A. Milton Miller Memorial Fund, Inc. dba Disability Rights Legal Center (“DRLC”) is a 40 year old cross-disability civil rights organization advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. DRLC strives to eliminate discrimination and other legal barriers that force people with disabilities into poverty and prohibit them from participating inclusively in society. DRLC advocates for the rights of all people to make informed autonomous choices about their bodies and their medical care. DRLC is the first national disability advocacy organization to openly advocate to expand choices available to mentally competent, terminall ill persons to choose aid in dying. DRLC’s work seeks to promote changethrough impact litigation, and by educating the disability, business, government, education, cancer, healthcare, and legal communities to combat discrimination. DRLC partners with other public interest law offices and private law firms to litigate systemic discrimination issues and to advance legislative advocacy efforts.
The mission of DRLC is to champion the rights of people with disabilities and terminal illness through education, advocacy and litigation.
Offices, Structure, and Governance
DRLC’s main office is located in downtown Los Angeles. DRLC maintains a satellite office at the University of La Verne, College of Law in Ontario, California to better serve the Inland Empire and its most rural areas. DRLC works extensively with law students and undergraduate, to train the next generation of disability rights advocates. DRLC has a strong volunteer program assisting in achieveing the goals of the DRLC. DRLC has a 20 member staff and an engaged board of directors, which includes members of the disability community.
DRLC’s core values are advocacy, education and learning, justice and fairness. DRLC strives to have the greatest societal impact and meet high standard for excellence. DRLC focuess on systemic litigation in the areas of disability rights, special education, patient rights and the provision of related services. The Cancer Legal Resource Centeris the nation’s only dedicated center for state specific information about legal issues confronting in the wake of a cancer diagnosis. The HIV Law and Policy Program advocates on behalf of persons living with HIV. DRLC’s internal governance includes a leadership team composed of the Executive/Legal Director, Director of Finance and Administration, Development and Communications Director, Managing Attorneythe Director of the Cancer Legal Resource Centerand HIV Law and Policy Program, all of whom are involved in organizational and strategic planning as well as managerial decision making.
Clients and Callers
All of DRLC’s clients are people with disabilitiesor those closely associated with them, including those affected by cancer, HIV, and people with terminal illnesses.. In 2014, DRLC directly served over 7,000 through one-on-one telephone assistance. We focus on underserved communities within our client community, within both rural and urban areas, and work with marginalized disability populations such as students living in remote areas or custodial facilities, and people who are experiencing homelessness and/or have mental health conditions. DRLC conducts workshops, clinics and seminars and participates in outreach events. DRLC maintains an electronic intake database and case tracking system that monitors these efforts.
1. Organization, continued
DRLC provides on-line legal resources, posting free and user-friendly legal resources that may be downloaded from the DRLC website: www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org. In addition, much of the Cancer Legal Resource Center section of DRLC’s website is available in Spanish. DRLC’s Education Advocacy Program Manual is available on the website in Spanish as well. DRLC also provides free webinars in both Spanish and English that are also available on-line on demand.
Our Programs
We accomplish our mission through the following programs:
Cancer Legal Resource Center: Since 1997, the Cancer Legal Resource Center (“CLRC”) has provided free and confidential information and resources on cancer-related legal issues to people coping with cancer, caregivers, employers, health care professionals, and others. It was established as a direct response to both the frequency of legal problems encountered by many cancer patients in the wake of their diagnosis, and the severe lack of availability to accessible and affordable legal resources to assist in the resolution of legal issues that may pose psychosocial and medical threats to an individual’s survivorship. These legal issues relate to insurance, access to quality care, government benefits, genetic discrimination, estate planning, financial management, and employment.
The CLRC offers a comprehensive array of national and state-specific services, free of charge, to individuals coping with cancer. The CLRC provides a Spanish/English bilingual, toll-free, national Telephone Assistance Line (1-866-THE-CLRC), educational sessions, clinics, information on cancer-related public policy issues, national conferences on cancer-related legal issues to patients, survivors, caregivers, and health care professionals, and, as needed, deeper exploration of specific issues by its Professional Panel of volunteer attorneys, insurance agents, and accountants. In 2013, the CLRC handled over 4,685 requests for assistance from individual callers. Additionally, in 2013, the CLRC reached over 100,000 additional cancer survivors, their caregivers and health care providers through an extensive, pro-active program of cancer community outreach, education, and online resources.
