Disability Rights DC

What Disability Rights DC does

Disability Rights DC (DRDC) is the federally designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency for the District of Columbia, operated as a core program of University Legal Services (ULS), a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in the 1970s-1980s. The organization delivers integrated services across five programs: Disability Rights DC (legal advocacy and systemic reform), the Housing Counseling Program (HUD-certified homeownership and foreclosure prevention), the Tenant Purchase Assistance Program (technical assistance and asset management for housing cooperatives exercising TOPA rights), the Jail & Prison Advocacy Project (reentry support for returning citizens with psychiatric, intellectual, or brain injuries), and the DC Assistive Technology Program including the DC Shares durable medical equipment recycling initiative and the Get Connected device training program. All services are provided free of charge to DC residents with disabilities, seniors, low-to-moderate-income households, and returning citizens.

DRDC's operational technology consists of assistive technology distribution and training infrastructure rather than proprietary software development. The organization maintains a Device Lending Library, runs annual Smart Home Exhibits featuring third-party assistive products, operates a durable medical equipment warehouse at 1301 Belmont St NW, and delivers hands-on technology training through the Get Connected program. Underlying technology components include built-in smartphone/tablet accessibility features (text enlargement, text-to-speech, voice commands), smart home devices (voice-activated microwaves, smart doorbells for deaf/hard of hearing, smart lightbulbs), and standard assistive hardware (screen readers such as Victor Reader Stream 3, mobility aids). No proprietary AI/ML systems, APIs, or software platforms are disclosed.

The business model is grant-funded nonprofit operations with no fee-for-service revenue. Revenue streams consist of federal P&A appropriations, foundation grants (AARP Foundation Litigation as co-counsel, LISC DC, The Rosendin Foundation, DOEE Solar for All), public utility rebates (DCSEU), HUD-certified housing counseling funding, and individual donations via the Givebutter platform. Distribution is community-based and direct: four physical office locations across DC, embedded partnerships with senior centers, housing cooperatives, apartment buildings, adult education programs, and the DC Public Library, plus grassroots outreach through resource fairs, workshops, candidate forums, and DC Council testimony. Customer segments are exclusively individual DC residents defined by vulnerability status rather than commercial purchasing power.

Name

Disability Rights DC

Legal name

University Legal Services for the District of Columbia

Website

https://uls-dc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Disability Rights DC is the federally designated Protection and Advocacy agency for Washington, DC, operating through University Legal Services to provide free legal advocacy, housing counseling, assistive technology, and reentry support to DC residents with disabilities, seniors, and low-income households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Rights Legal Advocacy

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Disability rights advocacy
• Legal aid services
• Housing counseling
• Assistive technology
• Protection and advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding (Government Grants): DRDC receives federal funding as the designated Protection and Advocacy agency for DC. The organization also receives grants from organizations such as LISC DC for cooperative housing programs and DOEE Solar for All program.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: The organization accepts donations through Givebutter platform. Donors include foundations such as The Rosendin Foundation and individual community members.
3. Free Services to Clients: All services are provided free of charge to clients including housing counseling (HUD-certified), legal advocacy, assistive technology programs, and tenant purchase assistance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Disability Rights DC provides free legal advocacy, individual representation, and systemic advocacy as the federally designated Protection and Advocacy agency for DC residents with disabilities. Through its parent organization University Legal Services, it also delivers HUD-certified housing counseling, tenant purchase assistance for housing cooperatives, reentry support for returning citizens with disabilities, and assistive technology services including device loans, durable medical equipment recycling, and accessibility training. All services are provided free of charge to eligible DC residents.

