Protection and advocacy of individual rights (pair)

The Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services awarded Disability Rights California $1,922,519 under the Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR) program on October 1, 2025, for the period through September 30, 2026. The award funds protection and advocacy services for individuals with disabilities across California who are ineligible for services from other protection and advocacy programs or whose needs fall outside the Client Assistance Program scope. Disability Rights California, the state's designated protection and advocacy system, delivers legal representation, systemic investigations, benefits counseling, training, information dissemination, community integration support, and voting accessibility services to individuals with disabilities statewide. The organization is based in Sacramento, California. The PAIR program provides annual formula grants to state-designated protection and advocacy agencies and the protection and advocacy system serving the American Indian Consortium to protect the legal and human rights of individuals with disabilities. The award is subject to a restricted indirect cost rate under the statutory non-supplanting requirement.