Federal Grant Award Summary

West Virginia Advocates, Inc., doing business as Disability Rights of West Virginia, received a $195,895 formula grant award from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services under the Program of Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR, CFDA 84.240) for the performance period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. As the state-designated protection and advocacy system, the organization delivers comprehensive legal advocacy and rights protection services to individuals with disabilities throughout West Virginia, including those with developmental disabilities, serious mental illness, traumatic brain injuries, and other disabling conditions.

Under this award, West Virginia Advocates provides legal representation, information and referral services, and dispute resolution support to safeguard the constitutional and statutory rights of disabled individuals. The organization pursues legal, administrative, and other remedies to address complaints of abuse, neglect, and rights violations; develops annual priority statements with public input; establishes grievance procedures for clients; and utilizes mediation and alternative dispute resolution procedures to the maximum extent possible. The award funds support the organization's direct service delivery model, with no identified subcontractors, ensuring accessibility to protection and advocacy services across West Virginia's disability community.