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REGISTERING TO VOTE Answers to Your Questions To vote in the next election you must register to vote! I cannot remember if I am registered to vote; how can I find out? To find out if you are already registered to vote, you can: call your County Clerk’s office, or Visit the website: https://services.sos.wv.gov/Elections/Voter/AmIRegisteredToVote When do I have to register to vote? You may register at any time. However, to be eligible to vote in a specific election, you must register 21 days before that election. Am I eligible to register to vote? You must be: A resident of West Virginia and the county where you register, A U.S. Citizen, At least 17 years old and 18 before the next general election, and Not currently under conviction for a felony, including probation or parole, or a court ruling of mental incompetence. Voting rights are restored when the term of conviction ends. Am I eligible to vote if I am under Guardianship? You are eligible to register and vote unless a Judge has specifically ruled you mentally incompetent or specifically ruled that you have lost your voting rights in a final order. How do I Register to Vote? You may register online, in person or by mail. You must fill out the registration form, and provide valid identification. If you choose to register by mail, then you must provide a copy of your identification with the registration form or the first time you vote.If you mail this registration form, valid identification includes: A current & valid photo ID with current residence address, or A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and current residence address. How can I register to vote online? You may register to vote online if you have a West Virginia driver’s license or state issued ID card: https://ovr.sos.wv.gov/register Where can I get the registration form, if I plan to register by mail? Where do I mail it? You may download the registration from this website: http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/ Mail your registration form to your County Clerk’s office. Where can I register to vote in person? Your County Clerk’s Office. Driver license offices Public assistance agencies Agencies which serve people with disabilities Military recruiting offices The Motor Voter program at your local Department of Motor Vehicles office If it is close to an election, registering at the county clerk’s office is the best place to go to be certain you will be on the books on election day. How do I know that I am registered? Visit https://services.sos.wv.gov/Elections/Voter/AmIRegisteredToVote , or call your County Clerk’s office. Where is my County Clerk’s Office? The phone numbers of West Virginia’s County Clerk’s offices are listed at http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/ Who do I ask if I need help? Visit http://www.sos.wv.gov , Call or Visit your County Clerk’s office, or call Disability Rights of West Virginia.

ANNUAL REPORT 2023 Disability Rights of West Virginia Another fiscal year comes to an end. All annual reports to our funders have been submitted. I would like to share some of our successful advocacy stories. As always, I want to take the opportunity to thank the staff of Disability Rights of West Virginia. Their commitment to the individuals we serve is limitless. It takes every one of them to ensure our success. Susan Given, Executive Director, MSW, LSW Overview Monitoring In FY 2023, DRWV conducted 410 monitorings of 200 state and private facilities. These monitorings were conducted over thirteen major categories including: Assisted Living Facilities; Forensic and Behavioral Health Group Homes; Intermediate Care Facilities; Specialized Family Care Homes; State and Privately Operated Children’s Residential Facilities Psychiatric Hospitals, and Nursing Homes; WV Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Jails and Prison; Intellectual/Development Disabilities Waiver Group Homes; a Legally Unlicensed Home; and a private residential facility. Cases In FY 2023, DRWV opened 1,282 federally funded Service Requests for 956 clients . The following table shows service requests broken down by federal funding source. Special Education Related Service Requests by Federal Program: Outreach and Training DRWV staff set up our outreach display table at twenty-three events in FY 2023. Staff also provided thirty-four outreach presentations and twelve trainings to various groups throughout the state. Access to Services A client with a mobility impairment requested assistance with getting access to a municipal building. DRWV completed a site survey and provided the city with information on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) entrance accessibility requirements. Due to advocacy provided by DRWV, the city added signage indicating where the accessible entrance is located. This information was also added to their website which made the Municipal Building more accessible to not only the client, but all residents with mobility impairments. A client who uses a wheelchair made a complaint about a city’s public transportation system. She alleged issues related to inadequate lifts, inaccessible buses, discourteous transit officials, as well as other complaints. Since we had received similar complaints from other clients in the recent past, DRWV’s Legal Director sent a letter to all public transportation service providers in WV. Some of the providers followed up right away and seemed genuinely concerned about the allegations. Another complaint was received about the accessibility of the bus stop shelters in one city. The City Manager promptly responded and provided pictures of the current bus stop shelters, which were clearly made accessible before the