Services & Programs

VAIL provides a wide variety of services all aimed at ensuring that individuals with disabilities achieve their goals.

Independent Living Skills Training

Group of people, men and women with down syndrome on cooking class, there is teacher with them.

By setting achievable goals and creating customized instruction, VAIL staff assist individuals with disabilities learn the skills necessary to live independently in the community, including:

· Financial management
· Meal preparation & grocery shopping
· Household maintenance
· Recreation and social skills
· Use of public transportation

Transition

A portrait of a cheerful young adult woman with cerebral palsy sitting on the bench at the foot of her bed.

VAIL staff aid in the transition of people with disabilities from nursing homes and other institutions to home or community-based living and provide assistance to those at risk of entering an institution.

Youth Transition

Woman utilizing a power wheelchair is dressed in graduation cap & gown

Transition services prepare youth to transition from school-based services to adult services, higher education, work, and community life through one-on-one or group activities. 

VAIL is a vendor of the Division of Rehabilitative Services to provide Pre-Employment Training Services (Pre-ETS) as well as the Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP) to young adults with disabilities.

Peer Support

A group of individuals, some utilizing wheelchairs, are all looking into the camera with a cheerful look on their faces.

Individuals with a disability draw upon their own experiences to advise others about how to self-advocate for services and resources. Peer mentors can help others to explore options, solve problems, and develop new skills.

Information & Referral and Options Counseling

Portrait of a woman with a computer on her lap sharing a paper with an older African-American man utilizing a wheelchair

Staff assess the needs of an individual and match resources to needs — such as affordable, accessible housing and assistive technology — providing options counseling and making referrals to other agencies or businesses as necessary.  VAIL partners with Valley Program for Aging Services to provide Options Counseling, assisting individuals in developing a personal plan and connecting to services for long-term services & supports.

Waiver Assistance

VAIL offers service facilitation for consumer-directed services available through Medicaid waivers.  Consumer-directed services empowers individuals to receive personal care and respite, and in some cases companion care, in their home while having more control over their services by hiring, training, and managing their own attendants.

VAIL contracts with Valley Community Services Board to provide service coordination/case management to individuals with a developmental disability who are enrolled in a Medicaid Developmental Disabilities waiver.

Home Modifications

An access ramp installed at the door to a home so that a person can access it using a mobility device

VAIL coordinates grants through Virginia Housing to modify homes to the meet the resident’s needs.  Virginia Housing currently offers three grants: Rental Unit Accessibility Modification (RUAM), Granting Freedom (for veterans with a service-related disability), and Owner-Occupied (for homeowners).  Typical modifications include ramps, chairlifts, accessible bathrooms and kitchens, widening doorways, and remote entry devices.  Find more information at Virginia Housing.

Adaptive Recreation

Men in wheelchairs playing wheelchair basketball

Individuals with physical disabilities are encouraged to participate in accessible recreation through two programs.

The Outdoor Adaptive Recreation (OAR) program focuses on getting individuals with mobility impairments in the Lexington/Rockbridge area outside and enjoying nature, exercising, and socializing together. OAR coordinates accessible outdoor adventures including bird watching, hiking and strolling, wildlife photography, handcycling, kayaking, and so much more! 

The VAIL Harrisonburg Cardinals wheelchair basketball team offers an opportunity in the area with permanent lower limb disabilities to have a competitive, recreational outlet.  The team participates in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association in Division III.

IEP Assistance

A child boy wearing glasses and a backpack poses next to a brick wall of the school

VAIL also offers guidance to students, parents, and school divisions through the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process.

Advocacy

woman in wheelchair speaking to a small group of individuals

VAIL teaches individuals with disabilities their rights under the law and effective self-advocacy strategies. VAIL advocates for accessible facilities, services, and opportunities. And VAIL promotes grassroots efforts to improve community-based disability services and policy.

Community Education

Woman with prosthetic leg conducting a presentation with a chart

Customizable workshops and forums are available to businesses, organizations, and government staff on disability awareness, regulations, and related topics.

Technical Assistance

A man utilizing a wheelchair pointing at something on a building, explaining to a woman

VAIL staff provide training and information about disability-related legislation and compliance, such as:

· Americans with Disabilities Act
· ADA Accessibility Guidelines
· Fair Housing Act
· The Rehabilitation Act
· Virginia’s Medicaid Waivers