Our July 2021 newsletter encourages you to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act this month by doing your part in creating a more inclusive digital space. We offered basic tips on accessible documents, social media and websites, but some of you may be wondering what some of the terms like “alt… Continue reading Doing Your Part to Create an Accessible Digital World
Changing the Life Course of Youth in the Juvenile Justice System Through Education Advocacy Youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system face hurdles in accessing education. Schools often refer students to the system without identifying their need for special education services or providing the right academic and behavior supports. Estimates indicate that anywhere from… Continue reading School Matters
Across the state, students with disabilities are disproportionately referred to the criminal justice system. Over the past year, the Safe and Supportive Schools Collaborative provided recommendations to the HISD Board of Trustees and Superintendent Dr. Lathan on ways to improve the district’s policing practices, which are harmful to students. Despite support from board trustees and… Continue reading DRTx Recommends Changes Regarding Police Reform for Houston ISD
On Wednesday, April 28th, DRTx Senior Attorney Brian East will be participating in a virtual Public Hearing hosted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Brian, along with several other experts, will be discussing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers, the difficulties faced by employers in navigating potential employment discrimination issues raised by… Continue reading EEOC Hearing: Workplace Civil Rights Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Disability Rights Texas is proud to celebrate Black History Month 2021. This year we’re looking at the intersection of Black history and disability rights. We’re featuring the following people on social media throughout the month, and a few more in our February newsletter. These are just a few of the many Black lives who are… Continue reading Disability Rights and Black History Month
Though it was a challenging year, our staff did not let barriers resulting from the pandemic stop us in our commitment to advancing your disability rights. This year we: Received 6,400 requests for our services. Opened more than 3,500 new cases and provided information and referral services to 2,800 people. Clocked in more than 17,000… Continue reading Unmasking Our Impact in 2020
Urgent Complaint filed by Disability Rights Texas and Others Requests Immediate Investigation Earlier this week, Disability Rights Texas and 14 other organizations and individuals filed a complaint with U.S. Office of Civil Rights (OCR) against the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) for a new emergency rule that removed protections for persons with disabilities… Continue reading Federal Complaint says New Emergency Rule Illegally Denies Support for People with Disabilities in Hospitals
Are you worried that your landlord will evict you because you are behind on rent? You are not alone. Millions of people across Texas are threatened with eviction because they can’t afford to pay the rent. Stop TX Eviction is a new online toolkit created through a collaboration between the three main legal aid providers… Continue reading Stop Texas Evictions Toolkit Helps Texans Who Can’t Afford Rent
Disability Rights Texas joins countless other organizations across the country in expressing outrage at the recent actions of the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners. On October 12, the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners voted to change the code of conduct regarding when a social worker can refuse to serve someone. The… Continue reading DRTx Statement on the Change to the Social Work Code of Ethics
The DRTx voting rights team is working tirelessly to take legal action to ensure that the election process is accessible to people with disabilities. In July of this year, we released the results of a year-long investigation into the accessibility of Texas county election websites. We found most of them to be out of compliance… Continue reading DRTx Takes Legal Action in Fight to Ensure Disability Voting Access