Disability Rights Texas

What Disability Rights Texas does

Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) is the federally designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency for Texans with disabilities, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded under the congressional P&A system created in the 1970s (firmographic year_founded: 1977), the organization delivers free legal representation, systemic advocacy, and impact litigation on behalf of Texans with disabilities across abuse and neglect, education (IDEA), employment, housing, healthcare, transportation, voting rights, and community integration matters. Its core products are organized around legal advocacy services — individual representation, systemic advocacy, and impact litigation — supplemented by a growing suite of digital self-advocacy tools (Voter Accommodation Request Tool, Workplace Accommodation Request Tool, Early Lease Termination Letter Tool, Opioid Use Disorder Accommodation Request Tool, Supported Decision-Making Agreement tools, and an Emergency Ready Sheet), substantive publications (90-page IDEA Manual, Texas Medicaid Waiver Comparison Chart, Hurricane Preparedness Guide), and multilingual content in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. Technology is delivered via a WordPress-based website with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility efforts, ReachDeck accessibility toolbar, Google Analytics, and ASL video content on YouTube.

The organization is funded primarily by federal grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Administration for Community Living and SAMHSA), the U.S. Department of Education (Rehabilitation Services Administration), and the U.S. Social Security Administration, plus grants from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, individual and monthly recurring donations, and pro bono litigation partnerships with firms such as Winston & Strawn LLP and Brown Goldstein & Levy. Services are provided at no cost to eligible clients (freemium pricing model); revenue is not derived from fees or commercial contracts but from appropriations, foundation grants, and philanthropy. GTM motion is community-led, relying on a statewide intake infrastructure (phone 1-800-252-9108, video phone for ASL users, online intake portal), community partnerships, educational content, and engagement events rather than paid marketing. The organization is a member of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and operates programs including the PAIMI (Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness) program.

Name

Disability Rights Texas

Legal name

Disability Rights Texas

Website

https://disabilityrightstx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Disability Rights Texas is the federally designated Protection and Advocacy agency for Texans with disabilities, providing free legal representation, impact litigation, and digital self-advocacy tools. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit, headquartered in Austin, is funded by federal grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Rights Legal Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Disability legal advocacy
• Protection and advocacy services
• Civil rights protection
• Disability rights law
• Special education advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Primary funding from U.S. federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Administration for Community Living and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), U.S. Department of Education (Rehabilitation Services Administration), and U.S. Social Security Administration.
2. Texas Access to Justice Foundation: Initial creation of website and some additional functionality funded by grants from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation.
3. Donations: The organization accepts donations via secure online portal. Donors can make one-time or monthly recurring gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Disability Rights Texas is the designated protection and advocacy (P&A) agency for Texans with disabilities, providing free legal representation, advocacy, and self-help tools. The organization pursues individual representation, systemic advocacy, and impact litigation to protect people with disabilities from abuse and neglect and to enforce their rights in education, employment, housing, healthcare, voting, and community living. It also publishes self-advocacy resources, sample letters, and accommodation-request tools.

Product overview

Disability Rights Texas operates as the designated protection and advocacy (P&A) agency for Texans with disabilities, providing legal advocacy services and self-help tools. The organization offers a unified suite of services centered on legal representation and advocacy, complemented by digital self-advocacy tools including sample letter generators, accommodation request tools, and publication resources. Key offerings include the IDEA Manual for special education rights, Texas Medicaid Waiver Comparison Chart, Supported Decision-Making Agreement tools as an alternative to guardianship, Voter Accommodation Request Tool, and the ReachDeck accessibility toolbar. The organization also provides resources for disaster resilience, employment accommodations, housing rights, and community integration through publications, videos, and ASL content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Advocacy and Protection Services Core free legal representation and advocacy services for eligible Texans with disabilities, using individual representation, systemic advocacy, and impact litigation to protect against abuse and neglect and enforce community inclusion.
• PAIMI Program Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness program providing dedicated advocacy services and an advisory council for Texans with mental health disabilities.
• IDEA Manual A 90-page guide for Texas parents and students explaining special education rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, available in multiple formats.
• Texas Medicaid Waiver Comparison Chart Comparative reference tool showing the services provided by various Texas Medicaid waiver programs including STAR+PLUS, CLASS, HCS, DBMD, TxHML, MDCP, and YES.
• Supported Decision-Making Agreement Tools Interactive tools and sample forms enabling individuals with disabilities to create Supported Decision-Making Agreements as an alternative to guardianship.
• Voter Accommodation Request Tool Online tool that generates accommodation request documents for voters with disabilities to share with election workers regarding accessibility accommodations.
• Workplace Accommodation Request Tool Tool that helps individuals request workplace accommodations to remove barriers at work.
• Early Lease Termination Letter Tool Tool that generates letters for requesting reasonable accommodation to terminate a lease early without fines or penalties.
• Opioid Use Disorder Accommodation Request Tool Tool helping individuals in recovery request landlords to overlook criminal history for housing accommodation purposes.
• Emergency Ready Sheet Tool helping people with disabilities keep important emergency information in one place for disaster or emergency situations.
• Hurricane Preparedness Guide for Texans with Disabilities Comprehensive guide updated for 2026 to help Texans with disabilities prepare for and recover from hurricanes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully advocated for accessible vote-by-mail options for blind voters in Bexar County through federal lawsuit

