Protection and advocacy of individual rights (PAIR)

The Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services awarded the Disability Rights Center of Kansas, Inc. (DRC) $195,895 under the Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR) program on October 1, 2025, for the period through September 30, 2026.

DRC, the state-designated protection and advocacy system for individuals with disabilities in Kansas, delivers legal and human rights protection services to individuals with disabilities who are ineligible for services from other protection and advocacy programs or whose needs fall outside the scope of the Client Assistance Program. The award funds advocacy services at DRC's administrative office in Topeka, Kansas.

The PAIR program provides annual formula grants to state protection and advocacy systems to support protection and human rights services for individuals with disabilities. The award is subject to a restricted indirect cost rate under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and requires compliance with audit and record-retention requirements under 2 CFR Part 200 and 34 CFR Part 75. DRC maintains a diversified portfolio of federal disability rights funding, including concurrent formula grants for Traumatic Brain Injury Protection & Advocacy, Help America Vote Act voting access, Assistive Technology advocacy, and the Client Assistance Program, alongside mental illness and developmental disability protection grants.