For decades, a funding source called IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts) has supported civil legal services in North Carolina, as in all 50 states, DC, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The recently released State budget contains language that will drastically reduce – and for some legal services providers, including DRNC – eliminate this source of funding. This means reduced access to desperately needed advocacy and legal assistance for people with lower incomes across our state.
What is at stake:
Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC), as North Carolina’s federally designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) organization, is dedicated to advancing and defending the rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, investigations, monitoring, public policy advocacy, education, and self-advocacy support. Every year, thousands of North Carolinians with disabilities and their families turn to DRNC for help protecting their rights, accessing critical services and supports, remaining in their communities, and addressing discrimination. Today, the need for DRNC’s legal services is greater than ever.
Funding from North Carolina’s IOLTA program has allowed DRNC to expand our work and respond to rapidly growing needs across the state. Last year, the NC General Assembly’s freeze on IOLTA funding cut more than $400,000 from DRNC’s anticipated revenue. That loss forced difficult decisions and reduced our staff at a time when people with disabilities need us most.
Now, changes to the IOLTA program in the state budget will reduce funding available to civil legal aid organizations in North Carolina by millions of dollars and limit the organizations eligible to receive IOLTA support. The new stipulations tied to IOLTA funds will hinder many organizations from serving their clients and fulfilling their missions.
For DRNC and our constituency of approximately 3 million disabled North Carolinians, these changes have serious consequences. Fewer resources mean fewer people receiving advocacy and legal support, longer response times, fewer investigations and monitoring activities, and fewer opportunities to address the systemic barriers that affect people with disabilities across our state – all at a time we face crushing demands for legal help.
The impact extends far beyond people with disabilities. When disabled people cannot access the services, supports, and legal protections they need, the effects ripple throughout communities, increasing pressure on families, health care systems, social services, emergency response systems, and other public resources. Disability advocacy and civil legal services help prevent crises, promote independence, strengthen families, and reduce reliance on more costly public systems.
North Carolina continues to face significant challenges related to housing, employment, education, health and mental health care, disaster recovery, and other services. There could hardly be a worse time to reduce access to advocacy and legal services for people with disabilities and others who have low incomes.
Despite these challenges, our commitment remains unchanged. DRNC will continue to fight for the rights of people with disabilities across North Carolina. Our team remains determined, strategic, and focused on ensuring that people with disabilities have a strong, independent advocate.
Meeting this moment will require the support of our community.
If you believe in DRNC’s mission, please consider making a gift to support our work. We also welcome conversations about potential funding opportunities, partnerships, corporate connections, and other ideas that can help sustain and strengthen our advocacy. Making up for a funding loss amounting to several hundred thousand dollars will be difficult to achieve. Your support, whether financial, strategic, or through your network, can make a meaningful difference.
People with disabilities in North Carolina need a strong, independent voice now more than ever. With your support, DRNC will continue to be that voice.