About
Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) is the leading national nonprofit disability rights legal center, with offices in Berkeley, New York, and Chicago. DRA's vision is a world free from discrimination, where people with disabilities are valued members of their communities with equal access to opportunity — and it never charges its clients for representation.
Mission
To advance the rights, inclusion, and equity of people with disabilities through high-impact litigation, education, and advocacy.
What they do
- High-impact litigation: DRA's primary strategic tool is complex, system-changing class-action litigation protecting the civil rights of people with disabilities nationwide, across areas including education, employment, emergency preparedness, health care, housing, technology, transportation, and voting.
- Education: know-your-rights workshops, conferences, media, one-on-one referrals, and technical assistance for the broader public and DRA's own community.
- Advocacy: amicus briefs, letters, white papers, comments on government regulations, and participation in regulatory, administrative, and court rulemaking proceedings.
- Capacity-building: training and co-counseling with other civil rights attorneys and organizations, and fellowships for aspiring civil rights attorneys.
History
DRA was founded in 1993 by attorneys and disability advocates Larry Paradis and Sid Wolinsky. In its 33-year history, DRA has achieved dramatic improvements for people with disabilities seeking health care, employment, transportation, education, disaster preparedness planning, voting, and housing, and has trained more than 40 legal fellows — almost all of whom have gone on to careers as public interest attorneys. Its Wolinsky Fellowship Program provides ongoing two-year fellowships in honor of co-founder Sid Wolinsky.
Scale and impact
DRA represents people across the full spectrum of disabilities — mobility, sensory, cognitive, and psychiatric — in partnership with a broad network of local and national client organizations. Through its cases, DRA states it has positively impacted the lives of millions of people with disabilities. Many of DRA's attorneys have disabilities themselves.
Financials
Per its IRS Form 990 for the fiscal year ending December 2024 (via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer), DRA reported total revenue of $7,886,254, total expenses of $7,362,004, and net assets of $18,979,075. DRA is a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 94-3189313) based in Berkeley, California.
Governance
DRA is led by President and CEO Rebecca Williford, Chief Operating Officer Kate Hamilton, and Chief Litigation Officer Shawna Parks. DRA staff are represented by the Engineers and Scientists of California Local 20, IFPTE, and the organization finalized its first collective bargaining agreement in October 2023.