Our mission

2. Our mission is to protect the legal rights of people with disabilities through individual and systems advocacy.

3. DisabilityRights NC values the dignity of ALL people and their freedom to control their own lives. We work for justice, upholding the fundamental rights of people with disabilities to live free from harm in the communities of their choicewith the opportunity to participate fully and equally in society.

4. DisabilityRights NC believes that • Individuals with disabilities have abilities and strengths - we focus on the possible. • Individuals with disabilities (and their legal guardian if they have one) are the primary decision makers and have a role in decision making.

5. North Carolina’s P&A DisabilityRights NC is the state‘s protection and advocacy system or P&A. • We are a federally mandated system - there is one in every state. • We have several different federally ‘programs’ each with a specific focus.

6. Who does DisabilityRights NC serves? • People with disabilities who have a: • Intellectual/Developmental Disability; • Mental Illness; • Traumatic Brain Injury; • Sensory Impairments; or • Functional limitation consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

7. What DisabilityRights NC Does • Provide information and referral services. • Represent individuals or groups of individuals with disabilities. • Use other appropriate remedies (issue reports, educate policy makers, etc.)

8. DisabilityRights NC also • Has a regular presence in facilities by monitoring conditions where people with disabilities live and/or receive services. • Investigates allegations of abuse and neglect if there is probable cause to believe that they occurred.

9. DisabilityRights NC has the responsibility to • Represent the expressed wishes of our client - the person with the disability - while ensuring that systems of care and service are safe, humane and promote productivity, independence, integration and inclusion. • Balance the needs of the individual with the need for systemic change.

10. DisabilityRights NC Can • Investigate allegations of abuse or neglect in settings where people with disabilities live, work, or go to school; • Remove barriers to technology - like communication devices, service animals, power wheelchairs, lifts or ramps; • Address discrimination in housing, transportation, employment (help people go to or return to work), and access to public and private programs and services;

11. DisabilityRights NC also protects • Rights to basic support, personal care, private duty nursing, other therapies, or health care necessary allow a person with a disability to live in their own home; • The rights to an appropriate education; or • The right to register to vote and remove any barrier to voting.

12. We believe NC needs to: • Develop an array of housing options including sufficient scattered site supportive housing in the most integrated setting appropriate to individual needs • Ensure that each individual are offered the supports and services needed to enable them to live successfully in their housing • Move from an over reliance on large congregate settings

13. What We Cannot Do • Drafting of wills, trusts, and estate planning; • Representation in criminal proceedings; • Bankruptcy matters; and • Real Estate.

14. 2012 Targets and beyond What is a TARGET and why does Disability Rights North Carolina have them?

15. 2626 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 550 Raleigh, NC, 27608 Toll-Free: (877) 235-4210 Phone: (919) 856-2195 Website: www.disabilityrightsnc.org Email: info@disabilityrightsnc.org