The CLRC works closely with law students to staff the Telephone Assistance Line and to research state-specific legal information that is provided to our callers and presented at our educational programs. The CLRC Director is an Adjunct Professor of Law and teaches Cancer Rights Law atLA area law schools..
Community Outreach Program: Each DRLC program provides disability rights related trainings to the public and private sectors. Areas of expertise include: self-advocacy, disability awareness and etiquette, the Americans with Disabilities Act, California disability rights law, the Fair Housing Act, special education law and other disability rights laws. Trainings are provided to non-profit organizations, consumer groups, businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies.
1. Organization, continued
DRLC holds a contract with the Disability Technical Assistance (DBTAC)-Pacific ADA Center. The DBTAC-Pacific ADA Center allows DRLC to conduct outreach and provide dozens of free or low-cost trainings to the business community and public and private entities that need to know how to better accommodate their employees and customers with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other federal and state civil rights laws, in the area of employment rights/responsibilities, and Title III compliance in the hospitality sector.
Disability Rights Program: The original program of the organization, the Disability Rights Program provides free legal representation to underserved populations of people with disabilities who are encountering discrimination in violation of their civil rights. The program also takes on representation in impact cases, often through class action lawsuits, that will establish legal principles or will benefit large groups of people with disabilities, as well as cases of high visibility that raise public awareness of both the disability rights at issue and DRLC’s commitment to the enforcement of those rights.
Education Advocacy Program: The Education Advocacy Program (“EAP”) litigates systemic reform cases on behalf of students with disabilities to ensure that they receive the special education and related services to which they are entitled under federal and state law. The EAP also offers a range of services including direct representation, pro bono referrals, brief service consultations, outreach and self-advocacy training to low-income parents of students with disabilities entitled to special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and related laws. Staff attorneys supervise law students representing students and their families in administrative hearings including Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings, mediations and due process hearings; refer children and student clients for adequate assessments; advocate for the appropriate integration of students with and without disabilities in the classroom; train parents and others to advocate for students; and provide information sessions to judges and other court personnel on issues confronting students with disabilities. All of the aforementioned services are provided in both English and Spanish.
1. Organization, continued
Representative cases of the DRLC (including the Disability Rights Program, Education Advocacy Program) include:
• A federal law suit alleging that a local psychiatric hospital engaged in health care fraud and the abuse of dependant adults through the provision of substandard care.
• A California lawsuit against a school district arguing that the government should not be permitted to prevent students from being accompanied by a service animal at school.
• A federal class action lawsuit against the City and the County of Los Angeles in to address failure to adequately plan to meet the needs of all people with disabilities during emergencies.
• A federal class action lawsuit to address the failure to provide any special education and related services for youth who are entitled to receive these services while detained at the Los Angeles County Jail. These include youth with mental health conditions and learning disabilities.
• A federal class action lawsuit to ensure access to the courts for people with disabilities in the County of San Bernardino and Superior Court of the State Of California, County of San Bernardino.
• A federal class action lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Jail system challenging jail conditions and programs for all detainees and inmates with physical disabilities and disabling mental conditions who, because of those disabilities, need modifications, services, and/or physical access.
• A federal class action lawsuit against Los Angeles to address violations of state and federal anti-discrimination laws that require public rights of way be accessible to people with disabilities. The lawsuit alleges that systematic barriers along the more than 10,000 miles of sidewalk and 40,000 intersections in the City create systemic barriers for people with disabilities who try to travel along the public rights of way.
Community Advocacy Program: DRLC’s Community Advocacy Program (“CAPutilizes students and volunteers to provide legal information to callers with disability-related issues or disputes so that they may explore all available options.The CAP's phone line is also the intake mechanism for DRLC, which utilizes a software intake database and case tracking system. CAP accepts cases for handling by DRLC, provides information on disability issues to callers, and makes referrals to other public interest and social service organizations.
