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Protecting and Advocating for the 
Rights of Texans with Disabilities since 1977

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DRTx September 2020 Newsletter:
Disability Rights Texas has continued our non-stop efforts to advocate for people with disabilities while addressing new rights issues arising from the pandemic. In the past 6 months, our COVID-19 work includes:
  • Representing more than 450 people in individual cases regarding housing, education, employment, and more
  • Sending formal request letters to the Governor asking the state to address inequalities and discrimination in healthcare and other services
  • Filing systemic discrimination complaints with state and federal agencies
In all, our staff has spent nearly 15,000 hours so far this year devoted to COVID-19 related issues alone. 

One of the other important things we do is provide you with the resources you need to know your rights and advocate for yourself. That's why we created a special COVID-19 page on our website with more than 20 new resources including videos plus links to information on other websites.

This month's newsletter is dedicated to making sure you know about the resources we have to help you know your rights during these pandemic times.  
Out and About

During the pandemic, many businesses require people to wear masks. For some people with disabilities who are at higher risk of serious illness from getting the virus, masks are critical. For others, wearing a mask may be difficult due to their specific disability. Learn more about your rights when mask policies are in place:
On the Job

One of our clients who has disabilities requested to increase the days she worked from home as a reasonable accommodation during the pandemic. Her employer denied her request and asked her to use paid time off to cover the days she was not in the office. She came to DRTx for help. We sent a demand letter requesting the accommodation and the employer allowed her to telecommute full-time and reimbursed her for the paid time off hours she took.

If you are facing problems with your job due to the pandemic, our resources on employment issues may help:
At Home

Many of our clients are in danger of being evicted due to loss of income and other reasons related to the pandemic. One of our clients asked us for help when she found herself in this situation: "Please help us from being put out on the street! Our landlord is trying to evict us because we have lost income due to the pandemic and are having trouble paying rent. I thought anyone with a medical condition like I have was exempt from this."
DRTx took her case and submitted an accommodation request to the landlord asking for a delayed payment plan and reminded the landlord about the federal eviction moratorium. The landlord set up payment arrangements and did not evict our client.

If you are facing issues related to housing, learn more in one of these resources: 
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At School

Because schools are using distance learning during the pandemic, parents continue to call us with concerns about support their children need in a virtual environment. Our staff has helped hundreds of these students who need accommodations and compensatory services by representing them at virtual ARD meetings as well as providing English and Spanish informational handouts and webinars for parents to use to advocate for their children. Some of our new resources include:
On Campus

 

As colleges, universities, trade and vocational schools make changes including moving to more online classes, we are helping students with disabilities on campuses to navigate issues with their housing, digital accessiblity of virtual courses, and more. 

We've created the following resources for college-aged students:
At the Doc's

With cases surging and medical resources reaching capacity, DRTx became increasingly concerned that medical providers would ration care and withhold treatment from people with disabilities like other states had attempted. DRTx pleaded twice through letters to the Texas Governor's Office asking for the issuance of statewide guidelines in keeping with federal anti-discrimination laws but received no response. 

We then learned that a North Texas group had issued discriminatory guidance, so DRTx filed a Department of Justice complaint against them. We later retracted the complaint since the region agreed to change guidelines. We continue to work with other groups to ensure non-discriminatory standards are issued and followed. 

Our staff has created the following resources to help you with healthcare issues during this time:
At The Polls

With COVID-19 still a threat, people are relying on the internet to get information about candidates and voting in their county for the upcoming election. But many people with disabilities are being left in the dark when it comes to getting information online. A DRTx investigation revealed that the majority of Texas county election websites are out of compliance with federal accessibility legal standards. 

After providing counties with our findings, we asked them to provide an action plan for correcting their websites. Some responded, but many did not. So DRTx filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice against 83 counties for having inaccessible election websites. Our goal is for all of these Texas counties to make necessary changes and comply with federal requirements. 

If you have questions about voting in the upcoming election, the following handout can help: 
Need Help?

If you are a Texan with a disability who believes your rights have been violated, please call us at:
  • Statewide Intake Line: 1-800-252-9108 
  • Sign Language Video Intake Line at 1-866-362-2851
  • Purple 2 Video Phone Line: 512-271-9391
Intake hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. 

Online Intake Available 24/7
Can't call during our regular intake hours or can't get through due to high call volume? You can click here to complete our online intake form 
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
DRTX Quick Links:
Our Website: 
Disability Rights Texas (previously named Advocacy Inc.) is the federally designated legal protection and advocacy agency (P&A) for people with disabilities in Texas. Its mission is to help people with disabilities understand and exercise their rights under the law, ensuring their full and equal participation in society. Visit www.DRTx.org for more information.