Protecting and advocating for the rights of Texans with disabilities - because all people have dignity and worth. 
photos of people with disabilites
The Rights Times
Summer 2017 Newsletter
In This Edition:
  • No Longer Lost in Translation: Google Translate at DRTx.org
  • Winston & Strawn: Pro Bono Attorneys of the Year
  • Students Back on Track through Educational Advocacy
  • New: Supported Decision-Making Comprehensive Guide
Google logo with the word translate and drop down box that says select language

DRTx Website Now Has Translation Capabilities
You can now read the DRTx website in Spanish, Vietnamese, or Chinese thanks to our recently added Google translate function. It is the last option on the blue horizontal menu at the top of our site.

The function only translates text on our web pages but does not translate words that are in images (like the scrolling photos on our home page) or the words in any of our downloadable PDF handouts. If you need one of our handouts in another language, please call 512-454-4816 and we will be glad to supply a copy.  
Winston _ Strawn logo

Winston & Strawn Named DRTx Pro Bono Partner of the Year
Winston & Strawn's Houston office received the 2016 DRTx Pro Bono Partner of the Year Award at our Spring Fling Fundraiser on April 5. The firm also served as a sponsor of the event.

In 2016, Winston & Strawn attorneys partnered with DRTx on ten cases which included representation of students with disabilities accessing special education services and other individuals with disabilities facing discrimination. Thank you to Winston & Strawn for their commitment to our clients!
teen boy in computer class

From Justice System to School Success
Youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice system encounter unique hurdles in accessing education. Often schools refer to the juvenile justice system without identifying a student's need for special education services or providing sufficient academic and positive behavior supports.
 
Fortunately, DRTx began working with the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department (HCJPD) in early 2016 to provide education advocacy and support services to probation-involved youth and their families, as well as the juvenile probation officers who work with them. 

Since the program began, we have helped more than...

Donate Now_ Support our mission. Sustain our services.

When You Give to DRTx, You Change Lives
With your help, we can continue to protect and advocate for thousands of people in Texas who face discrimination because of their disabilities.  Your generous, tax-deductible gift - whether $10, $100, or $1,000 - will help keep us standing strong. 

And we've just made donating to DRTx easier than ever before. Now you can use  PayPal or the donate button on the  DRTx Facebook page. 

African American man with Down Syndrome using a laptop with his mother at home

Comprehensive Supported Decision-Making Guide Now Available
Thanks to a grant from the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, we now have a great new resource: "The Right to Make Choices: A Supported Decision-Making Toolkit for People with Disabilities and Their Supporters." 

This comprehensive manual includes information on supported decision-making, alternatives to guardianship, a list of supports and services, sample legal forms, and more. 

For a hard copy in English or Spanish, please  call 512-454-4816. Or you can download an electronic version in English or Spanish from our website.   

We are also are developing a version of the guide for specific use by people with intellectual or developmental disabilities that will be available this fall. 
Need Help?
If you are a Texan with a disability who believes your rights have been violated, please call our Intake Line at 1.800.252.9108 or our Sign Language Video Intake Line at 1.888.362.2851. 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? 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.
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