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)
San Francisco, CA – July 25, 2012 – A class action lawsuit filed today against leading national retailer Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Wal-Mart) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California challenges Wal-Mart’s continuing practice of knowingly placing point-of-sale machines beyond the reach and accessibility of people with disabilities who use wheelchairs … Continue reading “Wal-Mart Discriminates Against Wheelchair and Scooter Users by Refusing to Provide Accessible Point-Of-Sale Machines”
San Francisco, CA – July 25, 2012 – In a precedent setting agreement announced today, San Francisco has adopted an improved emergency response system to protect and address the needs of people with disabilities who use wheelchairs and other mobility aid devices. In 2011, Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) and Chavez & Gertler LLP, two civil … Continue reading “San Francisco Improves Access to Emergency Response System for People with Disabilities”
Berkeley, CA – December 22, 2009 – In an unprecedented settlement announced today, two individuals with disabilities, two disability rights organizations, and the California Department of Transportation (“Caltrans”) have reached a comprehensive plan that will provide access for persons with mobility and vision disabilities to 2,500 miles of sidewalk and Park and Ride facilities across … Continue reading “Sweeping Landmark Class Action Settlement Paves the Way for Improved Sidewalk Access for People with Disabilities”
Richmond, CA – June 8, 2011 – Through a cooperative effort announced today by Disability Rights Advocates and the City of Richmond, Richmond has adopted a new emergency plan to address the needs of people with all types of disabilities. In 2008, Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a non-profit legal center that specializes in civil rights … Continue reading “City of Richmond Adopts New Emergency Plan to Address the Needs of People with Disabilities and the Elderly”
Los Angeles, CA – November 9, 2011 – A federal judge ordered the City of Los Angeles to hire independent experts to review and revise the City’s emergency plans to address the safety of people with disabilities. The City must complete review and revision of all emergency plans within three years, and provide bi- annual … Continue reading “City Of Los Angeles Ordered To Hire Experts to Revise Emergency Plans to Address Needs of People with Disabilities”
Kansas City, MO – Dec. 20, 2011 – AMC Theatres® (AMC) today announced it will install personal captioning systems for its guests who are deaf or have significant hearing loss. The captioning systems will be installed in California, and across its national circuit, on a rolling basis, in conjunction with AMC’s national conversion to digital … Continue reading “AMC Theatres and ALDA Announce Greater Accessibility for Deaf or Hard-Of-Hearing Guests at All Digital Movie Theatres in California”
Oakland, CA – January 12, 2012 – Recent technological advances are sweeping the nation, changing the way people buy products and services. Self-service kiosks with automated, touch-screen interfaces now allow people to bank, shop, and conduct a wide range of transactions independently, without the assistance of a clerk. This technology is fast becoming an integral … Continue reading “Redbox Discriminates Against the Blind by Failing to Provide Accessible Self-Service Kiosks”
San Francisco, CA – May 16, 2012 – The California Council of the Blind (CCB), Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), and the Law Offices of Jay Koslofsky announced today that they have reached an agreement with Lane Bryant to improve the checkout experience for guests with visual impairments and to help ensure their privacy. CCB applauds … Continue reading “Lane Bryant to Improve the Checkout Experience for Guests with Visual Impairments”
Berkeley, California – April 2, 2012 – DRA, a leading national non-profit legal center, announced today the appointment of a new Co-Director of Litigation, Shawna Parks. Ms. Parks comments: “I am excited to be returning to an organization where I started my career in disability rights, and where I will now be taking on a … Continue reading “Disability Rights Advocates Announces New Co-director Of Litigation”
New York, NY – September 26, 2011 – Major disasters in New York City such as the September 11th terrorist attack and more recently Hurricane Irene, have shown that the city is not prepared to meet the needs of people with disabilities during disasters. A lawsuit filed today in Federal District Court in the Southern … Continue reading “Mayor Bloomberg Sued for Neglect of Disabled New Yorkers During Emergency Disasters”