Since 2017 Disability Rights Connecticut Has Been An Independent Statewide Non
Disability Rights Connecticut is a statewide non-profit organization with a mission to advocate for the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities in Connecticut.
Disability Rights Connecticut replaced the Office of Protection & Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, which was abolished by Connecticut Law as of June 30, 2017 and is now Connecticuts Protection and Advocacy System and Client Assistance Program. A Board of Directors, consisting primarily of people with disabilities and family members of people with disabilities, governs the work of DRCT.
At Disability Rights Connecticut, we provide legal advocacy and rights protection to people of all ages with disabilities. DRCT does not charge for its services. This includes assisting individuals with problems such as abuse, neglect, discrimination, access to assistive technology, community integration, voting, and rights protection issues. DRCT also addresses issues through policy advocacy, education, monitoring, and investigation.
Disability Advocacy Organizations File Federal Complaints Against Ct
HARTFORD – Disability Rights CT, the statewide protection and advocacy system for individuals with a range of disabilities, and CLRP, a nonprofit law firm representing people with psychiatric disabilities, today filed two federal complaints against the State of Connecticut with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
The complaints allege violations of various federal anti-discrimination laws requiring equal access. DRCT and CLRP allege that Governor Lamonts refusal to require that towns and cities distributing the states essential supplies of COVID-19 test kits and N-95 masks during the Omicron wave prioritize individuals who are at high risk, either because of their health status or because of living in congregate settings, for the limited supplies available, violates federal lawREAD MORE
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Federal Organizations That Help People With Disabilities
1331 F Street, N.W., Suite 1000Washington, D.C. 20004-1111 USA-ABLE
If you are having an access issue, and I mean actual, physical access to a building as pertains to ADA, then this is one group to contact. They provide technical assistance on architectural, transportation, and communications accessibility issues and they issues specific ADA Accessibility Guidelines.
663-4900 669-4000 669-6820 663-4494This is the agency that officially announces or declares regulations and enforces ADA Title I provisions prohibiting discrimination in employment. They also provide technical assistance to employers and persons with disabilities.
U.S. Department of the Treasury1111 Constitution Avenue, N.W. 829-1040 829-4059 The IRS? What are they doing on this list? They provide information on tax credits and tax deductions available to businesses for costs of providing reasonable accommodations. They provide specifici tax information for people with disabilities. They also can give you information on the Targeted Jobs Tax Credit Program, which offers incentives for hiring individuals with disabilities referred by state vocational rehabilitation or Veterans Administration programs.
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation ResearchU.S. Department of Education
202-693-7921 1-866-633-73651-877-889-5627
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration1 Choke Cherry Rd.240-276-1320 Rockville, MD 20857
Protection And Advocacy For Individuals With Mental Illness
The PAIMI program was established by Congress in 1986 and receives funding from the National Center for Mental Health Services. The purpose of the PAIMI program is to protect and advocate for the rights of persons with mental illness and investigate reports of abuse and neglect.
The federal mandate requires the establishment of an advisory council. Disability Rights NJ PAIMI Advisory Council advises on priorities and issues important to people receiving mental health services in NJ.
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Each State Has A Protection And Advocacy Agency
- A legally-based advocacy group providing advocacy and legal services and investigating abuse and neglect.
- Now for all disabilities-people with any type of mental and physical disability, including developmental disabilities and mental illnesseswill advocate for people of all ages, including children and seniorshelping people no matter where person with disability resides does not matter-includes those living with their parents, independently in the community, in group homes, nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, and state-run institutions.
History Of The P& a System
The Protection and Advocacy concept was initially triggered by a series of local television news broadcasts that Geraldo Rivera did for the ABC News affiliate in New York City in 1972. Riveras investigative reporting exposed abuse, neglect and lack of services and supports at Willowbrook, a state institution for people with intellectual and other disabilities on Staten Island. These broadcasts galvanized the states senior senator, Jacob Javits, to action, incorporating the first P& A program Protection and Advocacy for People with Developmental Disabilities in 1975 in the renewal of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act.
The DD Act provided for the governor of each state to designate an agency to be the P& A and to ensure that the P& A was, and would remain, independent of any service provider. The initial focus of PADD and subsequent P& A statutes was to safeguard the well-being of individuals living in institutions and this remains a major focus of P& A activity today.
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Justice Department Says Isolation Inadequate Mental Health Treatment And Flawed Education Programming Endanger Young Men Incarcerated In Connecticut
The federal justice department on Tuesday accused the state of endangering young men incarcerated at the Manson Youth Institution with unsafe punitive isolation, inadequate mental health services and by failing to provide special education services for children with disabilities.
