DINWIDDIE, Va. (AP) — A Dinwiddie training center for patients with intellectual disabilities has closed as part of a $2.4 billion federal settlement to end the warehousing of hundreds of people in Virginia.
The closing Wednesday of the Southside Virginia Training Center has meant the loss of 900 jobs as the 75-year-old center has been phased out, according to The Progress-Index (http://bit.ly/1pe0Pk4). About 225 patients have been relocated to community settings.
The center is the first of four in Virginia destined to close under the court-approved settlement.
Under the agreement, hundreds of profoundly disabled people in Virginia will be moved from large, state-run facilities to community care.
The settlement stems from a lawsuit the U.S. Justice Department filed against Virginia over what it called systemic violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
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Information from: The Progress-Index, http://www.progress-index.com
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