Web Policy

Overview

The following is not intended and should not be interpreted as a contract of any nature, either stated or implied. The Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) reserves the right to change these practices and procedures at any time without prior notice.

Note that the following Policy only applies to web pages on the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) Web site. Pages that appear after you click on a link may be controlled by a different agency or entity, whose practices are not under Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)'s control.

Disclaimer

Neither the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), nor any employee of the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published on this site, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from this site, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or outdated. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.

Reference herein to any specific commercial products, processes, or services by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) or the Commonwealth of Virginia. The information and statements contained on this server shall not be used for the purposes of advertising, nor to imply the endorsement or recommendation of the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) or the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) Web site has links to other Web sites. These include links to Web sites operated by other government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private businesses. When you link to another site, you are no longer on Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) Web site and this Policy will not apply. When you link to another Web site, you are subject to the privacy policy of that new site. Reference on those Web sites to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS).

DARS strives to use person-first language when referring to individuals with disabilities, but language changes over time. Please note that in providing online access to older documents from DARS or other organizations, readers may encounter words that are no longer considered acceptable. If you find an objectionable reference on the DARS Web site that is not in these older documents or in an organization's name, please contact communications@dars.virginia.gov or the DARS Webmaster.

Accessibility Information

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

The W3C's commitment to lead the Web to its full potential includes promoting a high degree of usability for people with disabilities.

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), https://www.w3.org/WAI/, in coordination with organizations around the world, is pursuing accessibility of the Web through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development.

Accessibility Policy

Through its Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is promoting a high degree of Web access for people with disabilities. In coordination with organizations around the world, WAI is pursuing Web accessibility through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development. To help support the WAI, this site is complying with W3C guidelines for Web accessibility.

At a minimum, this web site meets Section 508 and at least Level AA Conformance to WCAG 2.1. On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Access Board published a final rule as the new standard for website accessibility. The rule requires adherence to the new accessibility standards twelve months from its date of publication. DARS is working towards WCAG 2.2 Level AA compliance.

The goals of the DARS' accessibility plan are:

  • All new content posted on this website after January 01, 2024, will meet W3C’s WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance.
  • All content posted prior to January 01, 2024, will be remediated to meet W3C’s WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance as soon as possible.

Cookies

"Cookies" are small files either stored on a server or sent back to a visiting computer. In certain applications user information is stored as "cookies", which are then sent back to and stored on the user's computer.

Some sections of Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) website may use cookies to customize the information presented to you, such as text size or contrast options.

Linking Policy

This Web site contains hypertext links to external Web sites and pages containing information created and maintained by public and private organizations other than the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). The Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), at its sole discretion, will determine which external Web sites are linked to. The inclusion of a hypertext link to an external Web site is not intended as an endorsement of any product or service offered or referenced on the linked Web site, the organizations sponsoring said Web site, or any views that might be expressed or referenced in the Web site.

Hypertext links to external Web sites and pages may be removed or replaced at the sole discretion of the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) at any time without notice.

If a hypertext link on any the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) Web site is not working, please contact our webmaster by emailing our Webmaster or by using the contact information provided on the Contact Us webpage.

See also this Policy's Disclaimer section above regarding off-site links.

Privacy Policy

Virginia law

We protect our records in accordance with our obligations as defined by applicable Virginia statutes, including, but not limited to, the “Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act” Code of Virginia, § 2.2-3800, “Administration of systems including personal information; Internet privacy policy; exceptions” Code of Virginia, § 2.2-3803 , the “Virginia Freedom of Information Act” § 2.2-3700, et seq., and by any applicable U.S. federal laws.

Information we collect

We endeavor to collect only the minimum amount of information needed to provide services.

If you do nothing during your visit to the DARS Web site but browse or download information, we automatically collect and store the following information about your visit:

  1. the Internet domain and IP address from which you accessed our site;
  2. the type of browser and operating system you used;
  3. the date and time you visited this site;
  4. the pages visited; and
  5. if you linked from another Web site, the address of that Web site.

The information collected is used to improve the content of our Web services and to help us understand how people are using our pages. We analyze our Web site logs to continually improve the value of the materials available on our site. The information in our Web logs is not personally viewable and no attempt is made to link it with the individuals that browse our Web site.

If, during your visit to the DARS Web site, you send us an e-mail message, we will collect the e-mail address and contents of the message, including audio, video and graphic information formats you send us. This may be to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to further improve our Web site or to forward your message to another agency for appropriate action.

We do collect personal information directly from individuals who volunteer to subscribe to our services, complete forms or participate in surveys. Collecting personal information is necessary in order for DARS to deliver the services requested. We only collect, retain and use personal information where we believe it is essential to administer our business and to provide products, services and other opportunities requested by our customers.

How the collected information is used

Routing information is used to route the requested Web page to your computer for viewing. We send the requested Web page and the routing information to our Internet service provider or other entities involved in transmitting the requested page to you. We do not control the privacy practices of those entities. Essential and nonessential technical information helps us respond to your request in an appropriate format or in a personalized manner and helps us plan Web site improvements.

Optional information enables us to provide services or information tailored more specifically to your needs or to forward your message or inquiry to another entity that is better able to do so, and also allow us to plan Web site improvements.

We may keep your information indefinitely, but we ordinarily delete the transaction routing information regularly after the Web page is transmitted and do not try to obtain any information to link it to the individuals who browse our Web site. However, on rare occasions when a "hacker" attempts to breach computer security, logs of routing information are retained to permit a security investigation and in such cases may be forwarded together with any other relevant information in our possession to law enforcement agencies. We use this transaction routing information primarily in a statistical summary type format to assess site content and server performance. We may share this summary information with our business partners when needed.

Optional information is retained in accordance with the records retention schedules at the Library of Virginia.

Under the “Virginia Freedom of Information Act” (FOIA), any records in our possession at the time of a “Freedom of Information Request” might be subject to being inspected by or disclosed to members of the public. However, all identifiable confidential/personal information will be removed prior to releasing the routing information.

For more information on DARS's implementation of FOIA including contacts, see our FOIA page.

Restrictions on the disclosure of customer information

We do not sell or rent our subscribers' information to any outside company or organization. We do not reveal specific information about subscribers or other personally identifiable data to unaffiliated third parties for their independent use, except if required to do so by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act or other law.

Protection of information via established security procedures

We maintain security standards and procedures regarding unauthorized access to customer information to prevent unauthorized removal or alteration of data.

Web site security

We maintain security standards and procedures regarding unauthorized access to ensure that this service remains available to all users, and to prevent unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise cause damage. Information on individuals causing damage to the Web page will be traced and released to the appropriate legal bodies (such as the Virginia State Police) to investigate suspected or alleged criminal activity.

Public disclosure

DARS is subject to the requirements for administering information systems as established in the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act, Chapter 38 of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia (§§ 2.2-3800 and 2.2-3803). any personal information that is collected and retained is maintained in compliance with the Code of Virginia, §§ 2.2-3800 and 2.2-3803. Web pages that appear after you click on a link may be controlled by a different agency or entity, whose practices are not under DARS's control.

Customer comments or review

If you have questions about this privacy statement or the practices of this Web site, or if you choose to review or correct any information you previously submitted, please contact us at webmaster@dars.virginia.gov

See also this Policy's Cookies section above.