Disability Law United

DLU statement in response to Supreme Court Upholding Ban on Sleeping Outdoors in Grants Pass v. Oregon homelessness case. "DLU joins advocates across the country in decrying the majority decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in City of Grants Pass v. Oregon issued today. The decision will significantly harm disabled individuals, who make up a large percentage of the unhoused, by allowing cities to fine and criminally prosecute unhoused individuals whose only option is to sleep in public places. In doing so, the court also limited the application of long-standing case law recognizing that an individual’s status cannot be the basis for criminalization. As Justice Sotomayor noted in her dissent, “the majority focuses almost exclusively on the needs of local governments and leaves the most vulnerable in our society with an impossible choice: Either stay awake or be arrested.” We applaud Justices Sotomayor, Kagen, and Jackson for their dissent from the decision and steadfast support for protecting the rights of the most vulnerable members of our communities. We join them in their hope that "someday in the near future, this Court will play its role in safeguarding constitutional liberties for the most vulnerable among us,” and their observation that in its decision, the Supreme Court abdicated that role today."

We have a summer love note all ready to arrive in your inbox. Our quarterly e-newsletter is going out Tuesday - make sure you're signed up to receive it. Sign up here: https://buff.ly/4cqlr5U

The frequency and severity of both extreme heat and wildfires are increasing due to climate collapse. Disabled folks are disproportionately exposed and uniquely vulnerable to extreme heat, and wildfire smoke causes and exacerbates disabilities. Yet the NYT doesn’t mention disability, and many Hazard Mitigation and Emergency Operations Plans don’t, either. Governments must account for the disability community in their risk analysis, hazard mitigation, and emergency planning and response to comply with federal law AND save lives. Read the NY Times article here:

Great news! Yesterday, DLU, with partners Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) and King & Spalding, reached a settlement to support students with disabilities in Del Norte County, CA. Part of the settlement includes a commitment by the school district to provide compensatory education for students who missed school over the past two academic years, hire an expert in special education and staffing solutions, and seek support from the State of California to implement the changes. Students will no longer be told to stay home due to a shortage of aides. "This agreement highlights the importance of accountability and proactive measures in our education system,” said Cynthia Rice of Disability Law United. “We are optimistic about the District’s willingness to work on these issues, but remain concerned that the State has responsibilities that it has not yet lived up to, and we will continue to press those issues in this litigation so that the District is provided the assistance it needs." Thank you to our partners, supporters, allies, and the students and their families for standing up for the right to a quality education for all kids. For more information, read our press release here: https://buff.ly/3KDRrHU

On May 16th, President Biden signed the FAA Reauthorization Act into law, which includes provisions to address the travel concerns of disabled people. DLU successfully advocated for the inclusion of a service animal pilot program for disabled travelers. Due to structural inequities, many people who use service animals, particularly blind people, cannot access or have difficulty accessing the forms that currently need to be completed by a passenger flying with a service animal. The new service animal pilot creates an accessible and inexpensive pre-check procedure to provide such passengers with a means of avoiding those forms entirely across all airlines. Working closely with Senator Tammy Duckworth’s office, DLU staff attorney Al Elia coordinated numerous stakeholders to conceive of and draft the initial language for that pilot. Al then worked with stakeholders and congressional staff to ensure that the pilot was added to the initial house bill and that it remained in the final bill that was passed and signed into law. DLU is proud to have had an important role in addressing a significant barrier to air travel for passengers with disabilities.

This NPR article features a lawsuit we are working on alongside Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) and pro bono counsel King & Spalding against the State of California. Cynthia Rice, Legal Director at Disability Law United, notes, “Students are not only being denied the right to progress academically, they have regressed due to the lack of a program that can reinforce skills and knowledge they previously had. The District cannot or will not act, so the State must step in.” https://lnkd.in/epFgp4j7 Thumbnail image description: An illustration of a student with a disability tossed from their wheelchair, and drowning underneath the floor of a classroom. The student appears frantic and reaches for the classroom.

Last week, DLU joined partners and disaster-focused allies at the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) Conference. Our guide to FEMA Individual Assistance updates for people with disabilities was a hit! So good to connect, brainstorm, and problem-solve for disability inclusion in disaster strategies with NVOAD partners from around the US 🤝 (First photo is of DLU Staff Attorney Kate M. Thorstad - on right - with Jessica Vermilyea, Interim Director of Operations for NVOAD. Second photo is our flyer for FEMA Individual Assistance Updates for people with disabilities.) #disasterstrategies #climatechange #climateplanning #disability #disabilityrights #safetyfirst

Victory! DLU helped secure revisions to DOJ regulations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act covering electronic information of public entities on websites and mobile applications. Disability Law United (formerly CREEC) submitted comments on those proposed regulations, objecting to several proposed exceptions that would have prevented people with disabilities from accessing vital information from public entities, including educational information provided by schools. DLU also signed on to the extensive comments of the National Federation of the Blind that objected to those proposed exceptions. Going forward, public entities must ensure that electronic information will be accessible to people with disabilities, including information made available on websites and mobile applications used by students, teachers, and parents at all education levels. Read more here: https://buff.ly/4b63k4V

Proud to partner with Al Otro Lado and Texas Civil Rights Project on this

Check it out! CREEC is now Disability Law United. We have a new name, but the same mission. Disability Law United (DLU) has been taking on big fights and winning since our founding as CREEC in 2013. Putting disability front and center, DLU believes that inclusion and justice are inseparable. Read more about the name change and what's in store at: https://buff.ly/3QrgFwq