View this email in your browser ([link removed])
Image: DRA logo + "Celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act" + "DRA Summer Newsletter" + A hand of a person using a wheelchair that is holding an American flag + Disability Pride flag colors
In This Issue
* Letter from the President & CEO (#President)
* DRA 2025 Celebrations (#Honorees)
* DRA Team Updates (#Updates)
* Impact Report (#Impact)

Letter from the President & CEO

Dear Friends and Supporters,

This month marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—a transformative civil rights law that promised equal opportunity, accessibility, and protection against discrimination for millions of people with disabilities throughout the United States.

But promises don’t enforce themselves. That’s where Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) comes in. For more than 30 years, DRA has used the power of the law—and the promise of the ADA—to break down systemic barriers in every facet of society. From education to emergency preparedness, employment to accessible technology, we’ve fought and won legal battles that make this country more just and accessible for the disability community.

A few examples from DRA’s more than three-decade history enforcing the ADA:
* We secured a legal precedent for students with learning disabilities in higher education (Guckenberger v. Boston University).
* We protected deaf workers from discriminatory job standards (Bates v. UPS).
* We opened sidewalks to disabled pedestrians (Barden v. Sacramento).
* We made the internet more accessible, starting with the first major case applying ADA protections to a commercial website (NFB v. Target).
* We defended the right to vote privately and independently at polling places for blind voters (California Council of the Blind v. Alameda County).
* We created a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan for people with disabilities in the country (BCID v. Bloomberg).
* We improved conditions and access to education for incarcerated youth with disabilities (T.G. v. Kern County).

As many of you loyal supporters know, the list of victories and improvements go on and on. And these victories didn’t just enforce the ADA—they helped define what the law means.

While we have made tremendous progress, our work is far from done. The world is changing at a rapid pace. Technology is evolving. Climate disasters are increasing. Healthcare systems are strained. Education systems are unequal. At every turn, disabled people are too often excluded or left behind. DRA is here to change that.

We will continue fighting for access, equity, and dignity—building on past victories and forging new ground in the courts to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. This work requires legal expertise, tenacity, and an unrelenting commitment to justice. It also requires you—our supporters, clients, partners, and donors—who make every victory possible.
Portrait of DRA President & CEO Rebecca Williford

As we celebrate 35 years of the ADA, we recommit ourselves to the vision of a society where people with disabilities are valued members of their communities with equal access to opportunity. We hope you’ll continue to stand with us as we take on the next 35 years—and beyond.

With gratitude and determination,

Rebecca Williford signature
Rebecca Williford
President & CEO, Disability Rights Advocates

Image: Portrait of DRA President & CEO Rebecca Williford
DRA 2025 Celebrations
“2025 Celebrations: Chicago September 25th, New York November 12th, San Francisco December 2nd, Virtual TBD” + DRA logo
Image: “2025 Celebrations: Chicago September 25th, New York November 12th, San Francisco December 2nd, Virtual TBD” + DRA logo
DRA is hosting three 2025 fundraising celebrations! This means you have the opportunity to sponsor and attend in Chicago, New York, and/or San Francisco, and we look forward to welcoming you. We are grateful to Morrison Foerster for donating their beautiful space for our San Francisco event on December 2nd. For more details on sponsorship opportunities, dates, and venues, please visit our 2025 Celebrations webpage at: [link removed]

DRA is also thrilled to announce our honorees for 2025:
Janni Lehrer-Stein in NYC on November 12th
Proskauer in Chicago on September 25th
Read more about Janni and Proskauer below.

Portrait of Janni Lehrer-Stein

DRA is proud to honor Janni Lehrer-Stein with the 2025 Edith Prentiss Award ([link removed]) , which we bestow annually on a disability justice advocate demonstrating the same fire, passion, knowledge, and relentlessness that made Edith Prentiss such an impactful voice for people with disabilities. Janni not only demonstrates Edith’s passion, but also ignites the fire in others so that they also effect change. Click here to read more about Janni. ([link removed])
Image: Portrait of Janni Lehrer-Stein
Image: Proskauer Rose LLP logo
Proskauer Rose LLP logo

Clients turn to Proskauer when a matter demands excellence and innovation. With 800+ lawyers in key financial centers around the world, we are known for the pragmatic and commercial approach we bring to a full spectrum of transactional and contentious practices. Click here to learn more about Proskauer. ([link removed])

Sponsor the Celebrations or Buy Tickets Today! ([link removed])
DRA Team Updates

We’re thrilled to welcome Melissa Jones of CSAA to our Board of Directors! Melissa brings a deep passion for disability rights and a wealth of experience—learn more about her work and why she joined our mission below.

