This page lists by topic area a collection of organizations, journals, and online resources that provide information about treatment, support, or services for people with disabilities, as well as their families and professionals who support them.
On this page:
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Advocacy
- Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.
Through precedent-setting litigation and in the public policy arena, the Bazelon Center works to advance and preserve the rights of people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities.
Phone: (202) 467-5730 (V).
Email: requests-for-help@bazelon.org.
Bazelon Resource Library of Disability Rights Organizations.
- Justice in Aging formerly the National Senior Citizens Law Center (NSCLC).
Justice In Aging trains and provide free resources to professional advocates and legal aid attorneys in order to help them better serve the needs of older adults with and without disabilities.
Phone: (202) 289-6976.
- National Disability Rights Network (NDRN).
The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is a nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities.
Phone: (202) 408-9514 (V), (202) 408-9521 (TTY).
- Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF).
The Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) is a national non-profit organization that seeks to safeguard patients through effective mediation assuring access to care, maintenance of employment, and preservation of their financial stability.
Phone: (800) 532-5274.
Contact Form. - TASH.
TASH advances opportunity for people with disabilities, with a focus on those with the most significant support needs, in the areas of education, employment, and community living through advocacy, research, and practice.
Phone: (202) 817-3264.
Email: info@tash.org.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- ADA National Network
Ten regional centers offering information and technical assistance to help people with disabilities, businesses, and public entities understand their rights and responsibilities under the ADA and related laws.
Phone: (800) 949-4232
Contact form. - Department of Justice ADA Information Line
Accessibility specialists are available to answer questions from individuals, businesses, and state/local governments on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and again from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm ET; and on Thursday from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm ET. All calls are confidential.
Phone: (800) 514-0301 (V), (800) 514-0383 (TTY).
Civil Rights
- American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Disability Rights.
The Commission works to promote the ABA's commitment to justice and the rule of law for people with mental, physical, and sensory disabilities, and to promote their full and equal participation in the legal profession. The Commission carries out an array of projects and activities addressing disability-related public policy, disability law, and the professional needs of lawyers and law students with disabilities.
Phone: (202) 662-1000.
Email: Service@americanbar.org.
- Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces federal civil rights laws, conscience and religious freedom laws, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, and the Patient Safety Act and Rule, which together protect people's fundamental rights of nondiscrimination, conscience, religious freedom, and health information privacy.
Phone: (877) 696-6775. - Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF).
DREDF is a national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities through legislation, litigation, advocacy, technical assistance, and education and training of attorneys, advocates, persons with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities.
Phone: (510) 644-2555.
Email: info@dredf.org.
- Handbook of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Convention.
From the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The Handbook explains in practical terms the rationale and objectives of a new Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol. It also delves into the ways in which parliaments can translate the rights and principles at the core of the Convention into tangible action on the home front. Various languages are available for download.