National Disability Rights Network

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NDRN is the nation's largest provider of legally based advocacy services for people with disabilities

We invite you to become a part of the community here and post or comment on a regular basis. NDRN is dedicated to building a safe and secure community online. We ask that you not use graphic language, post pornographic or offensive images, use language that is derogatory to specific people, engage in personal attacks, or reveal personal information about yourself or others. Any comments or posts that violate these posting guidelines will be removed by the account manager

10/13/2026

NDRN is hiring a Staff Attorney (or Senior Staff Attorney)! We’re seeking an advocate for children and youth with disabilities to join our Facilities and Community Integration team. 🔍

More details:
📍 Location: Remote

Senior Staff Attorney
💼 Qualifications: 7+ years of legal experience
💰 Salary range: $100,000 - $110,000

Staff Attorney
💼 Qualifications: 3 - 6 years of legal experience
💰 Salary range: $83,000 - $93,000

Join the national voice for disability rights and help protect the rights of people with disabilities!

🔗 Explore the listing and apply today: https://www.ndrn.org/about/careers/

10/09/2026

Too many people with disabilities don't have jobs or are stuck in unstable jobs. Many jobs do not treat people with disabilities fairly.

When a disabled person applies for a job, they may face:

Complicated applications.
Risk of losing benefits like Medicaid.
Ableist tests that don’t measure job skills.

Once a disabled person gets a job, they often deal with:

Lack of support.
Ableism from coworkers, clients, or customers.
Being overlooked for promotions or special training.

We must make workplaces more accessible for people with disabilities.

10/07/2026

Many neighborhoods are built around driving. What would it look like if we built them differently?

Across the country, people without cars already know the system has gaps:

🛣️ missing sidewalks,
🚌 delayed buses, and
🚦 crossing signals that don’t give people enough time.

These gaps keep people with disabilities from getting where they need to go. Disabled people often get left behind.

For one week, October 1-8, we invite you to navigate your community without driving. Learn about the challenges that the nondrivers in your community experience every day.

We can make our communities work better for all of us, especially those who cannot drive.

Learn more at Week Without Driving and America Walks.

10/05/2026

Do you know what ID you need to vote in your state?

Voting is one way we shape the decisions that affect our lives. Don't leave your vote to chance. Check your local election website before you go, so you arrive with what you need and no surprises.

Feel confident on election day: take a minute to map out your voting plan at NationalVoterEducationWeek.org/vote.

10/02/2026

Congratulations to disabled icon and friend-of-NDRN Lachi for being featured in Forbes for the very important disability representation work she's advancing through her music.

Today, on , we leave you with this quote from their coverage:

"A child who only ever meets disability as pity or heroism learns to treat disabled people as exceptions. A child who grows up with disabled characters who are funny, ordinary, powerful and whole learns that these are the people they will work with, love and learn from."

Read all about it: https://www.forbes.com/sites/keelycatwells/2026/09/21/lachis-new-album-gives-disabled-kids-the-story-theyre-missing/

09/30/2026

As election day approaches, disability advocates across the country are protecting:

✉️ mail-in voting,
📋 absentee voting,
🗳️ voting rights for adults under guardianship, and
♿ the voter accommodations process.

It’s more important than ever to make sure that people with disabilities can access their right to vote.

Featuring advocacy by:
Disability Rights Mississippi
Disability Rights Wisconsin
League of Women Voters of the US
disAbility Law Center of Virginia
The Arc of Virginia
Disability Rights Connecticut

🗞️ Read the stories:
1. Mississippi Mail-In Voting Victory: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/923113112/press-release-drms-celebrates-supreme-court-decision-protecting-access-to-the-ballot

2. Absentee Voters with Print Disabilities in Wisconsin: https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/in-victory-for-voting-rights-court-rules-wisconsins-absentee-voting-system-illegally-discriminates-against-voters-with-print-disabilities/

3. New Voting Rights Protections for Individuals Under Guardianship in Virginia: https://www.wvtf.org/news/2026-03-23/virginias-disabled-community-praises-new-voting-rights-protections

4. Mail Ballot Grace Period Protects Thousands of Voters in Kansas: https://elias.law/press-release/court-blocks-kansas-law-eliminating-mail-ballot-grace-period-protecting-thousands-of-voters-from-disenfranchisement/

5. Connecticut Ballot Measure Could Make Voting More Inclusive: https://boltsmag.org/connecticut-ballot-measure-no-excuse-mail-voting-voters-with-disabilities/

09/29/2026

As a child, Author Nanette Opperman learned to navigate a world that often underestimated her. Today, the author, advocate, and C2 spinal cord injury survivor helps others understand disability through storytelling and self-advocacy.

In this conversation with NDRN's Raquel Rosa, Nanette shares personal reflections on growing up with a disability, finding her voice, writing children's books, and advocating for herself.

This Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month, take time to hear her story and the powerful reminder at its center:

"Listen to the people you are trying to help."

Nanette's Grandest Adventure

💜 Check out the conversation:
https://youtu.be/1y_PmTRfNt4?si=maY1MGWQGkPlKyc-

09/28/2026

We need accurate data in order to make good decisions. But currently, Census data severely undercounts people with disabilities. So when leaders make funding or policy decisions, people with disabilities are left out.

The solution: transparent, accessible, and community-informed Census practices. That means:

📋 accessible and easy-to-complete surveys,
📊 more detailed and flexible questions about disability, and
🔐 transparency about how data will be used and protected.

NDRN brought together a group of data experts, Census workers, and disability advocates to find these solutions.

Learn more:https://www.ndrn.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Make-it-Count-Census-Report-2026-1.pdf

09/25/2026

The Rehabilitation Act was signed in 1973. Disabled people didn’t get protections until 4 years later.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act passed in 1977 thanks to activism by disabled people (e.g. 504 Sit-Ins). Section 504 protects people with disabilities from exclusion and mistreatment in any place that gets money from the United States government.

The Section 504 rules:

☑️ Help students with disabilities learn and be included at school.
☑️ Prevent hospitals from refusing care to disabled people.
☑️ Protect people with intellectual and developmental disabilities’ right to clear information at the doctor’s office.
☑️ Make sure that wheelchair users, D/deaf and hard-of-hearing people, and people who are blind or low-vision can use physical tools and websites.

If you have faced barriers related to your Section 504 rights, your Protection and Advocacy (P&A) can help. Find your P&A: https://www.ndrn.org/about/ndrn-member-agencies/

Video adapted from “The Power of 504” by the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

09/22/2026

It takes a special person to put in the heavy lifting work behind the scenes to makes advocacy happen.

For decades, Kenneth Shiotani has worked zealously to make transportation, housing and community life more accessible for people with disabilities. Over the years, Ken has been known to many as NDRN’s resident “train guy.” In this capacity, he helped advance critical conversations about transportation barriers.

As an expert on all things ADA, Ken has advanced the disability rights movement through his contributions in legal, policy and coalition-building work. He coordinated countless Amicus Briefs, authored investigative reports, and used his voice and expertise in the media, all in hopes of creating a more inclusive world.

Ken has consistently brought thoughtfulness, integrity and empathy to his work as an advocate for people with disabilities.

Congratulations and a great big thank you to Ken for his dedicated years of service!

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Website

https://linktr.ee/ndrnadvocates, http://www.ndrn.org/

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