Disability Rights Louisiana

04/17/2026

Thanks to Autism Society of Greater New Orleans, we will be out at Autism Fest tomorrow on the Westbank from 11am-3pm! Stop by our resource table and say hi!

2025 was another successful year for the Autism Society Greater New Orleans. Each year, we strive to better serve Autistic individuals and their families across our service area, continually re-evaluating and adapting our programs based on identified community needs. Our Information and Referral Pro...

04/10/2026

We are proud to share our FY25 Annual Report with you. In the words of our Executive Director Ranie Thompson, “This year demanded more of us—and our team rose with resilience, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to those we serve. Laser focused, we pursued our mission with the understanding that we are made for this moment.”

In FY25, DRLA directly served over 2,500 Louisianans with disabilities—and pursued systemic litigation, policy reforms, and monitoring work with the potential to impact thousands more. Highlights include:

* We helped secure 750 new Medicaid waiver slots, empowering hundreds to live independently while saving Louisiana an estimated $27 million in institutional care costs.
* We monitored 513 facilities to protect the rights of 5,277 adults and children who live inside them.
* We helped 504 job-seekers with disabilities address employment barriers. When we tracked the earnings of just 30 of these clients, we found they alone returned an estimated $400,000+ to our local economy in 2025.

Download our Annual Report to see the full scope of how we improved outcomes for the disability community in the areas of education, institutions, healthcare, employment, accessibility, and autonomy.
https://disabilityrightsla.org/drla-releases-fy25-annual-report/

We are deeply grateful to the clients, funders, team members, volunteers, and partners who made our work possible in 2025.

04/07/2026

Homelessness Advocacy Day is tomorrow, April 8th!

Join advocates from the Louisiana Homelessness Advocacy Coalition at the Capitol as we work to strengthen housing access and homeless services statewide.

Melanie Bray, DRLA’s Director of Legal Programs and Advocacy, will speak at the Louisiana Capitol Rally on the intersectionality between housing justice and disability. She joins forces with statewide advocates speaking to “engage, inform, and advocate for evidence-based, client-centered best practices to end homelessness on behalf of our state’s most vulnerable residents.”

Here is a schedule of events:

* Info Table & Legislative Visits: 8:00 AM – until close, at the Louisiana Capitol
* Louisiana Capitol Rally: 12:15 PM at the Louisiana Capitol Gardens (N. 3rd St. at State Capitol Drive)

Scan the QR code in the flyer attached to RSVP and get more information!

Support our work to improve housing access to help protect, advocate, and empower people with disabilities in our communities!

04/03/2026

DRLA is now hiring! Join our team of dedicated attorneys and advocates!

We are currently seeking applicants for the following positions:

* Staff Attorney (PABSS) - New Orleans
* Staff Attorney - New Orleans preferred (possibility for remote depended upon location)
* Investigative Advocate - Statewide; preference for Baton Rouge area or Alexandria area

For links to information on applying and full job descriptions, please visit our website: https://disabilityrightsla.org/who-we-are/employment/

03/31/2026

Conversations Matter: Equipping Employers to Hire Returning Citizens

April marks Second Chance Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the challenges faced by millions of justice-impacted citizens and to promote policies and practices that break down barriers to reentry. To celebrate, Attorney Debra Weinberg, DRLA’s Director of Community Advocacy, will serve as a panelist at a Lunch and Learn event hosted by the New Orleans Reentry Task Force Legal Subcommittee on April 1, 2026.

Access to stable employment is one of the best ways to reduce recidivism, but significant barriers still exist. Over one-third of incarcerated individuals have disabilities, and having a criminal record can cut job opportunities and interview callbacks by as much as 50%. The event aims to give employers practical guidance on hiring and supporting returning citizens. The panel will feature employers, HR professionals, legal experts, and individuals with real-life experience who will discuss hiring considerations, legal and risk management practices, and common misconceptions. Attendees will also learn about available workforce supports and hear about real hiring experiences.

“At Disability Rights Louisiana, through programs like FAIR (Financial Access Inclusion and Resources), we see every day what’s possible when individuals are given the tools, support, and chance to succeed,” said Weinberg. “Employers play a key role in creating second chances. When we open doors to employment, we open doors to stability, dignity, and a future.”

03/30/2026

Homelessness Advocacy Day is on April 8th!

Join advocates from the Louisiana Homelessness Advocacy Coalition at the Capitol as we work to strengthen housing access and homeless services statewide.

