February 2014 E-Newsletter

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IN THIS EDITION:

DRA Kicks Off 2014 With A Bang!

Board Member Spotlight: Dan Brown

New Faces Of DRA

DRA Defends The Right To Vote

Recruiting Summers And Fellow

DRA Kicks Off 2014 With A Bang!

Dear Friends,

We are just a month into the New Year and already have reason to celebrate: this morning DRA attended a ribbon cutting at Dyckman Street Subway Station in New York City which now has a fully functioning elevator, thanks to DRA’s work in transportation accessibility

This important progress is just the tip of the iceberg. Other endeavors for 2014 include working to expand the impact of our 2013 victories: equipping cities and universities across the country with adequate disaster preparedness plans and accessible course curriculum.  DRA is also working to set new precedents, including ensuring that people with disabilities can exercise their basic rights to voting, education, healthcare, and transportation.

We at DRA are excited to see what the future holds and could not take on the challenge of making the world more accessible without you: our family of supporters. We are so grateful to each and every person who contributes to DRA. Thank you for your vote of confidence.

Sincerely,

Larry Paradis
Executive Director & Co-Director of Litigation

Board Member Spotlight: Dan Brown

 Dan Brown, Partner, Sheppard Mullin, New York City Chair, Sheppard Mullin Pro Bono Committee

In January, DRA’s Board Member Dan Brown (right, with Sid Wolinsky) was featured inAmerican Lawyer Magazine for his advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities.

DRA caught up with Dan to learn what motivates him to do this important work. Want to meet Dan and learn more about DRA’s work in New York?  Save Wednesday, May 21st for an inspirational evening event hosted by Sheppard Mullin in New York City.

Why did you join DRA’s Board of Directors?
The work that DRA does representing the disabled community in civil rights cases couldn’t be more important. As someone with a brother who is a quadriplegic and a family deeply involved with spinal cord injury awareness, I’ve always been interested in helping people with disabilities. As many people know, until meeting DRA, the proudest moment of my career was an ADA case I worked on as a first-year lawyer. DRA provided me the unbelievable opportunity to match and surpass that moment as co-counsel on a number of cases. I was honored to be asked to join the board.  It was a very easy decision to make.

Why do you think DRA’s work is important?
DRA’s work is important because it advocates for disabled communities, who are among the most vulnerable of populations. When you protect the civil rights of these communities, you are doing the most important type of civil rights work.

Describe your most rewarding moment working with DRA.
My most rewarding moment with DRA was working on a trial team in the emergency preparedness case, BCID vs. Bloomberg, with Sid Wolinsky and the other talented lawyers and staff of DRA. Working with such impressive litigators on such an important trial is the highlight of my career.

What is on the horizon for DRA in New York?
In a short time since opening its doors in New York, DRA has made a very substantial impact. I expect DRA to continue with its history of successes—winning cases equally important and impressive as those of DRA’s California office.

New Faces Of DRA: Khubaib and Layla

Meet Khubaib Iqbal and Layla Oghabian, DRA’s newest litigation assistants

Khubaib joins DRA’s New York office from Rutgers University, where he received a BS in Biological sciences. Khubaib developed an interest in public service while volunteering with the Al-Khidmat Foundation in Pakistan where he provided basic health education and prepared disaster relief packages. He is excited to be a part of the DRA team—doing selfless work benefiting vulnerable populations and plans to pursue a career as a civil rights lawyer.

Layla is the newest addition to DRA’s California office. She recently received her BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley. Layla serves on the board of the North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) which has given her insight on tackling adversity faced by members of minority groups and effectively advocating for change. Layla hopes that DRA will bring her one step closer to achieving her goal of becoming an attorney in the public sector.

DRA Defends The Right To Vote

With a major presidential election on the horizon and state primaries approaching throughout the Country, DRA is committed to ensuring that citizens with disabilities are able to cast their vote privately and independently at barrier-free polling places.

The secret ballot is one of the most fundamental and cherished American rights. However, until this past October, courts did not require counties to provide blind and visually impaired voters with access to a private and independent vote at their community polling places. Last July, DRA filed a case against Alameda County after blind and visually-impaired voters in the County experienced numerous problems with the accessible voting machines during the November 2012 General Elections. DRA secured a first-of-its-kind precedent in the case.  The Court held that, in light of advances in technology that have made accessible voting machines with audio output and tactile keypads possible, the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) provides blind and visually impaired voters with the same right to privacy and independence at their polling places that sighted voters enjoy.

Issues with alternate formats are not the only factors keeping people with disabilities from participating in this highly celebrated act of citizenship.   Physical barriers, such as inaccessible entrances to polling places, missing wheelchair ramps, objects blocking the path of travel for wheelchair and cane-users inside polling places, among others, have been an ongoing problem at New York City’s polling places for many years.  In October 2011, DRA secured an injunction in federal court requiring New York City’s Board of Election’s (BOE) to place a trained, ADA coordinator at each of its approximately 1300 polling places to monitor the polling places for accessibility and remove or remedy barriers where they can on Election Day.  The City is also required to contract with an accessibility expert to survey existing polling places for architectural barriers and propose modifications to improve accessibility. DRA is pleased to report that The BOE has started to implement the changes required by the Court’s Order, including the placement of trained ADA coordinators at all of its poll sites and contracting with a third-party architectural firm to asses accessibility.  These changes had a positive effect in New York City during the November 2012 primary and DRA expects further improvements as the BOE begins to implement the recommendations of the third-party expert.

Stay tuned for more progress as November approaches and special thanks to the New York Community Trust and Herb Block Foundation for supporting DRA’s voting accessibility work.

 Recruiting Summers And Fellows

DRA is recruiting law students seeking experience as summer associates, fellows, and externs for its Berkeley and New York City offices. Current law students with a demonstrated commitment to public interest/civil rights issues, and a desire to work on high impact ligitation on behalf of people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Click HERE for more information

Mark Your 2014 Calendars

Wednesday, May 21st in New York- DRA and Sheppard Mullin will host an event in New York City to celebrate our success and chart our plans for the future.

Fall in California- DRA is pleased to announce the return of our famed Eagle & Turkey Awards in November of 2014. Don’t miss this fun-filled event that highlights the nation’s disability heroes! Date and time TBD.