Tell your Senators to support the bipartisan Protecting Students with Disabilities Act (S. 5046) to keep special education and rehabilitative services in the U.S. Department of Education. Education is a right, and the key to our future. Defend it. Read the statement: https://tinyurl.com/ppnm9wem
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
@dredf.bsky.social
DREDF is a leading national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities. Website: dredf.org
Join us tonight for an evening of conversation and connection with author and disability activist Dara Baldwin. Register now!: https://dredf.org/event/lets-talk-about-the-problem-with-author-dara-baldwin/
It's the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was won through decades of organizing by disabled people, parents, advocates, attorneys + allies. We're proud to have been part of that history + continue to defend the rights the ADA secured. dredf.org/the-making-o...
The Making of the ADA
"The ADA owes its birthright not to any one person, or any few, but to the many thousands of people who make up the disability rights movement..."
dredf.org
Disability rights extend to the immigration system. Section 504 protects accessibility rights of disabled people interacting with USCIS, ICE, CBP, and immigration courts, ensuring reasonable accommodations and equal access. Our new guide these protections: https://bit.ly/4fadGW6
No one should have to choose between their basic needs and their future. Reviving the harmful public charge policy will make many immigrant families with disabilities afraid to access essential services. DREDF opposes this harmful policy. Learn more:
Public Charge: What Advocates Need to Know - Protecting Immigrant Families
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On July 9, advocates and community members will gather in Washington, D.C. for the Let's Get Free March & Concert, marking the anniversary of the 14th Amendment and calling for a future where everyone belongs. Join the movement. Learn more and RSVP: letsgetfree.org
Independence is about the freedom and support to choose where we live, learn, work, and participate in our communities. This Independence Day, we recommit to defending the disability rights laws, policies, and community supports that make freedom and opportunity possible.
Join DREDF on July 28 for the "Let's Talk About the Problem" Book Tour with Dara Baldwin, author of 'To Be a Problem: A Black Woman's Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement.' Attend in person or online. Register now: https://tinyurl.com/4c38fmn2
The disability rights movement has spent decades fighting against systems that exclude and lock up disabled people. Our rights were not freely given; they were won through decades of advocacy, organizing + legal action. A new @apnews.com article examines what’s at risk: https://tinyurl.com/2jezh52m
We opposed a proposed U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) rule that would make it harder for transgender and gender diverse people to access federally funded shelters. Read our comments and learn more: https://bit.ly/4ePFrlr
The latest Supreme Court rulings make it clear that the right to be included will be protected for some, while others can be categorically excluded from spaces. Read DREDF’s statement: https://dredf.org/statement-on-scotus-july-2026/
A new factsheet from DREDF, @transequality.bsky.social & @disabilityrightsca.bsky.social explains how Section 504, the ADA, and IDEA can help protect students from discrimination, secure accommodations, and support access to education. Read more: https://dredf.org/trans-students-fact-sheet/
Behind every budget line is a person, a family, and a community. On July 1, join the LTSS4All Grassroots Coalition in Sacramento, Los Angeles, or virtually to speak up for Medi-Cal, IHSS, and community living. Remind California policymakers to invest in care. https://tinyurl.com/LTSS4All
Special education belongs in the Department of Education. On June 25, join the National Call-In Day and tell Congress to oppose moving IDEA oversight and civil rights enforcement out of the Department of Education. Call: (202) 224-3121
Housing is often foundational for stability. CARE Court counsel, join DREDF and Kim Swain (retired from @disabilityrightsca.bsky.social) for a practical training on housing advocacy on June 30 at 1 pm PT. Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XQXV1zuCQlOSJWwzLIOZuQ#/registration
Lois Curtis kept asking her attorney, “Get me out of here. Would you please get me out of here? When am I getting out of here?” when stuck inside a state-run psychiatric facility, despite being cleared to leave. #IAmOlmstead
The Trump Administration plans to move special ed & civil rights offices out of the Department of Ed. These offices oversee IDEA & enforce disability civil rights protections. Congress created the Department of Ed - and only Congress can change it. Our statement on this: dredf.org/this-isnt-re...
