The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) is pleased to announce that it has awarded a grant of $200,000 to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to expand access to oral health care for individuals with developmental disabilities across Virginia by implementing and sustaining evidence-based sensory adapted dental environments (SADE).
“The Board is excited to be collaborating with Virginia Commonwealth University in order to provide dental professionals and families with the resources they need, so they can provide accessible dental care to people with developmental and other disabilities,” said Teri Morgan, VBPD’s Executive Director.
VCU’s Director of Research in Occupational Therapy, Dr. Stacey Reynolds, said, “With support from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, this project will expand access to inclusive, sensory-friendly dental care across the Commonwealth for individuals with developmental disabilities. Led through a partnership between the VCU Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Health Professions and the VCU School of Dentistry, the initiative will train dental providers and demonstrate practical, low-cost sensory adaptations designed to reduce anxiety and sensory-related distress during dental visits.”
“Grant funding will also support the development of family-centered preparation tools that promote comfort, predictability, and dignity,” she continued. “Collectively, these efforts aim to improve access to preventive dental care and enhance oral health equity for Virginians with developmental disabilities.”
The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) serves as the Developmental Disabilities Council for the Commonwealth of Virginia.