People communicating through a window during the sit ins and the text:

 

As we see another April, the disability community celebrates an era of protest, collaboration and bold self-advocacy. On April 5, 1977, people with disabilities in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington D.C. staged sit-ins in government offices, with protests in San Francisco receiving the most news coverage for their longevity. Led by Judy Heumann and protesters from Disabled in Action, the protest in San Francisco lasted 25 days.

Protesters were bringing awareness to the lack of enforcement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The Act, which had been signed into law in 1973 stated: “No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall solely on the basis of his handicap, be excluded from the participation, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” While the act was signed into law, protestors said that a lack of regulations regarding its enforcement meant that the rehabilitation was rendered ineffective.

Following the 25-day sit-in, a delegation of protestors travelled to D.C. to increase public attention and pressure to aid their objectives. On April 28, 1977, their demands were met and regulations were finally signed by Secretary Califano.

As shown by the protestors of the 504 sit-ins, disability advocacy has always been most powerful when led by the disability community and individuals with disabilities. The work of organizations advocating for those with disabilities must take their lead from those they serve.

With that in mind, Disability Rights Pennsylvania is currently conducting a public comment period to assess the needs of the disability community. You can help shape our advocacy by participating in an online survey or one of our public forums. To be notified of an opportunity to register for one of these forums, please join our mailing list here.

We thank all of the leaders and advocates in the disability community whose boldness has moved mountains for the disability community. We’re following your lead.

 
Painting of George Floyd and
Harrisburg, PA – Disability Rights Pennsylvania, a leader in disability rights legal and advocacy services for nearly forty-five (45) years, stands with Black Lives Matter and the civil rights community. We at DRP have been horrified at the death of George Floyd and those who are victims of violence and institutional racism, many of whom are a part of the disability community. Today, a jury convicted Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. It is a small step to bring justice to an awful situation that illustrated the impacts of institutional racism, but no verdict will ever replace a life. We must root out the systemic and interpersonal racism that permeates our culture to prevent more families from having to mourn and bury loved ones and so that communities of color no longer have to live in fear...
 
Hands working on laptop and :

On Monday, April 5, 2021, Disability Rights of Pennsylvania (DRP) started its public comment period for our fiscal year 2022 annual program goals and objectives. DRP invites public feedback on the issues that matter most to individuals with disabilities, along with their families and organizations supporting them.  August 1, 2021, is the final day to offer public comments. DRP will also be hosting 8 forums for community members to communicate with DRP on our Goals and Objectives. If you would like to be notified of upcoming forums, join our mailing list for upcoming information on how to register.

Specifically, DRP asks to hear your ideas about the impact of COVID-19, and any associated advocacy that should be facilitated because of the virus, the vaccination process, as well as current, new, and emerging issues since last year’s comment period...

 
Wheelchair user and
 
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Disability Rights Pennsylvania
301 Chestnut Street Suite 300 | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17101
800-692-7443 | intake@disabilityrightspa.org

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