Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund

What Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund does

DREDF (Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) national civil rights law and policy center founded in 1979 and headquartered at The Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley, California. The organization is directed by individuals with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities, and pursues its mission through four primary program lines: legal advocacy (direct representation, co-counseling, and amicus curiae briefs in appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court), the federally funded Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) serving families of children and young adults from birth to age 26 across 32 Central and Northern California counties, public policy and legislative development across issues including healthcare access, housing, transportation, immigrant rights, and reproductive rights, and broad-based education resources (sample letters, forms, webinars, MCLE trainings, and bilingual English/Spanish newsletters). Its historical policy footprint includes credit for the Handicapped Children's Protection Act, the Civil Rights Restoration Act, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, and the IDEA Amendments Act.

Commercially, DREDF operates as a tax-exempt nonprofit (Tax ID 94-2620758) funded primarily through individual donations, foundation grants, and the U.S. Department of Education PTI grant. Services to beneficiaries (families, individuals with disabilities, attorneys, and service providers) are free of charge; supporter 'pricing' is structured as optional monthly donation subscriptions ranging from $5 to $50 per month, supplemented by one-time gifts, donor-advised funds, and Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs. Distribution is direct and regional — a Berkeley-based office, a toll-free PTI helpline (1-800-348-4232), in-person trainings across 32 counties, and global online access to newsletters, MCLE webinars, sample letters, and policy publications.

There is no technology platform or proprietary software product. The offering surface is human-delivered legal and educational services backed by an extensive content archive of amicus briefs and topic guides. Revenue figures, audited financials, grant amounts, and donor concentration are not disclosed in the source material, which constrains commercial triangulation. The organization does not have parent or subsidiary entities, is not venture-backed, and operates without institutional investor ownership.

Name

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund

Legal name

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund Inc.

Website

https://dredf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DREDF is a 501(c)(3) national civil rights law and policy center founded in 1979, directed by individuals with disabilities and parents. It advances disability rights through legal advocacy, federal-funded parent training, education resources, and policy development across U.S. and California markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Rights Legal Advocacy

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Democracy, Human Rights & Governance Assistance (BPADABAG)

Keywords

• Disability rights advocacy
• Civil rights law
• Special education support
• Legal aid services
• Policy reform

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: DREDF operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID No. 94-2620758) and generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, and supporters. The organization offers multiple giving mechanisms including one-time donations, monthly subscription plans ($5-$50 per month), donor-advised funds, and Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs for donors aged 70½ and older.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

DREDF is a national civil rights law and policy center that advances the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development. It operates a federally-funded Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) serving families in 32 Central and Northern California counties and provides direct legal representation, amicus curiae briefs, MCLE trainings for attorneys, and resources on disability rights laws.

Product overview

DREDF is a civil rights law and policy organization, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of service programs rather than a software platform: the core programs include the Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) providing education advocacy for families of children with disabilities; Legal Advocacy Services encompassing litigation, amicus briefs, and co-counseling; Public Policy and Legislative Development addressing disability rights laws; and Education Resources including sample letters, forms, and guides. Supporting resources include the ADA Transportation Topic Guides for technical assistance, Special EDitions monthly newsletters in English and Spanish, and MCLE webinars and trainings for legal professionals. These programs work together to advance disability civil rights through legal advocacy, training, education, and policy development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) A federally-funded Parent Training and Information Center that serves families of children and young adults from birth to age 26 with all disabilities across 32 Central and Northern California counties, helping families obtain appropriate education and services, resolve problems between families and schools, and connect children with disabilities to community resources.
• Legal Advocacy Services Comprehensive legal advocacy including direct litigation representation, co-counseling with other legal entities, preparation and filing of amicus curiae briefs in appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court, and strategic case selection for high-impact disability rights cases.
• MCLE Webinars and Trainings California MCLE (Minimum Continuing Legal Education) trainings and webinars for legal professionals covering topics such as federal law, CARE court representation, unlawful detainers, IDEA exhaustion, and healthcare access for clients with disabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves families in 32 Central and Northern California counties through PTI
• +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

One partnership is on record.

• Rare BeautyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020Rare Beauty, a makeup brand launched by Selena Gomez, partners with DREDF for its Made Accessible Initiative. DREDF serves as a partner alongside Casa Colina Research Institute to help guide accessibility initiatives for people with disabilities, including product design feedback and community advocacy.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): National civil rights legal organization with significant disability rights litigation and policy work. Overlaps with DREDF in civil rights litigation, amicus practice, and policy advocacy.
• National Council on Independent Living (NCIL): National membership organization for Centers for Independent Living and advocates for the independent living movement and disability rights. Overlaps with DREDF on policy advocacy and civil rights.
• The Arc of the United States: Largest national community-based organization advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through policy, advocacy, and family support. Broader-scope peer with overlapping advocacy priorities.
• Easter Seals (Easterseals): Large national nonprofit providing disability services, advocacy, and direct support. Overlaps with DREDF in disability advocacy, though focused more on direct services.

Emerging players

• National Federation of the Blind (NFB): National advocacy and membership organization of blind Americans focused on civil rights, education, and employment. Comparable advocacy and legal posture on disability-specific civil rights.
• Autism Society of America: National grassroots autism advocacy and support organization with growing legal and policy advocacy function. Overlaps with DREDF on education rights and family advocacy for a specific disability community.

Direct peers

• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law: National legal advocacy organization for people with mental disabilities, focused on impact litigation and policy. Direct peer in disability-focused impact litigation and amicus work.
• Disability Rights Advocates (DRA): National nonprofit disability rights legal center pursuing high-impact litigation and policy advocacy, including class actions and ADA enforcement. Closely comparable in mission, litigation focus, and national scope.
• National Disability Rights Network (NDRN): National membership network of Protection & Advocacy (P&A) agencies providing legal advocacy and rights protection for people with disabilities. Direct peer in federal-designated disability rights legal services.
• Center for Disability Rights: Disability rights advocacy and legal services organization based in New York, providing direct services, litigation, and policy advocacy. Peer in disability rights legal and policy work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DREDF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/disability-rights-education-and-defense-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Education and Defense Fund