Disability Rights Bar Association

11/25/2025

Bay Area disability rights advocates mourn Alice Wong, talk about her impact
Friends remember the activist, who died Nov. 14 in San Francisco at 51, as a key figure in the disability justice movement

The San Francisco-based disability justice activist, writer and editor died Nov. 14 at age 51, leaving behind a community in mourning.

11/24/2025

Peter Blanck Featured In SU News: Focus on Disability Rights: Q&A With BBI’s Peter Blanck https://bbi.syr.edu/2025/11/peter-blanck-qa/
Syracuse University has long been a leader in disability policy, rights and advocacy. For the past 20 years, the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) and its chairman, University Professor Peter Blanck, have been at the forefront of this work. A nationally recognized expert in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related laws, Blanck joined BBI at its founding in 2005. He is principal investigator on a recent $4.6 million grant from the U.S.

Syracuse University has long been a leader in disability policy, rights and advocacy. For the past 20 years, the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) and its chairman, University Professor Peter Blanck, have been at the forefront of this work. A nationally recognized expert in the Americans with Disabilitie...

10/24/2025

Emerald Publishing Limited has announced the release of Disability and the Future of Work, a groundbreaking edited volume that examines how disability intersects with the rapidly changing world of work. Edited by DEP investigators—Fitore Hyseni, Lisa Schur, Douglas Kruse, and Peter Blanck—the book brings together leading scholars and practitioners to explore how technological, economic, and policy transformations are reshaping employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
https://bbi.syr.edu/2025/10/fhyseni-future-of-work/

07/22/2025

We are only days away from the 35th Anniversary of the ADA! Kick off your celebration with this enlightening video featuring notable icons like Anjali Florber-Pratt, Eve Hill, Tony Coehlo, Judy Heumann, Lex Frieden, Peter Blanck, and Michael Morris as they discuss the importance of the ADA and its impact on the lives of people with disabilities.
https://adaanniversary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ada-anniversary-celebration-final.mp4

06/25/2025

Forbes’ first-ever Accessibility 100 highlights the biggest innovators and impact-makers in the field of accessibility for people with disabilities.

Forbes’ first-ever Accessibility 100 highlights the biggest innovators and impact-makers in the field of accessibility for people with disabilities.

10/28/2024

We are less than 2 weeks away from Election Day, and it’s time for the 61 million disabled people in this country to be seen and heard. This incredible PSA from our friends at New Disabled South, American Association of People with Disabilities, Detroit Disability Power and Disability Culture Lab is an impactful way to let those in power know that disabled voters will not be counted out!

We’re two weeks away from Election Day, and it’s time for the 61 million disabled people in this country to be seen and heard. This incredible new ad from ou...

07/01/2024

It’s July, which means it is officially DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH! Disability Pride has been a part of the Disability Community since 1990! Learn More about Disability Pride and What YOU can Do!

 What is Disability Pride? Image description: Top left photo shows two young boys, one using a white cane, standing in front of a banner at a parade. From the 2015 New York City Disability Pride parade (the first parade in NYC). Top right, a black and white photo of Disability activists Marca Brist...

04/09/2024

ADA Symposium In Person Event - Minneapolis (June 9-12)
Registration Now Open - Join us in Minneapolis, MN June 9-12, 2024" The square graphic includes logos for the National ADA Symposium, Great Plains ADA Center, and ADA National Network. To learn more visit https://gpadacenter.org/national-ada-symposium/

03/14/2024

March 12, 2024 Disability Rights California issued a report entitled: “STUCK” Los Angeles County’s Abuse and Neglect of People on Mental Health Conservatorships in Jail and Locked Psychiatric Facilities. The report provides important insights regarding the growing mental health crisis in Los Angeles County.

The report can be found here: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/report/stuck-los-angeles-countys-abuse-and-neglect-of-people-on-mental-health-conservatorships
A link to the LA Times article published today about our report can be found here: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-13/some-people-with-mental-illnesses-remain-in-l-a-county-jails-after-charges-are-dropped-report-says


The investigation was open after receiving complaints that Los Angeles County Jail was illegally detaining people on LPS conservatorships. It was discovered not only that these reports were accurate, but that the unnecessary confinement of people on conservatorships extends beyond the jail to every level of the county’s system of care. We also found that the illegal confinement can last months if not years and is primarily caused by L.A. County’s lack of intensive mental health services and housing to support individuals with mental health disabilities in the community.



We believe the issues raised in this report have statewide significance given that Prop 1 just passed and the California state legislature recently enacted multiple laws that make it easier to use forced treatment and to place people on a mental health conservatorships. In a climate where Governor Newsom and the California state legislature are moving us toward re-institutionalization, we are hoping that this report is (at least a part of) the beginning of a backlash.

A Disability Rights California Investigation Custom Page Mar 12, 2024 “STUCK”: Los Angeles County’s Abuse and Neglect of People on Mental Health Conservatorships in Jail and Locked Psychiatric Facilities. A Disability Rights California Investigation March 12, 2024 Share: Los Angeles County is ...

05/08/2023

New Episode Disability Rights Today Perez v Sturgis Public Schools Our guest is Ellen Saideman, a Rhode Island attorney who focuses much of her practice on the educational rights of students with disabilities and their families. In Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, Ms. Saideman represented Mr. Miguel Luna Perez, a Deaf student, in his 6th Circuit Court of Appeals case against the Sturgis Public School system in Michigan. Our host for this podcast is Dr. Peter Blanck, Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University.
https://disabilityrightstoday.org/episodes/episode-8/

02/02/2023

Congratulations to Gay Grunfeld and her team at RBGG and the Prison Law Office for this important victory in the 9th Circuit! The Court upheld the district court’s order remedying custodial staff misconduct and abuse of class members with disabilities in the CA prison system. Remedies include body warn cameras, new staff misconduct investigation and discipline system and more!

Our clients are the heroes—they came forward with more than 100 declarations and many suffered violent retaliation and additional punishments (segregation and new charges) as a result.

07/18/2022

Kate Battoe, a law student at Syracuse University and a RA at BBI, is working on state legislation to require companies like Uber and Lyft to become accessible to people who use power wheelchairs. As part of her research, she hopes to gather data to show how many people who use power wheelchairs would use Uber or Lyft. Following is a link to a short survey below. Please share it with the people you know - https://forms.gle/P49Qj22AiwZsaLTi6