Melanie Bray, DRLA’s Director of Legal Programs and Advocacy, will speak at the Louisiana Capitol Rally on the intersectionality between housing justice and disability. She joins forces with statewide advocates speaking to “engage, inform, and advocate for evidence-based, client-centered best practices to end homelessness on behalf of our state’s most vulnerable residents.”

Here is a schedule of events:

* Info Table & Legislative Visits: 8:00 AM – until close, at the Louisiana Capitol
* Louisiana Capitol Rally: 12:15 PM at the Louisiana Capitol Gardens (N. 3rd St. at State Capitol Drive)

Scan the QR code in the flyer attached to RSVP and get more information!

Support our work to improve housing access to help protect, advocate, and empower people with disabilities in our communities!

03/13/2026

Check out this brief video from National Disability Rights Network, “Who Protects the Rights of People With Disabilities?” that showcases the work of our partners in the Protection & Advocacy (P&A) Network.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtnq86r_t40&t=9s

Ranie Thompson, our Executive Director, is featured speaking about our work in the area of Education:

“One of the things that I'm most proud of is our work in the special education space where we are defending and protecting the rights of some of the most vulnerable among us—our children, our babies in school settings, to make sure that all of the services and accommodations and things that they need are there for them. That also enables the parents and guardians to be stable and to be well and to take care of their babies and do what they need to do to just keep their homes together.”

The video also features: Virginia Knowlton Marcus, CEO at Disability Rights North Carolina; Veronica Zietz, Executive Director at ND Protection and Advocacy; and Gwen Orlowski, Executive Director at Disability Rights New Jersey.

Learn more about DRLA and our partner agencies at:
https://disabilityrightsla.org/
https://disabilityrightsnc.org/
https://www.ndpanda.org/
https://disabilityrightsnj.org/

Learn more about NDRN at:
https://www.ndrn.org/

The National Disability Rights Network is proud to share the work of our member agencies in the Protection & Advocacy Network. In this video you hear from:Ra...

03/13/2026

On Sunday, nearly 100 people came out on a stormy morning at Audubon Park for Race Judicata 5K--and raised 17,512 for Disability Rights Louisiana!

We are beyond grateful to the law students from Loyola, LSU, and Tulane who poured countless hours into organizing this event. Over the last four years, this event has grown into a powerful movement—and it's all because of your dedication and passion for justice.

Thank you to the law firms that so generously sponsored this event:

Ben Misko Law, Phelps Dunbar LLP, Jones Walker LLP, Landry & Swarr LLC, Mouledoux, Bland, Legrand & Brackett, LLC, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP, Lowe Stein LLC, Jackson Lweis P.C., Fishman Haygood LLP, Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver LLC, Carver Darden, Liskow, Sessions, Israel & Shartle, LLC, and Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP.

Thank you to G's Pizza and Southern Eagle NOLA for supporting the event with refreshments.

And thank you to every participant, every volunteer, and everyone who cheered from the sidelines. You showed up for the disability community, and together, we're making an impact.

This is what community looks like.

Photos courtesy of Alfredo Franceschi and DRLA.

03/10/2026

We were thrilled to join forces with our fellow advocates from around the country last week to champion our services for people with disabilities nationwide.

Ranie Thompson, DRLA’s Executive Director, and Tory Rocca, Director of Public Policy & Community Advocacy, were among the directors and policy leaders from across the Protection and Advocacy network who met with Congressional offices to maintain our funding for the next calendar year. They shared the stories of our clients and the impact of DRLA’s work to reinforce the critical need for the programs/services DRLA provides and advocated for increased funding in response to the increased demand for services.

We look forward to more opportunities to get into rooms to protect, advocate for, and empower people with disabilities to live fully integrated lives in our communities!

03/04/2026

Race Judicata wouldn't be possible without these incredible sponsors!

These local law firms have stepped up to support this powerful 5k charity event.

Their commitment helps us provide free legal representation and advocacy services to people with disabilities across the state.

Thank you for making Race Judicata possible. We're grateful for partners who believe in defending civil rights and seeking justice for vulnerable members of our community.

If you haven't registered yet, there's still time to sign up and join us for a 5k, food, and fun This Sunday, March 8th at Audubon Park!

Registration and details here: https://runsignup.com/Race/LA/NewOrleans/RaceJudicataLA5K

See you on Sunday!