Disability Rights Advocates
You are here: Home
print friendly

Welcome to Disability Rights Advocates

DRA is a non-profit legal center 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.


DRA EXPANDS TO THE EAST COAST

Statue of Liberty Image

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. Read More.

RECENT NEWS:

DRA SEEKS RELAY SERVICE TEST-CALLERS

Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) is seeking volunteers to make relay service “test calls” to financial service and telecommunication companies and briefly record their experiences. With your help, we can end discrimination against relay service callers!

Read More

DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATES ANNOUNCES NEW CO-DIRECTOR OF LITIGATION

BERKELEY, CALIF. – Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a leading national non-profit legal center, announced today the appointment of a new Co-Director of Litigation, Shawna Parks. Ms. Parks comments: “I am excited to be returning to an organization where I started my career in disability rights, and where I will now be taking on a leadership role. DRA is at the forefront of disability rights in many areas, and I am honored to be invited back to lead the organization into the future.”

Read the Press Release

REDBOX DISCRIMINATES AGAINST THE BLIND BY FAILING TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE SELF-SERVICE KIOSKS

Oakland, CA – January 12, 2012 – Recent technological advances are sweeping the nation, changing the way people buy products and services. Self-service kiosks with automated, touch-screen interfaces now allow people to bank, shop, and conduct a wide range of transactions independently, without the assistance of a clerk. This technology is fast becoming an integral part of our every day lives.

Read the Press Release
Read the Fact Sheet
Read the Complaint
Read More about the Case

LANDMARK DECISION: NEW YORK TAXI AND LIMOUSINE COMMISSION’S OPERATION OF INACCESSIBLE TAXI FLEET DISCRIMINATES AGAINST NEW YORKERS WITH DISABILITIES

New York, NY – December 23, 2011 – In a major victory for wheelchair users, a Federal Court ruled today that the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission’s (TLC) operation of an overwhelmingly inaccessible taxi fleet constitutes discrimination against people with disabilities. The groundbreaking decision is the first of its kind in the country and is the culmination of over a decade of advocacy by persons with disabilities. The ruling is expected to have national implications.

Read the Press Release
Read the Fact Sheet
Read the Court's Decision
Read More about the Case

AMC THEATRES AND ALDA ANNOUNCE GREATER ACCESSIBILITY FOR DEAF OR HARD-OF-HEARING GUESTS AT ALL DIGITAL MOVIE THEATRES IN CALIFORNIA

Kansas City, Mo., Dec. 20, 2011 – AMC Theatres® (AMC) today announced it will install personal captioning systems for its guests who are deaf or have significant hearing loss. The captioning systems will be installed in California, and across its national circuit, on a rolling basis, in conjunction with AMC’s national conversion to digital cinema. AMC will offer closed captioning for 127 screens in California by mid-2012, and projects that number to grow to over 500 screens by late 2013.

Read the Press Release
Read More about the Case

CITY OF LOS ANGELES ORDERED TO HIRE EXPERTS TO REVISE EMERGENCY PLANS TO ADDRESS NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

LOS ANGELES, CA, November 9, 2011 - A federal judge ordered the City of Los Angeles to hire independent experts to review and revise the City’s emergency plans to address the safety of people with disabilities. The City must complete review and revision of all emergency plans within three years, and provide bi-annual reports on its progress. Although the Court allowed for the three years to complete the process, the Court further ordered that “the City begin this review and revision without delay, and that it proceed as expeditiously as possible in this process.”

Read the Press Release
Read the Order for Injuctive Relief
Read the Order for Summary Judgment
Read More about the Case

FEDERAL JUDGE ISSUES PERMANENT LEGAL RESOLUTION FOR BLIND LAW SCHOOL GRADUATE WHO PAVED THE WAY FOR BLIND TEST TAKERS

Berkeley, CA, October 26, 2011 - On Monday, October 24, the Honorable Judge Charles R. Breyer ended a two-year legal battle between a blind law school graduate and a national testing corporation over the graduate’s right to use a computer equipped with assistive technology to take the California Bar Exam. Granting Stephanie Enyart’s motion for summary judgment, Judge Breyer found that Ms. Enyart is entitled to take the bar exam on a computer equipped with text-to-speech screen reading and visual screen magnification software, as the method that will best ensure that she is tested on her aptitude rather than her disability.

