Disability Rights Louisiana

What Disability Rights Louisiana does

Disability Rights Louisiana (DRLA) is a private non-profit organization and Louisiana's sole federally designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency, established in 1977 under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act and related federal mandates. Headquartered in New Orleans with a satellite office in Lafayette, the organization delivers free legal representation, systemic litigation, abuse and neglect investigations, monitoring of group homes and institutions, public policy advocacy, and a portfolio of specialized programs including the Client Assistance Program (CAP), Protection & Advocacy of Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS), Community Living Ombudsman Program (CLOP), Financial Access Inclusion and Resources (FAIR), Supported Independent Living Advocacy Program (SILAP), Work Incentives Planning & Assistance (WIPA), and a Representative Payee Program, as well as election-day voting hotlines.

DRLA serves approximately 1.2 million people with disabilities in Louisiana across five primary segments: people with disabilities of all ages, older adults, justice-involved individuals, students with disabilities, and residents of group homes and institutional settings. In 2024, the organization provided individual advocacy in roughly 2,300 cases and reached approximately 30,000 individuals through systemic litigation, monitoring, and investigations. Recent landmark work includes a federal court ruling in November 2022 finding ADA violations at David Wade Correctional Center and the certified federal class action A.A. et al. v. Phillips on behalf of children with mental health needs. Active co-counsel and referral partnerships include the Southern Poverty Law Center, The First 72+, Café Reconcile, Harvey Day Reporting Center, and the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana.

DRLA's revenue model is non-commercial: services are delivered free of charge to eligible beneficiaries, and operating funding flows from federal P&A grants, state funding, and philanthropy. A $2 million gift from MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving Open Call in 2024 supplemented the recurring federal grant base. Services are accessed through a statewide toll-free hotline (1-800-960-7705), a website intake portal, and in-person appointments. Leadership includes Executive Director Ranie T. Thompson; the organization is governed by a Board & Advisors and a PAIMI Council, with 101-250 staff across legal, advocacy, and program functions.

Name

Disability Rights Louisiana

Legal name

Disability Rights Louisiana

Website

https://disabilityrightsla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Disability Rights Louisiana is a federally designated Protection and Advocacy non-profit that provides free legal representation, systemic litigation, abuse investigations, and specialized advocacy programs for approximately 1.2 million people with disabilities across Louisiana, funded by federal grants and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Rights Legal Advocacy

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

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 (BPAGAEAG), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Disability Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAC)

Keywords

• Disability rights advocacy
• Legal protection services
• Protection and advocacy
• Special education advocacy
• Disability benefits planning

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Federal Funding: As Louisiana's federally designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency under the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Act and other federal mandates, DRLA receives federal grant funding to carry out its mission. Additional state funding supports home and community-based healthcare services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Disability Rights Louisiana provides free legal representation, advocacy, and protection services for individuals with disabilities in Louisiana. Its offerings cover discrimination, abuse and neglect cases, employment support, special education advocacy, benefits planning (SSI/SSDI), voting accessibility, community living transitions, group-home monitoring, and systemic litigation. Services are delivered through individual casework and a portfolio of federally funded programs (CAP, PABSS, CLOP, FAIR, SILAP, WIPA, Representative Payee).

