Disability Rights New York

What Disability Rights New York does

Disability Rights New York (DRNY) is a private, federally-mandated nonprofit Protection & Advocacy (P&A) system and Client Assistance Program (CAP) for the State of New York, founded in 1989 with offices in Albany (headquarters), Brooklyn, and Rochester. The organization delivers free legal representation, systemic litigation, abuse-and-neglect investigations, Know Your Rights training, and policy advocacy to children and adults with disabilities across all 62 New York counties and 27 congressional districts.

The service portfolio is organized around nine federally-funded program verticals: CAP, P&A for Assistive Technology (PAAT), P&A for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS), P&A for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (PADD), P&A for People with Mental Illness (PAIMI), P&A for Individual Rights (PAIR), P&A for Representative Payee (PARP), P&A for People with Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI), and P&A for Voting Access (PAVA). Supporting deliverables include current and closed litigation dockets, formal public comments to agencies (e.g., comments to New York's Olmstead Plan in August 2025), legislative testimony, fact sheets, toolkits (Veterans discharge upgrades, Voting), investigation and monitoring reports, annual reports (2017–2025), congressional-district reports, and an internal C.A.R.E. (Committee on Advancing Racial Equity) initiative.

The revenue model is grant-funded rather than commercial: DRNY receives federal appropriations through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Social Security Administration, supplemented by a minor grant from The New York Bar Foundation for PATBI. All direct legal and advocacy services are provided free of charge to eligible individuals, with intake via toll-free hotline, online form, or regional offices. Distribution relies on direct intake, multilingual self-service digital content, social media presence (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Spotify podcast), and community outreach rather than a sales motion.

Name

Disability Rights New York

Legal name

Disability Rights New York

Website

https://drny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Disability Rights New York is a federally-mandated nonprofit Protection & Advocacy system providing free legal representation, litigation, and advocacy across nine program areas to individuals with disabilities throughout New York State.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Legal Advocacy

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Child and Youth Services (62411)

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), Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Disability rights advocacy
• Legal advocacy services
• Protection and advocacy
• Civil legal representation
• Disability civil rights

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Grants: DRNY is a federally mandated Protection & Advocacy (P&A) system for New York State, funded primarily through grants from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Department of Education, and the Social Security Administration. As a nonprofit, the organization receives federal funding to provide free legal advocacy services to individuals with disabilities.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Disability Rights New York provides free legal and advocacy services to children and adults with disabilities throughout New York State. As the federally-mandated Protection & Advocacy (P&A) system and Client Assistance Program (CAP), it delivers direct legal representation, systemic litigation, investigation of abuse and neglect, policy advocacy, and educational outreach across nine federally-funded program areas covering assistive technology, mental illness, intellectual and developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, voting access, Social Security beneficiaries, representative payee issues, and individual rights.

