Disability Rights Tennessee
Disability Rights Tennessee is a nonprofit legal services organization and the federally designated Protection & Advocacy agency for Tennessee, providing free legal advocacy, abuse investigation, and rights protection services to Tennesseans with disabilities across all 95 counties.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Disability Rights Tennessee does
Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) is a nonprofit legal services organization established in 1978 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with additional offices in Memphis and Knoxville. DRT is the federally designated Protection & Advocacy (P&A) agency for Tennessee, a statutory role that grants it legally mandated authority to monitor facilities, investigate allegations of abuse and neglect, and advocate for individuals with disabilities and/or mental illness across all 95 Tennessee counties. The organization operates six core service lines: Support and Resource Connection, Legal Representation, Advocacy, Investigation of Abuse and Neglect, Monitoring of Services and Facilities, and Community Education. It also operates specialized funded programs including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) support groups, the Client Assistance Program (CAP), Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS), Employment Services, and Voting Resources. All services are provided free of charge to eligible individuals.
DRT's business model is grant-funded and donation-supported, with no consumer pricing. Revenue is generated through federal grants from the Department of Health and Human Services (Administration for Community Living), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Department of Education (Rehabilitation Services Administration), and the Social Security Administration, supplemented by donations. The organization employs 51-100 staff across three physical offices and serves a target population of approximately 1.6 million Tennesseans with disabilities, with a cumulative reach of over 50,000 people served over 45 years. Its technology stack is minimal: a website platform with the Recite Me web accessibility toolbar and a centralized intake system (toll-free number, email, online form). Marketing is concentrated in community education, the weekly Policy Watch newsletter, the annual Disability Employment Awareness Luncheon (DEAL), and social media (Facebook, Instagram). The organization is a member of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and participates in the REV UP Tennessee Coalition for voting rights.
The organization's competitive position is anchored in its statutory P&A mandate, which creates a near-absolute regulatory moat. Strategic positioning centers on systemic advocacy rather than transactional services, demonstrated by high-profile actions including the "Designed to Fail" and "Families Not Facilities" reports on Wilder Youth Development Center, a healthcare rationing complaint to the Office for Civil Rights, and a class action lawsuit regarding youth with disabilities in state custody. Leadership transitioned from Executive Director Lisa Primm (12-year tenure) to Anna Bass in March 2025.
Disability Rights Tennessee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Disability Rights Tennessee
- Legal name
- Disability Rights Tennessee
- Website
- https://disabilityrightstn.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Disability Rights Tennessee is a nonprofit legal services organization and the federally designated Protection & Advocacy agency for Tennessee, providing free legal advocacy, abuse investigation, and rights protection services to Tennesseans with disabilities across all 95 counties.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Disability Rights Tennessee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Aid and Disability Advocacy Services
- NAICS
- Human Rights Organizations (813311), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)
Keywords
Where Disability Rights Tennessee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Disability Rights Tennessee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Federal Grants: Funded under grants from Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration; and the Social Security Administration
- Donations: DRT accepts donations to support advocacy work protecting the rights of Tennesseans with disabilities
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Disability Rights Tennessee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Disability Rights Tennessee is the federally designated Protection & Advocacy (P&A) agency for Tennessee, providing free legal advocacy, legal representation, investigation of abuse and neglect, facility monitoring, community education, and resource referrals to Tennesseans living with disabilities and/or mental illness across all 95 counties. The organization also operates specialized programs including TBI support groups, the Client Assistance Program (CAP), PABSS, employment services, and voting resources.
Product overview
Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) is a nonprofit legal services organization providing free legal advocacy services as the designated Protection & Advocacy (P&A) agency for Tennessee. DRT offers a unified suite of services across all 95 counties including: Support and Resource Connection, Legal Representation, Advocacy Services, Investigation of Abuse and Neglect, Monitoring of Services and Facilities, and Community Education. The organization also operates specialized programs including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Support Groups, the Client Assistance Program (CAP), Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS), Employment Services, and Voting Resources. These services work together to protect the rights of Tennesseans living with disabilities and/or mental illness.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Support and Resource Connection
- Legal Representation
- Advocacy
- Investigation of Abuse and Neglect
- Monitoring of Services and Facilities
- Community Education
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Support Groups
- Client Assistance Program (CAP)
- Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS)
- Employment Services
- Voting Resources
Companies that use Disability Rights Tennessee
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Disability Rights Tennessee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Disability Rights Tennessee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Youth Law Center (YLC)coreDRT and Youth Law Center co-authored investigative reports on conditions at Wilder Youth Development Center ('Designed to Fail' April 2022 and 'Families Not Facilities' December 2022). Both organizations advocate for reform of Tennessee's juvenile justice system and have provided joint testimony on proposed DCS rules.
