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Suicide Rates in NC Jails at Record Highs
Suicide Rates in NC Jails at Record Highs but Sheriffs Block Reforms For Immediate Release 6/02/2020 Contact: Susan Pollitt: 919-856-2195 ext. 224, susan.pollitt@disabilityrightsnc.org or Luke Woollard: 919-856-2195 ext. 211, luke.woollard@disabilityrightsnc.org A report issued today by Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC)
Statement on the Murder of George Floyd
Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC) condemns the ongoing criminalization of Black bodies. Race-based brutality must end. People with disabilities are found in every color, class, religion, gender expression and age. The fight for racial equality is our fight. George Floyd’s
Ben is back in school
When Ben’s mom called DRNC, it seemed impossible to get him back in school, learning and making friends. Ben had just been placed on homebound by his school a second year in a row. He was middle school student with
New law keeps kids in juvenile court
A new North Carolina law, Raise the Age, keeps 16 and 17-year-old kids with disabilities in the juvenile court system where they have access to much-needed educational and behavioral resources. DRNC recently advocated to help non-violent 16 and 17-year-old offenders
COVID-19 in Facilities
COVID-19 in Facilities DRNC is working to make sure that people with disabilities who live in facilities* stay safe and that their rights are protected during the COVID-19 crisis. We are using phone, email and video calls to connect with
Complaint concerning the NC Protocol for Allocating Scarce Inpatient Critical Care Resources in a Pandemic
Disability Rights NC files complaint concerning State’s Protocol on Scarce Inpatient Critical Care Resources You may have seen stories in the news recently about discrimination in health care. People with disabilities are being put at the back of the line
Reasonable Accommodations to Hospital Restricted Visitor Policies
Reasonable Accommodations to Hospital Restricted Visitor Policies The Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act mandate that hospitals provide reasonable accommodations to patients with disabilities. The COVID-19 crisis has prompted many hospitals to change some of
Death Toll in NC Facilities
DRNC Responds to Deplorable Death Toll in NC Facilities The number of residents in institutions and facilities who are infected and dying from COVID-19 is growing at an alarming rate in North Carolina.1 These deaths far exceed national averages among
Social Security beneficiaries’ rights to stimulus money
Social Security beneficiaries’ rights to stimulus money Disability Rights North Carolina sent a letter to the NC Department of Health and Human Services requesting they provide urgent direction to all licensed residential providers serving Social Security Administration (SSA) beneficiaries with
Legal Issues Unpacked
A series of videos with DRNC staff in conversations with Tori Ekstrand, associate professor UNC Hussman School of Media and Journalism. EPISODE 3: Special Education during COVID-19 EPISODE 2: Disability Advocacy during COVID-19 with Corye Dunn EPISODE 1: Medical
Increased outbreaks in correctional facilities because social distancing is impossible
Increased outbreaks in correctional facilities because social distancing is impossible North Carolina prisons and jails are petri dishes for corona virus. “COVID-19 will spread like wildfire in our overcrowded, unhygienic prisons, and present a health risk to entire communities,”
Civil Rights Groups File Emergency Lawsuit
Civil Rights Groups File Emergency Lawsuit to Demand Governor, State Officials Protect Incarcerated People from COVID-19 The ACLU of North Carolina, Disability Rights North Carolina, Emancipate NC, Forward Justice, and the National Juvenile Justice Network filed a lawsuit today seeking emergency action
Social Distancing Impossible in Overcrowded Jails
Social distancing impossible in overcrowded jails: DRNC urges immediate action North Carolina jails are chronically overcrowded, making social distancing impossible. Jail overcrowding breaks down the basic function of the jails, according to the DOJ National Institute for Corrections. In 2018,
COVID-19 Scarce Resource Protocol
On March 27, 2020, DRNC CEO Virginia Knowlton Marcus sent a letter to Secretary Mandy Cohen as part of our current efforts to make sure that any medical care rationing policies adopted by the state of North Carolina value the
DOT punishes disability community with proposed regulations
Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC) is profoundly disappointed in the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) proposed regulations regarding service animals on aircrafts. Although intended to prevent airline passengers from falsely claiming their pets are service animals, the rules are misguided, overly