Public Comment on Disability Services in Nevada

Public Comment

To the Legislative Committee on Senior Citizens, Veterans and Adults With Special Needs,

I am a Nevada resident of about one and a half years; I am also a disabled person and a disability advocate. Having lived in several states and used different service systems, I have seen that the differences in access and follow-through are evident.

Disability “rates” should be treated cautiously because they often count only people who are formally recognized through specific government documentation pathways. That skews the numbers, especially for people under age 49, and can miss people who are disabled but not documented in the way the system expects.

Presentation on the State of Disability in Nevada and Overview of Programs and Services

Waivers and community-based services are often not enough to cover full needs. In practice, “community inclusion” supports can be partial or tied to limited program structures, and those supports may cover less than half of what is actually required for someone to participate in their community. Inclusion Fusion, a local organization for people on the autism spectrum, is a nonprofit that is too expensive for most residents of Nevada, with medical waivers or not.

State Options for Improving Care for People With IDD

Long-term disability and IDD require funding that matches real support needs, not partial coverage that becomes a barrier. Underdiagnosis and missed diagnosis also matter here; low-income communities and people of Color can be missed or delayed, and restrictive developmental-services criteria can keep people out even when they need help.

Vocational Rehabilitation: Oversight and Accountability

Nevada vocational rehabilitation:

• NRS Chapter 615 — Vocational Rehabilitation
• NAC Chapter 615 — Vocational Rehabilitation Regulations

Federal vocational rehabilitation framework:

• Rehabilitation Act of 1973 — 29 U.S.C. Chapter 16
• 34 C.F.R. Part 361 — State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program

Because vocational rehabilitation is intended to support disabled people in preparing for and obtaining competitive integrated employment, Nevada should ensure that its complaint pathways, supervision, and accountability mechanisms are transparent, timely, and effective. Legislative review can help ensure that applicants and clients can raise concerns and access services without unnecessary barriers or fear of adverse treatment.

Barriers to Access and Legislative Needs

Apprenticeships and workforce pathways should be expanded for people with IDD, especially youth and people with specialized interests and additional needs. Assistive-technology training should be treated as a core access issue, not an optional add-on.

Resident Safety, Abuse Prevention, and Accountability Tools

Abuse and neglect in care settings remain serious concerns. With consent, electronic communication devices can support oversight and reporting. Nevada addressed resident requests for electronic communication devices in care settings through:

• AB202 — 82nd Session, 2023
• AB368 — 83rd Session, 2025

Deaf Education, ASL Capacity, and Inclusion

A Nevada school for the Deaf would be highly advantageous. In Austin, Texas, having that resource helped normalize Deaf and hard-of-hearing access in the broader community. Expanding ASL education, interpreter development, and related internships and apprenticeships would strengthen the pipeline and help bridge gaps between disabled and non-disabled people.

Potential Topics for Future Meetings

I encourage continued focus on:

• Adequacy of waiver and community-based services for real community participation
• VR oversight, complaint transparency, and safeguards for applicants and clients
• Underdiagnosis and restrictive eligibility barriers in developmental services
• Workforce pathways for people with IDD, including apprenticeships, internships, and assistive-technology training
• Resident-safety tools and enforceable accountability mechanisms in care settings

Respectfully,
Laya