Disability Rights Louisiana

This morning, the federal court in Shreveport issued an opinion and remedial order holding that conditions and care at David Wade Correctional Center, near Homer, Louisiana, continue to violate the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Today’s ruling from the court followed a 14-day bench trial in January and February 2023. The Court has now ordered that the State must remedy the unconstitutional conditions and will appoint experts to ensure that it happens. Disability Rights Louisiana is gratified that the Court has today entered an order that should now force the State to remedy the conditions, previously described as physical and mental torture, and finally provide adequate mental health care, in appropriate conditions of confinement, to men who are incarcerated at David Wade. Melanie Bray, DRLA Director of Legal Programs and Advocacy and lead counsel, stated, “When people with mental illness are sent to a state prison as punishment for a crime, the state has an obligation to provide baseline mental health care to them. The Court has found that mental health care at DWCC remains below minimally acceptable standards, and that men there are continuing to suffer greatly as a result of the state’s indifference. Today’s decision affirms that the state did little to correct the conditions of care even after the Court’s 2022 ruling finding unconstitutional violations. Now, the Court has ordered the appointment of experts to oversee the remedy of those deficiencies.” https://lnkd.in/gWezdDkf

Help Us Improve Wheelchair Repair Services in Louisiana! Have you or a loved one experienced delays or challenges when getting your wheelchair repaired? We want to hear from you! Disability Rights Louisiana is collecting your experiences in order to advocate for better repair services and ensure everyone has timely access to the mobility equipment they need. Share Your Experience: Tell us about your journey with wheelchair repairs—whether it’s been a struggle with long wait times, lack of communication, difficulty in finding or accessing a qualified service technician or any other issues. Your voice can help bring about change and improve services for all. How to Share: Submit your experiences by • scanning the QR code • visiting https://lnkd.in/g_rkpdzV • or contacting Ashley Volion at [email protected]. Together, we can make a difference! #DisabilityRights #WheelchairRepair #AccessibilityForAll

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Justice Behind Walls project! Thanks to The Lutz Family Public Interest Fellowship for Children's Welfare, Tulane University, and the generous support of our donors, we were able to welcome Kellie Jackson to the DRLA team last week. As a part of the Justice Behind Walls Project and her Lutz Fellowship, Kellie will travel to child residential, detention, and treatment facilities across the state. She will work to identify and stop the abuse and neglect of any children with disabilities who are living behind these walls, and help these children access the disability-related services they need in order to grow while they are institutionalized—and thrive once they are back in the community. Kellie is a recent graduate of Tulane University Law School who grew up in Slidell, but now lovingly calls New Orleans home. “I am honored to speak up for children who cannot speak for themselves and to ensure they receive justice both within and far beyond these walls. Thank you to Tulane Law School and the Lutz Fellowship for allowing me to use my law degree to champion the rights of children!"

The Financial Access Inclusion and Resources program (FAIR) provides financial coaching and case management services to assist formerly incarcerated people with disabilities in combating employment and resource barriers to achieve long term financial security. Here is a recent example of FAIR’s work to protect, advocate for, and empower the people who come into the program: Mr. Joseph Hamilton III served almost 40 years at Louisiana State Prison in Angola, returning home in 2022 and where he was living in temporary housing. With financial coaching from his FAIR case manager he obtained permanent housing and purchased a used vehicle using his retroactive SSA Payments. He was coached through choosing insurance coverage and completing necessary paperwork. He can now travel to appointments as he needs to. "It's hard when you have to call 24 hours in advance to get a ride somewhere. I love being able to get up to go wherever I want, whenever I want," Mr. Hamilton shared about his new car. For the last year he had also been trying to obtain an electric wheelchair. This was his largest barrier to employment. His FAIR case manager advocated with his medical provider to submit additional prior authorization and coordinated between different providers. Here he is pictured in front of his senior living apartment, with his new car, and in his new electric wheelchair. For more information about the FAIR program, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/esBu-xn

Today is National Senior Citizens’ Day! More than 30% of Americans over age 65 have some kind of disability, as do over 50% of those older than 75. We protect, empower, and advocate for the rights of older adults, as well as people with disabilities of all ages throughout Louisiana. If you have a question about your rights to make your own decisions, or if you are experiencing abuse, neglect, or exploitation--call us at 800-960-7705, or visit our website at DisabilityRightsLA.org. #SeniorCitizensDay

The 2024 GODA Conference is this Friday! Beginning at 8am on August 23rd, the Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs will host its annual conference virtually via Zoom. The conference addresses issues that are impactful for people with disabilities. This year's slated speakers are subject matter experts and bring a wealth of knowledge to the conference. This will include an information session presented at 1:10pm by DRLA’s Client Assistance Program (CAP) Advocate, Daryn Broussard, called: “CAP: A Force For Good.” Daryn Broussard is a lifelong advocate. Mr. Broussard was educated in Louisiana from grade school through graduate school. He has successfully navigated being a participant in Louisiana special education. During this time, he witnessed the application and the evolution of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and its impact in the Louisiana Public School System. He has been a consumer of LRS services for over 30 years. As a member of Disability Rights Louisiana's CAP Program since 2020, Mr. Broussard has provided assistance to clients in various aspects of their services with LRS, including the intake process, to completion of vocational plans and goals. These goals range from supportive employment to enrollment in PhD programs. The purpose of this presentation is to introduce the public to the Client Assistance Program and inform the public of our mission and the positive effects that advocacy can have on various aspects of the Louisiana Vocational Rehabilitation service experience. Additional objectives will include initiation of services, the role of the advocate, and the client, and the potential outcomes that result from advocacy via the CAP program. Other GODA 2024 topics will include: • Independence for people with disabilities • Practical tools and practices for addressing hazards • 2024 Legislative Recap: victories for students with disabilities • Estate planning for disabled individuals and their families • Youth Leadership Forum This event is FREE but will require a ticket to attend. Register here:  https://lnkd.in/gRARPWYf

Every two years we ask the community for feedback to help us decide what issues our community needs our help with the most. In the past, this has led us to focus our work on helping people with disabilities with issues related to education, independence and decision-making power, their rights in institutions, employment, protection from financial abuse, voting, and the rights of older adults. We would like to know what issues you think we should work on. Please take a few minutes to complete our survey: https://lnkd.in/gFJNzB6j Thank you for participating, your feedback is very important to us! For more information about what we do, please visit our website: https://lnkd.in/eC7TrdP If you have any issues accessing the survey or other questions, please contact us at 800-960-7705 or send and email to [email protected]

Thanks to ABLE Savings Programs, many Americans living with disabilities have more independence than ever. Check out this video to hear the personal impact ABLE Savings Plans are having all across the country: https://lnkd.in/deXxeP_E #ABLESavingsDay

Every two years we ask the community for feedback to help us decide what issues our community needs our help with the most. In the past, this has led us to focus our work on helping people with disabilities with issues related to education, independence and decision-making power, their rights in institutions, employment, protection from financial abuse, voting, and the rights of older adults. We would like to know what issues you think we should work on. Please take a few minutes to complete our survey: https://lnkd.in/gBNt5-gm

Thank you to WDSU News for shining the spotlight on the importance of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), as we marked its 34th anniversary this past Friday. Our Executive Director, Ranie Thompson, elaborates on how we utilize the ADA to raise the voices, and fight for the rights of people with disabilities in Louisiana: https://lnkd.in/dsSJJ5BP