DRC Programs

DRC Priorities for PAIMI in Fiscal Year 2010

1. DRC will assist people with disabilities in institutions, community settings and psychiatric programs in advocating receipt of services and supports in a safe environment.
• Monitor community settings and public and private facilities and investigate cases of suspicious deaths and claims of abuse, neglect, unlawful commitment, seclusion, physical or chemical restraint, and violations of rights.
2. DRC will assist people with disabilities in advocating access to all financial and other public benefits, to which they are entitled by law in order to live in the community.
• Provide technical assistance or representation to people with disabilities to receive services or supports to live in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.
3. DRC will assist people with disabilities to advocate removal of barriers to housing, transportation, places of public accommodation and state and local government in order for them to have equal access under the law.
• Represent or provide technical assistance to people with disabilities regarding failure to accommodate their disabilities in housing.
• Represent or provide technical assistance to people with disabilities regarding rental denial, eviction, or retaliation for exercising their legal rights in housing.
• Represent or provide technical assistance to people with disabilities regarding problems with subsidized housing.
4. DRC will assist students with disabilities to advocate access to a continuum of placement options in the least restrictive environment.
• Investigate claims of denial of access to a continuum of placement options, including suspension, expulsion and manifestation determination, which result in a change of placement due to disability related behaviors.
• Represent students with disabilities who are referred and/or placed inappropriately into alternative learning environments.
• DRC will assist to improve the quality and effectiveness of the transition plans for students with disabilities.
5. DRC will inform people with disabilities of their legal rights at trainings conducted by DRC and other organizations.
• Conduct outreach and rights training activities at in-patient, residential, and community-based facilities.
• Conduct community trainings on the services DRC provides, sensitivity awareness and on specific topics related to DRC priorities as requested by other agencies.
• DRC will raise issues that affect the lives of people with disabilities at meetings attended by policy makers and/or people with disabilities.
• Maintain a collaborative working relationship with Arkansas Fair Housing Commission and reinforce that people with disabilities have a right to accessible and affordable housing free from discrimination.
• Attend monthly meetings of the Arkansas Homeless Coalition to advocate for homeless people with disabilities.
• Attend meetings bimonthly of the Interagency Council on Homelessness to provide information to service providers of homeless people about disability issues.
• Attend scheduled public meetings of the Mayor's Commission on Homelessness in Little Rock to better provide information to homeless people with disabilities at the Day Resource Center.
• DRC serves on the Arkansas Advisory Council for the Education of Individuals with Disabilities to advise the Council on ways to stop discrimination against children with disabilities in public schools.
• DRC will serve on the Division of Youth Services (DYS) Oversight Committee to ensure that DYS is meeting the deadlines of the DYS Comprehensive Juvenile Justice Reform Plan 2009-2014.
• DRC will collaborate with the Children's Behavioral Health Care Commission to stop discrimination against children with disabilities.
• DRC is a partner organization in the Family and Youth Assistance Network (FYAN). DRC will continue to serve as a founding member of the network and will also serve as a monitor for the new FYAN website which will launch in FY 2010.
• DRC will convene meetings of ARPie to share information with parent advocacy groups/Parent Training Information Centers about education advocacy issues.
• DRC will network with the PTI and other disability groups to develop mini-conferences in unserved areas of the state.
• DRC will publish and distribute DRC newsletters to people on the DRC mail list, the e-mail list, and will publish each on the DRC website in accessible formats to inform the public on ways to stop discrimination against people with disabilities.
• DRC will print and distribute "A Parent's Guide, Civil Rights/Education" Bluebooks to inform persons how to stop discrimination against students with disabilities.
• DRC will distribute "IDEA, a Parent's Booklet" (companion to the Bluebook) to inform persons how to stop discrimination against students with disabilities.
• DRC will write "A Parent's Guide, Civil Rights/Early Intervention" (Yellowbook) to inform persons how to stop discrimination against infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.
• PAIMI/AC will participate in AETN call-in talk shows and information will be disseminated to inform the public on ways to stop discrimination against people with mental illness.
• Provide the DRC display and materials in conferences to inform the public about DRC activities to stop discrimination against people with disabilities.
• Timely information will be provided on each DRC program, upcoming events, cases, investigations, legislation, etc.