The ADA was signed 35 years ago. California's SB 84 would make it harder to ensure businesses comply. Learn more in this carousel, then contact your legislators and tell them: Vote NO on SB 84! Call the Assembly Judiciary Committee (916) 319-2334. Find a member: ajud.assembly.ca.gov/members
For many disabled people, emotional support animals are essential to staying housed and community connected. Join us for a webinar on HUD's recent policy shift, California housing protections, and practical guidance for advocates and tenants. 6/23, 1 PM PT Register:https://tinyurl.com/ms8w3scf
Please join us in welcoming DREDF's Summer 2026 interns: • Bowen Cho • Christian Choi • Phacelia Cramer • Jaina-Marie PeBenito • Khanstoshea Zingapan We're excited to have them with us to gain hands-on experience advancing disability rights. Learn more about them: https://dredf.org/people/
Join DREDF on July 28 for the "Let's Talk About the Problem" Book Tour with Dara Baldwin, author of 'To Be a Problem: A Black Woman's Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement.' Attend in person or online. Register now: https://tinyurl.com/4c38fmn2
DREDF is proud to have co-authored an amicus brief with Fox & Robertson, joined by 8 allies, standing together to defend the right of people with disabilities to use the courts to challenge discrimination & secure access. Learn more: https://dredf.org/nad-v-trump-2026-amicus-brief/
People with disabilities should not lose healthcare because of paperwork, reporting requirements, or narrow definitions of disability. This article highlights growing concerns about new Medicaid rules pushing people with disabilities off these critical services. Read more:
Medicaid Changes Will Push People With Disabilities Off Program, Advocates Warn
The Trump administration is unveiling long-awaited details about new, more stringent Medicaid eligibility rules and raising fresh concerns about implications for people with disabilities.
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A new article highlights findings documenting how SSA staffing cuts, office closures, long waits, and technology barriers have made it harder for people with disabilities to access benefits they need. The article: bit.ly/4x043jL The report:
“In the last year, it’s gotten a lot worse” A Qualitative Investigation of Barriers to Disability Benefits in 2025 - DREDF
This report is based on interviews with 52 benefits professionals serving over 8,000 disability claimants nationwide. The independent research finds that recent Social Security Administration administrative changes have produced widespread access barriers, including longer delays, increased errors, reduced access to human assistance, and disproportionate harm to people with unstable housing, limited internet access, and cognitive or psychiatric disabilities.
dredf.org
Future disability rights lawyers: DREDF is accepting candidates to support with application for fellowship sponsorship opportunities beginning in Fall 2027. Receive guidance in crafting a high quality application for disability civil rights legal advocacy work. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Sf5PNJ
Disabled tenants deserve safe, accessible housing. DREDF and the Eviction Defense Collaborative filed a lawsuit on behalf of disabled tenants in SF after accommodation requests were ignored. Read the press release: https://dredf.org/1086-post-press-release/
500+ advocates gathered at CA Capitol last week to celebrate disability pride and demand policies that support access, civil rights, healthcare, education, and community living. Continued pressure on these issues is critical as highlighted: https://bit.ly/4fRCz9A Together we are a powerful!
For many disabled LGBTQIA+ people, pride is a radical act of resistance. Pride is a practice - it grows when we speak our truth, find community, challenge injustice, and refuse to disappear. How do you practice pride? Read more about Pride as a protest: https://dredf.org/pride-is-a-protest/
Congress should fund care and community, not detention and deportation. Read the letter DREDF and allies signed opposing $71 billion in new ICE and CBP funding and calling for investment in Medicaid, SNAP, housing, and essential services instead. Read the letter: https://tinyurl.com/2nycptey
Los inmigrantes con discapacidad tienen derechos conforme a la Sección 504 de la Ley de Rehabilitación. Nuestra nueva guía “Conoce Tus Derechos” explica cómo solicitar adaptaciones y defender el acceso igualitario. Lee y comparte:https://dredf.org/kyr-ras-immigration-procedures-and-proceedings/