Product overview

Disability Rights DC (DRDC) is operated by University Legal Services, a private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The organization offers five integrated programs: the Housing Counseling Program (HCP) for homeownership and foreclosure prevention, the Tenant Purchase Assistance Program (TPAP) for cooperative housing support, Disability Rights DC (DRDC) as the federally-designated Protection and Advocacy agency, the Jail & Prison Advocacy Project (JPAP) for reentry support, and the DC Assistive Technology Program (DCATP) which includes sub-programs DC Shares (durable medical equipment recycling) and Get Connected (technology training). These programs work together to provide housing stability, disability rights advocacy, and assistive technology access to DC residents with disabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Disability Rights DC (DRDC) The federally designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency for DC that provides individual legal representation, systemic advocacy, and community outreach to advocate for the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities. For DC residents with physical, psychiatric, intellectual, developmental, and sensory disabilities.
• Housing Counseling Program (HCP) Helps DC residents achieve and sustain homeownership, improve credit, avoid mortgage default and foreclosure, and achieve financial stability through HUD-certified free housing counseling.
• Tenant Purchase Assistance Program (TPAP) Provides technical assistance and affordable housing asset management to tenants who exercise their Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) rights in DC, and supports limited-equity housing cooperatives.
• Jail & Prison Advocacy Project (JPAP) Provides dedicated attorneys, re-entry advocates, and peer navigators to advocate for returning citizens with psychiatric disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries as they re-enter their communities.
• DC Assistive Technology Program (DCATP) Connects people with disabilities and seniors to needed assistive technology products and services, including device loans, demonstrations, and training.
• DC Shares (Durable Medical Equipment Recycling Program) Provides free durable medical equipment including walkers, canes, wheelchairs, and other mobility aids to DC residents with income below $30,000 per year.
• Get Connected Educates people with disabilities and seniors on useful technology features for smartphones, tablets, laptops, and computers, including making text larger, voice-to-text, and other accessibility features.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30,000 DC residents with mental health disabilities impacted by DRDC advocacy, litigation, and investigations in one year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Howard University College of MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024DCATP partnered with Howard University occupational therapy students on a community cane drive. The students promoted the drive by posting flyers in local medical offices and community spaces, requesting donations of metal canes.
• Terris Pravlik & Millian LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Terris Pravlik & Millian joined DRDC and AARP Foundation as co-counsel for the Plaintiff class in Brown et al v. District of Columbia, following a 2019 US Court of Appeals remand ordering a trial.
• AARP Foundation LitigationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2010AARP Foundation Litigation served as co-counsel with DRDC in the Brown et al v. District of Columbia class action lawsuit, representing thousands of DC nursing facility residents with disabilities. This 14-year litigation resulted in a landmark 2024 ruling.
• Arent Fox LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2010Arent Fox LLP served as co-counsel with DRDC and AARP Foundation Litigation in the Brown et al v. District of Columbia class action case, which began in 2010 and culminated in a 2024 landmark ruling.
• Council for Court ExcellenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJPAP joined the Council for Court Excellence alongside dozens of community partners to host nonpartisan candidate forums on safety, justice, and the future of DC.
• DC Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCATP collaborated with DC Public Library to host the 4th Annual Smart Home Exhibit at the MLK Jr. Memorial Library, showcasing assistive technology for inclusive living.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law: DC-based national legal advocacy organization protecting rights of people with mental disabilities. Closely comparable to DRDC given overlapping legal advocacy mission, DC presence, and reliance on impact litigation to advance disability rights.
• Equip for Equality: Illinois's federally designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency for people with disabilities. Direct peer to DRDC given identical federal designation, P&A mandate structure, and combination of individual representation plus systemic advocacy.
• Disability Rights Maryland (formerly Maryland Disability Law Center): Maryland's designated Protection and Advocacy system. Comparable to DRDC in service mix (legal advocacy, housing, assistive technology) and P&A authority, with geographic proximity creating cross-jurisdiction referral and benchmarking relevance.
• Disability Rights Advocates: National disability rights legal center pursuing impact litigation. Comparable to DRDC's class-action practice (e.g., Brown v. DC) and systemic advocacy orientation, though broader in geographic scope.
• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN): Umbrella membership organization for the P&A and Client Assistance Program (CAP) systems nationwide. Direct peer relationship — DRDC is a P&A member, and NDRN provides training and federal funding flow that DRDC depends on.

Broad incumbents

• The Arc of the United States: National disability advocacy and direct-service organization with affiliated chapters. Comparable to DRDC's mission on intellectual and developmental disability rights, though broader scope (employment, family support) and national rather than DC-specific.
• Easterseals DC MD VA: Regional disability services nonprofit providing assistive technology, employment, and disability supports across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Comparable to DCATP's assistive technology and device-lending programs, with overlapping DC geography and similar client demographics.

Emerging players

• Ayuda: DC-based nonprofit providing legal, social, and language-access services to immigrants. Comparable to DRDC in being a DC-area nonprofit legal services provider with grant-funded model, federally recognized scope, and overlapping low-income client base.

Regional players

• So Others Might Eat (SOME): DC-based anti-poverty nonprofit providing housing, healthcare, and workforce services. Comparable to ULS/DRDC in DC geography and mission overlap on affordable housing, homelessness prevention, and serving low-income residents.
• Bread for the City: DC-based nonprofit offering food, clothing, medical, dental, and social services. Comparable to ULS/DRDC's HUD-certified housing counseling and free direct services model serving low-income DC residents.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UniversityLegal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/disability-rights-dc-at-university-legal-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/univlegalservicesdc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Disability Rights DC