Making DC a Better Place for Children, Youth and Adults with Disabilities
Bill 16-866: Disability Rights Protection Act of 2006
Parents: Support the Disability Rights Protection Act of 2006! The Disability Rights Protection Act of 2006 is designed to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which integrates people with disabilities fully into mainstream American life and prohibits discrimination of individuals with disabilities, especially in terms of employment. Ultimately, this bill will make DC a better place for children and adults with disabilities to live, work, and play.

What will the bill do?
The bill will advance the civil rights of DC children, youth and adults with disability by establishing:
• ADA Compliance Program – a citywide system of compliance and monitoring to guarantee the full implementation of ADA in the District of Columbia.
• Office of Disability Rights – to coordinate the ADA Compliance Program, make sure that the DC government complies with the ADA and related disabilities laws, to help people with disabilities who have questions about their disability rights.

How will Bill 16-866 make DC a better place for children with disabilities?
The bill will:
• Increase access to DC facilities, including public schools, and services.
• Encourage government agencies to think and operate more inclusively for children, youth and adults with disabilities.
• For example, many parks and recreation centers are not fully accessible to students with disabilities and there are few accessible summer opportunities. The new bill will clarify requirements for full accessibility and the new Office of Disability Rights will help the Department of Parks and Recreation accommodate children, youth and adults.
• Support DC agencies in assisting people with disabilities through ADA-related training, technical assistance, and information on community resources.
• Investigate actions or inactions of agencies that violate ADA regulations.
• Provide information and referral, legal information, and assistance with filing complaints to individuals who have questions about their disability rights and obstacles to receiving services through the Office of Disability Rights.

Bottom line
The Disability Rights Protection Act will make the ADA a reality, helping children, youth and adults with disabilities in the District to be part of everyday life in their communities. The Disability Protection Act will enforce ADA regulations in government spaces and will provide an ADA-related resource center for government agencies, private companies, and members of the disability community.

What Can You DO???
ADVOCATE! ADVOCATE! ADVOCATE!
• Your help is needed to make the Disability Rights Protection Act a reality!

For more information contact:
• T.J. Sutcliffe- (202) 636-2963 or email at tjsutcliffe@arcdc.net
• Amber Harding- (202) 328-5503 or email at amber@legalclinic.org
• Advocates for Justice and Education- (202) 678-8060