Organization
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund(DREDF)
A national civil rights law and policy centre co-founded in 1979 in Berkeley by people with disabilities. DREDF was instrumental in drafting the Americans with Disabilities Act and continues shaping federal disability policy.
About
The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) was founded on 1 October 1979 in Berkeley, California by Mary Lou Breslin, Patrisha Wright, and Robert Funk, growing out of a legal programme at the Center for Independent Living. DREDF maintains offices in Berkeley and Washington, DC, and is explicitly directed by individuals with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities.
What They Do
DREDF advances the civil and human rights of disabled people through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development. The organisation played a pivotal role in drafting and passing the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and the ADA Amendments Act (2008), and continues to litigate, advocate, and educate on the full range of disability civil rights.
Who They Serve
People with any disability, their families, and disability rights advocates nationwide. DREDF focuses on systemic change in federal law and public policy, with particular emphasis on education rights, healthcare access, and cross-disability civil rights protections.
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