A. Milton Miller Memorial Fund, Inc. dba Disability Rights Legal Center (“DRLC”) is a 40 year old cross-disability civil rights organization advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. DRLC strives to eliminate discrimination and other legal barriers that force people with disabilities into poverty and prohibit them from participating inclusively in society. DRLC advocates for the rights of all people to make informed autonomous choices about their bodies and their medical care. DRLC is the first national disability advocacy organization to openly advocate to expand choices available to mentally competent, terminall ill persons to choose aid in dying. DRLC’s work seeks to promote changethrough impact litigation, and by educating the disability, business, government, education, cancer, healthcare, and legal communities to combat discrimination. DRLC partners with other public interest law offices and private law firms to litigate systemic discrimination issues and to advance legislative advocacy efforts.
The mission of DRLC is to champion the rights of people with disabilities and terminal illness through education, advocacy and litigation.
Offices, Structure, and Governance
DRLC’s main office is located in downtown Los Angeles. DRLC maintains a satellite office at the University of La Verne, College of Law in Ontario, California to better serve the Inland Empire and its most rural areas. DRLC works extensively with law students and undergraduate, to train the next generation of disability rights advocates. DRLC has a strong volunteer program assisting in achieveing the goals of the DRLC. DRLC has a 20 member staff and an engaged board of directors, which includes members of the disability community.
DRLC’s core values are advocacy, education and learning, justice and fairness. DRLC strives to have the greatest societal impact and meet high standard for excellence. DRLC focuess on systemic litigation in the areas of disability rights, special education, patient rights and the provision of related services. The Cancer Legal Resource Centeris the nation’s only dedicated center for state specific information about legal issues confronting in the wake of a cancer diagnosis. The HIV Law and Policy Program advocates on behalf of persons living with HIV. DRLC’s internal governance includes a leadership team composed of the Executive/Legal Director, Director of Finance and Administration, Development and Communications Director, Managing Attorneythe Director of the Cancer Legal Resource Centerand HIV Law and Policy Program, all of whom are involved in organizational and strategic planning as well as managerial decision making.
Clients and Callers
All of DRLC’s clients are people with disabilitiesor those closely associated with them, including those affected by cancer, HIV, and people with terminal illnesses.. In 2014, DRLC directly served over 7,000 through one-on-one telephone assistance. We focus on underserved communities within our client community, within both rural and urban areas, and work with marginalized disability populations such as students living in remote areas or custodial facilities, and people who are experiencing homelessness and/or have mental health conditions. DRLC conducts workshops, clinics and seminars and participates in outreach events. DRLC maintains an electronic intake database and case tracking system that monitors these efforts.
1. Organization, continued
DRLC provides on-line legal resources, posting free and user-friendly legal resources that may be downloaded from the DRLC website: www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org. In addition, much of the Cancer Legal Resource Center section of DRLC’s website is available in Spanish. DRLC’s Education Advocacy Program Manual is available on the website in Spanish as well. DRLC also provides free webinars in both Spanish and English that are also available on-line on demand.
Our Programs
We accomplish our mission through the following programs:
Cancer Legal Resource Center: Since 1997, the Cancer Legal Resource Center (“CLRC”) has provided free and confidential information and resources on cancer-related legal issues to people coping with cancer, caregivers, employers, health care professionals, and others. It was established as a direct response to both the frequency of legal problems encountered by many cancer patients in the wake of their diagnosis, and the severe lack of availability to accessible and affordable legal resources to assist in the resolution of legal issues that may pose psychosocial and medical threats to an individual’s survivorship. These legal issues relate to insurance, access to quality care, government benefits, genetic discrimination, estate planning, financial management, and employment.
The CLRC offers a comprehensive array of national and state-specific services, free of charge, to individuals coping with cancer. The CLRC provides a Spanish/English bilingual, toll-free, national Telephone Assistance Line (1-866-THE-CLRC), educational sessions, clinics, information on cancer-related public policy issues, national conferences on cancer-related legal issues to patients, survivors, caregivers, and health care professionals, and, as needed, deeper exploration of specific issues by its Professional Panel of volunteer attorneys, insurance agents, and accountants. In 2013, the CLRC handled over 4,685 requests for assistance from individual callers. Additionally, in 2013, the CLRC reached over 100,000 additional cancer survivors, their caregivers and health care providers through an extensive, pro-active program of cancer community outreach, education, and online resources.