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Winston & Strawn LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-counsel in federal lawsuit against Bexar County to secure accessible vote-by-mail options for blind voters, represented alongside Disability Rights Texas and other plaintiffs. The partnership resulted in a Permanent Injunction Order requiring accessible electronic voting systems.
• Brown Goldstein & LevycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-counsel representing blind voters in lawsuit against Bexar County, working with Disability Rights Texas to secure accessible vote-by-mail options under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)coreOthersNational organization representing protection and advocacy agencies for people with disabilities. Disability Rights Texas is a member of this network.
• Texas Bar FoundationminorOthersRelated organization providing support for legal aid and access to justice initiatives in Texas.
• Texas Law HelpminorOthersRelated organization providing legal resources and self-help tools for Texans.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Disability Rights Advocates (DRA): A national nonprofit disability rights legal center that pursues high-impact impact litigation and policy advocacy. Comparable to DRTx in mission and legal strategy orientation, though operating at national scope rather than state-level.
• Coalition of Texans with Disabilities: A statewide cross-disability advocacy organization that was a co-plaintiff in the Bexar County voting case with DRTx. Directly comparable in Texas-based disability advocacy mission and cross-disability service focus.
• Disability Rights New York: New York's state P&A system providing free legal and advocacy services to people with disabilities. Mirrors DRTx's mission, federal funding model, and statewide service delivery approach, making it one of the closest direct functional peers.
• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law: A national legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the rights of people with mental health conditions. Comparable in its legal-advocacy-and-policy orientation and overlaps with DRTx's PAIMI program serving individuals with mental illness.
• Disability Rights California: California's federally designated Protection & Advocacy agency for people with disabilities. Operates the same congressionally mandated P&A model as DRTx but at a much larger scale, providing direct comparability on funding structure, legal advocacy services, and disability rights focus.

Broad incumbents

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas: The Texas affiliate of the national ACLU, pursuing civil rights and civil liberties litigation. Overlaps with DRTx in impact litigation strategy, particularly on voting rights, disability access, and institutional rights.
• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN): The national umbrella membership organization of which DRTx is a member. Operates in the same P&A / disability rights space at a broader, federated scale, providing coordination, training, and policy advocacy across all state P&As.

Regional players

• Texas RioGrande Legal Aid: The largest provider of free legal aid in Texas, serving low-income and rural communities. Comparable in its Texas-specific, federally funded, free legal services model and the need to serve a large, geographically dispersed population.
• Texas Civil Rights Project: A Texas-based nonprofit civil rights organization providing legal services and advocacy. Operates in the same Texas geography and shares an overlap in civil rights litigation, though its scope is broader than disability rights alone.

Emerging players

• National Federation of the Blind of Texas: A Texas-based advocacy organization for blind residents, which co-litigated the Bexar County vote-by-mail case alongside DRTx. Comparable in targeted disability advocacy focus, though narrower in scope to blindness-related issues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DisRightsTx
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DisabilityRightsTx
• Facebookfacebook.com/DisabilityRightsTx
• Instagraminstagram.com/disabilityrightstex

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Texas