Read the Press Release
Read the Summary Judgement
Read More about the Case

MAYOR BLOOMBERG SUED FOR NEGLECT OF DISABLED NEW YORKERS DURING EMERGENCY DISASTERS

New York, NY, September 26, 2011 - Major disasters in New York City such as the September 11th terrorist attack and more recently Hurricane Irene, have shown that the city is not prepared to meet the needs of people with disabilities during disasters. A lawsuit filed today in Federal District Court in the Southern District of New York alleges that Mayor Bloomberg and the City of New York discriminate against men, women, and children with disabilities by failing to include their unique needs in emergency planning.

Read the Press Release
Read the Fact Sheet
Read More about the Case
Read the Complaint

GRAY V. GGNRA UPDATE

DRA is class counsel in a precedent setting case seeking comprehensive access improvements to the GGNRA park system. We are seeking a comprehensive fix to eliminate access barriers that prevent or limit people with mobility and vision disabilities from enjoying GGNRA’s parks. We achieved an initial victory when the court ruled in our favor on a contested motion for class certification. The case will now proceed on behalf of the entire class of individuals with mobility and vision disabilities who are being denied programmatic access due to barriers at park sites owned or maintained by GGNRA.

Read the Order for Class Certification in Adobe
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

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT FROM DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATES REGARDING CALIFORNIA STATE PARK CLOSURES

On May 13, 2011, California State Parks announced a plan to close up to 70 of its 278 parks due to budget cuts. According to the California State Park announcement, "the closures are necessary to achieve an $11 million reduction in the next fiscal year 2011/12, that amount increasing to $22 million in the following fiscal year 2012/13." The announcement can be found here:http://www.parks.ca.gov .

Read the Public Announcement regarding California State Park Closures in Adobe PDF
Read More about the Case

DISABILITY ADVOCATES ANNOUNCE LANDMARK SUBWAY SETTLEMENT

New York, NY, July 21, 2011 - It was announced today that the MTA has agreed to the installation of an elevator at the Dyckman Street subway station. The agreement was the product of settlement of litigation between United Spinal Association -- represented by Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) -- the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA).

Read the Press Release
Read More about the Case

COLLEGE STUDENT ACCESS BARRIERS INVESTIGATION

DRA is investigating complaints concerning cuts in services for students with disabilities in the California Community College system, the California State University system and the University of California system.

Submit an intake form

CNN.COM SUED BY DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING FOR LACK OF CAPTIONED VIDEOS ON ITS WEBSITE

Oakland, CA., June 15, 2011 - A class action lawsuit filed today in Alameda County Superior Court alleges that Time Warner Inc., the owner of CNN.com discriminates against people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing by failing to provide any captioning of its on-line videos on its website. The suit is the first of its kind in the country.

How You Can Take Action

If you have encountered access barriers at CNN.com and would like to share your experience, or would like more information about the lawsuit, please contact Disability Rights Advocates at (510) 665-8644 or email eleonard at dralegal dot org.

Read the Press Release
Read the Complaint

LAWYERS LEAD ON: LAWYERS WITH DISABILITIES SHARE THEIR INSIGHTS, Editors: Carrie G. Basas, Rebecca S. Williford, Stephanie L. Enyart

DRA is proud to announce the publication: Lawyers Lead On: Lawyers with Disabilities Share Their Insights, which features DRA attorneys Larry Paradis and Rebecca Williford as well as DRA's Executive Director Ben Foss. This book is a collection of candid letters from lawyers with various disabilities about their experiences in law school and in the legal profession. This book is recommended for people with disabilities who are interested in pursuing legal careers and for anyone who wants to learn about the experiences of lawyers with disabilities.

Click here to purchase the publication.