Product overview

Disability Rights New York (DRNY) is a not-for-profit organization providing a unified portfolio of free legal and advocacy services for individuals with disabilities. The core offering consists of legal representation combined with multiple federally-funded Protection & Advocacy (P&A) programs covering areas including assistive technology, mental illness, intellectual/developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, voting access, and individual rights. Supporting services include litigation, public comments, testimony, and comprehensive educational resources including fact sheets, toolkits, investigation reports, and annual/congressional district reports. The organization also operates C.A.R.E. (Committee on Advancing Racial Equity) as an internal initiative addressing intersectional issues of race and disability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Legal Services Free legal and advocacy services provided to children and adults with disabilities to protect and advance their rights, enabling them to exercise their own life choices and fully participate in community life.
• Client Assistance Program (CAP) Federal advocacy program providing assistance to individuals with disabilities who are seeking or receiving services from programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act.
• P&A for Assistive Technology (PAAT) Protection and advocacy program focused on assistive technology, helping individuals with disabilities obtain access to devices and services that enhance their independence.
• P&A for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) Program providing advocacy services to Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities to help them achieve employment goals and remove barriers to work.
• P&A for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (PADD) Advocacy program dedicated to protecting the rights and promoting the interests of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• P&A for People with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Program focused on protecting and advocating for the rights of individuals with mental illness, including addressing systemic issues in mental health care systems.
• P&A for Individual Rights (PAIR) Program providing advocacy for individuals with disabilities to protect their individual rights and ensure access to services and accommodations.
• P&A for Representative Payee (PARP) Program advocating for individuals with disabilities who have representative payees managing their Social Security benefits.
• P&A for People with Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI) Protection and advocacy program serving individuals with traumatic brain injuries, including support for military discharge status upgrades.
• P&A for Voting Access (PAVA) Program ensuring accessible voting for people with disabilities, including monitoring polling places for ADA compliance and providing voting resources.
• Litigation Services Legal representation and litigation services to address systemic abuse, neglect, and discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• DRNY and Prisoners' Legal Services of New York filed a lawsuit resulting in a federal judge ordering New York to provide incarcerated men with significant mental health diagnoses more out-of-cell time.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Prisoners' Legal Services of New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025DRNY and Prisoners' Legal Services of New York jointly filed a federal lawsuit resulting in a court order requiring New York to provide incarcerated men with significant mental health diagnoses more out-of-cell time. This is a significant litigation partnership addressing conditions for incarcerated individuals with mental illness.
• John Jay College of Criminal Justice (Mental Health Recovery Research and Nadal Racial Justice Research Labs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021DRNY collaborated with John Jay College of Criminal Justice to publish the joint report 'Systems in Crisis: Identifying Critical Issues in Response to Mental Health Crisis Calls.' This research partnership analyzes why mental health crisis calls too often result in death, trauma, and adverse consequences, and provides recommendations for communities developing safe non-police responses.
• New York State Bar Association Task Force on Racial Injustice and Police ReformminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2020DRNY's CAP & PABSS Director, Erica M. Molina, was appointed to the NYS Bar Association Task Force on Racial Injustice and Police Reform. The Task Force was created in response to systemic failures brought to light by the murder of George Floyd, with the mission to understand issues leading to police brutality and provide recommendations to policymakers.
• New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2020DRNY jointly published a report titled 'New York State's Response to Protect People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Group Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic' with NYCLU and NYLPI. The joint investigation confirmed that individuals with I/DD in congregate settings were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN): National membership organization representing the 57 federally-funded P&A systems, including DRNY. Operates one tier above DRNY as the umbrella entity that coordinates federal advocacy and provides training across the P&A network.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): National civil rights organization with active disability rights program and litigation docket. Operates in the same advocacy and litigation space as DRNY but across all civil rights domains.

Direct peers

• Disability Rights Texas: Texas's federally-mandated P&A system providing free legal services to people with disabilities. Mirrors DRNY's structural model — multi-program P&A mandate, federal grant dependence, and statewide service delivery.
• Disability Rights Wisconsin: Wisconsin's P&A system providing individual and systemic legal advocacy for people with disabilities. Operates under the same federal P&A/CAP framework as DRNY.
• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law: National legal advocacy organization for individuals with mental disabilities. Substantially overlaps with DRNY's PAIMI program focus on mental illness advocacy and systemic litigation.
• Disability Rights California: State-designated Protection & Advocacy system for California — the largest state P&A in the country. Operates a similar portfolio of federally-funded programs serving individuals with disabilities through legal advocacy and systemic litigation.
• Disability Rights Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania's designated P&A system offering legal advocacy and rights protection for individuals with disabilities. Closely comparable in scope, program portfolio, and federal funding model.
• Disability Rights Advocates: New York-based national disability rights legal center focused on high-impact impact litigation and policy advocacy. Overlaps with DRNY's litigation and individual rights advocacy work in the same state.
• Disability Rights New Jersey: New Jersey's federally-designated P&A system providing legal advocacy and protection services for people with disabilities. Operates under identical federal mandate structure as DRNY.
• Equip for Equality: Illinois's designated P&A system offering independent legal advocacy for people with disabilities. Directly comparable mandate, funding structure, and service portfolio to DRNY's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DRNY_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4JcJEFJXGgiZwE4zbw2BKg
• Facebookfacebook.com/disabilityrightsnewyork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/disabilityrightsnewyork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 New York