Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund

The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), located in Berkeley, California, and Washington, DC, US, is a national cross-disability civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. Founded in 1979, DREDF advances the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development.

The directing attorney is Arlene B. Mayerson. The Berkeley office is located in the Ed Roberts Campus.

The 1980s
DREDF's early efforts focused on:


 * building alliances with the national civil rights leadership
 * preventing the Reagan administration's Task Force on Regulatory Relief's attempts to de-regulate the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The 1990s
Following passage of the ADA, DREDF focused on preserving the new law and shaping its implementation by providing nationwide training and technical assistance and by writing and publishing a legal series that presented ADA legislative history and commentary. In a series of cases, DREDF wins the right of children with disabilities requiring healthcare assistance (such as diabetes and asthma) to receive such assistance in pre-school and recreational settings. In an effort to promote community integration, DREDF works with community and legal groups to challenge the continued institutionalization of disabled residents in San Francisco's Laguna Honda Hospital and to create community-based alternatives. Other ADA litigation also opens doors to movie theaters, hotels, banking services, and gas stations. DREDF represents Members of Congress is a trilogy of cases involving the definition of disability under the ADA. Continuing its commitment to IDEA implementation, DREDF achieves a series of litigation victories that establish a national precedent for full inclusion of children with disabilities in regular classes in Holland v. Sacramento City School District and establishes educational rights for children with disabilities in East Palo Alto, California. As interest in disability rights gains international momentum, disability rights leaders from 17 countries invite legal and policy staff to consult and collaborate on strategies for advancing policy in their countries.

The 2000s and beyond
Other litigation succeeds in requiring the US Social Security Administration to provide all notices to beneficiaries in alternative formats.