Funding Fact Sheet: Legal Advocacy Organizations


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Client Assistance Program (CAP) Center for Disability Law & Policy

Toll-Free Voice / TTY: 888-745-2357
Email: info@equalemployment.org
Website: www.equalemployment.org

Philadelphia
1617 JFK Boulevard, Suite 800
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Voice/TTY: 215-557-7112
Fax: 215-557-7602

Harrisburg
2 N. 2nd St., Suite 100
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Voice: 717-236-8800
Fax: 717-236-8800

The Client Assistance Program provides free advocacy services to individuals with disabilities throughout Pennsylvania who may be seeking or receiving services (including assistive technology) from the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), including the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS), Supported Employment Programs (SEPs), and Centers for Independent Living (CILs). CAP services consist of information and referral, mediation / negotiation, and assistance with appeals.

The Center for Disability Law & Policy (CDLP) provides advocacy to individuals with disabilities throughout Pennsylvania. This includes assisting those individuals to pursue administrative, legal and other remedies to ensure the protection of their rights under the Rehabilitation Act and Americans with Disabilities Act.

The CDLP website contains informative publications, such as A Guide to Disability Rights and Job Applicants and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania

Voice: 800-692-7443
TTY: 877-375-7139
Email: Intake@drnpa.org
Website: http://drnpa.org

Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRN) is a statewide, non-profit corporation designated as the federally-mandated organization to advance and protect the civil rights of adults and children with disabilities. DRN works with people with disabilities and their families, organizations, and advocates. DRN works to ensure the rights of people with disabilities to live in their communities with the services they need, to receive a full and inclusive education, to live free of discrimination, abuse, and neglect, and to have control and self-determination over their services. DRN promotes equal and unhindered access to employment, transportation, public accommodations, and government services for people with disabilities. DRN activities focus on the rights of people with disabilities to vocational, habilitative, post-secondary educational, health, and other services, including assistive technology. DRN identifies systemic issues which are important to people with disabilities and seeks change and reform through litigation, administrative advocacy, and public education.

DRN has offices throughout Pennsylvania. The centralized intake service will refer you to the office closet to you If it is determined that you need further assistance.

DRN's web site contains publications about assistive technology, such as How Nursing Facility Residents Can Get Assistive Technology: 5 Simple Steps and How to Get Assistive Technology from Access Plus (Fee for Service Medical Assistance).


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Education Law Center of PA (ELC-PA)

Website: www.elc-pa.org

Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Building
1315 Walnut Street, 4th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Voice: 215-238-6970
TTY: 215-789-2498
Fax: 215-772-3125
Email: elc@elc-pa.org

Pittsburgh
1901 Law and Finance Building
429 Fourth Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Voice: 412-391-5225
TTY: 412-467-8940
Fax: 412-391-4496
Email: szelno@elc-pa.org

ELC-PA is a non-profit law firm dedicated to ensuring that all children in Pennsylvania receive a quality public education. ELC-PA has worked to make good public education a reality for Pennsylvania's most vulnerable students –poor children, children of color, children with disabilities, English language learners, children in foster homes and institutions, and others. ELC-PA also provides training and information-sharing, advocates for children in Harrisburg and Washington, and works with media. They have a number of collaborations with citizen groups around the state, with whom they are seeking change locally and at the state level.

The ELC-PA website has publications about assistive technology, including Assistive Technology for Special Needs Children, Overview of the Special Education Process, and Students with Disabilities Attending Public Charter Schools.

Pennsylvania Health Law Project (PHLP)

Toll-Free Helpline: Voice: 800-274-3258 or TTY: 866-236-6310
Email: staff@phlp.org
Website: www.phlp.org

Philadelphia
437 Chestnut St, Suite 900
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Voice: 215-625-3663
Fax: 215-625-3879

Harrisburg
1414 N. Cameron Street, Suite
Harrisburg, PA 17103
Voice: 717-236-6310
Fax: 717-236-6311

Pittsburgh
650 Smithfield St, Suite 2130
Pittsburgh, PA
Voice: 412-434-5779
Fax: 412-434-0128

PHLP provides free legal services to lower-income consumers, seniors, and persons with disabilities who are having trouble accessing publicly funded healthcare coverage or services. If you are denied or terminated from enrollment in a publicly funded healthcare program, or if you have a service such as assistive technology denied, reducSeptember 15, 2008n on your appeal. For assistance, please call 1-800-274-3258 or 1-866-236-6310 TTY or send an e-mail message to staff@phlp.org.

PHLP also works on health policy changes that may impact Pennsylvanians in greatest need, and provides training on changes in health insurance coverage for low income people, individuals with disabilities, and older peoples. Their website contains publications about healthcare programs for these groups of individuals, such as Medicare and Medicaid for Persons with Disabilities: A Manual for Advocates and Consumers and Home and Community Services (HCGS): A Manual for Consumers and Advocates.


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Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project

www.pailp.org

Main and Eastern Office (Covering the Eastern region of the state as well as general issues for the entire state)
Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project
The Cast Iron Building
718 Arch Street, Suite 304 South
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Voice: 215-925-2966
Fax: 215-925-5337

Central Office (Covering the Central region of the state as well as federal prison issues)
Lewisburg Prison Project
PO Box 128
Lewisburg, PA 17827-0128
Voice: 570-523-1104
Fax: 570-523-3944

Western Office (Covering the Western region of the state)
Community Justice Project
1705 Allegheny Building
429 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Voice: 412-434-6002

The Institutional Law Project provides free legal services to Pennsylvania residents who have low income and are institutionalized in prisons, jails, state hospitals, and state centers. Eligible consumers may receive services such as direct representation in civil matters; information and referral; class action representation, and advocacy. For example, PAILP can help individuals with disabilities who are in prison acquire assistive technology that is necessary for them to perform activities of daily living.


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Next: Community Legal Advocacy Organizations


To request additional copies of this document or to request the document in an alternate format, contact 800-204-PIAT (7428) toll-free or 866-268-0579, TTY.


The contents of this List of Advocates were developed by Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology (PIAT) a program of the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University. PIAT is funded through a grant from the US Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended. The contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal government.

 

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