complaint was made. Assistive Technology A client contacted DRWV for assistance with obtaining a vehicle lift for her motorized wheelchair. DRWV provided advocacy on the client's behalf with the WV Division of Rehabilitation Services (WVDRS) for her to be provided with a lift. The WVDRS provided funding to purchase the vehicle wheelchair lift which allows her improved access to her place of employment in order to retain her job. Financial Well-Being A client with a TBI asked for DRWV’s assistance in getting her Conservator to open an ABLE account. DRWV educated the Conservator on ABLE accounts and sent a letter to the Conservator and Legal Guardian outlining concerns with continued financial eligibility for Medicaid and home and community based services. Due to advocacy provided by DRWV, the client successfully had a WVABLE account opened. Hospital Discharge Planning/ Least Restrictive Environment A client with a serious mental illness requested assistance with getting discharged from a state psychiatric hospital. DRWV advocated for discharge to a less restrictive residential setting. As a result, the client was discharged from a state psychiatric hospital, where he had been for almost a year, to an assisted living facility. When asked if he was satisfied with his new placement, he said to the Advocate, “thank you for your part in getting me in here. It is a lot better than the hospital. The food is great, and I get to spend all the time I want on my computer." Housing A Legal Guardian of an individual with a development disability requested DRWV’s assistance regarding the landlord's new policy that forced the client to rescind his US Housing and Urban Development (HUD) voucher in order to continue to reside in his current apartment. DRWV reviewed applicable documents then filed a Cease and Desist related to forcing the client to decline HUD assistance as well as communicated with the landlord's legal counsel. The landlord, on advice of their legal counsel, agreed to drop the requirement to decline HUD funding for at least the next year. This impacted at least two individuals that DRWV is aware of. Post-Secondary Education A client had requested tuition sponsorship from WVDRS for graduate school and they wanted her to complete a psychological evaluation to determine if they would approve it. The client disagreed with the requirement to complete the evaluation because she previously completed evaluations for them. The client chose to complete the evaluation that she initially did not want to participate in, and she was denied graduate school sponsorship. She contacted DRWV for advocacy. DRWV communicated with the client and WVDRS and reviewed the client's WVDRS records to determine the reason for the denial. DRWV filed a Request for Review with WVDRS to request an exception to the college sponsorship policy that caused the denial of funding. WVDRS granted an exception to the college sponsorship policy, and they agreed to provide funding for her graduate school on a semester-by-semester basis. The client started graduate school and is working to meet her employment goals. DRWV staff collaborated with WVDRS to conduct outreach and training to staff at Mason County Schools. DRWV staff also collaborated with WVDRS to conduct outreach to staff and management from a transitional living facility on the grounds of a state psychiatric hospital. Social Security Overpayment Related to Employment A client requested assistance with appealing a Social Security Administration (SSA) overpayment including the payment plan which had resulted in a barrier to employment. DRWV assisted the client in requesting a waiver of the SSA repayment. The Advocate communicated with the client and SSA, following up to request responses on the waiver request. As a result of DRWV’s advocacy, the client's request for an overpayment waiver was approved and he was reimbursed for all of the money he had paid back to SSA. He has resumed his request for services from the WV Division of Rehabilitation Services (WVDRS) and he has a part-time job. Systems Work DRWV represented a four-year-old girl with autism who is nonverbal. She went to a national chain movie theater to see Disney’s A Little Mermaid. During the movie she attempted to sing. She was evicted from the movie. DRWV investigated the matter and provided notice of suit to the movie theater's corporate office. In response, DRWV and the theater's corporate office are discussing a settlement that will include the theater showing children-related movies in a low sensory environment at its two movie theaters in WV. This will impact children with many types of disabilities. During the 2023 legislative year, DRWV was asked to provide technical assistance to various legislators, legislative staff, and legislative committees, including the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability, the House of Delegates Health Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Senate Health Committee. DRWV has continued our partnership with the National Arc, the Arc of Three Rivers, the Judge David L Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Mountain State Justice, and Latham and Watkins, LLP to examine the placement of students with disability-related behaviors. This lawsuit continues. DRWV along with A Better Childhood (a national nonprofit) and a local WV law firm filed a federal class action lawsuit against the WVDHHR and several state officials at the end of FY 2019. The suit alleges that the WV Foster Care system is failing to protect children and failing to provide needed services. The US District Court granted class certification. Extensive discovery is being conducted. Trial is scheduled to begin in 2024. Voting Rights DRWV assisted eleven clients in registering to vote or updating their voter registration, assisted four clients with requesting and/or understanding absentee ballots, and educated two other clients about their voting rights. In FY 2023, DRWV staff conducted accessibility studies of the external access to one hundred nine polling sites in six counties in WV. Ninety-nine of the sites were identified to be in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in some way. The most common ADA violations were a lack of van accessible parking spaces and/or adjoining access aisles, parking signage displayed at the improper height or missing altogether, and unstable surfaces on access routes. DRWV has or will follow up on each violation per our written process.

