Systems Advocacy

Office of Civil Rights

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html

Your Rights Under The Americans With Disabilities Act

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/ada.html

Your Rights Under Section 504 Of The Rehabilitation Act

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/504.html

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

http://www.eeoc.gov/types/ada.html

United States Department of Justice

http://www.usdoj.gov/civilliberties.htm

The Department’s Civil Rights Division is the primary institution within the federal government responsible for enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, handicap, religion, and national origin

Minnesota

Minnesota Department of Human Rights

http://www.humanrights.state.mn.us/index.html

Mission: To stop illegal discrimination and promote equal opportunity for all people in Minnesota

Human Services

http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/agencywd/eeo/civil.htm

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) works with county agencies and other providers. Together, we help eligible individuals and families’ meet basic human needs. To make services possible, DHS receives funding from federal agencies.

DHS is committed to providing equal access to all programs for eligible Minnesotans. Also, as a recipient of federal funding, we must treat applicants and clients fairly. To prevent discrimination, DHS has a civil rights plan. The plan includes an equal opportunity policy and a procedure for handling complaints. The plan also identifies a contact person who you can call to speak to about civil rights matters.

Congressional Delegation

Senator Al Franken

Senator Amy Klobuchar

Representative Collin Peterson (7th District)

Representative Chip Cravaack (8th District)

North Dakota

North Dakota Human Rights Division

http://www.state.nd.us/labor/services/human-rights

The Human Rights Division of the Department of Labor is responsible for enforcing the North Dakota Human Rights Act (N.D.C.C. chapter 14-02.4) and the North Dakota Housing Discrimination Act (N.D.C.C. chapter 14-02.5). This responsibility includes investigating complaints alleging discriminatory practices, educating the public about human rights laws, and studying the nature and extent of discrimination in North Dakota

Congressional Delegation

Senator Kent Conrad

Senator John Hoeven

Representative Rick Berg (At Large)

Other Advocacy Resources

ADAPT

http://www.adapt.org

ADAPT focuses on promoting services in the community instead of warehousing people with disabilities in institutions and nursing homes.

Justice for All (American Association of People with Disabilities)

http://www.jfanow.org

AAPD is the largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States, dedicated to ensuring economic self-sufficiency and political empowerment for the more than 56 million Americans with disabilities. AAPD works in coalition with other disability organizations for the full implementation and enforcement of disability nondiscrimination laws, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

National Organization on Disabilities

http://www.nod.org

The mission of the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) is to expand the participation and contribution of America’s 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life. By raising disability awareness through programs and information, together we can work toward closing the participation gaps .

North Dakota Disability Advocacy Consortium

http://www.nddac.org

The Consortium is an independent group of North Dakota organizations who are interested in advocating for public policy that will benefit North Dakotans with disabilities and their families.

Information and Referral

FirstLINK

http://www.irissoft.com/cri1

Community resource on-line directory

NDinfo.org

http://www.ndinfo.org/default.taf

Community Service Directory which enables parents, youth, and professionals to access information about agency services across the state of North Dakota.

MinnesotaHelp.info

http://www.minnesotahelp.info

An online directory of services designed to help people in Minnesota identify resources such as human services, information and referral, financial assistance, and other forms of aid and assistance within Minnesota.

Volunteer Center

http://www.volunteersolutions.org/firstlink/volunteer

Connect individuals to volunteer opportunities in their community. Volunteer Solutions helps volunteers, nonprofit agencies, corporations, event organizers, and Volunteer Centers get connected.

Mesothelioma

mesotheliomasymptoms.com
Learn about the symptoms of mesothelioma and ways to prevent the formation of cancer.

Independent Living Resource Locator

http://www.payingforseniorcare.com/

Searchable database of financial assistance resources for independent living, home modifications and assistive technology.

Community Education and Training

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has established ten regional centers to provide information, training, and technical assistance to employers, people with disabilities, and other entities with responsibilities under the ADA. The centers act as a “one-stop” central, comprehensive resource on ADA issues in employment, public services, public accommodations, and communications. Each center works closely with local business, disability, governmental, rehabilitation, and other professional networks to provide ADA information and assistance.