A complaint of discrimination can be filed by anyone who believes that an education institution that receives Federal financial assistance has discriminated against someone on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age. The person or organization filing the complaint need not be a victim of the alleged discrimination, but may complain on behalf of another person or group.

OCR’s mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence through vigorous enforcement of civil rights in our nation’s schools.
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Our services include individual representation including litigation to protect rights or secure benefits, self-help information, education on priority legal issues, and systems change advocacy.

If you are an individual with a disability
RIDLC helps people with legal issues related to their disabilities.

Providing information and referral to other agencies that can help you

Offering individual advice and representation on priority legal issues

Advocating for systems change to benefit groups of people with disabilities

Investigating allegations of abuse or neglect in settings that serve people with disabilities

Disability Rights Rhode Island (formally known as Rhode Island Disability Law Center RIDLC) is an independent nonprofit law office that is designated as Rhode Island’s federal Protection and Advocacy System. We are part of a national network created by Congress to help secure and advance the rights of people with disabilities.

Our mission is to assist Rhode Islanders with differing abilities in their efforts to achieve full inclusion in society and to exercise their civil and human rights through the provision of legal advocacy.

Practice Areas:

• Business Law
• Estate Planning
• Probate and Trust Administration
• Elder Law
• Guardianships
• Prenuptial Agreements
• Real Estate Law
• Special Needs Planning
• Tax Planning

Please contact us to set-up an appointment to discuss your legal needs.

We are a small family-run law firm located in South County, Rhode Island dedicated to helping you and your loved ones with a broad range of legal services. We strive to understand your goals and guide you through difficult matters. The attorneys in our practice work as a coordinated team to give our clients a broad breadth of legal knowledge and experience.

Works to ensure that input is obtained from all relevant stakeholder groups including older adults, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), family members, advocates, professionals and providers.

Services Include:

• Locator map to identify Developmental Disabilities statutes
• Presentations
• Policy Discussions
• Resources library: Guardianship and Alternatives, Education and Transition Planning

Senior citizens and individuals with disabilities who receive pensions or social security income.

Provides legal representation for the purpose of communicating with debt collectors. Collection calls and letters go to the main office. If tax debt or student loans are an issue, will work with government agencies to achieve zero payment programs or uncollectible status. No eligible person is turned away.

Advocates for the rights of adults and children who have mental disabilities. The Bazelon Center envisions an America where people who have mental illnesses or developmental disabilities exercise their own life choices and have access to the resources that enable them to participate fully in their communities.

The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA) is an independent, nonprofit, §501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization of attorneys, advocates, parents and related professionals. COPAA focuses on the rights of children who receive special education services and supports, and who are eligible to be served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other statutes. This includes working to ensure that children with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). COPAA endeavors to improve the quality and quantity of legal assistance for parents of children with disabilities. COPAA does not represent individual parents but provides a network to assist, train, and inform advocates, attorneys, parents, and related professionals.

Member Search: Parents who are looking to find a special education attorney, a special education advocate, or a related professional may look up referrals in the COPAA Member Directory. This directory is to serve as a resource for members and the public to find attorneys, advocates and other professional who belong to COPAA and advocate on behalf of children with disabilities.

Provides free educational materials, financial options, and emotional support for those affected by cerebral palsy.  Includes information on cerebral palsy caused by medical malpractice, and resources to help families find support and compensation.

Assists crime victims and promotes leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime.

Administers the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund), which is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders, not from tax dollars. OVC channels funding for victim compensation and assistance throughout the United States, raises awareness about victims’ issues, promotes compliance with victims’ rights laws, and provides training and technical assistance and publications and products to victim assistance professionals.

Improves the health and well-being of vulnerable populations in partnership with the medical community through the work of volunteer attorneys.

Local programs can be identified using Directory of Programs.