MENTAL HEALTH American Psychiatric Association The American Psychiatric Association is an organization of psychiatrists working together to ensure humane care and effective treatment for all persons with mental illness, including substance use disorders. It is the voice and conscience of modern psychiatry. Its vision is a society that has available, accessible quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. Bazelon Center Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. Bazelon Center Psychiatric Advance Directives Information Psychiatric advance directives can be used to plan for the possibility that someone may lose capacity to give or withhold informed consent to treatment during acute episodes of psychiatric illness. Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation The Center is a research, training, and service organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons who have psychiatric disabilities. Center for Workplace Mental Health A program of the American Psychiatric Foundation that advances effective employer approaches to mental health by combining the knowledge and experience of the American Psychiatric Association and their employer partners. This link goes to the employee resources page. Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance West Virginia The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is the leading patient-directed national organization focusing on the most prevalent mental illnesses. The organization fosters an environment of understanding about the impact and management of these life-threatening illnesses by providing up-to-date, scientifically based tools and information written in language the general public can understand. DBSA supports research to promote more timely diagnosis, develop more effective and tolerable treatments, and discover a cure. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Improving the lives of people living with mood disorders. Depression, PTSD, & Other Mental Health Conditions in the Workplace: Your Legal Rights From the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Legal Aid of West Virginia's Family, Advocacy, Support, and Training (FAST) Program The goal of the Family, Advocacy, Support, and Training (FAST) program is to develop a statewide parent-to-parent and youth support network that will empower families to participate in planning, management, and evaluation of their child's treatment. Mental Health America We are the country's leading nonprofit dedicated to helping ALL people live mentally healthier lives. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Support, Education, Advocacy, and Research for persons with mental illness and their families. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Greater Wheeling WV The families and members of NAMI Greater Wheeling are here to help! We offer understanding to anyone concerned about mental illnesses and the treatment of mental illness. National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives Psychiatric advance directives are relatively new legal instruments that may be used to document a competent person's specific instructions or preferences regarding future mental health treatment. Quiet Minds Our goal is to facilitate early identification and treatment of psychosis in a collaborative, recovery-oriented approach involving individuals experiencing first episode psychosis, therefore reduce the disruption to the young person’s functioning and psychosocial development. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight webpage about the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. The Mental Health Provider's Role in a Client's Request for a Reasonable Accommodation at Work From the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission The Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities Users will be able to quickly identify the Collaborative?s past and current research activities, ongoing training and related knowledge development activities, and the growing number of journal articles, monographs, toolkits, and exemplary program descriptions that can be helpful to users seeking to expand their understanding and utilization of community integration principles and practices. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) homepage. West Virginia Behavioral Health Planning Council The primary purpose of the WVBHPC is to advocate for and evaluate the provision of community-based behavioral health services. West Virginia Behavioral Health Providers Association The Association's members are behavioral healthcare provider organizations serving recipients in each of the State's fifty-five counties. We are committed to creating and sustaining healthy and secure communities. Vital to this commitment is a network of organizations and advocates promoting services of unparalleled value. WV Behavioral Health Services Map To find available behavioral health services in any county in WV, see the comprehensive behavioral health centers' service areas on this map.

