Disability Rights Louisiana

In 1977, DRLA was founded to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities because they are all-too-often isolated, abused, denied decision-making power, and prevented from participating in their communities. We are part of a network of Protection & Advocacy organizations across the country that all fight for the rights of people with disabilities.

Disability Rights Louisiana has over fifty employees across the state who provide individual representation and client advocacy, promote policy change, take legal action, and train self-advocates to ensure people with disabilities:

• Have the power to make decisions about their own lives;
• Have access to the quality care they need to live at home and out of hospitals, nursing homes, and care facilities;
• Are allowed to stay in school with the services they need in order to learn and succeed after graduation;
• Are not denied jobs because of their disabilities, that they can get the training and tools they need to do their jobs, and that they understand how they can work while receiving disability benefits;
• Are not being neglected or abused in hospitals, nursing homes, care facilities, jails, or prisons;
• Have access to affordable housing and other critical services;
• Have access to vote safely and securely at the polls;
• Are protected from having their income exploited by a representative;
• Have access to assistive technology necessary to help them live integrated lives in their communities; and
• Can get help when facing emergencies related to natural disasters and pandemics.

Impact

Since 2020, the demand for our services has gone up over 35%. We anticipate about 2,200 calls for assistance in 2023. We never change our clients for our services, and we don't have all the resources we need to be able to serve the 1.1 million people with disabilities in the state who may need our help at any given time.

Your donation today will help us do things like:

Protect people like Megan. Her father contacted DRLA to report that Megan was possibly being abused and neglected in a group home. She had bruises on her arms and was experiencing significant mood swings and changes in her ability to walk. He also reported a concerning lack of staffing at the home. DRLA staff spoke to the group home staff and filed a health standards complaint. As a result, the group home received deficiencies and are working on a Plan of Action to make corrections to improve the quality of care in the home. Most of Megan's medical issues have been addressed and her health has drastically improved. She is now able to move to a group home closer to her father.

Empower people with physical disabilities like Paul. Paul's employer would not allow him to bring his care attendant into the workplace to assist him with basic acts of daily living, which meant he could not work there anymore. Through our staff attorney's representation, negotiation, and advocacy, the employer reinstated the client's employment, along with all of his requested accommodations. Additionally, he received back-pay for the majority of the wages he had lost due to discrimination.

Advocate for people who need home health services like Laura. She received a letter from Medicaid stating that she will lose her long-term personal care services, which she needed for things like transferring in and out of bed, using the restroom, and making meals. Laura and her family were fearful that she would need to move into a nursing home if her services were not reinstated. DRLA helped her appeal this decision and helped her get re-evaluated for services. As a result, she now receives 30 hours of personal care per week-more than she started with.

* Please note that the names in these stories have been changed to protect the privacy of our clients.