West Virginia State Disability Resources

Disabled individuals in West Virginia can access a wide range of resources and services through state agencies. Resources offered include financial, physical, legal and emotional support. Available services depend on the individual's age, degree of disability, finances and needs. Disabled individuals in West Virginia can contact the relevant state authorities to ascertain their rights to assistance under state law.

West Virginia Human Rights Commission

• Disabled individuals who believe that they have suffered discrimination because of their disability may request an investigation by the West Virginia Human Rights Commission (WVHRC). The WVHRC investigates allegations of employment discrimination, housing discrimination and public accommodations discrimination (see Resources).

  West Virginia law states that employers may not discriminate against a person because of a disability if the individual can perform his job. In addition, the state legislature has outlawed housing discrimination against disabled persons and mandated that disabled individuals have free access to any public area.

West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

• The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR) supports families who care for disabled family members. In addition, the WVDHHR places disabled individuals in specialized family care homes where they can live more independently than in an institution. These homes contract with a placement agency to support, care for, train and provide personal attention to the disabled individual.

  The WVDHHR can place an individual in a specialized family care home permanently or temporarily if the individual needs respite care away from his natural family. The WVDHHR provides specialized family care families with ongoing training and financial support.

Bureau for Children and Families

• The state Bureau for Children and Families provides Medicaid services to eligible disabled children who have been denied Supplemental Security Income because of the parents' income or assets. The bureau provides Medicaid services if it will cost less to care for the child at home than it would in an institution.

  In addition, the bureau provides Medicaid services to blind or disabled individuals whose income makes them eligible for such services. Services include institutional care for individuals who have mental retardation, in-home care for those with mental retardation or a developmental disability, and home and community-based care for blind and disabled individuals.