and students supporting individuals with disabilities and their families. In addition, all of the Partnership’s funding comes from grants or contracts.

The Partnership is also recognized by the Federal Administration on Developmental Disabilities as a university center for excellence in developmental disabilities, making this the only center in Virginia with this status. The Partnership is administratively affiliated with VCU’s School of Education, and maintains an interdisciplinary approach to all of its activities, allowing the organization to explore a wide range of professional services and community interests and opportunities for assisting people with disabilities.