Disability Rights of West Virginia

What Disability Rights of West Virginia does

Disability Rights of West Virginia (DRWV) is a private, nonprofit agency designated by federal law as the Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system for people with disabilities in the state of West Virginia. Headquartered in Charleston, DRWV operates a portfolio of ten federally mandated advocacy programs — PADD (developmental disabilities), PAIMI (mental illness), PAIR, PATBI (traumatic brain injury), CAP, PABSS (SSI/SSDI beneficiaries), PAAT (assistive technology), PAVA (voting access), PABRP (representative payees), and the state-funded MHAP (Medley/Hartley) — delivered through direct client representation, facility monitoring, systemic advocacy, and class action litigation. Services are confidential and provided free of charge to West Virginians with disabilities across all major disability categories.

DRWV's operating model is community-led and human-delivered: clients reach the organization via a toll-free line, in-office consultations, email, and outreach events; intake is manual; advocacy work product consists of legal filings, facility monitoring reports, IEP and discharge advocacy, and educational self-advocacy resources (brochures, guides, information sheets, YouTube content). The underlying technology footprint is minimal — a Wix-hosted website, PayPal donation integration, and standard social media — with no proprietary platform, AI/ML systems, or software product. DRWV holds statutory access rights to monitor state psychiatric hospitals, correctional facilities, ICF/IDD settings, nursing homes, children's residential facilities, and public schools, and has been co-counsel on multiple federal class actions including actions against WVDHHR (Foster Care) and Kanawha County Schools.

DRWV is funded almost entirely through federal grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Administration for Community Living), SAMHSA, the U.S. Department of Education (Rehabilitation Services Administration), and the U.S. Social Security Administration. Supplemental donations are accepted via PayPal. The organization employs 11-50 staff, is led by Executive Director Susan Given, MSW, LSW, with Legal Director Nick Ward and Program Director Taniua Hardy, and is governed by a Board of Directors and a PAIMI Advisory Council as required by federal P&A statute.

Name

Disability Rights of West Virginia

Legal name

Disability Rights of West Virginia

Website

https://drofwv.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Disability Rights of West Virginia is a federally mandated nonprofit protection and advocacy system that provides free legal advocacy, facility monitoring, and voting access services to West Virginians with disabilities, funded primarily by federal grants from HHS, SAMHSA, RSA, and SSA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Rights Advocacy Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH), Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Disability rights advocacy
• Protection and advocacy services
• Disability legal services
• Special education advocacy
• Facility monitoring services

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Grant Funding: DRWV is primarily funded through multiple federally-mandated protection and advocacy programs including PADD (Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities), PAIMI (Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness), PAIR (Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights), PATBI (Protection and Advocacy for Traumatic Brain Injury), CAP (Client Assistance Program), PABSS (Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security), PAAT (Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology), PAVA (Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access), PABRP (Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries with Representative Payees), and MHAP (Medley/Hartley Advocacy Program). Funding sources include U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Administration for Community Living, SAMHSA, U.S. Department of Education/Rehabilitation Services Administration, and U.S. Social Security Administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Disability Rights of West Virginia (DRWV) is the federally mandated protection and advocacy (P&A) system for people with disabilities in West Virginia, operating as a private, nonprofit agency. It delivers confidential, free-of-charge advocacy services including direct client representation, abuse and neglect investigations, monitoring of state and private facilities (psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, correctional facilities, schools), voting access assistance, special education advocacy, and systemic policy advocacy under multiple federal grant programs (PADD, PAIMI, PAIR, PATBI, PAAT, PAVA, CAP, PABSS, PABRP, MHAP).

Product overview

Disability Rights of West Virginia (DRWV) is a nonprofit organization that operates as the federally mandated protection and advocacy system for people with disabilities in West Virginia. DRWV offers a portfolio of federally-funded advocacy programs including PAIMI (for mental illness), PADD (for developmental disabilities), PAIR, PAAT (for assistive technology), PATBI (for traumatic brain injury), PAVA (for voting access), CAP (Client Assistance Program), PABSS, and PABRP. These programs are complemented by state-funded Medley/Hartley Advocacy Program. Services are confidential and provided free of charge. DRWV also provides self-advocacy resources, educational materials, and outreach/training services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI)
• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (PADD) Serves individuals with developmental disabilities or a severe and chronic mental or physical impairment that begins before age 22 and investigates abuse and neglect complaints on their behalf.
• Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR) Serves individuals with disabilities that substantially limit one or more major life activities and who are not eligible for advocacy under PAIMI or PADD and do not have a CAP eligible issue.
• Protection and Advocacy for Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI) Serves individuals with traumatic brain injury who are significantly limited in activities of daily living.
• Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology (PAAT) Serves children and adults with disabilities who need assistive technology devices and related support services to maintain or increase their skills, independence, and community integration.
• Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA) Carries out the mandate of the Help America Vote Act, legislation passed to ensure that individuals with disabilities can fully participate in the electoral process.
• Client Assistance Program (CAP) Serves individuals who have applied for or are receiving services from DRS, Center for Independent Living, supported employment programs, and other programs funded under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
• Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) Assists individuals who receive SSI or SSDI break down barriers to employment.
• Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries with Representative Payees (PABRP) Carries out the mandate of the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act 2018 which protects beneficiaries of SSI/SSDI who have representative payees.
• Medley/Hartley Advocacy Program (MHAP) State grant providing advocacy to individuals with developmental disabilities in compliance with state and federal court directives in Civil Action 81-585 E.H. v. Matin (1983), Hartley Decree, and Civil Action 78-2099 Medley vs. Ginsberg (1981), Medley Decree.
• Intake Process Confidential and free intake process for individuals seeking advocacy services. Services are free of charge.

