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)
BERKELEY, CA – November 5, 2015 – Federal Judge Kimberly Mueller issued an order yesterday, November 4, 2015, holding that the newly constructed gate counters in Terminal B of the Sacramento International Airport are inaccessible to persons who use wheelchairs and thus, illegal, and further holding that the emergency evacuation plans for Sacramento International Airport … Continue reading “Court Rules Sacramento Airport Must be Made Safer and More Accessible for Travelers with Disabilities”
Advocates for people with disabilities have entered into structured negotiations with Lyft, Inc. to ensure that disabled riders with service animals are ensured access to transportation services offered by Lyft drivers. These collaborative efforts are under way between Lyft, Inc. (Lyft), Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld (RBGG), and TRE Legal – … Continue reading “Statement to the Community Regarding Structured Negotiations with Lyft”
Long Beach, CA – September 18, 2015 – Federal Judge Dale S. Fischer issued an order yesterday, September 17, certifying a class in the ongoing case against the City of Long Beach and its Mayor regarding their failure to address pervasive access barriers for wheelchair users throughout the City’s sidewalks and pedestrian routes. These barriers include: a … Continue reading “Federal Judge Certifies Class Action Alleging that the City of Long Beach Fails to Make its Sidewalks Safe for Wheelchair Users”
New York, NY – Wednesday, July 29th, 2015 – Today, on the heels of the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a national nonprofit leader in civil rights litigation on behalf of persons with disabilities, filed a federal class-action lawsuit in the Southern District of New York alleging … Continue reading “Bronx Medical Facility Sued for Excluding Patents with Disabilities and Jeopardizing Their Health”
BERKELEY, CA – July 22, 2015 – Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a leading national nonprofit disability rights legal center, announced today the appointment of Mary-Lee Smith and Stuart Seaborn as the new Co-Directors of Litigation. Co-founders Sid Wolinsky and Larry Paradis will continue to guide DRA in their roles as Supervising Attorney and Executive Director, … Continue reading “Disability Rights Advocates Announces New Co-Directors of Litigation”
New York City, NY – June 1,2015 – A federal judge cleared the way today for a major class action suit against the City to proceed. Disability Rights Advocates (“DRA”) and Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, on behalf of the Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York (“CIDNY”) filed a landmark civil rights lawsuit … Continue reading “Suit Challenging N.Y.C.’s Failure to Make Sidewalks Safe for Disabled New Yorkers Moves Ahead”
Berkeley, CA – May 27, 2015 – Alameda County and Plaintiffs California Council of the Blind (CCB) and five individuals who are blind announced a landmark settlement agreement that contains detailed steps that the County will take on Election Day to ensure that voters who are blind and have low-vision will be able to cast … Continue reading “Landmark Settlement Reached to Ensure Alameda County Voters Who Are Blind Will Be Able to Cast Secret Ballots on Election Day”
Phoenix, AZ, May 19, 2015 – In Phoenix, nearly one out of every ten people report having a disability. If an emergency or natural disaster were to take place, the city of Phoenix wants to make sure that there’s a plan in place to get the most vulnerable in the community to safety. Today, the … Continue reading “Phoenix Announces New Emergency Operations Plan”
BERKELEY CALIFORNIA, May 19, 2015 – In an unprecedented settlement announced today, the Contra Costa County Probation Department has agreed to end its use of solitary confinement for all youth detained in Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall (“Juvenile Hall”) and the Contra Costa County Office of Education has agreed to ensure the provision of appropriate education … Continue reading “Settlement to Ban Solitary Confinement for Youth in Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall”
MEDIA ADVISORY May 15, 2015 WHAT: The city of Phoenix, in partnership with Disability Rights Advocates and The Arizona Center for Disability Law, will announce changes to the city’s Emergency Operations Plan. WHO:Mayor Greg StantonCouncilman Michael Nowakowski, Chairman of Public Safety and Veterans SubcommitteeChristine Chuang, Senior Staff Attorney, Disability Rights Advocates Phil Pangrazio, President & … Continue reading “The city of Phoenix to announce changes to Emergency Operations Plan.”