PAAT CASES Our PAAT (Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology) program helps people understand their rights to use medical devices or technology that can aid them in managing their disability. Collectively this is called Assistive Technology (AT). We help people navigate legal issues such as insurance denials of coverage for AT or related services, access to medical care that requires use of AT, housing accommodations, workplace accommodations, and accommodations in schools. The PAAT program was created in 1994. Below, we highlight a few of our PAAT cases and outcomes. 1 Our client had a documented medical need for a cubby bed. The Cubby Bed® (Sensory Medical Inc) is an enclosed, low height safety bed that features a sensory canopy, padded walls, and sensory equipment such as a camera, microphone and sensory light. Cubby Bed is a class 1 medical device: patient bed with canopy. The West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services (BMS) would not approve the cubby bed and DRWV was advised by the vendor that BMS' below market pay rate was unacceptable. The Medicaid Act requires coverage of all medically necessary services that are included within the categories of mandatory and optional services listed in section 1905(a), regardless of whether such services are covered under the State Plan. If there are insufficient vendors to provide the service or product or the Medicaid payment is too low to attract sufficient vendors Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) states that "the state would need to develop a payment methodology for the service, supply or equipment, including the possibility that payment may need to be made using a single-service agreement with an in-state provider or an out-of-state provider who will accept Medicaid payment." DRWV was successful in representing the client to ensure BMS fulfilled its obligations under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) program and the vendor promptly provided the medically necessary cubby bed to our client. 2 The client was in need of a vehicle lift for her motorized wheelchair. DRWV provided advocacy on client's behalf with the WV Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) for her to be provided with a vehicle wheelchair lift to allow her improved access to her place of employment and retain her job. DRWV provided advocacy on client's behalf with the WV Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) for her to be provided with a vehicle wheelchair lift to allow her improved access to her place of employment and retain her job. 3 The client requested assistance with getting his scooter replaced with one that better meets his needs. DRWV appealed the Workers' Compensation Claim Administrator's decision denying authorization for a heavy duty, zero turn wheelchair then represented the client before the WV Workers' Compensation Board of Review. The Claim Administrator's decision was overturned and the client now has the heavy duty, zero turn wheelchair. 4 The mother requested assistance with getting the school to implement the AT device and speech therapy per the client's IEP and provide the client with access necessary AT. DRWV filed a due process complaint and negotiated a settlement agreement. A favorable settlement agreement was completed with provisions for updated training and usage of clients AT Communication Device. 5 The client needed assistance with getting her dentures. DRWV advocated for client to be taken to obtain her dentures after she had experienced numerous delays in being transported for dental services. Client was transported to her dental appointments and received her dentures. 6 The grandmother requested assistance with getting the school to allow the client access to AT devices at home. DRWV reviewed information on the hearing technology listed in his IEP then attended an IEP meeting. DRWV reviewed information on the hearing technology listed in his IEP then attended an IEP meeting. During the meeting, we learned that the school was not having the client wear the AT due to it making a loud buzzing noises. DRWV requested that the AT be sent home in order to do homework. Due to advocacy provided by DRWV, arrangements were made for the AT to be repaired. DRWV successfully advocated for the equipment to be sent home. The grandmother will be trained in how to use the hearing device. 7 The client requested assistance with getting his hearing aids repaired while in federal prison. DRWV communicated with the client and the Health Services Administrator at the federal prison regarding the hearing aids. The client received his hearing aids. He said he had tears in his eyes because he could hear birds singing, which he had not heard in 18 months. He expressed gratitude for DRWV assistance.