In a report and attached letter to Lamont, justice department lawyers accused the state of violating the rights of youths accused of serious crimes.
The state Department of Correction had no immediate response, but Gov. Ned Lamonts office promised to work with the justice department on any problems with Manson.
Program And Policy Areas
ACLs efforts with these programs aim to build a society where the rights of people with disabilities are protected, and they live free from abuse and neglect.
ACLs Administration on Disabilities implements these efforts through several programs described below.
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Living Well In The Community
During the last two decades, the number of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in community settings and receiving home- and community-based services increased dramatically. While this led to better outcomes, including people with ID/DD making more of their own choices and being a part of the community, there are great variations in the accessibility of quality HCBS across the country.In 2017 and 2018 ACL awarded Living Well grants to help develop and test model approaches for enhancing the quality, effectiveness, and monitoring HCBS for people with developmental disabilities. These Model Approaches for Living Well grants, awarded as Projects of National Significance by ACLs AoD, are focused on building the capacity of HCBS systems and enhancing community monitoring to prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation.In 2018, ACL funded a cross-site evaluation of all eight grantees from cohorts one and two. Each grantee has designed one or more models integrating community monitoring and capacity building with the goal of enhancing health, safety, integration, and independence of individuals with ID/DD living in the community. The cross-site evaluation of the Living Well grants focused on eight key features.
Learn more about the grants, evaluation, and resulting briefs.
Key Federal Housing Initiatives
Key programs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that seek to increase affordable housing for people with disabilities include:
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program. Section 811 is the only HUD program dedicated to producing affordable, accessible housing in the community for non-elderly, very low-income people with significant disabilities.
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. HUDs Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program helps very low-income families, the elderly, and people with disabilities afford rental housing in the private market. About 1 in 3 households using Section 8 vouchers are headed by a non-elderly person with a disability.
National Housing Trust Fund. The National Housing Trust Fund is a new, dedicated fund that provides grants to states to build, preserve, and rehabilitate housing for people with the lowest incomes.
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If You Are Experiencing Disability
If you would like to receive the vaccination and/or booster shot:
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Go to the Connecticut Vaccine Portal
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People who need the vaccine and/or booster shot at home, due to being homebound Homebound Intake form
Free, At-Home COVID-19 Rapid Tests Delivered to Your DoorIndividuals are able to order free, at-home COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov. Tests will usually ship within 7-12 days of ordering.
Obtenga pruebas caseras gratuitas de COVID-19 Those without internet access and those needing assistance may order by calling 1-800-232-0233.
The Disability Information and Assistance Line is an additional resource, connecting people with disabilities to COVID-19 vaccination and testing in their communities.DIAL support can be reached by calling 888-677-1199 or by emailing
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Deaf and hard-of-hearing people can reach DIAL using the 711/Video Relay Service . To use this free service, simply dial 711 to be connected via text with a communications assistant.
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For people who do not communicate through speech, sign language, or VRS, email is the best option to communicate with DIAL.
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Older adults can call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 Monday-Friday or visit the websiteto chat live or browse resources.
If you are experiencing disability-related accessibility barriers, please call Disability Rights Connecticut at 800-842-7303 or email .
Alternatives To Guardianship Youth Resource Center
ACL awarded a cooperative agreement in 2020 to the University of Massachusetts Boston to implement a national Alternatives to Guardianship Youth Resource Center. The Alternatives to Guardianship is a new initiative focused on diverting high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities away from guardianship to supported decision making , which allows them to make decisions for themselves and choose the level of support they want from people and organizations they trust.
The Institute of Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston and its partners will work to establish the Center for Youth Voice, Youth Choice on Alternatives to Guardianship to increase the use of guardianship alternatives by youth with ID/DD by conducting research, creating a sustainable model for capacity building and resource dissemination, and forming a replicable Youth Ambassadors Program that trains youth with ID/DD in leadership development and mentoring skills. YAS participants will serve as mentors to other youth with ID/DD and their parents or guardians and is a key component of the resource center.
In 2022, the Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice launched a new website featuring:
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History Of The State P& a Agencies
In the early 1970s, Congress created a nationwide system of state-level, independent Protection and Advocacy organizations. This was in response to the many TV documentaries that showed the horrors of how disabled people were being treated.
These organizations are a good place to start if you cannot find a Special Education Advocate or Attorney. Like many other non-profits, they are under-resourced and their help and efficacy varies. But its a good starting point if you need help.
Re: Reversal Of Policy By Department Of Social Services Agreeing To Provide Medicaid Coverage For Individuals With Severe Disabilities Needing Robotic Arm
The Connecticut Department of Social Services finally got it right, reversing previous repeated denials of Medicaid coverage for a robotic arm for severely disabled individuals to assist them with basic activities of daily life and facilitate independent living.
