The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund , located in Berkeley, California and Washington, DC, USA is a national cross-disability civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. Founded in 1979, DREDF advances the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development. The Berkeley office is located in the Ed Roberts Campus.
protecting regulations implementing the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the federal law establishing the right to a free, appropriate, public education for all children with disabilities
writing, co-authoring, and coordinating amicus curiae briefs on early disability rights matters heard by the U.S. Supreme Court including Smith v. Robinson, Darrone, and Arline
building a national civil rights advocacy network of people with disabilities and parents by providing in-depth training on the then-new civil rights laws, Section 504 and IDEA
After a decade-long record of advocacy training, and legislative, legal, and policy victories, DREDF was uniquely situated to play a significant role in the enactment of the landmark civil rights law, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. DREDF's governmental affairs director, Patrisha Wright, known as "The General," led the national coalition advocating for enactment of the proposed law, and Arlene B. Mayerson, DREDF's legal director, developed briefing materials, legal memoranda, and legal opinions about the impact of proposed legislation at the request of members of Congress. Policy analyst Marilyn Golden led community organizing efforts. Senator Tom Harkin was lead sponsor of the ADA.
The 1990s
Following passage of the ADA, DREDF focused on preserving the new law and shaping its implementation by providing nationwide training and technical assistance and by writing and publishing a legal series that presented ADA legislative history and commentary. In a series of cases, DREDF wins the right of children with disabilities requiring healthcare assistance to receive such assistance in pre-school and recreational settings. In an effort to promote community integration, DREDF works with community and legal groups to challenge the continued institutionalization of disabled residents in San Francisco's Laguna Honda Hospital and to create community-based alternatives. Other ADA litigation also opens doors to movie theaters, hotels, banking services, and gas stations. DREDF represents Members of Congress is a trilogy of cases involving the definition of disability under the ADA. Continuing its commitment to IDEA implementation, DREDF achieves a series of litigation victories that establish a national precedent for full inclusion of children with disabilities in regular classes in Holland v. Sacramento City School District and establishes educational rights for children with disabilities in East Palo Alto, California. As interest in disability rights gains international momentum, disability rights leaders from 17 countries invite legal and policy staff to consult and collaborate on strategies for advancing policy in their countries.
The 2000s and Beyond
DREDF organizes "From Principles to Practice," the first international disability right law symposium to be held in the United States, bringing together 150 attorneys and legal advocates from 57 countries. Transnational Publishers releases Disability Rights Law and Policy: International and National Perspectives, edited by Silvia Yee, Esq. and Mary Lou Breslin. As traditional barriers to equal participation for people with disabilities begin to bend to the effect of the ADA, DREDF identifies and focuses attention on emerging challenges including thwarting legislative attempts to legalize assisted suicide and increasing access to healthcare services and improving healthcare outcomes. DREDF conducts healthcare research and publishes outcomes in peer-reviewed journals. As the US House and Senate consider enactment of the Affordable Care Act, DREDF advocates for enhanced protections and rights for people with disabilities. Following enactment of the ACA, DREDF advocates for ADA implementation in healthcare programs and services, drafts comments with colleagues on proposed regulations that create accessible medical equipment standards, and collaborates with senior groups as the ACA tests models that combine clinical care and long-term services and supports for low-income people with disabilities and seniors. Litigation against Netflix results in a landmark settlement that requires captioning for all streaming media the company offers, thus marking progress on applying the ADA to Internet-only businesses. Other litigation succeeds in requiring the US Social Security Administration to provide all notices to beneficiaries in alternative formats.
