About Us

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About Us

Disability Rights Center - NH protects, advances, and strengthens the legal rights and advocacy interests of all people with disabilities.

Protection and Advocacy

We are New Hampshire’s designated Protection and Advocacy agency. We are authorized by federal statute “to pursue legal, administrative and other appropriate remedies” on behalf of individuals with disabilities. We are a statewide organization independent from state government or service providers.

We provide information, referral, advice, legal representation, and advocacy to individuals with disabilities on a wide range of disability-related problems including education, accessibility, employment discrimination, home and community-based services and Medicaid. We also work on systemic issues via litigation, investigations, monitoring and other policy change efforts, which are all focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities across New Hampshire. Our authority includes access to facilities to conduct monitoring activities, including site visits and speaking with residents of the facility.

Learn more: download our flyer here

Mission & Vision

Disability Rights Center – New Hampshire protects, advances, and strengthens the legal rights and advocacy interests of all people with disabilities.

Board of Directors

We benefit from the generous service of our Board of Directors. We are committed to a Board that is representative of the diverse communities we serve, reflecting the socioeconomic, ethnic, geographic and disability diversity of New Hampshire.

PAIMI Advisory Council

The PAIMI Advisory Council advises DRC-NH on policies and priorities relating to individuals with mental illness. Members help educate the public about the DRC-NH’s purpose, priorities, and activities. Council members have a commitment to improving mental health services, are self or family advocates, or are professionals or members of the public who have knowledge and interest in mental health issues.

Staff

Our staff is dedicated to eliminating barriers existing in New Hampshire to the full and equal enjoyment of civil and other legal rights by people with disabilities.

Our Funding

The Disability Rights Center-New Hampshire, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation registered in New Hampshire. This website has been made possible by federal grants from SAMHSA, ACL, SSA, and the DOE. The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of the DRC-NH and do not represent the official views of the federal grantors. We also receive grants from the New Hampshire Bar Foundation and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Goals & Priorities

We work on systemic issues via litigation, investigations, monitoring and other policy change efforts, which are all focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities across New Hampshire. Our annual priorities document details how we allocate our limited resources to address the most critical issues facing people with disabilities across the state.

Celebrating 45 Years of Advocacy

For over 40 years, we have worked to eliminate the barriers faced by people with disabilities to live their best and most integrated lives possible. This timeline highlights some of the major laws, cases, and events that have shaped and continue to inspire our work.

If You Need Help

Contact us if your rights have been violated or if you would like to schedule an education or information session about your rights.

Success Stories

From Isolation to Inclusion

A determined student’s educational journey is transformed after reaching out to us for assistance.

Looking for Health and Finding Community

Kate loves yoga. She loves the health benefits as well as the community connections she’s made. Yoga has become an important physical and social activity for her. At first, she paid for her classes through a temporary private grant but then she asked her Area Agency to pay as part of her services under the DD Waiver. Her Area Agency was not supportive… at first.

Helping Our Client Carry the Load

Diane, who has orthopedic impairments which limit her mobility, was unable to carry her laundry from her third-floor apartment to the laundry room in the basement of her building without severe back pain.

“I showed them I could do this work”

Dylan reached out to us for assistance and together we were able to work with his employer to make sure that his job requirements were essential to the function of his job. As he reflected upon his successful completion of the job, Dylan said, “I showed them I could do this work”.

Breathing a Little Bit Easier

We worked with Wendy to successfully request both a structural modification to her windows and an accommodation to the building policy so she could use a window unit once her windows were changed. Now Wendy can breathe better and feels more secure in her apartment.