November 11, 2013
"I knew going into this new career that to reverse deeply entrenched policies and attitudes would take a long time," she says. "After almost a decade of policy advocacy, research and training and collaborations, we can report some important incremental changes—and a few splendid victories."
ADA
DREDF Opposes California’s AB 241 Unless Amended
August 6, 2013
AB 241will have a negative impact on people with disabilities who, as a constituent group, are as economically and socially marginalized as domestic workers, equally at risk of exploitation and abuse...
Raise Your Voice for the ADA and Disability Treaty!
July 22, 2013
This is the week to weigh in on the Disability Treaty. Last week we heard from the New York Times Editorial Board and Stevie Wonder. This week we’ve heard from Secretary of State John Kerry. It’s time for the community to weigh in! If you will be in Washington, DC this week, we hope you will join the US International Council on Disabilities (USICD) and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) at the events below on Thursday, July 25: ...
Disability-Bias Hate Crimes
July 2, 2013
The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) calls for the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to prosecute the murder of Alex Spourdalakis under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. The federal government may prosecute a violent act as a hate crime when "the crime was committed because of the actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability of any person" as it was in the case of Alex Spourdalakis.
New Dispatches From the Front Lines of Health Care
February 22, 2013
DREDF is pleased to announce the release of our newest HEALTHCARE STORIES that feature people with developmental disabilities and their families, and an intrepid primary healthcare provider who has defined the field of developmental medicine.
DREDF Secures Historic Settlement in National Association of the Deaf, et al. v. Netflix
October 10, 2012
Said Arlene Mayerson: "DREDF hopes that this is the beginning of opening the Internet for our country's 48 million deaf and hard of hearing individuals in streamed entertainment, education, government benefits, and more. We're so pleased that Netflix worked jointly with plaintiffs to devise a reasonable and workable way to achieve 100% captioning. The Decree is a model for the streaming entertainment industry."
The Start of Something Big
September 29, 2012
Join DREDF in celebrating disability rights pioneers who aren't afraid to start something big.
California Passes SB1186
September 29, 2012
The California legislature passed Senate Bill 1186, which will diminish the rights of people with disabilities. On September 14, a coalition of disability rights organizations sent a letter to Governor Brown seeking an opportunity to share our grave concerns with him before he made a decision on whether or not to sign the bill. Unfortunately, the governor signed SB 1186 on September 19.
Happy 22nd Anniversary ADA!
July 26, 2012
In celebration and awareness of this larger civil rights journey integral to our own, DREDF invites you to dive back into the past with us on this ADA anniversary with the article "Come On In, The Water's Fine—But Only If You Can Get There"
Center for Independent Living, et al., v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
July 25, 2012
On the eve of the ADA's 22nd anniversary, DREDF, with Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) and Lewis Feinberg Lee Renaker & Jackson, has filed Center for Independent Living, et al., v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. that calls for the retail giant to ensure equal access to shoppers with mobility disabilities. The primary goal of the case is to make Wal-Mart's point–of–sale terminals accessible to people who use wheelchairs and scooters.