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Letter from the President & CEO
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Image: Portrait of Rebecca Williford holding the disability pride flag at Chicago Disability Pride Parade
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Dear DRA Supporters,
When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law on July 26, 1990, I was 10 years old. Little did I know that I would soon develop a life-altering disability and that I would spend my career wielding this powerful new law to create systemic, positive change for the world’s largest minority.
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DRA was founded shortly after the ADA’s passage, in 1993, by visionary founders Sid Wolinsky and Larry Paradis who knew that a disability rights law on the books was not enough. DRA was created to make the vision of the ADA, a world free from discrimination against people with disabilities, a reality. And for the last 30 years, DRA has done just that. As the legal arm of the disability community, through case-after-precedent-setting case, DRA has wielded the law to end discrimination for people with all types of disabilities seeking equal access to education, employment, voting, transportation, healthcare, and so many more critical areas of life.
This month we celebrate the passage of the ADA, the progress possible because of the ADA, and DISABILITY PRIDE! I’ve spent the last 100 days visiting DRA’s clients, donors, staff, and partners in New York City, Orlando, Berkeley, and Chicago. And I can proudly say that the disability community is stronger than ever. We are also motivated. Thirty-three years after the passage of the ADA, we still face barriers to basic civil rights including voting, riding the subway, traveling by airplane, and finding affordable accessible housing. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.
I’m proud to say that DRA, in our 30th year, is here to address those barriers and more. As you’ll read in our impact report, DRA continues to tackle issues including safe sidewalks, appropriate services in correctional facilities, and high stakes testing accommodations. We’re also continuing to innovate where the disability community needs us most: figuring out how to wield the law so that people with disabilities can find housing, travel by air, and more: free from discrimination as valued members of their communities with equal access to opportunity.
I want to thank you all for being a vital part of DRA’s community. I also want to invite you all to join us for our 30th anniversary bash on November 9th (more detail below), and I want to share with you all the DISABILITY PRIDE that fuels me and DRA’s work in this month and beyond.
Please also feel free to follow me on Instagram to keep up with my work as President & CEO in live time @rebecca.williford.dra
Happy ADA Day and Disability Pride Month!
Rebecca Williford
President & CEO, Disability Rights Advocates
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Join Us on Thursday, November 9th for DRA's 20th Anniversary Gala
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Image: "Disability Rights Advocates 30th Anniversary Gala, A Coast to Coast Celebration"
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You are invited to join DRA on Thursday, November 9th as we celebrate 30 years of advancing the rights, inclusion, and equity of people with disabilities across the nation. In this milestone year, we welcome to you join us, as never before, in a coast-to-coast celebration; virtually and in-person. We will host simultaneous in-person galas in New York and San Francisco with delicious food and beverages, live speakers, and performers. We will also invite guests from around the country to join us virtually so we may all celebrate DRA together and participate in the live program.
In-person seats are going quickly. Become a corporate, organization, or individual sponsor today! And show your support for DRA’s mission and programs.
Thank you to our early gala sponsors for your incredible support.
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A Conversation with DRA's Jinny Kim
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Jinny Kim is the newest Managing Attorney at DRA and we are all so excited to have her aboard!
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Image: Portrait of Jinny Kim
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How long have you been a part of DRA, and what drew you to the organization?
I was a Legal Assistant at DRA in 1995-1996. I loved my experience and it cemented my decision to apply to law school. I worked with DRA as co-counsel on the BART case starting in 2017 and joined DRA as a Managing Attorney in December 2022.
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Why is DRA’s work so important and urgent?
From accessible transportation, employment, housing, voting rights and other important issues, DRA is really at the forefront of fighting for the rights of people with disabilities. Our work makes an impact on people with disabilities across the country.
What types of cases and investigations are you currently involved with at DRA?
I am working on a class action in Baltimore for sidewalk and curb ramp access, a case to ensure effective communication for d/Deaf people who receive services from Tennessee’s Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and on an investigation against a large metropolitan park and recreation system, a case we plan to bring this fall.
What aspect of DRA’s work are you most proud of?
Since joining the organization about seven months ago, I have been impressed with the breadth of work we take on and the incredibly hard working and talented people I am privileged to work with.
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Image: Group photo of DRA attorneys and clients with wheelchairs and canes in Philadelphia
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Curb Ramps in Philadelphia
In May, a federal judge approved DRA’s landmark class action settlement with Philadelphia to improve the accessibility of curb ramps throughout the city. Philadelphia must now fix or install 10,000 curb ramps over the next 15 years.
Accommodations from California Department of Developmental Services
In May, a federal judge preliminarily approved a groundbreaking class action settlement that will bring crucial changes to how the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) oversees the provision of services to deaf Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Accessible California State Bar Exam
In May, DRA and the U.S. Department of Justice filed a group complaint against the State Bar of California for consistently failing to provide common accommodations on the California bar exam.
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