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)
November 10, 2014 – Disability Rights Advocates, a national leader in civil rights litigation on behalf of persons with disabilities, has joined the Law Offices of Meenan and Associates in challenging a Department-wide policy that discriminates against NYPD officers who use hearing aids, regardless of how well they do their jobs. The Plaintiffs, former Sergeant James … Continue reading “Lawsuit in Federal Court to Protect the Rights of NYPD Officers with Hearing Impairments”
New York – November 5, 2014 The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has preliminarily approved a class-wide settlement on behalf a class of over 570 current and former SSA employees with disabilities. The Settlement Agreement provides for sweeping improvements to SSA’s policies and processes impacting the careers of employees with disabilities, including substantial monetary … Continue reading “Over 570 Employees with Disabilities Settle Discrimination Class Action Against the Social Security Administration”
New York, NY – As the two year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy approaches, disability rights advocacy groups and the City of New York announced the settlement today of a longstanding federal class action that will result in the most comprehensive disaster plan in the country. The historic plan includes City disaster preparedness enhancements aimed at improving the lives and … Continue reading “New York City and Disability Advocates Reach Historic Agreement Providing for Comprehensive Improvements to New York City’s Disaster Planning”
NEW YORK, NY – September 16, 2014 A federal judge today gave final approval to a settlement, the first of its kind nationwide, that will make New York’s yellow taxi fleet the most accessible in the country and one of the most disability-friendly in the world. Judge George Daniels issued the following statement: “We should … Continue reading “Judge Approves Historic Settlement: NYC Taxicab Accessibility to Dramatically Increase”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – September 9, 2014 The California affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind (“NFB of California”) and Michael Hingson, a member of the NFB of California and a guide dog user, filed suit today in United States District Court for the Northern District of California against Uber Technologies, Inc. (“Uber”) to challenge … Continue reading “Lawsuit Challenges Uber’s Discrimination Against Blind Customers with Service Animals”
Washington D.C. – September 9, 2014 A coalition of disability rights advocates filed a federal class action lawsuit today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The lawsuit challenges the District of Columbia’s poor emergency planning for persons with disabilities, and comes on the heels of similar lawsuits in New York … Continue reading “District of Columbia Sued for Failure to Serve People with Disabilities During Disasters”
BERKELEY, CA – August 4, 2014 San Francisco-based Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually-Impaired, Disability Rights Advocates, and the Law Offices of Jay Koslofsky entered into a settlement agreement with Redbox Automated Retail, LLC (“Redbox”) that is expected to significantly improve access for blind individuals to Redbox’s® self-service, touchscreen video-rental kiosks in California. Redbox has … Continue reading “Redbox and Lighthouse for the Blind: DRA Announces Settlement Agreement”
New York City, NY – July 30, 2014 – Today, 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 in federal court alleging that New York City violates Federal disability civil rights laws by failing to make its sidewalks … Continue reading “Civil Rights Advocates Challenge New York City’s Failure to Make Its Sidewalks Safe for Wheelchair Users and Blind People”
Burlington, Vermont (July 29, 2014): The National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s leading advocate for equal access by the blind to technology and electronic information, and Heidi Viens, a blind parent from Colchester, Vermont, have filed suit (case number: 2:14-CV-162) against Scribd, Inc. Scribd offers an Internet-based “personal digital library” that allows sighted subscribers … Continue reading “National Federation of the Blind Files Suit Against Scribd”
Long Beach, CA – June 4, 2014 – A class action lawsuit filed today in the United States District Court for the Central District of California alleges that the City of Long Beach discriminates against residents and visitors who have mobility impairments. Read the complaint here. The sidewalks and pedestrian rights-of-way in Long Beach pose significant barriers to individuals who … Continue reading “Wheelchair Users Face Dangerous Barriers When Trying to Use Long Beach Sidewalks”