DRC Services

DRC provides a wide range of services to persons with disabilities in Arkansas:

• Information and referral
• Technical assistance, advice and support for persons who plan to advocate for themselves
• Training in advocacy, self advocacy, rights and services
• Assistance in meetings and negotiations
• Investigation of allegations of abuse, neglect, or violations of rights
• Public information and education regarding the needs and rights of people with disabilities
• Multicultural outreach to unserved or underserved groups of persons with disabilities
• Identification of problems in the system of service delivery and advocacy for systemic change
• Advocacy, negotiation, or litigation on behalf of individuals
• Legislative monitoring and technical assistance
• Technical assistance to attorneys on disability law

Cases DRC Does Not Accept

Although the annual priorities established by the DRC Board of Directors specify the types of cases we may accept and, by omission, those we may not accept, some of those priorities necessarily contain language that might be misinterpreted to encompass cases which they are not intended to include. To avoid such misinterpretation, the following are various types of cases that do not fall within the priorities of DRC because they are commonly accepted by legal services, the private bar, and court-appointed counsel or because the primary issue is often not based on discrimination due to disability or the person has already retained legal counsel:

• Social Security applications
• Food Stamp applications/claims
• Criminal proceedings
• Divorce, custody, and child support
• Ad litem representation of children in parental rights termination cases
• Drafting of wills, trusts, and estate planning
• Malpractice cases
• Workers Compensation, issues related to collective bargaining agreements, unemployment compensation
• Product liability cases
• Bankruptcy matters
• Personal injury cases
• Consumer protection issues
• Tax issues
• Pension, ERISA issues
• Property disputes
• Guardianship proceedings (in most cases)
• Commitment proceedings

DRC does not represent the interests of care providers, families, or guardians unless that interest is consistent with the interest of the individual with a disability, and DRC is also representing the individual with a disability (the individual with a disability may be a "Jane Doe"). DRC does not represent or advise petitioners in guardianship proceedings except in circumstances where, for example, appointment of a guardian may be necessary for the pursuit of the rights of an individual with a disability. These exceptions are addressed only under the authority of the PADD, PAIMI or PAIR programs.

DRC does not undertake representation of children or parents in dependent neglect/abuse actions or in termination of parental rights cases unless, due to extensive contact between a DRC advocate or attorney and the family, the advocate or attorney is strongly convinced that the basis of the action is directly related to the disability of the individual and unrelated to actionable neglect, abuse or dependency of children in question. Free advocacy and legal services independent of DRC, including court-appointed attorneys and Guardians Ad Litem, are widely available in those cases.

DRC Grievance Procedure

If you have a grievance with the services you receive from Disability Rights Center you have the right to resolve your complaint utilizing the grievance procedure.

You may review the grievance procedure by visiting http://www.arkdisabilityrights.org/grievance.html

Disability Rights Center is the federally mandated protection and advocacy (P&A) system for Arkansans with disabilities