We’re also proud to recognize the incredible talent within our team: Meredith Weaver has been promoted to Senior Counsel, and Andrew Trainor is now our Supervising Paralegal.

And in a full-circle moment, we’re excited to announce that Michael Nunez has rejoined DRA as a Senior Staff Attorney, bringing a decade of additional experience back home to our mission-driven work.


** A Conversation with Melissa Jones
------------------------------------------------------------
Image: Portrait of Melissa Jones

Portrait of Melissa Jones

We’re thrilled to introduce you to a new member of DRA’s Board of Directors: Melissa Jones ([link removed]) .

Melissa Jones is the executive vice president and Chief Human Resources Officer for CSAA Insurance Group. Under her leadership, the company has achieved a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s corporate equality index for LGBTQ+ workplace equality, and she cofounded the company’s Women’s Professional Network.

Why did you decide to join DRA’s board of directors?

I am deeply moved by the organization's mission and the impact it has on the lives of individuals with disabilities. I have a personal connection to the disability community, and I wanted to contribute my skills and resources to help advance the cause of disability rights. Being on the board allows me to be part of a team that is making a real difference in the world.

Read the rest of the conversation here ([link removed]) .
Impact Report
DRA's Rachel Weisberg (right) standing and smiling with two of DRA's co-counsel from Proskauer Rose LLP and two DRA clients at a Chicago courthouse after a court hearing.
Image: DRA's Rachel Weisberg (right) standing and smiling with two of DRA's co-counsel from Proskauer Rose LLP and two DRA clients at a Chicago courthouse after a court hearing.

Civics

In March, DRA filed a federal lawsuit against the New York State Unified Court System (NYSUCS) challenging the systemic discrimination against blind individuals who report for grand jury duty in New York. (Press release ([link removed]) and CBS News coverage ([link removed]) )

Criminal Legal System

In March, DRA reached a landmark settlement agreement with the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) that will provide for videophones, sign language interpreters, and other necessary accommodations for deaf prisoners incarcerated in TDOC facilities throughout Tennessee. (Press release ([link removed]) and Nashville Tennessean coverage ([link removed]) )

In June, DRA secured a court ruling granting class certification and denying the State’s motion to change venue in our landmark lawsuit challenging the unlawful use of solitary confinement on incarcerated New Yorkers with disabilities in state prisons. This follows a March court order that compels the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to make transparent which provisions of the HALT Act they claim to have suspended in response to the illegal strike by correction staff at prisons across New York. (Press release ([link removed]) and HuffPost coverage ([link removed]) )

Education

In May, DRA filed a major lawsuit against Harvard University for its systematic discrimination against students with mental health disabilities. (Press release ([link removed]) and MassLive coverage ([link removed]) )

Healthcare

Patients with mobility disabilities in Chicago will soon have improved access to MRI services thanks to a settlement that DRA reached in April with Preferred Open MRI, a provider of MRI services with seven locations throughout the Chicago area. (Press release ([link removed]) and Legal Reader coverage ([link removed]) )

Pedestrian Access

In April, DRA reached a milestone settlement agreement with the City of Baltimore to increase access to the City’s curb ramps and sidewalks for people with mobility disabilities. (Press release ([link removed]) and Baltimore Sun coverage ([link removed]) )

In May, DRA filed a class action lawsuit against Washington DC challenging the lack of Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) for blind and low-vision pedestrians at signalized intersections throughout the District. (Press release ([link removed]) and Washington Post coverage ([link removed]) )

In May, a federal court ordered the City of Chicago to install thousands of Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) over the next 10 years, a historic win in DRA’s years-long legal battle to ensure safe streets for blind and low-vision pedestrians in Chicago. (Press release ([link removed]) and CBS News coverage ([link removed]) )

Transportation

In May, DRA filed a class action lawsuit against nationwide airport transportation provider SuperShuttle Express for discriminating against people with mobility disabilities by failing to provide services to wheelchair users. (Press release ([link removed]) and San Francisco Chronicle coverage ([link removed]) )
Donate Now ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

============================================================
Copyright © 2025 Disability Rights Advocates, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive emails from DRA.

Our mailing address is:
Disability Rights Advocates
2001 Center Street, Third Floor
Berkeley, CA 94704

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.
Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
[link removed]