Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

???Join us for a special screening of "Change, not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act" on April 1! Presented by Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) and Center for Independent Living (CIL) at the Ed Roberts Campus. This in-person event is a unique opportunity to come together as a community, reflect on the past and future of disability rights, and engage in a conversation about accessibility, activism, and the ongoing fight for equality. Event Details: ??? Date: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 ?? Location: Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline Street, Berkeley, CA (Above Ashby BART Station) ? Time: Doors Open at 5:15 PM | Screening at 5:45 PM | Panel Discussion at 6:40 PM | Event Ends at 7:30 PM ?? Food and drinks provided ?? Masks are required when not eating or drinking. KN95 masks will be provided at the event. Following the screening, we will host a panel discussion. More details to come. This event is free, but space is limited. Reserve your spot today: https://lnkd.in/gKDeUnse [ID] Dark blue flyer with white and red text announcing a watch party for Change Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act on April 1, 5:15-7:30 PM at Ed Roberts Campus. Food and drinks provided. #ADA #DisabilityRights #ChangeNotCharity #FilmScreening #EdRobertsCampus

DREDF believes that Section 504 protects transgender people with disabilities, including a gender dysphoria diagnosis. The disability community includes transgender people, and disability justice cannot be achieved without trans people. We are genuinely sorry that the webinar slides during the community briefing did not clearly communicate this. We have revised the materials on our website. We’d also like to clarify that the organizations that helped prepare the plain language explainer were different from the people who presented and created the materials for the community briefing. Any misunderstanding created by the content in the community briefing should not be attributed to those organizations. We apologize for the harm caused. We will keep fighting together so that this lawsuit is dismissed. #TexasVBecerra #Protect504 Community briefing recording: https://lnkd.in/en-gMk9U Plain language explainer: https://lnkd.in/gqNNTain

Texas v. Becerra Update: On Wednesday, February 19, a Joint Status Report was filed by the 17 states and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report does not change anything about the case. Although several Attorneys General told stakeholders that the lawsuit would be dropped or that their state would withdraw from it, all 17 states made clear in the filing that they will continue to pursue all of their original claims that Section 504 itself is unconstitutional. The AGs also reiterated that they will continue to challenge portions of the regulations related to community integration and Olmstead, which require states to provide services in the “most integrated setting.” The integration regulation protects our right to participate in our community with supports instead of being segregated in institutions or separate classrooms. No state Attorney General has withdrawn from the lawsuit at this time. We urge advocates in the 17 states to continue to contact their AG to ask them to drop the case to continue the campaign to protect 504. You can read a longer statement about the Joint Status Report here: https://lnkd.in/ewDKPm3G Ways to take action are on this Protect 504 page: https://lnkd.in/g_4ZpZaH #TexasVBecerra #Protect504

Disability Justice cannot exist without trans, non-binary, and queer people. #Trans #LGBTQIA+ #DisabilityJustice

The push to move IDEA services and protections to the Department of Health and Human Services feels very…medical model of disability to me. Disability is not something to be “fixed” or “cured.” Disabled students need federal support to ensure equal access to education -- that’s the long and short of it.

Thanks to the 3,000 people who attended our Community Briefing on Texas v. Becerra on Wednesday! For those who could not join due to scheduling conflicts or our limited Zoom capacity, the recording of the briefing (including captions and ASL interpretation), along with a transcript and the presentation slides are now available on our website (link below). Some good news in very dark times--pressure from the disability community resulted in the South Carolina Attorney General committing to drop out of the suit. Direct action is so powerful, keep up the pressure! Another important note--there is currently no briefing schedule in the Texas v. Becerra case. Disability rights groups are ready to respond if needed. But Medicaid cuts are on the table RIGHT NOW in Congress. The Department of Education is under threat. Please call your AG, but it's important to also funnel our energy into fights happening right now. As always, it's such an honor to work at Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) alongside my amazing colleagues Claudia Center (she/her/hers) and Tina Pinedo. #Protect504 #TexasvBecerra #ProtectMedicaid #HandsOffOurMedicaid

A partnership between Getty Images, Verizon, and the National Disability Leadership Alliance (NDLA) aims to promote diversity within creative commercial photography and videography. This new grant opportunity provides financial support and mentorship to artists committed to authentically representing people with disabilities. Content creators are encouraged to apply before?Friday, March 7, 2025. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eCNXBMB9 Video description: A diverse array of images and videos of people with disabilities. Text on screen that reads: Disability in Focus: Navigating Work Life. 2 out of 3 Americans believe that seeing people with a range of abilities and personal characteristics in media and advertising has a positive impact on understanding one another. But in reality, 3 out of 4 visuals in media feature people with disabilities in a healthcare setting rather than at home or at work. Getty Images, in partnership with Verizon and the NDLA have launched a $20,000 grant celebrating the talent, determination, and leadership of people within the disability community. Open to global photographers and videographers, this grant aims to challenge stereotypes and showcase the vital contributions, leadership, and innovation that people with disabilities bring to workplaces around the world. Getty Images. Learn more and apply at grants.gettyimages.com.

Congress wants to cut $2.3 trillion from Medicaid and impose strict work requirements on people who use Medicaid. Rushed, reckless spending cuts and eligibility cuts like this will have serious consequences. People with disabilities, older adults, and children will lose the care they count on. Tell your members of Congress to keep their #HandsOffOurMedicaid. More information: https://lnkd.in/gVeUG_ZP El Congreso quiere recortar 2.3 trillón de dólares de Medicaid e imponer estrictos requisitos laborales a las personas que utilizan Medicaid. Este tipo de recortes precipitados e imprudentes del gasto y de la elegibilidad tendrán graves consecuencias. Las personas con discapacidades, los adultos mayores y los ni?os perderán la atención con la que cuentan. Dígalas sus miembros del Congreso que mantengan sus #ManosFueraDeNuestroMedicaid. Más información: https://lnkd.in/gVeUG_ZP

?? Disability Community Briefing: Protect Disability Rights! Join us on February 12 at 9:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM ET for a Disability Community Briefing on Texas v. Becerra—a lawsuit that threatens Section 504, a crucial disability rights law. Section 504 ensures equal access to schools, healthcare, and more. 17 states are suing to eliminate these protections. If they win, it would be devastating for disabled people across the country. Learn what’s at stake, what’s next, and how YOU can take action to defend disability rights. Registration link: https://lnkd.in/gydrk3w3 Learn more about #TexasvBecerra: https://lnkd.in/g_4ZpZaH

The recording of our webinar, Social Housing as a Catalyst for Accessible, Affordable Housing, is now available! Discover the innovative concept of social housing and its potential in addressing the housing needs of disabled renters: https://zurl.co/ksbnC Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)