Thanks to the generous support of our donors, Disability Rights Advocates is pleased to make available on our website and in our offices the work of artists from the National Institute of Art & Disabilities (NIAD). NIAD provides an art program that promotes creativity, independence, dignity, and community integration for people with developmental and other disabilities.
DRA is a non-profit law firm dedicated to securing the civil rights of people with disabilities. DRA advocates for disability rights through high-impact litigation, as well as research and education. We do not charge our clients for our services. Learn more about DRA.
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There are still profound barriers both physical and attitudinal that limit the opportunities available to people with various types of disabilities throughout the United States. To better address these obstacles, as of July 26, 2010 we have expanded our model to the East Coast and established an office in New York City. We are looking forward to the challenge of securing equal rights and access for people with disabilities in the North Eastern United States. |
A group of disabled employees of the Social Security Administration has secured another victory in a class action before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. On August 25, 2010, the EEOC Office of Federal Operations affirmed the October 8, 2008 decision of the Administrative Judge to certify the case as a class action. The action alleges that the Social Security Administration discriminates against employees with targeted disabilities by creating a glass ceiling and limiting promotions and other career advancement opportunities. The certified class includes all current and former employees with targeted disabilities at the Social Security Administration who, on or after August 22, 2003, have applied for promotions, appeared on a best qualified list and been denied promotion opportunities. The class is estimated to include approximately 2,000 members, and is represented by a consortium of law firms including Berger & Montague, P.C., Brown Goldstein & Levy LLP, Schneider Wallace Cottrell Brayton Konecky LLP, and Disability Rights Advocates.
Read the Press ReleaseNew York, New York – A lawsuit filed in Federal District court in the Southern District of New York alleges that the Board of Elections in the City of New York discriminates against registered voters with mobility and vision disabilities, because it fails to ensure that polling places are accessible on Election Day.
Read MoreCalifornia’s biggest energy utilities are seeking to raise or redesign their rates in a way that will harm the state’s low-income residents.
Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) believes that the proposed changes will harm residential consumers with disabilities, many of whom live on a fixed income and rely on utilities more than the average Californian. DRA is opposing the proposals before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). We are collecting individual consumer stories to help us persuade the CPUC to reject these rate increases.
Read MoreATTENTION: All persons with a disability who have sought or will seek access to San Francisco’s single adult emergency shelter system for homeless persons. You may be a member of the proposed settlement class affected by this lawsuit.
Read More about the CaseEmployees for the State filed a class action lawsuit against the State of California alleging that the State has systemically failed to provide basic accommodations for its deaf employees in violation of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and state law. Deaf and Hard of Hearing State Workers United, an organization formed to protect the rights of employees with hearing disabilities, is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit. The employees are represented by Disability Rights Advocates, a Berkeley-based non-profit law center, and the civil rights firm Schneider Wallace Cottrell Brayton Konecky LLP, which together brought a similar, and successful, nationwide class action against United Parcel Service in 1999.
Read the Press ReleaseIn landmark settlement, two individuals with disabilities, two disability rights organizations, and the California Department of Transportation (“Caltrans”) have reached a comprehensive plan that will provide access for persons with mobility and vision disabilities to 2,500 miles of sidewalk and Park and Ride facilities across the State of California that are owned or maintained by Caltrans. Under the settlement agreement, Caltrans will spend $1.1 billion over the next 30 years removing access barriers along existing sidewalks and within Park and Ride facilities. Caltrans has also agreed that when it resurfaces one of its roadways, it will upgrade existing but non-compliant curb ramps and/or install new curb ramps where they are lacking along the sidewalks adjacent to the resurfacing project. In addition, the settlement agreement requires numerous changes in Caltrans' policies and practices.
Read FAQs about the SettlementDisability Rights Advocates (DRA) has been working for years to protect the rights of students with disabilities who have been required to take the California High School Exit Exam. We want to alert you to recent legal developments that impact students with disabilities from the classes of 2008 and 2009.