CITY OF RICHMOND ADOPTS NEW EMERGENCY PLAN TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THE ELDERLY

Richmond, Calif., June 8, 2011 - Through a cooperative effort announced today by Disability Rights Advocates and the City of Richmond, Richmond has adopted a new emergency plan to address the needs of people with all types of disabilities.

Read More about the Case
READ THE CITY OF RICHMOND MASS CARE AND SHELTER ANNEX FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THE ELDERLY

U.S. COURT OF APPEALS RULES THAT MEDICAL CARE DELAYS HAVE DEPRIVED VETERANS OF THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

On May 10, 2011, the Court of Appeals held that the VA system is systematically failing to provide needed mental health care for disabled veterans in violation of their constitutional rights, with disastrous consequences such as high suicide rates. The Court of Appeals has thus ordered the trial court to develop remedies to fix the system, so that veterans with mental disabilities will no longer have to struggle without treatment or wait years to have their claims for benefits resolved. This is a tremendous victory for veterans throughout the country who DRA and our co-counsel have represented in this hard fought litigation.

Read the Opinion
Read the Summary of the Opinion
Read a New York Times Editorial dated May 18,2011

CINEMARK AND ALDA ANNOUNCE GREATER MOVIE THEATRE ACCESSIBILITY FOR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD-OF-HEARING

Plano, Texas., April 26, 2011 - Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), one of the world's largest motion picture exhibitors, today announced that it will provide a closed captioning option for people who are deaf or have significant hearing loss in all of its first-run theatres. Cinemark is installing captioning systems on a rolling basis across its circuit in conjunction with the chain's conversion to an all-digital format. Installation started early this year and about half of Cinemark's theaters in California already have captioning capability. Cinemark will be able to offer closed captioning at all of its first-run theaters by mid 2012.

Read the Press Release
Read the Complaint
Read More about the Case

Read DRA's Comments to the DOJ's Proposal to apply the ADA to Web Accessibility

Comments on the 2010 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Web Accessibility ("Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities and Public Accommodations"). 28 C.F.R. Parts 35 and 36; CRT Docket No. 110; AG Order No. RIN 1190-AA61

The following comments are filed by Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a disability civil rights legal center. DRA is a non-profit legal organization which, for nearly twenty years, has specialized in impact class action litigation on behalf of people with all types of disabilities. DRA litigates nationally and has offices in New York City and Berkeley, California. DRA has particular expertise in representing individuals who are blind or low vision and individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in seeking equal access to online technologies.

Read More

NEW YORKERS WITH DISABILITIES FACE BARRIERS TO VOTING: ADVOCACY GROUPS SUE FOR DISCRIMINATION

New York, NY, July 29, 2010 - 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 More

CALTRANS AGREES TO MAKE ITS SIDEWALKS ACROSS THE STATE ACCESSIBLE TO PERSONS WITH MOBILITY AND VISION DISABILITIES.

In landmark settlement announced December 22, 2009, 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 Settlement
Read the Press Release
Read the Settlement Agreement in Adobe Format
Read the Settlement Agreement in MS Word Format
How to submit a request to Caltrans to have an access barrier removed

EXPEDIA.COM LAUNCHES NEW ACCESSIBILITY SEARCH TOOLS FOR DISABLED TRAVELERS PURSUANT TO SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

Bellevue, Wash., February 16, 2010 - 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 Relase
Read More about the Case

DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATES REACHES A SETTLEMENT WITH THE CITY OF OAKLAND FOR DISASTER PLANNING

On January 21, 2010, Disability 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 current Mass Care and Shelter Plan Functional Needs Annex
Read the Settlement Press Release
Read the Settlement Agreement

Read More about the Case

To 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

Disability Rights Advocates and UPS Reach Agreement Settling Long-Running ADA Class Action Lawsuit

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 Order
Read about the Hearing Protocol
Read the Hearing Protocol
Read the Full Settlement Agreement with Exhibits A to E
Information about monetary claims

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ART & DISABILITIES (NIAD) ARTWORK

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.


CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION AND UPDATES ON THE CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS CONSENT DECREE