Disability Rights DC protects and advocates for the civil, legal, and human rights of District residents with disabilities.
About
Disability Rights DC, commonly called DRDC, is the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy organization for people with disabilities in the District of Columbia.
DRDC operates through University Legal Services.
Its attorneys and advocates address disability-rights violations, discrimination, access to services, community integration, vocational rehabilitation, assistive technology, abuse and neglect, and other disability-related issues.
Requests for individual assistance are evaluated according to the organization’s current priorities and available resources.
Assistance with certain assistive-technology access issues
Advocacy involving accessibility of public services and facilities
Investigation of certain abuse, neglect, and disability-rights violations
Disability-rights education and community outreach
Who They Serve
DRDC serves children and adults with disabilities in the District of Columbia whose issues fall within its federally funded Protection and Advocacy programs and current service priorities.
The organization does not handle every type of legal matter, and requests for assistance are evaluated individually.
Vocational Rehabilitation Advocacy
Through its disability-rights work, DRDC advocates for access to quality vocational rehabilitation services from the DC Rehabilitation Services Administration.
This may include concerns involving a person’s ability to obtain the rehabilitation services needed to prepare for, secure, maintain, or return to employment.
Assistive Technology Advocacy
DRDC also advocates for access to assistive technology and certain medical equipment through DC Medicaid and other DC government programs.
This may include devices such as:
People with disabilities sometimes need help understanding or enforcing their rights when dealing with government agencies, disability-service programs, accessibility barriers, or discrimination.
Disability Rights DC provides specialized disability-rights advocacy and can be especially valuable when someone experiences problems obtaining vocational rehabilitation, assistive technology, community-based services, accessibility, or other disability-related rights.