Disability Rights Iowa

If serving the community is important to you - joining DRI's Board of Directors could be fulfilling!
What would you joining *this* board do for the community?
https://disabilityrightsiowa.org/who-we-are/board-of-directors/dri-board-member-duties/

Today should be a day of celebration, of recognition, and of moving forward. While difficult, that is exactly what we will be doing. We celebrate and honor the life of Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, we recognize the countless individuals with disabilities who lived entire lives trapped in institutions who should not have been. We move forward urging everyone who is concerned with the protection of Olmstead rights to contact Congress to express their desire to move forward towards a fully integrated life for every person with a disability who wants inclusion as the law continues to mandate.

DRI Statement on continuation of Olmstead Rights under Department of Justice internal memorandum - Home - Disability Rights Iowa Three days ago, on June 18, 2026, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released an internal memorandum regarding the Supreme Court of the United State’s ruling...

We're hiring a one year term Special Education Staff Attorney. For earliest consideration apply by: June 29, 2026.

Full job description linked here: https://disabilityrightsiowa.org/job-openings/special-education-attorney/

Image Description 1: text reads: we're hiring. black and white megaphone being held in top left corner.
Image Description 2: text reads: "special education attorney. The Disability Rights Staff Attorney will be responsible for providing legal service to clients with disabilities in special education issues, including advice, negotiation, representation in administrative hearings, litigation in state and federal court, and administrative and policy advocacy in accordance with program priorities and case handling policies."

Applications are open for our Board of Directors! Who are we
searching for?
https://disabilityrightsiowa.org/who-we-are/board-of-directors/dri-board-member-duties/

Are you getting excited to apply for the Board of Directors?
Here is a bit more information on what the application process will be. Apply
away! https://disabilityrightsiowa.org/who-we-are/board-of-directors/dri-board-member-duties/

Applications to join DRI’s Board of Directors close on June 30th. Position description and application details can be found on our website at https://disabilityrightsiowa.org/who-we-are/board-of-directors/dri-board-member-duties/
Applications are open until 11:59pm on June 30th, 2026.

On June 18, 2026, the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel issued a slip opinion that directly attacks decades of progress toward equality, inclusion, and community living for people with disabilities. We strongly condemn this attempt to undermine the fundamental principle that people with disabilities have the right to live, work, learn, and receive services in their communities rather than be segregated in institutions. For generations, advocates, families, and people with disabilities have fought to dismantle systems of isolation and exclusion. This opinion rejects that hard-won progress and disregards the experiences of millions of Americans whose lives have been transformed by community-based services and supports.

Although this opinion does not overturn Olmstead v. L.C., repeal the Americans with Disabilities Act, or invalidate decades of federal court precedent, it sends a deeply troubling message about the Administration's intentions. The opinion is inconsistent with longstanding interpretations of federal disability rights law embraced by courts and administrations of both parties. By questioning the legal foundations of the Integration Mandate, it threatens the protections that help people avoid unnecessary institutionalization, remain connected to their families, secure stable housing, access education and employment, and participate fully in civic life. At a time when community-based supports are already under strain, this effort risks reversing decades of bipartisan progress and weakening one of the most successful civil rights movements in our nation's history.

“Our vision is rooted in hope and in the belief that people with disabilities belong in their communities, with the supports, opportunities, and dignity they deserve—and we will not go back,” said Marlene Sallo, Executive Director. We reject any effort to return to systems that separate people with disabilities from their communities or limit their choices and independence. We will continue to defend the protections and promises of Olmstead, the ADA, and Section 504; protect the services that make community living possible; and stand with people with disabilities and their families in the fight for equality, dignity, and self-determination. The work of community integration is not over, and our commitment to keeping people in their communities and homes remains as strong as ever.

Thank you to Principal® Foundation for awarding a grant to Disability Rights Iowa to
build agency capacity! Principal® Foundation is a global nonprofit organization
committed to providing financial resources and tools to help people and
communities build better and brighter futures. We're so grateful that Principal® Foundation believes in our mission. To learn more and join
Principal® Foundation in
supporting DRI's critical work, please visit www.driowa.org/donate and https://www.principalfoundation.org/

The federal government has proposed big changes to programs that support students with disabilities.

This is not a niche issue. Disability affects communities across the US: 1 in 6 children, or 17% of the population, has a disability of some kind. This decision will impact your friends, neighbors, and the future of our nation.

The federal government’s plan would move special education programs and civil rights enforcement out of the Department of Education and into different agencies.

NDRN, and disability advocates across the US, are concerned because these systems are supposed to work together to support individuals with disabilities.

When these programs are split across agencies, it can:
- Make it harder for families to get help
- Slow down responses to discrimination cases
- Create confusion about where to go for support

Advocates also warn this decision moves us away from treating disability as a civil rights issue, and back toward seeing it as a medical issue.

Federal law has required a coordinated approach to education and disability rights. For nearly half a century, Congress has intentionally aligned educational access, transition services, workforce preparation, vocational rehabilitation, and civil rights enforcement within a single agency, recognizing that educational achievement and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities are deeply interconnected.

Students with disabilities have the right to learn, belong, and succeed in school. Without strong, coordinated protections, these rights are at risk.