Protection and advocacy of individual rights (PAIR)

The Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services awarded $292,470 to the Center For Legal Advocacy on October 1, 2025, under the Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR) program, Assistance Listing 84.240. The award supports protection and advocacy services for individuals with disabilities whose legal and human rights fall outside the scope of other protection and advocacy programs or the Client Assistance Program. The recipient, doing business as The Legal Center For People With Disabilities And Older People, is Colorado's designated protection and advocacy system headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The funding period runs through September 30, 2026. This is a formula grant subject to a restricted indirect cost rate and a statutory non-supplanting requirement. The Center For Legal Advocacy holds seven active FY2026 federal grant awards totaling over $374,000 across multiple disability-focused programs administered by the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Disabilities, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Since 2021, the organization has delivered services including investigation of abuse and neglect, voting rights protection, community integration facilitation, benefits counseling, and systemic advocacy for individuals with disabilities and older adults.