CIVIL RIGHTS
This page has information on civil rights laws that protect people with disabilities and on how to get legal assistance when your rights have been violated.
This page has information on civil rights laws that protect people with disabilities and on how to get legal assistance when your rights have been violated, including:
News
More disabled workers file discrimination claims in 2009, By Marisol Bello, USA TODAY, August 20, 2010
The ADA at 20: Half-Empty, Half-Full or Both?, By Douglas Lathrop, New Mobility Magazine, July 2010
Briefs Filed in Florida, Illinois and New Jersey to Support the Supreme Court’s Olmstead Decision, From the U.S.Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, May 25, 2010
U.S. Department of Justice Speech. Applicable Throughout the Country, Information Bulletin #307 from Steve Gold,s Treasured Nuggets of Information, April 06, 2010
New hope for Illinois’ mentally ill nursing-home residents, By David Jackson and Gary Marx, Chicago Tribune, March 15, 2010
Historic Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act Takes Effect, From the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC),November 20, 2009
Group to highlight report on Howe Developmental Center, By Kristen Schorsch, Chicago Tribune, November 16, 2009
Obama signs hate crimes bill into law, By Carol E. Lee, Politico, October 29, 2009
Judge rules for American Council of the Blind (ACB) in Social Security case, From the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), October 20, 2009
Judge halts home care cuts, From Disability Rights California, October 19, 2009
Disability Community Meets with Attorney General Eric Holder, From the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), September 25, 2009
Public Comment Invited on Proposed Changes to ADA Regulations, From the DBTAC National Network of ADA Centers, September 24, 2009
State Discriminated Against Mentally Ill, Judge Rules, By James Barron, The New York Times, September 09, 2009
US Signs International Treaty on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, From the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), July 30, 2009
Obama celebrates ADA anniversary, By United Press International, July 25, 2009
Appeals court rules that nursing homes can be sued for private civil rights violations, By McKnight's Long-Term Care News, July 07, 2007
American Sign Language Video Podcast from the DISABILITY LAW LOWDOWN, From the DBTAC Southwest ADA Center, June 30, 2009
Advocacy Organizations and Informational Resources
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law uses a coordinated approach of litigation, policy analysis, coalition-building, public information and technical support for local advocates to advance community membership, promote self-determination, end the punishment of people with mental illnesses for the system's failures and preserve the rights of people with mental disabilities.
The American Bar Association's Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law seeks to promote the ABA's commitment to justice and the rule of law for persons with mental, physical, and sensory disabilities and to promote their full and equal participation in the legal profession.
DisabilityInfo.gov is the federal government's one-stop Web site for information of interest to people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers and many others. This section of DisabilityInfo.gov provides links to information on the ADA and other federal civil rights laws pertaining to people with disabilities, their families, employers and community members.
The Disability Law Lowdown Project is a set of podcasts that provide up-to-date information on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability laws. You can listen to the podcasts, or read the transcripts, on the website or you can download them to your MP3 player or print copies of the transcripts.
The Disability Rights Center of Kansas (DRC), is the Official Protection and Advocacy System for Kansas; empowered by federal law to advocate for the civil and legal rights of Kansans with disabilities. DRC advocates for the rights of Kansans with disabilities under state or federal laws and educates policymakers on needed improvements to the law and public policy.
The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), founded in 1979, is a leading national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. DREDF's mission is to advance the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development.
The Kansas Attorney General's Office, promoting human dignity through justice with compassion and professional excellence.
The Kansas Human Rights Commission investigates complaints alleging discrimination and conducts public education programs designed to prevent discrimination.
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Law and Advocacy Center (LAC) works to educate, advocate, and litigate on behalf of and to empower deaf and hard of hearing people.
The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) serves as a national resource center dedicated to the prevention of elder mistreatment. NCEA disseminates elder abuse information to professionals and the public, and provides technical assistance and training to states and to community-based organizations.
The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the P&A/CAP network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.
Publications
ADA Questions and Answers. A 31-page booklet giving an overview of the ADA's requirements for ensuring equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, State and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation, and requiring the establishment of TDD/telephone relay services. (Spanish, Cambodian, Chinese, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Tagalog and Vietnamese editions available from the ADA Information Line.)
ADA: Know Your Rights Returning Service Members - This publication is designed to inform US military personnel who became disabled while on active duty of their rights under the ADA and provide information on where to go to get assistance.
Additional Monitoring of Polling Places Could Further Improve Accessibility (GAO-09-9410), Sepember 2009 - This General Accountability Office (GAO) report is based on a national survey of polling places during the 2008 election assessing both physical and technological access. The report found that compared to 2000, the proportion of polling places without potential impediments increased and almost all polling places had an accessible voting system. However, 46 percent of polling places had an accessible voting system that could pose a challenge to certain voters with disabilities, such as voting stations that were not arranged to accommodate voters using wheelchairs. (Read highlights of the report)
A Guide to Disability Rights Laws. A 21-page booklet that provides a brief overview of ten Federal laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities and provides information about the federal agencies to contact for more information. (Spanish, Cambodian, Chinese, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Tagalog and Vietnamese editions available from the ADA Information Line.)
Disability Rights Laws (HTML)
Disability Rights Laws (PDF)
Disability Rights Laws (En Español)
The Disability Law Handbook from the DBTAC Southwest ADA Center provides information on rights and obligations under several federal disability laws, including an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights instrument of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the Convention are required to promote, protect, and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities and ensure that they enjoy full equality under the law.