Disabled Rights Action Committee

WHO WE ARE:

DRAC was formed in 1991 to: 

• Advance the rights of people with disabilities
• Provide better physical environments for people with disabilities
• Educate the community about the American with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Laws
• Encourage respect for each individual’s quality of life
• Participate in and advocate for other public policy issues
• Empower those with disabilities to advocate for themselves

Because of our efforts: 

• Rate hikes of 61% for Paratransit and the termination of several routes were avoided.
• 63,000 Utahns were been able to access Medicaid-funded dental care for two years.
• Approximately 122,605 Utahns with disabilities can access 4,500 more accessible apartments.
• All marathons in Utah are now open to wheelchair athletes.
• Taxi services are accessible for approximately 9,700 Salt Lake City residents with physical disabilities.
• Fruit Heights, Draper City and Summit County have affordable housing ordinances.
• Approximately 122,605 Utah citizens with disabilities have 400 more accessible business and recreation outlets.
• Approximately 122,605 Utahns with disabilities have 200 more accessible restaurants.
• IASIS Healthcare, with 5 hospitals in Utah and 12 other hospitals from around the country have committed to be fully accessible.
• The special events center of the University of Nevada is now fully accessible as well as all National Rodeo Association events.
• Utahns with disabilities along the Wasatch Front (over 122,604 individuals) have enjoyed accessible public transportation since the early 80s.
• The State of Utah Department of Health rewrote their rules so that dozens of families in Utah are now eligible to receive Medicaid assistance for expensive formula for their children with digestive disorders.
• 76 persons with disabilities are now living full and productive lives in the community instead of nursing homes.
• Under an agreement with a developer who built inaccessible apartments, dozens of persons with disabilities have had subsidized rent.
• The Salt Lake County Housing Authority arranged to provide immediate subsidized housing to 25 individuals who were moving out of institutional settings.
• With our intervention, the manager of a Davis County Housing apartment complex resigned and was replaced with new management that is much more respectful of their residents.
• We provide strong leadership for ADAPT, a national advocacy organization of persons with disabilities.
• We supply excellent advice and policy analysis to many state and local government leaders.
• We are a strong and effective partner for many other Utah organizations.

WHAT WE DO:

Case Management Services

The Disabled Rights Action Committee is a case management provider through the Utah New Choices Waiver program. This program is designed to help eligible participants transition out of nursing homes and into community-based care. The program is open to Medicaid recipients who currently live in a nursing home or assisted living facility.

Fair Housing Testing

We teach folks with disabilities about the ADA and the Federal Fair Housing law.  We then send individuals with disabilities to test various housing and business entities.  When testers find violations of the law, we encourage and enforce compliance, since these laws don’t have any other enforcement mechanism.

Volunteer Training

In addition to the above training, we provide on-the-job training in leadership, grassroots organizing, advocacy/influencing public policy, and activism. We provide formal training for board members in leadership, board responsibilities, effective non-profit governance, and fundraising.

Advancing Public Policy 

We work for passage of the Disability Integration Act, which would allow individuals to choose community-based care over institutionalization. Our members have many opportunities to influence public opinion and government leaders by providing testimony at public hearings, writing letters, making phone calls, and participating in press conferences. Our members also serve on boards and committees that help educate the general public about disability policy and accessibility.

ADA Kit Rental

We have an ADA kit available for rent. This kit is designed to help make local community events more accessible to a broader range of individuals. Currently, our kit includes 20 ADA-marked chairs, one five-foot table, a large canopy, a collapsible cot, volunteer vests, ponchos, umbrellas, hand warmers, blue tape, zip ties, collapsible water bottles, and other seasonal materials. If you would like to rent out kit to improve accessibility at an upcoming event, contact Psarah Johnson at psarah@disabledrightsutah.org.