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)
We are canceling today’s 4PM press conference because we are close to reaching a last minute settlement agreement. DRA will issue a media release with settlement details soon and appreciates your patience. New York, NY – March 9, 2015 Who: Disability Rights Advocates (dralegal.org), the Law Offices of Meenan and Associates (www.meenanesqs.com) and the Hearing Loss … Continue reading “CANCELED (Press Conference, March 9, New York)”
We are canceling today’s 4PM press conference because we are close to reaching a last minute settlement agreement. DRA will issue a media release with settlement details soon and appreciates your patience. New York, NY – March 9th, 2015 – Disability Rights Advocates and the Law Offices of Meenan and Associates begin a federal jury … Continue reading “UPDATE – Jury Trial in Federal Court to Protect the Rights of NYPD Officers with Hearing Impairments”
Agreement Between BART and Disability Advocates Oakland, February 27, 2015 – Last night the BART Board voted to approve an agreement between BART and disability advocates to address concerns raised by disability organizations regarding the floor plan for BART’s Fleet of the Future. The Fleet of the Future is the name used by BART for … Continue reading “Agreement Between BART and Disability Advocates”
The year is off to a great start and DRA is excited to welcome two new talented Senior Staff Attorneys to our team in the next month — Aaron Zisser and Michelle Caiola. Please join us in welcoming them to the DRA team! – Aaron B. Zisser – Aaron Zisser will work out of DRA’s California … Continue reading “Introducing DRA’s New Lawyers”
New York City, NY – December 24, 2014 – Today, Disability Rights Advocates (“DRA”) and Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, on behalf of the Westchester Independent Living Center (“WILC”) and two wheelchair users, filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court alleging that Metro-North has violated Federal disability civil rights laws by spending millions of taxpayer dollars renovating the … Continue reading “Civil Rights Advocates Challenge Metro-North’s Failure to Provide Wheelchair Access to the Upgraded Port Chester Station”
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”