On April 11, 2023,  Ohio's Joint Commission to Examine the State Protection and Advocacy System and Client Assistance Program recommended to the Governor that the state "redesignate" its P&A, having found Disability Rights Ohio for "intentionally not protecting and advocating for all individfuals with disabilities."

The report came in response to hearings on Nov. 1 and Nov. 15, 2023 in which families testified about their dissatifaction with the DRO's actions and biases against people in ICFs and sheltered workshops.

Download the report here

On February 16, 2023, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee held its first hearing on the health care workforce crisis. The meeting focused on the shortage of doctors and nurses, especially the imprnding retirement of most of the nursing force in the years ahead and the current/recent lack of enrollees in nursing schools. Only one brief mention was made of the crisis in the workforce of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) that has been shutting down care services systems for people with I/DD and autism.

On March 20, 2023, VOR submitted comments to the Senate HELP Committee, asking them to expand the scope of their investigations to include this essential workforce and take action to this critical shortage of caregivers.

Please download (and share) VOR's comments here

New requirements in the Home and Community Based Services Settings Rule are sceduled to be fully implemented  by March 17, 2023.  For more information on the regulatory changes and the rights of HCBS Waiver participants and their families, please download the CMS HCBS Settings Rule document from CMS here.

VOR's Dawn Kovakovich submitted testimony to Minnesota' House Human Services Finance Committee in opposition to provisions in HF2847. Please read her testimony here and download her daughter Laura's letter to the committee here.

VOR has submitted comments to the Administration for Community Living (ACL) on its proposal supporting family caregivers.