Students with disabilities in the classes of 2008 and 2009 were required to pass the Exit Exam in order to receive a high school diploma, even if they met all other graduation requirements. Prior to 2008, students with disabilities could obtain a diploma if they met all other graduation requirements, even if they did not pass the Exit Exam. Beginning with the 2009-10 school year, eligible students with disabilities will again be permitted to obtain a diploma if they meet all other graduation requirements, even if they do not pass the Exit Exam.
Many people have asked whether anything can be done for students with disabilities from the classes of 2008 and 2009. There is a way for students with disabilities from the classes of 2008 and 2009 who otherwise met all graduation requirements to receive their diplomas without passing the Exit Exam, but its future is uncertain, so students should act soon.
Read More.BELLEVUE, Wash., Expedia.com, the world's leading online travel agency, has launched a unique suite of search tools designed to help disabled travelers find and book accessible accommodations.
Read Expedia.com's Press RelaseBaltimore, Maryland - Three blind law school graduates registered to take the general bar exam in July 2010—Timothy R. Elder, Anne P. Blackfield, and Michael B. Witwer—filed a complaint today against the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) for violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The complaint was filed because the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), a section of the General Bar Examination that is offered and disseminated through the NCBE, is inaccessible to the blind. Recent law school graduates must take and pass the General Bar Examination to qualify to practice law in the state of Maryland.
Read More about the CaseDisability Rights Advocates and the City of Oakland have reached a settlement concerning the inclusion of people with disabilities in disaster planning. Under the settlement, the City of Oakland has committed to implementing a plan that will incorporate the needs of people with all types of disabilities. It is our hope that the foundation of the new plan, known as the Mass Care and Shelter Plan Functional Needs Annex, can serve as a model for municipalities throughout California.
Oakland is reviewing comments it has received on the draft of the Mass Care and Shelter Plan Functional Needs Annex and it may be revised to reflect feedback from the disability community.
Read the Draft Mass Care and Shelter Plan Functional Needs AnnexTo request a draft of the Mass Care and Shelter Plan Functional Needs Annex in an alternate format, please contact:
Kendra Scalia-Carrow, ADA Program Analyst II
ADA Programs Division
City Administrator’s Office
1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 3rd Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
phone: (510) 238-6919
TTY: (510) 238-2007
fax: (510) 238-3304
email: adaprograms@oaklandnet.com
After 10 years of hard fought litigation, including an appeal to the Ninth Circuit, Disability Rights Advocates has reached a settlement with UPS on the remaining issue in this class action case. The settlement resolves the question of whether UPS may use the Department of Transportation hearing standard as a threshold qualification for driving vehicles at the company weighing 10,000 pounds or less. On June 29, 2009, the trial court granted preliminary approval of the settlement. This means that UPS will implement the Hearing Protocol within 30 days, on or before July 29, 2009 Read More.
Read the Preliminary Approval OrderWe are currently investigating health insurance denials of coverage for autism treatments. If you have recently experienced a coverage denial of a request for autism treatment, we want to hear your story. Please click here to complete a brief survey. Any information you share will be kept confidential. Thank you for your interest and help in this investigation.
Submit an Intake Form.A lawsuit was filed in Federal Court against the City of Los Angeles and County of Los Angeles to address their failure to adequately plan to meet the needs of people with disabilities in an emergency. The suit highlights a national problem, and one made especially evident during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, during which people with disabilities had their lives put at risk because of a lack of planning for this vulnerable population. The case is one of the first of its kind in the country and the most comprehensive filed to date.
Read the Press Release.DRA has successfully entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Park Service and Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) under which physical and programmatic barriers to all parks will be removed.
DRA seeks input from the disability community about any barriers experienced at GGNRA Let us know about your experiences
Read More about the Case
Read the Press Release.
Read the Fact Sheet
Read the Complaint in Word
Read the Complaint in Adobe
Read a New York Times Article dated March 18,2008
Thanks to the generous support of our donors, Disability Rights Advocates is pleased to make available on our website and in our offices the work of artists from the National Institute of Art & Disabilities (NIAD). NIAD provides an art program that promotes creativity, independence, dignity, and community integration for people with developmental and other disabilities.
Go to the Gallery Section.