Product overview

Disability Rights Louisiana is a nonprofit Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency serving as Louisiana's federally designated disability rights organization. The organization provides a portfolio of advocacy programs and legal services rather than a technology product. Core programs include Legal Assistance for direct representation, the Client Assistance Program (CAP) for rehabilitation services issues, the Community Living Ombudsman Program (CLOP) for institutional care monitoring, the Financial Access Inclusion and Resources (FAIR) program for re-entry support, the Supported Independent Living Advocacy Program (SILAP) for community transitions, Work Incentives Planning & Assistance (WIPA) for employment benefits counseling, and a state-wide Voting Hotline for accessibility during elections. These programs collectively protect and empower individuals with disabilities across Louisiana through legal advocacy, systemic litigation, monitoring, investigations, and direct client services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Assistance Provides legal representation and advocacy services for individuals with disabilities facing discrimination, abuse, neglect, or barriers to accessing services, housing, education, employment, and healthcare throughout Louisiana.
• Client Assistance Program (CAP) Helps individuals with disabilities resolve issues with Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS), including obtaining appropriate Individualized Plans for Employment (IPE), reimbursement for training and education expenses, and employment accommodations.
• Protection & Advocacy of Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) Advocates for Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities to obtain or maintain employment, helping clients understand how work impacts their benefits and connecting them with employment opportunities.
• Community Living Ombudsman Program (CLOP) Monitors and advocates for residents of group homes and other institutional settings, helping them access community-based services, obtain waivers, and protect their rights against abuse and neglect.
• Financial Access Inclusion and Resources Project (FAIR) Helps individuals with disabilities who have been incarcerated access benefits, employment, housing, and financial stability, including assistance with SSI/SSDI applications, credit repair, and job placement.
• Supported Independent Living Advocacy Program (SILAP) Assists individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities transition from institutional settings to community-based living, helping them maintain waiver services and live with family or in independent settings.
• Representative Payee Program Provides representative payee services to help Social Security beneficiaries manage their benefits and ensure funds are used appropriately for housing, food, and other essential needs.
• Work Incentives Planning & Assistance (WIPA) Provides counseling to Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities on work incentives, helping them maintain cash benefits and healthcare coverage while increasing earnings through employment.
• Voting Hotline Statewide telephone hotline operated during elections to assist voters with disabilities in reporting accessibility barriers and accessing polling places, operating 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election days.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provided individual legal and non-legal advocacy in approximately 2,300 cases in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The First 72+coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRe-entry program partnership supporting individuals returning from incarceration. The First 72+ provides transitional housing and referrals to DRLA's FAIR program for financial literacy, employment, and benefits assistance.
• Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana (JAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to assist clients in reducing legal debt and municipal fines/fees. JAC provides pro-bono legal assistance that complements DRLA's advocacy services.
• Café ReconcileminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment training program partner that provides culinary and service industry skills training for justice-involved youth with disabilities referred by DRLA's FAIR program.
• Harvey Day Reporting CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner providing employment skills training and support for justice-involved individuals with disabilities.
• Autism Society of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRLA joined over 450 organizations in signing a letter urging Congress to protect students with disabilities, demonstrating advocacy coalition membership.
• Southern Poverty Law CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel partner in class action lawsuits on behalf of children with mental health needs in Louisiana (A.A. et al. v. Phillips).
• U.S. Commission on Civil RightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRLA participates in the Louisiana Advisory Committee briefings on civil rights issues including coroner practices in involuntary commitments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Disability Rights Network: National umbrella organization for the federally funded P&A and Client Assistance Programs. DRLA is a member agency; NDRN sets policy, provides training, and represents the network federally — making it the most direct national-level peer and governance counterpart.
• Southern Poverty Law Center: National civil rights organization that co-counsels with DRLA on A.A. et al. v. Phillips. Operates overlapping disability and institutional-rights litigation, making SPLC both a strategic partner and a comparator for systemic impact cases.
• The Arc of the United States: National disability advocacy and direct-service organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Overlaps with DRLA's SILAP, CLOP, and education advocacy work, with comparable state-chapter structure.
• Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law: National legal advocacy organization focused on the rights of people with mental disabilities. Comparable to DRLA's PAIMI mandate and A.A. v. Phillips class action work on behalf of children with mental health needs.

Direct peers

• Disability Rights Texas: Texas's federally designated P&A agency. Operates the same federally mandated mandate, program portfolio (legal advocacy, benefits, voting, institutional rights), and grant structure as DRLA — a direct state-level peer with comparable scope.
• Disability Rights California: One of the largest state P&A agencies in the country. Runs the same legal advocacy, benefits counseling, and systemic litigation model as DRLA but at materially larger scale — a useful scale-benchmark peer.
• Disability Rights New York: New York's federally designated P&A agency. Comparable mandate and program mix to DRLA, including benefits planning, voting access, and institutional rights work; another large-state peer for benchmarking.
• Equip for Equality: Illinois's federally designated P&A agency. Closely comparable to DRLA in mandate, service mix, and operating model; useful peer for cross-state benchmarking on advocacy outcomes and funding structures.

Regional players

• American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana: Louisiana affiliate of the national ACLU. Operates within the same state geography as DRLA with overlapping civil rights litigation, voting rights, and institutional rights portfolios — a strong regional advocacy peer.

Others

• National Association of State Head Injury Administrators: National association supporting state brain injury programs. Adjacent to DRLA's disability advocacy mission where it intersects with TBI/ABI populations served through individual legal assistance and benefits planning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/disabilityrtsla
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwm6cNQ6N5BsApeykPI-zMg
• Facebookfacebook.com/disabilityrightsla
• Instagraminstagram.com/disabilityrightsla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/disability-rights-la

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Disability Rights Louisiana