Disability Rights Michigan

Provide direct advocacy and training to 637 persons with developmental disabilities including but not limited to areas of accessibility, education, housing, abuse & neglect, health care, employment, and transportation. By using systemic litigation or group advocacy 3,376 people whose rights were enforced, protected, restored and/or expanded.

Vaccine grants: drm facilitated 1,845 covid vaccinations and 1,099 flu vaccinations in fy24. Drm staff developed 63 new connections with community organizations and offered information at other events where 336 people received covid vaccinations. These are hard to find people, unable to leave home or living in public or senior housing or in facilities. Our review of data concluded at least 50% of the individuals at all these events answered "yes" to one or more questions about their disability status. Over 35% were over 65 years old, and over 28% identified as black or african american. Drm introduced an interactive statewide map of transportation resources in february 2024. This map was developed in response to surveys showing transportation as a barrier to getting to covid-19 testing and vaccination sites. The transportation site was viewed 25,077 times on drm's website and 289,587 times through organic and paid social media advertising in fy24. Drm collaborated with issue media group (img) to write and distribute a statewide 8-story disability inclusion series featuring covid-19 vaccinations and highlighting the work of drm's vaccine advocacy team. The series was published in statewide and regional markets and reached 773,000, with an online engagement of 1,000 individuals (likes, shares, comments). The vaccine advocacy team also ran a social media campaign which included organic (free) and paid distribution. This campaign was extremely successful, creating over 1.4 million impressions through social media and paid google ads and topping the list of pageviews on the drm website in fy24.

Conduct 219 site reviews for individuals receiving social security benefits in order to mitigate the risk of fraud, financial misuse, neglect or abuse to the intended beneficiaries by the representative payees. Served 7,201 beneficiaries in current period.

Provide direct advocacy and training to 1,584 adults with disabilities in the areas of accessibility, accommodations, education, employment, housing, and health care. Number of persons trained 240. By using systemic litigation or group advocacy 97,282 people whose rights were enforced, protected, restored and/or expanded.

Providing information, technical assistance, or direct representation to 230 individuals regarding all services and benefits available to them and their rights under the rehab act of 1973. Number of persons trained 679.

Providing information, technical assistance, or direct advocacy to 129 beneficiaries of social security in employment and work-related overpayments. Number of persons trained 418.

Provide direct advocacy, training, and legal representation to 150 persons with disabilities in accessing assistive technology devices, related services, and accommodations. By using systemic impact litigation or group advocacy 5,252 people whose rights were enforced, protected, restored and/or expanded.

Provide voter trainings and short-term assistance to more than 416 persons and disseminate informational pieces regarding disability voting rights, voting accessibility, to 135polling places.

Provided advocacy and training to 218 persons with traumatic brain injury. Seek and secure services in the areas of guardianship, government benefits, housing, health care, and veteran's services. By using systemic litigation or group advocacy 1 people whose rights were enforced, protected, restored and/or expanded.