VOR and its peer organizations have been reaching out to Members of Congress to support parity for ICFs in the Build Back Better Reconciliation Bill that is being drafted and likely to be introduced shortly after Labor Day, 2021. We ask your help in reaching out to ensure that all people with I/DD receive comparable increases in funding, and that and all of the Direct Support Professionals who work with people with I/DD receive increases in pay and career-path training.

Representative Glenn Grothman (R-WI-06) has recently introduced two bills in the House of Representatives to amend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to promote choice in employment, preserve Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor and Standards Act, and protect a full range of employment opportunities for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities..

On July 4, 2021, David Axelrod wrote guest essay to the NY Times entitled "When It Comes To People Like My Daughter, One Size Does Not Fit All".

The link to Mr. Axelrod's letter may be found here.

In June of 2021, the State of Louisiana passed landmark legislation to improve the quality and availability of dental services for people with I/DD in HCBS settings. Work continues on this effort, in order to provide equivalent services to people in ICFs.

VOR's 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting was held on  Sunday,  June 27th via Zoom.

Conference materials are available for download here.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, VOR's Legislative Initiative was held virtually this year. There were no in-person meetings with Members of Congress or their staff on the Hill as in other years. Instead, our members arranged meetings via Zoom or held conference calls with legislative aides.

We focused on Choice and the need to support all residential and employment options, concerns about the DSP crisis, and the need to protect vocational centers and 14(c) wage certificates for people with moderate-severe I/DD and autism. Conference materials are attached below.