RICHMOND — Dale Skeeter Batten of Suffolk, regional director of the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services, has received the 2009 R.N. Anderson Leadership Award for outstanding service and contribution to the field of vocational rehabilitation and the disability community.

Batten was one of eight individuals honored by the Virginia Rehabilitation Association at the annual awards presentation at Virginia Beach. She was recognized for her years of service to the department and for her outstanding leadership as the regional director of the agency’s Tidewater Region, which consists of 10 field offices with more than 100 employees.

Batten played an instrumental role in the development of the agency’s Skills for Leadership Program and has been an active member of the Virginia Rehabilitation Association.

The Virginia Rehabilitation Association is a chapter of the National Rehabilitation Association, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for all persons with disabilities.

Chartered in 1959, the VRA continues to promote issues that enable people with disabilities to participate in the mainstream of society, to provide opportunities for professional development for persons in the field of rehabilitation and independent living.

The Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services is the state agency that provides and advocates for the highest quality of services to help persons with disabilities maximize their employment, independence and full inclusion into society.

Through its four regional and 36 field offices, DRS provides a comprehensive array of services, such as vocational counseling, career exploration, training, assistive technology, and other specialty programs that meet individual needs, interests and abilities.

For more information about DRS, call 1-800-552-5019 or visit www.vadrs.org.