DRC Programs

DRC Priorities for PAIR in Fiscal Year 2009

1. Abuse, Neglect or Exploitation - disability rights advocacy, including monitoring and investigations, for individuals who are at risk of, or have experienced abuse, neglect or exploitation.
   • DRC will monitor community settings and public and private facilities and investigate cases of suspicious deaths and claims of abuse, neglect, unlawful commitment, physical or chemical restraint, and violations of rights.
2. Community Services & Health Care - disability rights advocacy for consumer access to community-based services (Medicaid, Medicare, mental health services, long-term care, transportation, and home and community based services).
   • DRC will provide representation to people with disabilities who live in the community and are denied access to state or local community based services.
3. Accessibility - disability rights advocacy to remove barriers that prevent access to state/local government services and places of public accommodation.
   • DRC will provide representation or technical assistance to callers alleging that architectural barriers prevent them from having equal access to government services.
   • DRC will provide representation or technical assistance to callers alleging that architectural barriers prevent them from having equal access to businesses.
4. Fair Housing - disability rights advocacy for individuals whose rights under the Fair Housing Amendments Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, or the Rehabilitation Act have been violated.
   • DRC will represent people with disabilities regarding problems with architectural barriers.
   • DRC will represent people with disabilities regarding failure to accommodate their disability.
   • DRC will represent people with disabilities regarding rental denial and/or eviction.
   • DRC will represent people with disabilities regarding problems with subsidized/Section 8 housing.
5. Special Education - disability rights advocacy for students with disabilities to enforce and protect their rights to special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Section 504 through individual and systemic advocacy, state complaints, due process and collaboration with other special education advocacy organizations.
   • DRC will 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.
   • DRC will represent students with disabilities who is placed inappropriately into alternative learning environments.
   • DRC will investigate and determine validity of class action, OCR/ADE complaint in placement of children with disabilities into alternative learning environments.
   • Gather information and data through intake calls involving Family In Need of Services (FINS) issues to determine the necessity of systemic remedies to address the abuse of the FINS process by school districts.
6. Outreach, training, information and policy advocacy - People with disabilities, family members, providers and policy makers are largely unaware of disability rights, responsibilities and service options.
   • Conduct community trainings on the services DRC provides, sensitivity awareness and on specific topics related to DRC priorities as requested by other agencies.
   • 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.
   • Attend meetings bimonthly of the Interagency Council on Homelessness.
   • Attend monthly meetings of The Mayor's Commission on Homelessness in Little Rock.
   • Collaborate with other advocates for the homeless to provide accurate and timely information as requested by policy makers considering the creation of a housing trust fund.
   • DRC will serve on the Division of Youth Services (DYS) Task Force and its Subcommittee to advise them on ways to stop discrimination against children with disabilities committed to DYS custody.
   • 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 ACED (Arkansas Coalition for the Education of Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing) to develop a seamless system of services to stop discrimination against children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
   • 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.
   • Publish and distribute 3 DRC newsletters to the DRC mail list, the e-mail list, and on the DRC website in accessible formats to inform the public on ways to stop discrimination against people with disabilities.
   • 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.
   • Visit public housing authorities to educate and inform them about DRC and to become knowledgeable about issues surrounding affordable, accessible housing in each of the targeted communities.
   • Outreach/education services will be provided at least twice monthly (2 to 4 hours per event) to homeless individuals with disabilities who visit the day resource center for homeless individuals. Date for initial outreach/education services will be contingent upon the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock following through with a commitment to open the center.
   • In the 1st quarter DRC will launch a pre-legislative challenge.