The CLRC works closely with law students to staff the Telephone Assistance Line and to research state-specific legal information that is provided to our callers and presented at our educational programs. The CLRC Director is an Adjunct Professor of Law and teaches Cancer Rights Law atLA area law schools..
Community Outreach Program: Each DRLC program provides disability rights related trainings to the public and private sectors. Areas of expertise include: self-advocacy, disability awareness and etiquette, the Americans with Disabilities Act, California disability rights law, the Fair Housing Act, special education law and other disability rights laws. Trainings are provided to non-profit organizations, consumer groups, businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies.
1. Organization, continued
DRLC holds a contract with the Disability Technical Assistance (DBTAC)-Pacific ADA Center. The DBTAC-Pacific ADA Center allows DRLC to conduct outreach and provide dozens of free or low-cost trainings to the business community and public and private entities that need to know how to better accommodate their employees and customers with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other federal and state civil rights laws, in the area of employment rights/responsibilities, and Title III compliance in the hospitality sector.
Disability Rights Program: The original program of the organization, the Disability Rights Program provides free legal representation to underserved populations of people with disabilities who are encountering discrimination in violation of their civil rights. The program also takes on representation in impact cases, often through class action lawsuits, that will establish legal principles or will benefit large groups of people with disabilities, as well as cases of high visibility that raise public awareness of both the disability rights at issue and DRLC’s commitment to the enforcement of those rights.
Education Advocacy Program: The Education Advocacy Program (“EAP”) litigates systemic reform cases on behalf of students with disabilities to ensure that they receive the special education and related services to which they are entitled under federal and state law. The EAP also offers a range of services including direct representation, pro bono referrals, brief service consultations, outreach and self-advocacy training to low-income parents of students with disabilities entitled to special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and related laws. Staff attorneys supervise law students representing students and their families in administrative hearings including Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings, mediations and due process hearings; refer children and student clients for adequate assessments; advocate for the appropriate integration of students with and without disabilities in the classroom; train parents and others to advocate for students; and provide information sessions to judges and other court personnel on issues confronting students with disabilities. All of the aforementioned services are provided in both English and Spanish.
1. Organization, continued
Representative cases of the DRLC (including the Disability Rights Program, Education Advocacy Program) include:
• A federal law suit alleging that a local psychiatric hospital engaged in health care fraud and the abuse of dependant adults through the provision of substandard care.
• A California lawsuit against a school district arguing that the government should not be permitted to prevent students from being accompanied by a service animal at school.
• A federal class action lawsuit against the City and the County of Los Angeles in to address failure to adequately plan to meet the needs of all people with disabilities during emergencies.
• A federal class action lawsuit to address the failure to provide any special education and related services for youth who are entitled to receive these services while detained at the Los Angeles County Jail. These include youth with mental health conditions and learning disabilities.
• A federal class action lawsuit to ensure access to the courts for people with disabilities in the County of San Bernardino and Superior Court of the State Of California, County of San Bernardino.
• A federal class action lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Jail system challenging jail conditions and programs for all detainees and inmates with physical disabilities and disabling mental conditions who, because of those disabilities, need modifications, services, and/or physical access.
• A federal class action lawsuit against Los Angeles to address violations of state and federal anti-discrimination laws that require public rights of way be accessible to people with disabilities. The lawsuit alleges that systematic barriers along the more than 10,000 miles of sidewalk and 40,000 intersections in the City create systemic barriers for people with disabilities who try to travel along the public rights of way.
Community Advocacy Program: DRLC’s Community Advocacy Program (“CAPutilizes students and volunteers to provide legal information to callers with disability-related issues or disputes so that they may explore all available options.The CAP's phone line is also the intake mechanism for DRLC, which utilizes a software intake database and case tracking system. CAP accepts cases for handling by DRLC, provides information on disability issues to callers, and makes referrals to other public interest and social service organizations.
The nation's oldest cross-disability advocacy organization, primarily representing indigent and low income people in brief service and litigation representation.
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