In May, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued new regulations to enforce the original non-discrimination law for people with disabilities – Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. This was the first update of the 504 regulations since 1977, and included new provisions on health care, child welfare, communication, technology, and community integration. In September, Texas and 16 other states filed a lawsuit seeking to cancel these new regulations and declare the 1973 statutory provision unconstitutional. CPR, together with a broad disability coalition, organized a strategy to save 504 and defeat this lawsuit. Recently, CPR described the case, and efforts to defend 504 in the courts, in a community briefing to over 3,000 participants. In response, people with disabilities across the country are now informed about the threat to their civil rights, and demanding that their states withdraw from the lawsuit.
Press:
South Carolina AG backs away from lawsuit challenging disability civil rights
For more information, see:
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)’s Protect 504 page
DREDF’s FAQs