Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC) is North Carolina’s Protection and Advocacy (P&A) organization. DRNC focuses on changing laws, policies, practices, and systems that affect people with disabilities across the state. To help guide our work and use our resources effectively, we establish Advocacy Targets (priority issues) that identify where our efforts can create the greatest impact for people with disabilities across North Carolina. We seek community input to develop these targets.
DRNC’s PROPOSED Advocacy Targets for fiscal year 2027
- Community Living — Reduce unnecessary institutionalization and improve access to Home and Community-Based Services and Supports (HCBS) Learn More
2027 PROPOSED Targets full details
Beyond individual legal representation, DRNC engages in a range of advocacy activities to advance these priorities and protect the rights of people with disabilities. These activities support our Advocacy Targets, federally mandated programs, and other funded initiatives.
Core advocacy activities
Information, referral and self-advocacy support
A key part of DRNC’s work is providing information and support for self-advocacy among people with disabilities. We provide information and referral services, help direct disabled people to community resources, conduct outreach and education, and offer self-advocacy materials to help people learn about and enforce disability rights. DRNC maximizes its impact by supporting disabled in understanding and advocating for their own legal rights.
Monitoring and investigations
DRNC has the authority and duty to monitor places where people with disabilities live or receive services to find and prevent neglect, fraud, and abuse. We conduct investigations to ensure disabled people are not harmed and advocate for systemic reforms.
Sometimes we focus on specific issues, like making sure residents and patients in facilities have access to assistive technology; or, looking into how children are cared for in psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs). By shifting our focus based on community complaints, reports, and changing laws or policies, DRNC addresses current problems, prevents new ones, and improves disability services.
Within our available resources, DRNC will:
- Visit different types of facilities, speak with residents/students and staff, and determine if these places are safe and following legal standards
- Investigate deaths and complaints of abuse, neglect, or rights violations in facilities
- Find individuals who can and want to live in the community with support and help them transition safely to the community with the right services
- Advocate for reforms to improve quality of care and protect the rights of disabled people in facilities
Outreach
DRNC’s outreach work involves connecting with disabled people, organizations, communities, and other interested groups. We aim to raise awareness about our services, educate people about disability rights, and help individuals access the resources and support they need to live independently in the communities they choose.
DRNC also identifies and assists people with disabilities who have been affected by natural disasters or public health emergencies, and advocates for disability-informed and prepared emergency response systems.
Public policy advocacy
DRNC educates public policy-makers to ensure that the perspectives of people with disabilities are considered in North Carolina’s laws, rules, policies, and procedures.
Voting rights
DRNC advances voting rights by making sure groups that work on voter engagement consider the needs of voters with disabilities and make their efforts accessible. We work to remove obstacles to voting, identify and address barriers at polling sites, and offer non-partisan information about voting to people with disabilities.
Representative payee reviews
DRNC conducts reviews to ensure that disabled people who have a representative payee managing their Social Security benefits are not abused, neglected, or exploited. Our representative payee reviews include:
- An interview with the individual or organizational representative payee
- A review of the representative payee’s financial records for a beneficiary, or a sampling of multiple beneficiaries served
- A home visit and interview for each beneficiary included in the review
- An interview with legal guardians and third parties when applicable
DRNC seeks private grant funding and charitable donations to expand our capacity to advance and defend disability rights, respond to unmet needs, and strengthen advocacy efforts with and for people with disabilities across North Carolina.