Quantifiable outcome

• 246 monitorings at 125 facilities conducted in FY 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRWV is a member of NDRN, the national organization for Protection and Advocacy agencies. DRWV's Legal Director accepted the annual advocacy award from NDRN. DRWV also signs on to NDRN letters with other P&As and advocacy groups on various policy concerns including FDA proposals, transformation to competitive integrated employment, CMS staffing standards, and Census Bureau disability data collection.
• WV University Center for Excellence in Disabilities (WVUCED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRWV's Executive Director is a member of the WVUCED Advisory Council and participates in planning committees for the Mountain State Conference on Disabilities. DRWV also participates in the TBI Advisory Board led by WVUCED and the Community Participation subcommittee.
• Legal Aid of WV (LAWV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRWV attends quarterly meetings with LAWV to communicate ongoing issues and opportunities for collaboration. DRWV is also a member of the LAWV Long Term Care Ombudsman Advisory Committee.
• WV Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRWV participates in SILC meetings and attends all four quarterly meetings annually to stay informed on independent living services in WV. DRWV includes information about Centers for Independent Living with Information and Referral follow ups.
• Alabama Disability Advocacy Program (ADAP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRWV and ADAP collaborated on a joint monitoring effort visiting three residential treatment facilities in Alabama that serve approximately 60 WV children.
• West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council (WVDDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRWV collaborates with WVDDC to distribute the Parent's Advocacy Guide to Special Education to parents of school-age children with disabilities.
• National Arc, Arc of Three Rivers, Bazelon Center, Mountain State Justice, Latham & Watkins LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRWV is part of a partnership examining the placement of students with disability-related behaviors through a civil rights class action lawsuit against Kanawha County Schools. Partners include The Arc of West Virginia, The Arc of the United States, and multiple legal organizations.
• A Better ChildhoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRWV along with A Better Childhood and a local WV law firm filed a federal class action lawsuit (CIVIL ACTION 2:19-CV-00223) against WVDHHR and state officials alleging the WV Foster Care system is failing to protect children and provide needed services.
• WV Bureau for Medical Services (WVBMS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRWV participates in a statewide Sexual Violence Prevention Collaborative and its Disability Workgroup subcommittee. DRWV worked with the subcommittee to build an online training program for WVBMS to be made available to IDD Waiver providers.
• WV Division of Rehabilitation Services (WVDRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRWV collaborates with WVDRS on various advocacy matters including vocational rehabilitation services, supported employment, pre-employment transition services, and individual client advocacy. DRWV actively supports the Statewide Rehabilitation Council's mandate to monitor and advise on WVDRS activities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN): National umbrella/membership organization of the 50+ state and territorial P&A systems including DRWV. DRWV's Legal Director has received NDRN's annual advocacy award; DRWV is an active member, making NDRN both a coordinating body and an aggregating incumbent in the same mission space.

Direct peers

• Disability Rights California: California's federally mandated P&A; runs identical federal programs and operates the Protection & Advocacy Inc. (PAIR) arm. Same legal advocacy, facility monitoring, and individual rights mandate as DRWV with significantly larger scale.
• Disability Rights New York: New York's federally designated P&A system delivering the same federal mandates plus state-funded advocacy, with monitoring, legal representation, and systemic advocacy functions parallel to DRWV. Direct statutory peer in a neighboring state.
• Disability Rights Kentucky: Kentucky's federally mandated P&A agency operating identical federal grant programs and service mix as DRWV, providing individual advocacy, facility monitoring, and class-action capability — a close regional peer.
• Alabama Disability Advocacy Program (ADAP): Alabama's federally mandated P&A system, directly comparable to DRWV; explicitly partnered with DRWV on a joint monitoring visit to three residential facilities serving WV children in Alabama, evidencing true peer-level operational collaboration.
• Disability Rights Ohio: Ohio's designated P&A system operating an equivalent federal program portfolio (PADD, PAIMI, PAIR, PAVA, etc.), providing direct legal advocacy, monitoring, and individual/family services — structurally identical to DRWV with similar state-level scope.
• Disability Rights Virginia: Virginia's designated P&A with the same federal program funding structure, legal advocacy practice, and protection/advocacy remit; regional comparable peer operating under the same statutory framework.
• Disability Rights Pennsylvania: Federally mandated P&A system for Pennsylvania, operating the same federal program portfolio (PADD, PAIMI, PAIR, PATBI, CAP, PABSS, PAAT, PAVA, etc.) as DRWV with comparable legal advocacy, monitoring, and individual-case services. Most structurally identical peer.
• Disability Rights Tennessee: Tennessee's federally mandated P&A system delivering the same federal PADD/PAIMI/PAIR program mix and direct legal advocacy, monitoring, and individual services — another like-for-like state P&A peer to DRWV.

Regional players

• Legal Aid of West Virginia: West Virginia's general civil legal aid provider; DRWV attends LAWV's quarterly meetings and serves on LAWV's Long Term Care Ombudsman Advisory Committee. Adjacent/overlapping civil legal services for low-income WV clients, but with broader scope (not disability-specific).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/drofwv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9wHFUp5fnjuajP41KWDU7Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/drofwv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/disability-rights-of-west-virginia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Disability Rights of West Virginia