Disability Rights Pennsylvania

Disability Rights Pennsylvania is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that has been registered to receive federal awards since August 2004. The organization serves as Pennsylvania's designated protection and advocacy agency for individuals with disabilities, providing comprehensive legal services, advocacy, training, and systemic support to ensure the full inclusion and protection of vulnerable populations across the Commonwealth. Through its federal grant portfolio, Disability Rights Pennsylvania delivers essential services focused on protecting the civil and human rights of individuals with disabilities while promoting their independence, productivity, integration, and community inclusion.

Disability Rights Pennsylvania has maintained a robust and consistent federal grant funding stream from multiple agencies, demonstrating its critical role in disability rights advocacy. The organization receives recurring formula grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Disabilities across several statutory programs, including the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (PADD), the Assistive Technology Act Protection and Advocacy Program (PAAT), the Traumatic Brain Injury Act Protection and Advocacy Program (PATB), and the Help America Vote Act Protection and Advocacy Program (PAVA), which collectively support legal representation, abuse and neglect investigations, voting access initiatives, assistive technology services, and rights-based training for individuals with developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries. Additionally, Disability Rights Pennsylvania receives formula grant support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services for its Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program, providing $389,689 annually to address complaints of abuse, neglect, and rights violations affecting adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. The organization also receives formula grants from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services under the Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR) program, as well as project grants and cooperative agreements from the Social Security Administration for work incentives planning and assistance services and initiatives supporting employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. These diverse funding streams, which collectively span multiple fiscal years with awards extending through 2030, reflect Disability Rights Pennsylvania's multifaceted mission to investigate and pursue administrative and legal remedies for rights violations, facilitate assistive technology acquisition, ensure voting access, support employment opportunities, and deliver comprehensive advocacy services to Pennsylvania's disability community.