Disability Rights Michigan

Disability Rights Michigan, operating as Advocacy For People With Disabilities, is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, that has been registered in SAM.gov since August 2004. The organization serves as Michigan's designated protection and advocacy system for individuals with disabilities, providing comprehensive legal advocacy, rights protection, and support services across multiple disability populations. Through its federal grant portfolio, Disability Rights Michigan delivers critical services designed to ensure that individuals with disabilities can exercise their legal and constitutional rights, access community services, and participate fully in civic life. The organization functions as a crucial intermediary between vulnerable populations and their ability to obtain necessary accommodations, legal remedies, and advocacy support.

Disability Rights Michigan's federal grant awards span multiple federal agencies and support diverse disability rights programs. From the Administration on Disabilities, the organization receives formula grants supporting the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program, which addresses complaints of abuse and neglect for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances; the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Protection and Advocacy program; the Assistive Technology (AT) Protection and Advocacy program; and the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Protection and Advocacy program. From the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Disability Rights Michigan receives formula grants for the Protection and Advocacy of Individual Rights (PAIR), the Client Assistance Program (CAP), and the Rehabilitation Services Client Assistance Program, which provide advocacy and legal representation to individuals navigating vocational rehabilitation and independent living services. The organization also holds formula grants from the Administration on Disabilities for the Voting Access (PAVA) program, ensuring electoral participation for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, Disability Rights Michigan receives project grants from the Social Security Administration for the Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security program and the Representative Payee Review Project, supporting individuals receiving Social Security benefits. The organization maintains sub-grant partnerships with the University of Illinois for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) training, information dissemination, and technical assistance through the ADA Michigan committee, and with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for COVID-19 vaccination outreach efforts targeting underserved populations with disabilities.