- Free HeartsminorPartnership on jail-based voting programs for formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. Free Hearts, a Nashville nonprofit led by formerly incarcerated women, works with DRT on ensuring eligible people in jail can vote.
- Campaign Legal CenterminorAdvocacy partner on inmate voting issues, working with DRT to support voting rights for eligible incarcerated individuals.
- Civic TennesseeminorPartner in coalition work on voting rights for people with disabilities and incarcerated individuals in Tennessee.
- Tennessee Disability Coalition (TDC)coreMember of REV UP Tennessee Coalition working to register and educate voters with disabilities. DRT collaborates with TDC on policy advocacy and disability rights awareness.
- Tennessee Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC TN)minorPartner in REV UP Tennessee Coalition working on disability voting rights awareness and voter engagement.
- TARP Center for Independent LivingminorPartner in REV UP Tennessee Coalition focusing on independent living and voting access for people with disabilities.
- Office for Civil Rights (OCR)minorDRT and other disability rights advocates filed a complaint with OCR alleging discriminatory policies in Tennessee's crisis standards of care plan. Resolution led to improved healthcare access policies for people with disabilities.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Disability Rights Tennessee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Tennessee Disability Coalition: A statewide cross-disability advocacy coalition in Tennessee and direct DRT partner through the REV UP Tennessee Coalition. Operates in the same geographic market with overlapping disability rights and voting access missions.
- Tennessee Justice Center: A Tennessee-based legal advocacy organization focused on healthcare access for low-income residents, with significant overlap on disability and Medicaid (TennCare) advocacy. A directly comparable Tennessee legal aid peer.
Direct peers
- Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law: A national legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the rights of people with mental disabilities. Directly comparable to DRT's mental illness advocacy work, with litigation, policy advocacy, and federal-grant-driven funding model.
- Disability Rights Advocates (DRA): A nonprofit legal center dedicated to disability rights through high-impact litigation, advocacy, and education. Operates similarly to DRT but with a national scope, making it a directly comparable model for systemic disability rights legal advocacy.
- Disability Rights California: California's designated Protection & Advocacy agency, providing legal advocacy and representation for people with disabilities. The closest state-P&A peer to DRT, with the same federal mandate, funding structure, and service portfolio.
- Center for Public Representation: A national nonprofit legal advocacy organization focused on disability rights, particularly in health care, special education, and community integration. Directly comparable legal advocacy model operating on federal grants and systemic litigation.
- Disability Rights Washington: Washington state's designated P&A agency, providing legal advocacy and representation for people with disabilities. Operates under the same federal P&A mandate as DRT, serving as a directly comparable state-level peer.
Broad incumbents
- National Health Law Program: A national legal advocacy organization protecting and advancing health rights of low-income and underserved populations, including people with disabilities. Directly comparable to DRT's healthcare access advocacy (e.g., crisis standards of care complaint work).
- The Arc of the United States: A national community-based organization advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While broader in scope and not strictly a legal services P&A, The Arc's mission, audience, and federal grant ecosystem overlap significantly with DRT's.
- National Disability Rights Network (NDRN): The national membership network of the federally funded P&A and Client Assistance Program (CAP) systems; DRT is a member of NDRN. NDRN is the umbrella body that advocates federally on behalf of all state P&As, making it the closest comparable at a structural level.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Disability Rights Tennessee social profiles
Digital presenceDisability Rights Tennessee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Disability Rights Tennessee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Disability Rights Tennessee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Disability Rights Tennessee M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Disability Rights Tennessee
What does Disability Rights Tennessee do?
Disability Rights Tennessee is the federally designated Protection & Advocacy (P&A) agency for Tennessee, providing free legal advocacy, legal representation, investigation of abuse and neglect, facility monitoring, community education, and resource referrals to Tennesseans living with disabilities and/or mental illness across all 95 counties. The organization also operates specialized programs including TBI support groups, the Client Assistance Program (CAP), PABSS, employment services, and voting resources.
Is Disability Rights Tennessee a public or private company?
Disability Rights Tennessee is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Disability Rights Tennessee founded?
Disability Rights Tennessee was founded in 1978. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Disability Rights Tennessee based?
Disability Rights Tennessee is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Disability Rights Tennessee make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Federal Grants are the primary driver. The others are donations.
Who are Disability Rights Tennessee's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Tennessee Disability Coalition and Tennessee Justice Center. Direct peers are Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), Disability Rights California, Center for Public Representation and Disability Rights Washington. Broad incumbents are National Health Law Program, The Arc of the United States and National Disability Rights Network (NDRN).
Does Disability Rights Tennessee have an API?
No public API is recorded for Disability Rights Tennessee.
What industry is Disability Rights Tennessee in?
Disability Rights Tennessee's product category is Legal Aid and Disability Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAF, Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAB, Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations. Its NAICS code is 813311 and its SIC code is 8111.