The Disability Rights Center of the Virgin Islands (DRCVI) is the only territory-wide advocacy organization established by Congress that provides legal services to eligible persons with disabilities in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was created on October 1, 1977 and was then known as the Committee on Advocacy for the Developmentally Disabled, Inc., and later as Virgin Islands Advocacy, Inc.
There are a total of 57 protection and advocacy organizations for each state and territory of the United States.
DRCVI is a member of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN). Collectively, NDRN is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services for people with disabilities in the United States.
DRCVI Mission Statement
Advance the legal rights of people with disabilities in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
DRCVI Vision Statement
DRCVI’s vision is a barrier free, inclusive world that values diversity, culture, and each individual.
- In this world all people with disabilities have:
- Equality,
- Dignity
- Power,
- Freedom of choice,
- Independence, and
- Freedom from abuse, neglect, and discrimination.
- They have quality, culturally responsive, safe, affordable, and accessible:
- Housing,
- Education,
- Healthcare,
- Technology,
- Transportation, and
- Individual and family supports that they choose and direct:
People with disabilities have the right to family, social, and intimate relationships. They are financially secure, can make life choices, and have opportunities for satisfying work, recreation, spiritual lives, and community service.
DRCVI Advocacy Principles
Our advocacy will be zealous, dedicated, effective, creative, innovative and daring.
We will take on issues of importance to the disability community.
We will integrate a variety of advocacy approaches in all of our work, including self-advocacy, legal, non-legal, media, and public policy and investigatory.
We value diversity. Our staff should reflect the ethnic, language, and disability diversity, and demographic diversity of the U.S. Virgin Islands: rural, age, sexual orientation, a range of different life experiences that reflect the disability community.
Our advocacy efforts will affirmatively address the needs of traditionally underserved and under-represented communities through partnership with such communities.
Our advocacy will be of high quality regardless of the type of service, the nature of the problem or who the client is. We will be honest, prepared, truthful, and informed.
All staff is expected to contribute and their contributions will be valued and respected.
When representing individuals:
- We will respect the client’s wishes
- We are honest about our limitations, values, resources and the likely outcome,
- The client chooses their service goals and we will work jointly with the client to achieve their goals.
- The client actively participates in every stage of the process.
N.B. A note of thanks goes to PAI for their words and inspiration.