Our Mission
With offices in California and New York, Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) is one of the leading nonprofit disability rights legal centers in the nation. Its mission is to advance equal rights and opportunity for people with all types of disabilities nationwide.
Contact for Press Inquiries
Email: communications@dralegal.org
Phone: (510) 665-8644
Links
DRA General Information Brochure (PDF)
A settlement agreement with the California Department of Insurance and PSI Services LLC will ensure access for blind insurance license applicants who use screen reader software. September 5, 2024– Berkeley, CA—In August, three blind individuals and the National Federation of the Blind reached a settlement agreement with the California Department of Insurance (CDI) and their … Continue reading “Settlement Agreement Improves Accessibility for Blind Test-Takers of the California Insurance License Exam”
September 4, 2024 – Chicago, IL – Today, Chicago resident Ramon Canellada filed a federal lawsuit against Preferred Open MRI, Ltd., d/b/a Preferred Imaging Centers, challenging its illegal refusal to provide him with healthcare services because of his disability in violation of the ADA and other disability rights laws. Open MRI provides imaging services at seven locations across … Continue reading “Chicago Resident Sues Local MRI Provider for Denying Critical Healthcare Services Due to Disability”
September 3, 2024—New York, NY—On Friday, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York denied the City’s motion to free itself from its court-ordered obligation to make at least 50% of their iconic yellow taxi fleet accessible to people who use wheelchairs and granted disability advocates’ motion to enforce the obligation to make … Continue reading “Court Rules New York City Must Make All New Taxis Wheelchair-Accessible Until 50% of All Taxis Are Accessible”
July 31, 2024—Los Angeles, CA— On July 29, 2024, a federal judge ordered West Los Angeles College (WLAC), part of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), to restore a transportation assistance system to provide access for two disabled student plaintiffs, Charles Guerra and Karlton Bontrager, to WLAC’s steep, hilly campus by the start of … Continue reading “Federal Judge Orders West Los Angeles College to Restore Campus Shuttle to Provide Equal Access to Students with Mobility Disabilities”
The City’s Parks Exclude Wheelchair Users by Not Meeting Federal and State Access Laws July 26, 2024 – Los Angeles, CA – Thirty-four years after the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and four years before the Los Angeles Olympics, three people with mobility disabilities and Communities Actively Living Independent and Free (“CALIF”) filed … Continue reading “People With Mobility Disabilities File Class Action Lawsuit Against City of Los Angeles Over Inaccessible Parks and Park Facilities”
July 11, 2024—Nashville, Tennessee—Earlier this week, a federal judge in the Middle District of Tennessee granted partial summary judgment to multiple plaintiffs finding that the Tennessee Department of Correction violated federal law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, by failing to provide sign language interpreters in connection with prison … Continue reading “Federal Judge Finds Tennessee Department of Correction in Violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act for Failing to Provide Sign Language Interpreters and Videophones to Deaf Prisoners”
May 14, 2024—New York, NY—In support of DRA’s unique approach to disability advocacy, the Ford Foundation has contributed $200,000 in general funding to support the organization’s high-impact legal work. This gift, along with other significant contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations, will help DRA to continue tackling the urgent, systemic, societal barriers to equal participation … Continue reading “Ford Foundation Gives $200,000 to Disability Rights Advocates”
In Violation of HALT, Hundreds of Individuals with Disabilities Languish in Solitary Cells for Up to 24 Hours Per Day May 8, 2024—New York, NY—The Legal Aid Society, Disability Rights Advocates, and Winston & Strawn LLP today filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of incarcerated New Yorkers with disabilities against the New York State … Continue reading “Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against DOCCS and NYSOMH for Illegally Subjecting Disabled New Yorkers to Solitary Confinement in NYS Prisons”
May 6, 2024—New York, NY—Mental Hygiene Legal Services (MHLS) and Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) have released a report titled “Denial of Fresh Air Access for Psychiatric Patients: A Report on NYC H+H Hospitals.” This report outlines findings from a months-long investigation into the denial of fresh air and outdoor access to individuals receiving psychiatric treatment … Continue reading “Investigation Reveals Patients Deprived of All Outdoor Access at Majority of NYC-Run Psychiatric Hospitals”
April 18, 2024—San Francisco, CA—Today, a federal judge approved a class settlement that provides significant changes that will improve the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART)’s accessibility for riders with mobility disabilities. The settlement resolves claims that BART has systemically failed to ensure full and equal access to its stations and services, in … Continue reading “Settlement Agreement with Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Improves Accessibility for Riders with Mobility Disabilities”