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)
New York, NY – April 8, 2013 – Late last week, a federal court in New York City cleared the way for a major class action lawsuit brought by New Yorkers who use wheelchairs to challenge the Taxi of Tomorrow. Judge Daniels of the Southern District of New York District Court allowed Plaintiffs to supplement … Continue reading “Federal Judge Rules New Yorkers with Disabilities can Challenge Taxi of Tomorrow in Lawsuit Seeking Accessible Taxis”
New York, NY – March 11, 2013 – A Federal Court trial beginning today at 9:00 a.m. EST, 40 Foley Square, New York, Courtroom 1105, will expose the alleged deficiencies in New York City’s large scale disaster planning and demonstrate that such failures needlessly endanger the health and safety of seniors, women, children, and men … Continue reading “Trial on NYC’s Defective Large Scale Disaster Plans Will Show Unnecessary Harm to New Yorkers with Disabilities and Increased Chance of Greater Harm in Future Disasters”
On February 25, 2013, Judge Marshall issued an order preliminary approving the settlement agreement reached with the County of Los Angeles in Communities Actively Living Independent and Free, et al. v. City of Los Angeles et al. The settlement requires the County to revise its emergency plans to incorporate the needs of people with disabilities. … Continue reading “Communities Actively Living Independent and Free (CALIF), et al. v. City of Los Angeles”
San Francisco, CA – February 15, 2013 – Sid Wolinsky, Shawna Parks, and Mary-Lee Kimber Smith are recipients of the 2013 California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year Award for their remarkable legal achievements, which will require the City and County of L.A. to include the unique needs of people with all types of disabilities in … Continue reading “2013 California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year Award”
Berkeley, CA – December 20, 2012 – Sacramento International Airport serves approximately 7.9 million passengers per year yet has failed to make its facilities and services accessible to travelers with disabilities. A class action lawsuit filed today in the United States District Court alleges that the County of Sacramento discriminates against people with mobility disabilities … Continue reading “Sacramento International Airport Discriminates Against Travelers with Disabilities”
New York, New York – November 8, 2012 – Late yesterday, a New York Federal Judge granted class action status to a lawsuit that challenges New York City’s failure to address the needs of people with disabilities in its planning for large scale disasters. The lawsuit, which has been pending since September 26, 2011, alleges … Continue reading “New York Federal Judge Approves Class Action Status In Emergency Preparedness Lawsuit”
San Francisco, CA – November 15, 2012 – A lawsuit filed today in Alameda County Superior Court challenges the County of Alameda’s systemic discrimination against men and women with disabilities who experience severe harm while incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail. The lawsuit alleges that the jail’s inhumane conditions and discriminatory treatment of people with disabilities … Continue reading “Adults with Disabilities Incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail Face Inhumane Conditions and Barriers to Rehabilitative Programs”
New York, NY – October 19, 2012 – In a major victory late yesterday for New Yorkers with disabilities who use wheelchairs and scooters or have vision impairments, Federal Judge Deborah Batts ordered the Board of Elections (BOE) to adopt a barrier removal plan proven effective in eliminating barriers to voting at poll-sites for people … Continue reading “Federal Court Orders NYC Board Of Elections To Adopt A Plan To Eliminate Voting Barriers For New Yorkers With Disabilities”
New York, NY – August 8, 2012 – In a major victory for voters with disabilities who use wheelchairs or have vision impairments, a Federal Court ruled today that New York City’s voter polling sites must be accessible for people with disabilities on Election Day. The groundbreaking decision is the culmination of over a decade … Continue reading “Landmark Decision: Voter Polling Sites Must be Accessible for People with Disabilities on Election Day”
Baltimore, Maryland – August 27, 2008 – The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and Target (NYSE: TGT) announced today that they have settled a class action lawsuit regarding access to the Target.com Web site by blind people. Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “Access to Web sites is … Continue reading “National Federation of the Blind and Target Agree to Class Action Settlement”