Person who uses a wheelchair with a robotic arm.
While it is unfortunate that a misguided, illegal and counterproductive policy was established at all, we are pleased that the Department has rescinded that policy, and is no longer acting in defiance of state and federal law. Most importantly, we are pleased that our client will now be able to utilize the robotic arm that can make a demonstrable difference in her life, and that other individuals with similar disabilities will also have access to this impactful technology, reducing the need for hands-on assistance and the likelihood of institutionalization.
As we have pointed out, maintaining independence is a fundamental goal of the federal Medicaid Act, state Medicaid law, and state and federal disability law. In the absence of such independence, the likelihood of institutionalization increases, which is adverse to the best interests of the individual, constitutes disability discrimination and ultimately harms the taxpayers, who would be impacted by the higher costs of institutionalization.
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History Of The Americans With Disabilities Act
This exhibit celebrates just some of the many groups and people who made the ADA possible, explores how and why it was passed, and concludes by looking at some of the major challenges were facing now. The ADA changed America, but there is a lot of work left to be done.
The American Association of People with Disabilities is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities.
Protection And Advocacy For Persons With Disabilities
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An independent state agency created to safeguard and advance the civil and human rights of people with disabilities in Connecticut, the Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities investigates claims of discrimination and abuse and provides education and advocacy services.
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Advocacy And General Information For People With Disabilities
This is only a partial list of Web resources. To find more resources online, go to www.mnhelp.info. You may also visit the Disability Hub MN online or call 1-866-333-2466.
Advocating Change Together Nonprofit disability rights organization run by and for people with developmental and other disabilities.
The ARC of Minnesota Private, nonprofit, statewide voluntary organization that provides advocacy and support for people with developmental disabilities and their families to improve their lives and the lives of their families. Chapters in Minnesota
The ARC of the United States National advocacy organization dedicated to creating an environment and opportunities for people with developmental disabilities and their families to have choices as they live their lives in the community.
Brain Injury Association of America Association founded by a group of individuals who wanted to improve the quality of life for their family members who had sustained brain injuries by acting as a clearinghouse of community service information and resources, participating in legislative advocacy, facilitating prevention awareness, hosting educational programs and encouraging research.
Council on Quality and Leadership in Supports for Persons with Disabilities Council works to implement person-centered solutions for service and support organizations, state and national government agencies, regional systems and networks, professionals and self-advocates.
Illegal Policy Requires State Medicaid Agencies To Kick Hundreds Of Thousands Of People Off Of Medicaid During The Covid
– One plaintiff, Deborah Carr, a 63-year-old white Connecticut woman, has received full-benefit Medicaid her entire life due to long term, chronic conditions, including a degenerative neurological disease, that now requires her to receive daily assistance in her home with dressing, bathing, using the toilet, transferring from her wheelchair or out of bed, and eating. She lost access to those services as soon as a Trump Administration policy was implemented.
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Governments Still Have Much To Do To Achieve Disability Inclusion In Climate Action
“We suffer climate change the most but are the least included in climate decisions, said a person with disabilities participating in COP27.
The 27th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has concluded in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Little attention was given to the rights of the one billion people with disabilities who are among the most affected by the climate crisis. Despite years of advocacy by people with disabilities and their allies, and notwithstanding their obligations under the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, governments continue to fail to comply with their duties to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of persons with disabilities in their response to climate change.
COP27 was ground-breaking for disability inclusion in many ways: the number of persons with disabilities participating multiplied compared to earlier conferences, as did the number of events addressing disability organized by different Governments, UN agencies, and other stakeholders. The main decision as well as the action plan for climate empowerment included references to people with disabilities for the first time.
This is indeed great news, achieved after huge effort by the disability movement. But we need to remember that a number of decisions were adopted without the involvement or mention of people with disabilities.
The report is available in PDF here and in Word here.
Cvs Health Partners With Disability Community In Commitment To Affordable And Equitable Access To Health Care
CVS Health, the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, and the National Council on Independent Living today announced that they are working together to seek policy solutions to protect equitable access to health care for all Americans and continue to protect the fundamental rights of people with disabilities.We have a long track record of supporting the essential and foundational legal protections for people with disabilities and ensuring that marginalized populations can access affordable health care and medicines in their community, said David Casey, Senior Vice President, Workforce Strategies and Chief Diversity Officer at CVS Health. Our agreement to pursue policy solutions in collaboration with the disability community will help protect access to affordable health plan programs that apply equally to all members. As a result, we will not pursue the matter further before the Supreme Court.
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