POLICY

Handicapped Policy- Handicapped delegates may be nominated and selected; however, if the handicap is severe, a full time aide must be provided. The expenses of this aide must be assumed by a financial sponsor. The Director of Virginia Girls State must be advised by April 1st if the delegate will require assistance.

Vision Impaired (legally blind)- Virginia Girls State is in general an educational exercise in which the majority of the base skills are transmitted to the delegates via verbal and published communications. Virginia Girls State will make every effort to afford qualified individual delegates an opportunity to participate regardless of the impairment, but at no cost to Virginia Girls State. The following restrictions will be applied to the vision impaired:

1. The vision impaired delegate must be accompanied, so as to provide for her personal safety at all times, by a qualified person of the same sex and of legal age.
2. The aide must accompany the student to all the program functions and must adhere to all delegate rules.
3. The personal aide will be subject to the same exact fees as a delegate, but will not be allowed to participate in the actual program without the express prior permission of the Director of Virginia Girls State. Virginia Girls State will not be responsible to the personal aide in any way, for any remuneration for her efforts on behalf of the vision impaired delegate. If there are varying degrees of vision impairment, or a Seeing-Eye dog involved, that may be subject to variations of the above rules, the Director and the Board of Directors will consider them on an individual basis. These restrictions are in addition to the Handicapped Policy.

Hearing Impaired - Virginia Girls State is in general an educational exercise in which the majority of the base skills are transmitted via verbal and published communications. Virginia Girls State will make every effort to afford qualified individual delegates an opportunity to participate regardless of the impairment, but at no cost to Virginia Girls State. The following restrictions will be applied to the hearing impaired:

1. The hearing impaired delegate must be accompanied, so as to provide her personal safety at all times, by a qualified signing person of the same sex and of legal age that is capable of voice communication as well as sign language.
2. The interpreter must accompany the student to all program functions and must adhere to all delegate rules.
3. The interpreter will be subject to the same exact fees as a delegate, but will not be allowed to participate in the actual program without the express prior permission of the Director.
4. Virginia Girls State Inc. will not be responsible to the interpreter in any way, for any remuneration for her efforts on behalf of the hearing impaired delegate. These restriction are in addition to the Handicapped Policy.

Alternative Lifestyle Policy The lifestyle of a delegate will not be questioned. However, if they prefer to reveal their lifestyle it will be discussed with the delegate, her roommate and the Director and Assistant Directors. If the roommate does not wish to share a room with someone with an alternative lifestyle her room will be changed.

Health- In the event a delegate becomes ill while attending Girls State, she will be taken immediately to the nurse on staff for evaluation. The following steps will be taken:

1. Medical form completed prior to arrival by delegate will be reviewed regarding medical history.
2. The Director will be notified immediately.
3. The Director will contact the family.
4. If indicated, an adult will take the Girls State Citizen to the appropriate medical facility.
5. In the event a serious life or death situation occurs, the EMS will be called.
6. The adult that accompanies the delegate to the medical facility will take the Parent's Statement of Consent to Medical Treatment and Hospital Services.
7. Girls State Insurance will be secondary after any other insurance.

Home Schooling- Home-schooled students will be allowed to attend Virginia Girls State. However, the following must be followed:

1. The unit or group sponsoring the student must be provided with the GPA, SOL scores, and/or Standardized test scores and transcript for the student.
2. They must be classified as rising high school seniors.
3. The teaching parent must be working under the Commonwealth of Virginia Guidelines for home schooling.
4. The sponsor must be provided information on outside activities and volunteer work of the student.

* It is within an Auxiliary Units discretion to allocate their delegate positions to home-schooled students.